San Gabriel Valley : Vote Scheduled on Card Clubs
The Azusa City Council abruptly decided this week to hold a special election Dec. 12 on card clubs--an idea that’s less than aces to some residents.
Hoping to beat a three-year state moratorium on card club votes that begins in January, the council played its hand late Tuesday night, voting 4-1 to put the issue on the ballot.
The vote came moments after Ron Sarakbe, general manager of the Normandie Casino in Gardena, told the council he wanted to build a massive club just off the Foothill Freeway that would take in as much as $7 million annually.
Dissenting Councilwoman Cristina Madrid said the vote came “out of the blue” with virtually no debate about the crime and moral problems that the clubs are accused of promoting.
Many residents agreed. Azusa Pacific University spokesman Hank Bode said the Christian college was shocked to learn that a gaming establishment could become a neighbor and would fight the idea.
Councilwoman Diane Beebe, who proposed the vote, said she was not endorsing gambling but just giving voters the chance to decide the issue.
Voters in neighboring Irwindale will vote on a card club next month, and Pomona residents will get to decide the issue in November.
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