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Louisiana church leaders blast casino plan

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, Louisiana -- As reported by The Times-Picayune: "Leaders of 40 churches throughout St. Tammany Parish urged local officials on Thursday to reject a proposal by Parish President Kevin Davis to establish an entertainment district near Slidell, anchored by a casino barge on Lake Pontchartrain.

"'We want St. Tammany to continue to be a place where people want to live,' said the Rev. Waylon Bailey, pastor of First Baptist Church of Covington. 'We believe in God. We believe in family. We believe in work. Because we believe in these things, we strongly oppose the introduction of any form of gambling in St. Tammany Parish.

"'We call on our elected leaders to quickly remove this threat to our way of life,' Bailey said. He was flanked by some 45 ministers at the Kids Konnection Playground along the Tammany Trace north of Mandeville.

"Gambling 'in essence, eats away at the fabric of a community,' Bailey said. 'Gambling is not what the citizens of St. Tammany signed up for. What we signed up for is typified in the playground behind me and the trace which runs through this property.'

"Bailey's short speech was applauded by some 80 residents who attended the 1 p.m. news conference to announce the formation of Citizens for Quality of Life to fight the establishment of a casino in St. Tammany..."

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