In the Nov. 8 election, Tukwila residents must make a decision on what has become the talk of the town--whether to vote yes or no on Advisory Measure #1.

This measure will determine whether or not card rooms and casinos will be allowed to stay open and operate in the city of Tukwila.

Earlier this year, the Tukwila City Council, in a 4-3 decision, voted to close all the casinos in operation in the city within five years.

Now, citizens are divided between the choice to retract this measure or to keep it. Fliers are being sent out to residents’ homes on both sides of the issue.

Chuck Parrish, a regular at city council meetings and a strong participant in city issues, says, “vote yes!”

Parrish, along with Tom McLeod and Gerry Myklebust, represent “Families for a Better Tukwila,” and say the closure of casinos will result in “450 card room employees losing their jobs.”

“Why would we want to do that to them in this economy?” Parrish stated.

“Tukwila residents will lose over $2,000,000 in gaming tax revenues. Neither the city council nor the anti-card room element offer a solution for the loss of revenues,” Parrish added.

In one of the fliers sent out to residents, it is said that “Tukwila has had social card rooms for over 12 years,” and the tax revenue is invaluable to the city.

“Do we really want to cut our city revenue and force 450 people out of work?” it asks.

Last year, it adds, the city had a shortfall in revenue and “balanced the budget by raising business taxes and cutting the budget to the bone.”

Some things that took a hit, it says, were public safety, city employees and programs such as parks and recreation.

“A ‘no’ vote means that another budget shortfall of 2 million dollars will have to be addressed in the same areas.”

There is a flip side to this argument.

In a pamphlet sent out to Tukwila residents, the argument against card rooms in Tukwila is expressly laid out.

“We want our young people, including the scores of newcomer and immigrant children in Tukwila schools, to recognize that the way to maturity and financial stability is not through giving away part of a paycheck in a gamble but by industry, education, thrift and hard work,” states Tukwila resident Donna Andrews in the pamphlet.

The pamphlet was distributed on behalf of www.freetukwila.org.

“Allowing one means allowing them all,” the citizens against Advisory Measure 1 note in the pamphlet.

State law states cities that allow social card rooms are required, with no wiggle room, to allow them in any place that serves food and drink.

“Gambling revenues are only 3.6 percent of Tukwila’s 2011 budget and are declining,” notes the heading of one argument.

It is claimed within the handout that Councilman Dennis Robertson,) said “further cuts, though difficult, are possible,” meaning that Families for a Better Tukwila’s argument that “budget cuts” do not necessarily have to mean further hits to parks and recreation, and other services in the city.

“No casino owners and few employees live in Tukwila,” it says to counter-argue the point that the 450 card room employees who will have a large impact on Tukwila.

Also, it claims, because there is a five-year period of time for card rooms and casinos to close, the employees of those facilities have that much time to find other employment.

Another heading in the handout says, “Most gambling related crime does not occur on casino property, it happens in our neighborhoods.” The reasons behind this are because casinos hire people to police their own facilities, which give the illusion that there is less crime due to their businesses.

“Gambling related crime includes theft, fraud, embezzlement, child neglect, domestic violence and homicide,” it argues.

And Free Tukwila argues that there are nearly “75 major municipalities in Washington state that prohibit gambling activities.” It lists the neighboring cities of Kent, Normandy Park and Covington, as well as Issaquah, Bellevue and Tacoma.