CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — In 1987, businessman George Hardie decided to build a card parlor on a chunk of land he owns in this desert community next door to Palm Springs.
But when Hardie--managing partner of the Bicycle Club casino in Bell Gardens--shared his plans with a few City Council members, he got the cold shoulder.
Never one to back down with a whimper, Hardie figured if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. He bought a condominium in Cathedral City and ran for City Council. Mounting an expensive campaign, he won a seat in April, 1988, and was promptly named mayor by his council colleagues.
Before his freshman year was half over, Hardie, 55, had resurrected his card parlor proposal. He then launched a petition drive that landed a measure on the ballot to legalize casinos in Cathedral City.
The denouement to this tale comes Tuesday, when voters here will decide whether to permit people to play cards for money in their town. While the gambling issue itself is controversial, more than that is at stake: In a sense, the special election is a referendum on George Hardie, Mayor.
"It is (about) me, absolutely," Hardie acknowledged last week in an interview at his plush, wood-paneled office above the Bicycle Club's jam-packed gaming tables.
His opponents agree: "The issue is Hardie," said Anne Zachary, 71, a coordinator of anti-gambling forces in Cathedral City.
"He's a carpetbagger, a smart businessman who came in here determined to get his casino built. But I think he misjudged this community. . . . We're not that stupid."
Two measures are on Tuesday's ballot. The first would repeal Cathedral City's current ban on card-room gambling and the second would regulate the games. If voters approve, draw poker, lowball, pan and other games allowed under California law could be played 24 hours a day by those 21 and older. No Las Vegas-style gambling would be permitted.
Only one gaming license for every 25,000 residents--there are about 29,000 people in Cathedral City today--could be issued under the regulations, and a companion hotel development would be required along with any card parlor built. Up to 10% of the gaming revenue earned annually would be shared with the city.
So far, Hardie's proposal for a $25-million hotel and gaming complex--the Emerald Court Resort--on land he owns in the center of town is the only plan tailored to the proposed ordinance.
