Full disclosure: In addition to Country House Realty, I run a busy vacation rentals company called Red Cottage Inc. It is not real estate, it is hospitality. (When people call you at night if the toilet clogs, it is not real estate.) And it’s relevant because I’m pretty aware of what people in the city are looking for when they want to get out of town, and what they want to do once they get here. And suffice it to say, neither casinos nor gambling have ever, not once, come up in conversation in four years and hundreds of guests.

And I find it stunning that government officials still think that putting all their eggs in this one “jobs” basket is worth the cost of the added strain to both infrastructure and the environment (here’s a great piece from the NRDC about the threat to the Neversink River and therefore NYC drinking water).

If I’m not mistaken, Atlantic City is hardly a symbol of full-employment and great quality of life. And forgive me, but gambling is, well, the opposite of nature. No windows or clocks, oxygen pumped in, all so that no one gets sleepy, and no one knows what time it is. The last thing people are doing is driving to charming local towns, sampling the local farm produce, or picking up handmade mementos in nearby shops. Casino owners do not want you to leave.

Contrast that with our renters (although I’m sure it’s the same for guests at B&Bs, guest houses and boutique hotels). They want to explore, to dine out, to “buy local” and attend fairs or festivals for a little local color. City Escapees want to hike, to stroll through town, to interact, to relax. The elements that they travel for are a pleasing and comfortable “home environment”, the local towns, and the scenery. The bottom line: They will spend money if given the opportunity. Our stumbling block is a shortage of towns that have appealing eateries and shops in a setting that encourages parking the car and exploring the town. That said, every year brings exciting new businesses to our area that instantly become buzz-worthy (examples: Rolling River Café, Willow & Brown, Catskill Harvest Market, Morgan Outdoors, Main Street Farm, Bridgewater Mercantile, Global Home, Callicoon Wine Merchants, Lazy Beagle, Flour Power Bakery, and more).

The good news is that while Gov. Patterson opened the door for a large casino project, the pols in DC are seemingly not convinced, according to my favorite local news source for the new millennium, the Watershed Post.

But even if the casino quest is finally put to rest, the need for jobs is still very real. So my suggestion is why not take a cue from the overwhelmingly successful Sullivan Renaissance (a recent, best idea ever) and focus on upgrading the small towns throughout Sullivan County. Help small businesses, especially the hospitality industry, get off the ground and bring their talents to Main Street where the community and visitors alike can benefit from a renewed vitality that commerce and prosperity will bring. The wealth will be more evenly spread than with big projects that overwhelm one area, demanding tax breaks and government spending on infrastructure. Helping our towns become “visitor-friendly” (not touristy, mind you), will likely make them “community-friendly” as well, while attracting tourist dollars in a non-invasive fashion.