When you hear Internet café, you think coffee and computers — not gambling.
But after several occurrences of illegal gambling in northern Ohio cafés, that is exactly what comes to the minds of Athens City Planning Commission officials.
Last night, the commission expressed its dislike of Internet cafés, recommending regulations to Athens City Council. There is already proposed state legislation to combat illegal gambling in the cafés, but that is not enough for the planning commission.
One of the main recommendations is zoning restrictions. These restrictions would require Internet cafés be a certain distance away from residential districts and only located in the business districts.
Such restrictions, though, would hinder businesses from coming, and in a town that wants to stimulate economic growth, that is the opposite of what Athens should be doing.
With an Internet café would come jobs and tax money. Those stimulate the local economy. But in reality, this does not seem to be about a better economy; it is about preventing vice.
Similar zoning restrictions exist currently, essentially preventing any adult entertainment venue from existing within the city. Athens politicians are trying to play the ethical gatekeeper and stop any vice from taking root within the city’s limits. Doing so slightly infringes on residents’ personal liberties.
It also seems that Athens politicians do not understand what an Internet café is.
Athens City Planner Paul Logue said, “A lot of people get confused with what an Internet café is. These cafés are an unregulated illegal gambling system.”
That is just not true. Logue essentially equates the actions of a few cafés to the actions of all cafés. That is like saying one student’s actions are the actions of all students.
Thankfully, though, the recommendations were just introduced to City Council. No ordinances have been proposed or considered yet.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Post’s executive editors.
