You are on page 1of 3

PRESS RELEASE

JACKS OR BETTER CASINO FINAL STATEMENT:

THE ACCIDENT:
The accident on 4/15 where Jacks or Better Casino sideswiped a well-lit jetty marker
left everybody, including our management and employees, shaking their heads. No
one was injured and the ship arrived safely at port on schedule. How and why were
the perplexing questions? USCG interviewed Captain Kendrick, JOB decided to do its
own informal investigation to determine the answers to those questions. This was
an internal inquiry and its results were intended to remain within the company.
USCG is doing its own investigation which could take several months and wont
reveal anything until it becomes public record.

GOING PUBLIC:
On April 16th, a vicious sarcastic thread appeared on Galveston Talk. Subsequent
comments on it accused the captain of being drunk or using drugs. The boo birds
perched on the rail spoke as one with their baseless slanderous posts against the
captain, crew, and JOB management. The media was demanding answers and asked
for comment. Most said they had to run the story and would use the information
they already had. In other words, speculation and rumor would determine what they
would write or broadcast. The captain was upset and shaken, not only from the
accident but because of the false allegations. Frankly, we had had enough!

We decided to go public and not withhold anything, an all or nothing approach. The
captain had admitted his mistake. He did not deserve the bashing he got, nor did
we. So JOB management decided to bring 100% transparency to the table and
publish its investigative results. It is very rare to see a company reveal details of an
accident, but we felt it was the only way to bring back Capt. Kendricks impugned
reputation which was impeccable before the accident and now lay in the gutter
being trampled on by all the nay-sayers. We spoke directly with the captain on
many occasions during our inquiry. During those times we informed Capt. David that
we wanted to make known what we found. He agreed and supported our efforts.

By now all of you know that we are not wallflowers. We dont shy away from a good
fight providing we are convinced that our cause is righteous. The public needed to
know because silence would have been deafening. We elected to use Social Media
to get the word out. Its lightening quick and very demanding. Regardless of what
we posted, the same cynical killjoys belittled our efforts and continued to make a
shambles of our captain and JOB; all without any facts or evidence. After Capt.
David posted his statements, public opinion gave him overwhelming support. He
still has that. But what of JOB? Why are we being vilified for trying to do the right
thing? Would the prophets of doom been satisfied if we said nothing? They would
have been on our case claiming we were hiding something. Then the captain would
go down with the ship.

Seemed like we were damned if we do and damned if we dont. In retrospect,


people didnt want to hear the details they were all clamoring for shortly after the
accident occurred.
THE THREADS:
As the days went by, we discussed the various posts including his drug test, initial
statement, final statement, and the HIRE AND FIRE post. Captain Kendrick authored
and wrote the first two, (the statements) and had full knowledge of the H & F post.
He gave his consent and approval to those as well as the release of his drug test on
FB. It came back negative but was questioned by some. Nothing was good enough
for them.

While the vast majority was positive for the Captain, many were telling us that we
handled the whole thing badly and predicted failure in Galveston. Failure because
we posted the results of our investigation, agreed with Captain David to publish his
statements and finally the HIRE AND FIRE thread. Some of the ill will was generated
by this last post. Its sole purpose was to generate some comments from our
customers so we could assess their comfort level regarding sailing again with us;
same for potential patrons. It was never meant to be a public vote for or against
Capt. Kendricks continued employment. Those that thought we were relying on it
to determine the Captains continued employment must think JOB management had
lost its course.

PRESS RELEASE:
JOB realized that it had failed to communicate its message so we struck the thread.
It was up for an hour and had received hundreds of responses. Telephonic hate
threats, dog poop left at our GMs door, and ridicule of our Master Captains wife
and children soon followed. We then issued a press release to clarify HIRE & FIRE as
it had created a huge media buzz. The Railbirds continued with their same mean
spirited comments. Some actually think they are comedians. Hate messages that
are designed to make a tough situation worse are the saddest form of
communication. Kick em when they are down is their modus operandi.

I guess they dont realize that by stooping so low, they degrade themselves.

AFTERMATH:
It is somewhat ironic that JOB brings 100s of jobs to Galveston, uses all the local
suppliers and resources, and brings a new tourist attraction to the island. Estimates
of around $12,000,000 are the annual churn. All the while, the Railbirds jeer the
Captain and JOB hoping for the worst. Seems like they are willing to hurt
themselves while trying to hurt others. Naturally, we greatly appreciate the support
given to JOB and Captain Kendrick.

CAPTAIN DAVID KENDRICK:


The JOB team has unanimously decided to continue Capt. David Kendricks
employment. He is highly accredited and well qualified for this job. He has a license
that allows him to pilot much bigger vessels. Hes a good guy, feels terrible, wants
to make restitution, and has been completely co-operative throughout this entire
process. We have complete confidence in his abilities. He made a mistake and
owned up to it. Thats good enough for us.

MOVING FORWARD:
Repair of the ship has been completed today. It will be back in service on Friday,
April 28, weather permitting. All of us are now putting this behind us. We will move
forward hoping for smooth seas, good weather, and good luck to our customers. We
hope that Galveston and surrounds will feel the same way. Im sure it has been a
learning experience for all. Come out and join us for fresh ocean air, good food, a
lively time, and a good gamble with a full complement of table games, slots and a
sports book.

Thank you,
Rocky Herrin
JOB GM

You might also like