By David Anderson, Tillicum
That sweaty-palmed gambler recently identified as having cheated his kids out of their Christmas presents isn’t to be found in the police lineup; rather it’s the state itself, proposing to expand their predatory market.
So let’s gamble.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and should the state – in the sweaty-palmed panic of a slot-stalker trolling for a lucky spin to offset his financial depravity and stupidity – expand gambling by approving slot-machines for non-tribal casinos, in affect calling the bluff of the hand held by cities with the powers of initiative, then the latter will lay down a full house, taking down the house of cards that currently exists by launching a massive state-wide initiative drive for cities without that right currently, and banning all gambling permanently.
That’s not a threat. It’s a promise.
We’re already on it.
You know, David, when you have your demons that you have no self-control over it is not the fault of those that can control themselves. If you don’t like gambling, don’t go. If you don’t have self-control, get help. We cannot always be the baby sitter for people with demons and inability to control their drinking and gambling problems. You may not have self-control and this is quite obvious a personal problem for you, but this is not the case for many others.
What does it say about our Legislature that this is what they’ve come up with? Politicians feel as hemmed in as a gambler on a losing streak. The economic equation is overwhelming so they’re casting about, and the standard objections against gambling are being set aside because of the sheer need for money.
It is hardly different that installing the state as the approved dope dealer.
You’d mostly be hitting up your own seniors, your unemployed, the people with welfare checks, in order to balance the budget.
Plus, once states go all in with gambling, they tend to become pushers of it. You have to promote gambling once you start taxing it – or expanding it. It will be ‘save a school, play a slot machine.’
Counting on gambling to prop up schools or health care is just another way of chasing a bad bet.
Speaking of which, guess which state is the most in the hole financially out of all 50? With a deficit, measured as a percentage of the yearly budget, that is more than twice as large as ours?
Nevada.
Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2014670196_danny03.html
William Thompson teaches at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where he has written on such topics as vice, gaming and how economics is trumping values in politics.