Sat, Nov 07 2009
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Published June 20, 2009 12:06 pm - Ah, blackmail ... uh, politics. Yes, good old-fashioned, strong-arm politicking is in vogue at the state capital. Gambling is about politics By JAMES BROWN Glasgow Daily Times Ah, blackmail ... uh, politics. Yes, good old-fashioned, strong-arm politicking is in vogue at the state capital.
Whereas blackmailing someone into doing something against their will is a crime, politicking someone into voting for a measure that they may object to is the game in capitols across the land. That was the deal in regards to the house bill on expanding gambling — via video slots at pre-existing horse tracks. A vote in favor from a state Representative may win a new school in their legislative district. A vote against expanded gambling would certainly eliminate school districts in their area getting money to replace old schools. I can’t say if that was the articulated threat, but it certainly seemed to be the thinly veiled, implied threat. The interesting thing was that Glasgow High School was one of the schools on the list to be replaced with money gained through increased revenues from gaming and Rep. Johnny Bell, D-Glasgow, voted against it. Jamie Comer, a Republican who represents Metcalfe County, also voted against the bill with two schools in the Metcalfe school district on the list to be replaced. We are miles away from an end to this process that is being played out during a legislative special session in Frankfort. The measure passed the house Friday afternoon, but now must go before the Senate. The leader there, David Williams, R-Burkesville, has said, “Stick a fork in it. It is done.” For those who do not know the lingo, it means this goose is cooked when it gets to the Senate and has no hope to fly. Or, more plainly, the bill to add video gambling at horse racing tracks has no hope to pass the Senate. That’s no surprise because Republicans have been opposed to expanded gambling — beyond what happens at the tracks now — since Gov. Steve Beshear floated casino gambling as a revenue option during his campaign for governor nearly two years ago. The Republicans are in charge of the state Senate. ——— I’m not a gambler and I don’t care about expanded gambling. I can’t endorse it nor deride it. This can be said: I’ve seen casino gambling transform communities. On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, casino gambling transformed a beautiful, quaint area into a cesspool of excess and neon. In Tunica, Miss., casinos transformed a cess-filled ditch, literally, into a destination spot. Those examples show casino gambling can be detrimental and beneficial, depending on the pre-existing environment of the community in which it comes. Also, depending on the tax base of the community beforehand. There are certainly ills that come with gambling and certain types of social blight, but if we are talking about bringing jobs to areas that have high levels of unemployment, there are some upsides. Would it be better to bring in manufacturing, or higher-wage white-collar jobs? Yes. But many of those jobs rely on things such as education levels of the workforce; workforce demographics, state incentives, local incentives, etc. 
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