Illinois GOP not in favor of casino

Guest Column: Illinois GOP not in favor of casino
By Jan Klaas
SPECIAL TO RRSTAR.COM Rockford Register Star

As chairman of the Winnebago County Republican Party, I want to inform the Rockford community that Illinois Republicans voted to oppose gambling expansion at our last state convention in 2008. The Illinois Republican platform states:

“We call on the Governor and General Assembly to balance the state budget and provide for a responsible capital development program without resorting to the expansion of gambling, which harms Illinois’ families and our state’s business climate and presents costly challenges for both law enforcement and social service agencies.”

Although a few Republican elected officials support gambling expansion, the majority of local and state Republicans oppose this effort. Let me share some information about gambling that the pro-casino forces have conveniently ignored.

Over the last two decades there has been a significant compilation of data, known as the United States International Gambling Report, which exposes the truth about gambling. The report confirmed that the cost of legalizing gambling to the taxpayers is at least three dollars for every dollar in theoretical benefits.

John Kindt, professor of business and legal policy at the University of Illinois, was a leader in this effort. Kindt warns, “The United States and the international economies are headed in the wrong direction thinking that gambling will help them. It’s Economics 101 that you cannot gamble your way to prosperity. But you can gamble your way into more recessions and even depression.”

Additional research shows that gambling does not solve problems; instead it creates problems for a community. Consider these facts:

Counties having at least one gambling establishment averaged 18 percent more bankruptcies than those counties without gambling.

Problem gambling and addiction rates DOUBLE within a 50 mile radius of a casino.

Casinos increase crimes such as rape, robbery, aggravated assault and burglary.

Numerous studies show that gambling is sapping the economic vitality out of the U.S. economy. Instead of creating new wealth, it extracts existing wealth because it is a business based on people losing money.

On the other hand, through traditional revenue streams, the government invests in infrastructure so individuals and businesses see their incomes and property values increase. As income and property values increase, so will revenues to the government. Americans must return to the basics of saving more, reducing our debt, strengthening our families and inventing more products and services to export.

Chuck Sweeny’s column June 26 pokes fun at “anti-gambling moralists of the far right and far left” because he senses that we have little support.

First, let me say that I am proud to work alongside local Democrats like Stanley Campbell and the Rev. Mike Solberg to protect people from the negative effects of predatory gambling. Sen. Dick Durbin recently said, “Most people who go into casinos are poor and elderly people who lose money that they can’t afford to lose. I am really saddened that we’ve reached a point in Illinois where that is a major source of revenue in our state.” I agree with Sen. Durbin!

Second, a moralist is defined as a person concerned with regulating morals. It seems that Sweeny and pro-casino leaders are pushing their morals on this community. They choose to ignore the economic and social consequences of gambling, but I will not. Legislation always reflects someone’s morals. The question is, whose morals do we want reflected in the laws and policies of our community?

Finally, Sweeny thinks gambling expansion opponents have little support. Every day I meet people opposed to a Rockford casino. Chuck needs to do a little more research.

Let’s send a message to Gov. Quinn’s office that Rockford does NOT want a casino!

Jan Klaas is chairman of the Winnebago County Republican Party