Casinos won’t benefit jobs

Casinos won’t benefit jobs
State needs different plan for employment growth
By Tyler Diedrich

If building and operating casinos off Indian reservations is Gov. Andrew Cuomo's way of boosting New York's economy, this state must be all but hopeless for economic revival.


Commercial gambling is currently prohibited in New York, but Indian gaming, racetrack gaming and lotteries are legal.


With Cuomo's persuasion, state legislative leaders are considering a constitutional amendment to allow non-Indian casinos – a move that would require voter approval – in New York, according to a Sept. 21 Associated Press report.


Maryland, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are also considering such options, according to a Sept. 26 gamingtoday.com article.


Casinos are expected to open in Ohio's four largest cities – Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo – in the next year or two and provide more than 6,000 jobs, according a Sept. 13 AP report.


But at what cost?


Approximately 15 million Americans – nearly one out of every 20 – display some sign of gambling addiction, according to overcominggambling.com.


Those addicted to gambling are 60 percent more likely to commit crimes, 63 percent more likely to become alcoholics and 50 percent more likely to abuse spouses or children, or get divorced, according to an Aug. 27 report on casinowatch.com.


Let's see if the state can put a positive, money-making spin on those numbers.


Are there are no other solutions for the state to make money and create jobs other than inviting people to dump their money away?


I won't pretend to have a solution on creating jobs, but I'm not sure this desperate measure would necessarily better our state, even if it adds a few jobs.


The state would essentially be relying on its citizens' own selfishness and ignorance to try and fix an issue it apparently has no substantial idea how to correct.


Still, the majority of voters seem to approve of the potential expansion. In a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University last week, 56 percent of voters said they support licensed casinos away from reservations, and 64 percent said they believed casinos would be good for the economy.


The poll also showed people admitted gambling addiction would probably increase if there were more casinos, but it would still be good for the economy.


Here's an idea – let's send those people to Las Vegas or Atlantic City for a two-week vacation, let them ‘stimulate' those local economies by blowing all their money, then see how much they care about New York state's economy.


Aside from the addiction, crime and debt for many ignorant citizens, commercial casinos could hurt small businesses. Studies have shown expanded gaming can interfere with real economic development, as it decreases competition among local retail shops, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, according a Sept. 27 Boston Daily article.


If this measure goes to a vote once the new state legislative session begins in January, please use your heads, New Yorkers. Realize you would be getting used to ‘fix' a problem our state is too incompetent to correct legitimately on its own.