Yesterday I joined with several New York
leaders and scholars to smash a slot machine at the State Capitol in
Albany.
We smashed the machine in a reenactment of former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s efforts against slots more than seventy years ago. We also pointed to the substantial amount of evidence that government sponsorship of slot machines is contributing to rising inequality and unfairness across America.
As a leader who many scholars view as the greatest mayor in American history, La Guardia personally smashed many slot machines during his time as mayor because he hated ordinary New Yorkers getting exploited and cheated – particularly lower-income New Yorkers who could least afford it, and particularly when politicians were involved in it. Watch a video of La Guardia smashing slot machines here.
Other slot smashing participants from yesterday included David Blankenhorn, author of “New York’s Promise: Why Sponsoring Casinos is a Regressive Policy Unworthy of a Great State” and President of the Institute for American Values, a non-partisan think tank in New York City; Barbara Whitehead, author of “Why Casinos Matter: Thirty-One Evidence-Based Propositions from the Health and Social Sciences;” and Dr. Stephen Shafer, a retired Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons faculty member who leads a statewide citizens effort against the state’s sponsorship of casinos.
Because of the history of the moment, every major media outlet in the state was there. Read and watch some of the coverage (click on the newspaper): The New York Times, The Buffalo News and The Albany Times-Union.
The event effectively delivered a powerful message. If you want your government to stop sponsoring highly predatory forms of gambling like slot machines in our communities, then I strongly urge you to organize a slot machine smashing in your state. It's not hard to do. Contact me and I'll share what we learned from the first smashing. If you want to take action, I'd be honored to join you along with many others.
Also, I ask that if you support our mission, please donate $10 or more to help sustain our work.
Now go find yourself a sledgehammer.
We smashed the machine in a reenactment of former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s efforts against slots more than seventy years ago. We also pointed to the substantial amount of evidence that government sponsorship of slot machines is contributing to rising inequality and unfairness across America.
As a leader who many scholars view as the greatest mayor in American history, La Guardia personally smashed many slot machines during his time as mayor because he hated ordinary New Yorkers getting exploited and cheated – particularly lower-income New Yorkers who could least afford it, and particularly when politicians were involved in it. Watch a video of La Guardia smashing slot machines here.
Other slot smashing participants from yesterday included David Blankenhorn, author of “New York’s Promise: Why Sponsoring Casinos is a Regressive Policy Unworthy of a Great State” and President of the Institute for American Values, a non-partisan think tank in New York City; Barbara Whitehead, author of “Why Casinos Matter: Thirty-One Evidence-Based Propositions from the Health and Social Sciences;” and Dr. Stephen Shafer, a retired Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons faculty member who leads a statewide citizens effort against the state’s sponsorship of casinos.
Because of the history of the moment, every major media outlet in the state was there. Read and watch some of the coverage (click on the newspaper): The New York Times, The Buffalo News and The Albany Times-Union.
The event effectively delivered a powerful message. If you want your government to stop sponsoring highly predatory forms of gambling like slot machines in our communities, then I strongly urge you to organize a slot machine smashing in your state. It's not hard to do. Contact me and I'll share what we learned from the first smashing. If you want to take action, I'd be honored to join you along with many others.
Also, I ask that if you support our mission, please donate $10 or more to help sustain our work.
Now go find yourself a sledgehammer.
Thank you.
Best,
Les Bernal
Executive Director
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