Don't be a sucker, New York
Oh, this is rich: A state that hasn't been able to open a video lottery hall that it approved nine years ago now thinks it's ready for full-fledged casino gambling. It would be amusing if it wasn't such a bad idea.
Bad, first and foremost, because the government should not be in the business of preying on its citizens and treating them as just so many likely losers.
Yet some officials want to do just that. They apparently don't think the state has gotten its fair share from those who are most drawn, and hurt financially or otherwise, by the lure of gambling on the lottery, racetracks, racinos and OTB. So they envision new and more exciting ways to part people from their money.
But even if you put aside the ethics of it, such a dramatic expansion of gambling is hardly something that the state should be counting on. And that's the other danger here -- that New York's leaders will balance budgets on casino gambling before a single brick is laid.
Oh, but they wouldn't do that, you say? New York has, in fact, done exactly that ever since it approved a racino at Aqueduct Race Track in 2001, budgeting $250 million to $300 million a year from a gambling operation that has yet to materialize.
To be sure, casino gambling would be impossible to achieve this year. To allow Las Vegas-style casinos -- with craps, poker, blackjack, roulette, real slot machines, and so on -- at horse tracks would require a constitutional change, which would take at least until late 2011. Two successive legislatures would have to approve it, then voters.
But future casino revenue, however imaginary, could relieve lawmakers from some of the tough choices they are desperate to avoid in closing a $9.2 billion deficit this year. Some, particularly in the Assembly, want to borrow billions. What better excuse for borrowing -- and for ignoring the fact that New York faces years of deficits because it spends more money than it takes in -- than to assume that hundreds of millions will be pouring in from gambling in few years?
Talk about a house of cards. A constitutional change to allow gambling would have to survive an onslaught of well-heeled opposition from gambling interests in other states.
Even if it succeeds, individual counties, anxious to avoid the social costs of gambling, could opt out. And, as we've seen for nearly a decade with Aqueduct, New York can't get out of its own way on just one project. Casino gambling would take the state to a whole new and complex level of regulation, monitoring and potential for mismanagement, not to mention corruption.
It's a sucker's bet, New York. You're better than this, and smarter, too.
The issue:
Lawmakers consider a major expansion of gambling.
The Stakes:
A get-rich-quick scheme is no replacement for responsible, realistic budgeting.
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1 comment:
I would not gamble with our citys economy.
Who said this during his campaign??
..........the mayor of fall river!!
http://speakupfallriver.blogspot.com/2010/06/bio-park-to-green-park-to-water-park-in.html
From Bio Park to Green Park to Water Park in less than a year
This week last year a bio park was under construction on a 300-acre site in the city's north end. The acres were properly zoned to accommodate biotech manufacturing, medical device manufacturing, life sciences, and similarly related businesses. Several companies/organization were preparing to move into the Bio Park, plans were made, off ramps were built, and loans were awarded in anticipation of the developing Bio Park.
Fall River was told that the Bio Park was going to save them (prior to the Green Park and Casino saving them).
This week last year, an inexperienced Mayoral candidate named Will Flanagan began campaigning on a promise to bring a Green Park to Fall River instead of a Bio Park. You can read all about Flanagan's promises for a Green Park on his website here.....well you could if his promises hadn't mysteriously turned into 3 pages of blank document...which is pretty much as substantive as anything else he said during his campaign.
Luckily, the Herald News isn't into erasing campaign promises and still has this article on Flanagan's Green Park. Here is my favorite part:
“I am very concerned that the Correia administration is taking a risky gamble on biotechnology, as mayor of this city I would not gamble with our city’s economy. Green jobs are secure for today’s economy and as well as tomorrow’s economy. I will work with our various governmental agencies, our business community, and our unions to ensure that this Green Industrial Park will become reality,” Flanagan said.
(Gambling on the mind much??) Flanagan sounded so committed to a Green Park but, not surprisingly, I haven't heard a thing about it since he used it to get into office. This is probably because he broke his promise for a Green Park and is expeditiously pursuing bringing a casino (with a water park) to Fall River.
I am not necessarily opposed to the idea of any of the aforementioned projects, however, I am opposed to rushed, poorly thought out projects (casino) and false promises made to get into office. The fact that, a mere several months ago, Flanagan was absolutely confident that the Green Park was going to be the answer to Fall River's economic problems, indicates to me that the Casino plan is rushed and not well thought out, like many of his campaign promises
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