Tough Economic Times

How come when my income shrinks I have to cut back on the things I want?  When the government's income shrinks, they cut back on the things that supposedly help to make me safe, education for my children, and other services.  How about you scale back some entitlement programs instead of finding new ways to take money from those that can least afford it? 

During the last boom, entitlement program's benefits exploded.  Not only are new programs being introduced, but the programs already in place have their enrollment soaring.  Should health care be added to the tally, we will bankrupt this country in only a very few years instead of merely decades.

My lamenting of those current and proposed systems will have to wait for another time.  I am talking today about the changes that are coming to many states near you.  Gambling is on the rise.

States have toyed with gambling in many different forms for decades.  Here in Georgia, we have a lottery system.  The lottery was imposed to help fund our schools.  Now who would vote to discourage the funding of education?  Now that we have had the lottery for roughly 20 years, are any of the schools better for it? 

NOPE!!

Here is how the system works.  When the schools get additional funding from the lottery, they then need less from the government.  Therefore, the gov't has more money to spend on entitlements etc.  So the real question becomes: When the government finds a way to add funding to a program, why does the net funding for that program stay the same?

Anyway, this all came up due to the good legislative body in Delaware.  These geniuses have decided that the best way to make up for their budget shortfall is to legalize something that has previously been illegal in an attempt to protect their citizenry.  Apparently they feel that the ends justify the means.  Newsflash!!!  This is not always true.  Who will end up paying for this?

Here in Georgia, we call the lottery the poor-man's tax.  How about the supporters of gambling take a quick look at these casinos' customers?  People that depend on government assistance have already made a few bad choices in their lives.  What's a few more options? 

To be completely fair about all this, it is not really table games that are the main draw for the ultra-low income patrons.  They do tend more to the slots.  However, I have known more than a few people that have lost their rent or entire paychecks at the tables.  This is not good policy.

DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Two bills that would pave the way for Delaware to add table games such as poker, blackjack and craps to the state's gambling options passed their initial legislative hurdles Wednesday.  A state Senate committee, meanwhile released a separate bill aimed at preventing cheating on table games. That bill was approved by the full Senate later Wednesday.  In exchange for the privilege of offering table games, the casinos would pay an annual collective licensing fee nominally set at $13.5 million.  The casinos would receive 66 percent of the gross table game revenue, with 29 percent going to the state and 4.5 percent to horse racing purses.