KY casino proposal's ballot wording
And then, this report from Tom Loftus in today's C-J on various responses to the wording...
If the General Assembly accepts Gov. Steve Beshear's proposed constitutional amendment on expanded gambling, voters will not be asked simply if they favor legalizing up to 12 casinos in Kentucky.
The ballot question in the amendment that Beshear offered yesterday is 93 words long and begins by identifying popular state programs that would benefit from the tax on casinos....
Beshear said the question is fair and straightforward....
Opponents of casino gambling disagreed....the question should simply ask: "Do you support expanded gambling and up to so many casinos?"
Former Attorney General Greg Stumbo, a Prestonsburg Democrat who was elected to his former seat in the House this month, said the question is troublesome.
"The question should be simple for the voters -- yes or no," Stumbo said. "It's their constitution."
There is something to be said for simplicity in such things. That said, identifying where the revenues would go is somewhat reasonable. But that said, if you're going to lay out all the benefits, you should probably lay out all of the significant costs as well-- more addiction, crime, etc.
posted by Eric Schansberg @ 3:16 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
You can go to the state budget of Kentucky and see that 50% goes to the states general fund and the other 50% of the Kentucky lottery proceeds go to education-the majority of that is for college scholarships and grants. It's misleading to discuss any of this without a serious debate and accountability of the funds. We've given the general fund a 50% increase from the lottery and where is the accountability in that arrangement. I'm sure the casinos will be under the same type of arrangement.
My wife and I went to a sales conference in Las Vegas in January. We never left our hotel which was about 4 miles from the strip and we'll never go back. It was the saddest place I've ever been. I have seen and done a lot of crazy things in my days before I turned my life over the Christ. Las Vegas shocked even me and I don't have naive bone in my body. Some of the things we saw were unexplicable.
If casinos come in full force to Kentucky then I believe I'll have to find a more conservative state to raise my family.
Great point about accountability.
If you never left the hotel, how could you tell it was so sad? What kind of hotel was this?!
While casinos would impact the State-- a comparison between a city built on casinos is not all that relevant.
Eric,
If you haven't been there, the airport terminal is the first shock to the system. We didn't complain much while there because it's not like Vegas tries to disguise the "sin city" label. My wife was appalled at the baggage claim area. The baggage claim area is on the bottom floor of a two floor area and the top is open so that everyone can see the 6-8 huge billboard flatscreens. On the particular day we arrived the promotions were for, Chippendales female review, a strip club for males, Zumanity the human sex zoo, and then there were pictures of stars like Bette Midler with pumps and mini skirts. Rita Rudner was advertised as well with a top falling off. They take any star and try to sex them up. Then when you get into your cab, the literature tucked in the backs of the seats is promoting the same kind of shows and escort services.
When I say we never the left the hotel- I mean we never left the hotel. The company we were attending the sales conference with was Eniva. They are a Christian owned company and many of the top distributors are Christians. We stuck out like sore thumbs here but hopefully we made some ripples in the sea there.
The resort was a very nice one and very new. It had a 9 plex theatre, 127 lane bowling alley, a rodeo rink, 9 restaurants, a concert hall and of course a casino on the entire first floor.
The TV programming was all sexed up as expected, luckily I caught the debates while there. The literature in the rooms was the same as in the cab.
Every morning on my stroll to get coffee at 4:30, 5:30 and 6AM each day I was startled by the number of drug addicts and construction workers already playing the slots and the poker tournaments still going on. Each morning I passed a prostitue leaving the hotel or leaving the room with a gentleman.
The other sad thing was the number of elderly people in wheel chairs, several with oxygen tanks punching away at the machines. Entire shifts of construction workers would come in after work and start drinking and gambling. They were so many elderly folks that the first page of the hotel guide has a needle policy.
The buildings are full of smoke and people are sitting at slots holding infants in one arm as they play with the other.
Sorry for the lengthy description, but I anticipate going to the strip would have been much of the same or worse. I was told by many that the solicitation on the strip is much worse. The Monte Carlo caught on fire the day we had open and the traffic and shuttles were stopped for precaution.
The analogy of a city built on gambling and a state comtemplating 12 casinos is a weak one- I'll give you that.
Las Vegas started with one. Then two. Then three. They are still building them.
I am not for legsilating against these casinos if the people vote affirmative for them. I'm just saying be careful what you wish for.
I like what Ernie Fletcher said at the Saturday Men's bible study this fall. "If these casinos are so great then we want them in our backyards. Let's put them everywhere."
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