Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Keep your eye on John Bradley and HB 1920 to roll back the casinos
The anti-casino forces are rallying right now in the Rotunda. John Bradley just gave a stemwinder speech on rolling back the boats and he had an admittedly sympathetic crowd in a very distracting environment in the palm of his hand. Lots of these Rotunda speeches get lost in the acoustics, but Bradley's was a killer. I've also heard some thirdhand buzz that HB 1920 might pass on third reading. I've got to say, I'm getting convinced that the boats are a loser for our economy. One lobbyist asked if I was ready to drink the kool-aid. . . .And by the way, look for Bradley to move up the ranks. As they say in Boston, he's wicked smart and clearly willing to file bold bills which is the unheralded and underused tool for populist legislators. Oh, and big ups to Rich Miller for acting like my virtual wingman. Read capfax every day.
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3 comments:
It would be interesting to know just how much the legal battles over the 10th casino license have cost the state. It should taken completely off the table.
Dan, it seems that you, like me, have come around on casino gambling. What once seemed an easy panacea to fund needed programs now the casino concept seems clearly...well, let's see they:
1. Haven't helped business in host communities; in fact has shut them down.
2. Haven't created good jobs.
3. Haven't closed budget deficits.
4. Have created bankruptcies, broken homes, crime, corruption, and a class of embezzlers.
5. Have further corrupted the political system.
6. Have been the most regressive form of "taxation," preying on gambling addicts, most of whom are lower class.
7. Have closed discussion from major media who look only at revenue, and not at the massive overall losses we have with casinos.
8. Have distracted our attention from real growth potential.
Dan, you and I aren't the ones drinking the Kool-Aid here. The pro-casino types who never stop and think about the issue continue drinking it everyday.
Drink it up...Why can't Illinois use Las Vegas a model? Las Vegas is booming while I watch businesses leave the area. What would really happen if we were to take a city like Las Vegas and use it as a model and change Illinois as a state. Wasn't Las Vegas just a board walk in the sand before? I know gambling can be an addiction but, can't it actually rebuild a city? I don't know but...all I really know is that I am SICK of the economy in Illinois. We are changing from a manufacturing economy to an service economy. Why not be proactive and try to find a solution rather then let a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch. I think it can work. - Jason
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