A headline article in today's StarTribune "Gambling Debate: A wager on the States' Future", speaks to considerable interest among many to raise funds for the state through the expansion of gambling. I've posted on this topic before, including "Taxes and gambling: why not combine", where I suggested, tongue in cheek, taxes might be paid through a "Taxino", where prizes could be occassionally paid out to lucky contributors. This in response to people's interest in what's in it for me, and the thrill of possibly striking it rich without having to work.
Seems ironic that many, including conservatives, are in support of raising revenues that encourage gambling, especially among those least able to afford it. As former Minnesota governor Arnie Carlson notes "The entrance into gambling by government is a huge, huge mistake. You are fundamentally enticing people into a system of false rewards and it tends to victimize people in the lower income."
The other significant concern with the expansion of gambling by the government is that it would yet again pull resources away from the Native American people who were given special benefits through the gambling aka "gaming" industry. Good Lord knows we've already broken countless promises and treaties with Native Americans over the past few centuries in this country.
What's not to like about the expansion of gambling? A lot.
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