The Wichita business leaders have done a great service by making thair voices heard. They cite the real and documented experiences that other cities have had with casinos, showing them to be a drain on the local economy and a huge cost for both law enforcement and social service agencies.

As a foster parent, I’ve nursed and mended too many neglected and damaged kids. We already have too many parents at the end of their ropes. Gambling will only make it worse, especially considering that the proposed casino is expected to create 5200-7800 pathological gamblers locally. Roughly one-third of these (say, 2000) will be parents gambling away the family food and rent money. Are we ready and willing to see another several thousand Sedgwick County kids in the foster care system each year? I doubt that anyone has factored in the additional millions that this will cost.

Finally, am I the only one upset at the obvious efforts by the Indians to undermine our democratic process by bribing our legislators with money for schools if they approve casinos. Political thuggery is the great, untold secret of the casino world. Once casinos take hold in Kansas, the people’s voice will be buried by even more of this kind of corruption.

Shame on elected officials (and, ahem, retired ones) for shilling for the Indian mobs that run casinos.