Kansas Republican Party chairman Tim Shallenburger, who opposed expanded gambling when he was a lawmaker and when he ran for governor, is now urging lawmakers to allow it in southeast Kansas, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. The reason for the about-face is that there are now nine Indian casinos in Oklahoma just across the state line from his home in Baxter Springs. “Clearly along the border, right now, they’re sucking money out of our economy,” Shallenburger said. Sounds like what is happening now in Sedgwick County — and what would get much worse if lawmakers shut out Wichita from the expanded gaming legislation.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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16 Comments
I agree. Why shouldn’t our community benefit from the increased revenue? Many of my friends enjoy the casinos and would love it if they didn’t have to travel so far.
Well, in what is surely a radical opinion, I may be willing to abandon my long time, negative opinion about casino gambling (for those least able to comprehend risk, it promotes a lottery outlook on life).
The radical part comes in here. A gelling theory of mine is that it would give Christian conservatives an issue in which to displace their hate (and they obviously need to hate *something*). [obviously there can be no good without an evil against which to measure it; and I guess I'm thinking that many Christians think they maximize their "goodness" by hating "evilness" wherever they find it - but it *must be* found *somewhere*. That is, something somewhere must be judged as a tangible manifestation of evil in order for their spirituality to flourish (because their spirituality has to be felt, has to be sensed at a gross rather than sublime level; sublimity is discounted here as somehow weak and unfulfilling). If that's correct, then casino gambling is as good a target as any, especially in negative-savings economies, like our American economy, that would nevertheless promote such consumption over savings. In the long run, ceteris paribus, we will pay dearly for nationwide gambling. And I do mean PAY.]
See, this is what drives my boss crazy, my thinking out loud. Still…
I used to think casino gambling and lotteries were taxes upon people who didn’t understand probability theory. But, I guess those of us who do, also pay.
Steven, here’s the problem: If you don’t buy a lottery ticket, you can’t possibility win, but if you do buy a ticket, though the possibly is infinitesimally small, you could win.
Oh how quickly does the mind change when money is involved.
Always.
Spending a $ on a lottery ticket is the cheapest fantasy you can buy. How great is that?
If you really want to get rid of gambling, the most permanent way to do it would be to allow lots of casinos, and pass legislation to limit the house advantage, for sake of fairness. Then, when all the casinos go belly up, we won’t have to worry about them returning for a long time!
Casinos and lotteries create far more social problems than real wealth. Our disgusting governments support gambling for the same reason they subsidize cigarette manufacturers, for the lousy tax dollars.
In one of my usual attacks on the Eagle and their liberal bias I pointed to their profound desire to get a casino at any cost. Well, one of my liberal friends took exception and in doing so made a great point. He or she (I forget who wrote it, but I remember they were a regular) said that liberals hate gambling because it is the most glaring example of big corrupt buisness taking advantage of the poor and uneducated. It was a point which had not been presented to me before. It does then beg the question; if conservatives and liberals don’t want casinos, then who does? Oh, and please don’t make a case for mods being the majority. If that were the case we would already have casinos!
Marty: blame the populists, that’s what I do. ;)
Seriously: it’s now a combination of (1) those who just don’t understand what’s at stake, and (2) those who argue that it’s too late to turn back, we’re just p*ssing away tax revenue if we don’t.
#2 is adding fastest to that plurality.
Enjoy your posts.
Flike, you got it. Gambling is immoral unless it provides tax relief. Then it becomes moral. Like water into wine. Could those arbiters of morality then go on to say ALL tax relief is moral? That would be their typical leap.
Could we then tax churches to enhance their morality and lower our tax bills? Why not legalize prostitution and tax it? Why not legalize drugs and tax them? Why not recognize plural marriage and tax it? Hey, all something has to do to go from immoral to moral is provide tax relief, right? Big eye roll here.
I just love how flexible that solid Kansas moral code is when suddenly tax relief is involved. Then it isnt immoral? Jesus wept.
Flike & Farmgirl, Well said.
Just got back from a very enjoyable week-end spoiling our S.E. Kansas granddaughter. On the way home we took a little side trip and stopped at the casino at Newkirk, Ok. Now as casinos go, Newkirk is kind of pathetic. Still, as we rode around the parking lot looking for a parking space we couldn’t help but notice that 2 out of 3 (give or take) were Kansas tags and of those most were from Sedgewick co. Sunday afternoon, crowded casino with Ks. folks. Why don’t THEY allow the people to vote?
Marty – if you are so certain that a majority are against it why oppose a vote?
Ben,If your question is based on my post, I am just making a point about political views. I am not convinced or certain of anything regarding how a vote turns out on this issue. I will say that when you drop state owned and operated from the equation support is probably high enough to pass. So why have these referendum votes. They don’t matter; you still hit a brick wall. Lets vote on amending the constitution to allow priviate casinos that are not on Indian land.