The Sedgwick County Commission decided today to hold a special election on Aug. 7 on whether to allow a destination casino in the county. It picked the date because, in even-numbered years, the first Tuesday in August is primary Election Day. "People are familiar with that day," Commissioner Tim Norton said. That’s true. But August primaries also tend to have low turnout and favor social conservatives, who — to their credit — are faithful about going to the polls.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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29 Comments
Oh brother…
If it is that desired to have gambling then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about Phillip.
If they want it they will vote.
Perhaps we should have the vote on May Day, a date that the more socialistic Liberals are familiar with. :)
Well, well, well, the Stopped Clock is right: May Day would be a FINE time to have the vote, before folks get out of town for the summer.
Power to the people, and all those commie, pinko sentiments, and all that.
The Internationale
Arise ye workers from your slumbersArise ye prisoners of wantFor reason in revolt now thundersAnd at last ends the age of cant.Away with all your superstitionsServile masses arise, ariseWe’ll change henceforth the old traditionAnd spurn the dust to win the prize.
So comrades, come rallyAnd the last fight let us faceThe Internationale unites the human race.So comrades, come rallyAnd the last fight let us faceThe Internationale unites the human race.
No more deluded by reactionOn tyrants only we’ll make warThe soldiers too will take strike actionThey’ll break ranks and fight no moreAnd if those cannibals keep tryingTo sacrifice us to their prideThey soon shall hear the bullets flyingWe’ll shoot the generals on our own side.
No saviour from on high deliversNo faith have we in prince or peerOur own right hand the chains must shiverChains of hatred, greed and fearE’er the thieves will out with their bootyAnd give to all a happier lot.Each at the forge must do their dutyAnd we’ll strike while the iron is hot.
http://www.uv.es/~pla/red.net/intaoter.html
AUGUST 7th would also be an excellent date to RE-VOTE THE WHITE ELEPHANT DOWNTOWN ARENA to find out once and for all whether Sedgwick County taxpayers want to pick up the tab of $300,000,000.13 for this tax-eating ice hockey albatross arena.
Everyone in Sedgwick County now know that 85% of the taxpayers DON’T WANT THE ARENA. Only those somehow affiliated want to build the arena regardless of how much damage it does to Sedgwick County.
It’s time for Sedgwick County Commissioners DAVE UNRUH, TOM WINTERS AND TIM NORTON to admit their own constituencies don’t want this expensive tax eating boondogle.
JWink – good idea. It would also increase interest/turnout. I’d love to see both issues examined.
“…the first Tuesday in August is primary Election Day. “People are familiar with that day,” Commissioner Tim Norton said. That’s true….”
No, that’s stupid. We vote when we are supposed to vote. We are not “familiar” with that day.
And cf:
“No more deluded by reactionOn tyrants only we’ll make war…”
No, you won’t. You’ll devise a course of action that will lead to defeat and humiliation and surrender. That’s what you people do. Just get a goddamned job.
This is an excellent debate that I would love to join, but being fairly conservative, I’ll stay out of it. But, I do want to add, that while I used to be very much in favor of adding new revenue streams to the county, I am not a fan of counting “mini casinos” as one of them. Aside for a potential crime increase that casinos bring, and all sorts of other issues such as binge drinking/gambling (I know you’re thinking slots aren’t all that bad or addicting, but can you imagine the people that do have a problem with it, and how easy it will be for them to get hooked?). Not to mention a serious issue that is plaguing our country as a whole right now, which is extreme debt.
When casinos come to town, big or small, they bring problems that I personally can do without. For instance something like these payday loan “shops”. They are pretty much wiring people some quick cash, only to have them pay it back a few weeks later, with percentage fees as high as 25%!!! I call this “legal loan sharking” because that’s what it is. If you mix a degenerate gambler, who has already pawned their belongings and ebay’ed everything in sight, they’ll go to places online first like this one for example – http://www.netpaydayadvance.com
Do you have any idea how many of these “payaday loans” places will start popping up near the casino? Tricking people into getting “quick cash”.
Ugh! First clean up the potential garbage and issues that casinos come carrying along, outlaw them, do whatever is necessary, THEN, maybe you can bring in casinos!
Thanks for the heads up on this article. Definitely want to be kept updated on this issue.
ANY vote on something considered anathema, morally, probably favors social conservatism.
It’s not as tough to ‘get the word out,’ when you have a free venue to do so – a pulpit. So in that sense ONLY, I think it favors social conservatives.
However, there are a LOT of Kansans that want a casino – that fall into the ‘conservative’ crowd – like me.
Fiscal Conservatives don’t care so much that gambling is a ’sin,’ if it’s good business.
But I HAVE to add that after building in NV for a couple of years – it’s evident that the Casinos are not only a draw for business – but a draw for the dregs of society.
That MAY be different here – since we don’t allow prostitution. I hope it is.
I’m not a gambler – I like better odds when I invest my hard-earned money, but I know LOTS of folks DO like gambling and I support their desire.
Plus, I think we need to take Casinos OUT of the realm of Native Americans and let them be run by anyone.
“…with percentage fees as high as 25%!!!”
Robin,
As much as I agree with you, 25% is nothing these days. Credit card companies are known to charge more than that. I believe the quick cash places charge much, much higher, but since I don’t have the figures and hope I never have the need to darken their door, I’ll leave it at that.
I think the APRs on those payday loans rins more like 400%
Robin,
Payday loan places are already all over south Wichita. You can’t drive 10 blocks without seeing one. They prey on the working poor and our military families.
There was a serious attempt to regulate them this year in the Legislature. Three bills dealing with payday loans and car title loans were introduced in January. All were referred to committees, where they have pretty much died.
The House is run by ultra-conservatives. They appoint the committee chairs, and the committee chairs decide what bills will be heard, what bills will be worked, and what bills will be voted out of committee. If you’re really concerned about the predatory practices of payday loan companies, talk to your ultra-conservative senators and representatives.
“If you’re really concerned about the predatory practices of payday loan companies, talk to your ultra-conservative senators and representatives.”
If you are that concerned, don’t get the loan.
Asstampon, your concern for working poor and the families of our young men and women who are deployed overseas touches my heart. Your compassion for those who live paycheck to paycheck, who have to choose between food, $3 gas to get to work, or $8 natural gas to keep their baby’s bedroom warm, brings tears to my eyes.
Without payday loan shops, what would their current customers do?
“No, you won’t. You’ll devise a course of action that will lead to defeat and humiliation and surrender. That’s what you people do. Just get a goddamned job.”
I dont think that is the real fleetie posting. He has been such a champion of right wing civility, I cant IMAGINE that he would post something so uncivil. :)
farmy- It’s called truth. Try it sometime.
Farmgrrl, the fun part of this thread is that when Robin, a self-proclaimed conservative, called for regulation of payday loans, Asstampon said nothing. Yet when I told her that the attempt had been made, and how it failed, Asstampon finds issue with my comments.
:::huge effing eyeroll:::
Hee hee hee hee, yes indeed Tom. Your used of the phrase asstampon seemed to really give the wingers the vapors. Strong men seem to wilt in the face of that phrase.
Hee hee hee hee hee. The funny thing is, maybe you and I are the only ones here who knows what it means. But I doubt it. The liberals here are at least well read…
And it fits some posters to an “A”.
My goodness, Cindy has certainly been rageful of late.
Erectile Dysfunction been bothering you, Cindy?
Naw, I think Cindy just misses Fluffy, and cant really post without him and the BIG dog Marcia.
The funny part? They didnt even get it yesterday. hehehehehehehehhe
You just have to type more slowly for some people.
It would be simply stellar if a group of liberals got together and put together their OWN payday loan company, with a reasonable interest rate.
I’d love to do it, if only I had the money.
It’d run all the others out of business.
Well you guys have convinced me. The last two weeks were actually nice because you could discuss civilly topics, whether you agreeded or not. The vulgarities weren’t there and it was relaxing and enlightening to discuss opinions like adults. I made a mistake in thinking this is what you wanted to do when you came back. Farmgirl I will not defend anything said by rep. and GS yesterday but I won’t let you think you are faultless either. Everyone in this situation needs to grow us. Stop traveling in packs like adolescents. This is the school yard bully mentality.
ksgrm,
So evidently your universe takes no notice of the antics of fleetwood or SOB. Wonder why that is?
Political_mom, there is an organization in Wichita that does sort of what you recommend.
It has been placed into conservatorship, which seems like its last throes before it dies.
This is Communities United Credit Union in Wichita. It specifically tried to help those who would otherwise use payday lenders. But it doesn’t appear that it is a viable business.
I asked before, and no one answered, so I’ll ask again: Without payday loan shops, what would their current customers do?
If we want to rid ourselves of these shops — and I personally think it would be a better world if people didn’t have to pay so much to borrow money — that seems like a good question to ponder the answer to.
But I think the fact is that lending to some people is such a risky venture that those willing to do so require a high interest rate.
If you offer to lend money to all comers at a “reasonable rate” I’m sure you will have a lot of customers. It will be hard, through, to get a lot of those loans repaid.
Anonymous, you offer a false dichotomy. It’s not a question of unregulated payday loan companies v. no payday loans at all. There are sensible ways to regulate these businesses to protect vulnerable families from disaster, and several representatives from the Wichita delegation tried to get legislation introduced. It all went to committees, and was never debated and never voted on.
FYI, the primary bill, HB2244, was sponsored by 12 south central Representatives, three of whom are Republicans. No action has ever been taken.
I find it very ironic that the same people who oppose regulating this businesses have absolutely no problem regulating every aspect of the casino business.
By the way, political_mom, if you want to do as you say, you can start lending money to people who really need it through prosper.com. I believe the minimum amount required of lenders is only $50. So if you have that much, you can lend it to someone.
Tom, isn’t it probably true that if HB2244 became law, given the maximum interest rate that could be charged, there would be no more payday loan shops at all in Kansas?
Anonymous, I have no idea. There was no committee debate, no committee vote, no floor debate. If the regulation was too extreme, it could have been amended in committee or on the floor to allow a higher interest rate than originally proposed.
None of that happened. Ultra-conservative House leadership saw to it that there’d *be* *no* *debate.*