Vote to Expand Gambling

Maryland's governor and several county executives (who cannot run for re-election) appear in commercials advising voters to approve an expansion of gambling in the state--because the related tax revenues will go to support schools.

They guarantee it.

The state comptroller (the money man--who can be re-elected) says school spending will not go up if gambling is expanded.  Any gambling revenues WILL go to schools.  But the school budget will not go up because the state will then reduce its contribution to school funding by essentially that same amount. 

The casino owners and their lapdog politicians will get rich and the schools will get basically nothing.  On the bright side, overall state revenues should go up.  But they may not because the proposal also includes a tax cut for casino operators. 

I'm voting against the expansion.

I'm not anti-gambling, I just hate the lies.  More taxes than I can remember (a special phone tax, real estate tax, liquor tax, etc.) have been passed to "support education".  But the schools never get the money.  It goes into the State's general fund and disappears.  Legalizing slots machines in the state was justified as "just slots" (no tables games, no real gambling) to save our schools and the state horse racing industry (a Maryland tradition).  Just two years later we've GOT to have table games to save our schools (Think of the children!!!).  The lottery was going to save the schools when I was a kid.  Instead it funded construction of a baseball stadium and then a football stadium.

For some reason voters have short memories and keep believing the lie that "it's for the children".

Perhaps it would be simpler to just remember that whenever politicians talk, they’re most likely lying. 


PS - I'll resume my usual positive attitude after the election tomorrow.  No mater what happens, we'll need to make the best of it.