WARNING: what I am about to write will probably make me sound like just another uptight, evangelical Christian. Oh well . . . so be it.
We elected a Governor in Kentucky last November, or at least that’s one way to look at it. It may be more accurate to say that we unelected the sitting Governor. His administration – at least in the press – had been played up to be a great disaster. There were definatley some “management” issues with the last administration.
Our new governor has promised that he will put a constitutional amendment on the ballot this coming fall that would make casino gambling and gaming legal in Kentucky. Currently, gaming is restricted to our horse racing industry. During last spring’s primaries, the governor not only guaranteed the constitutional amendment to be on the ballot, he promised that he would deliver on casino gambling. His bill to put the amendment on the ballot goes before the General Assembly in early February. Two northern Kentucky Chambers of Commerce have come out strongly in favor of the amendment and of casino gambling.
I’m no idealist. I fully expect that Kentucky will have casino gambling before Beshear’s administration comes to and end. But I’m also a realist. Casino Gambling will do to Kentucky the same thing it has done to other states that have approved it.
I’m from West Virginia, for example. When gambling became more widespread in West Virginia it was only within months that porn stores and strip clubs popped up everywhere. West Virginia is now littered with casino’s, sex shops and bill-boards for Gambler’s Anonymous. Gambling was not economic salvation for West Virginia. In fact, West Virginia is still the only state in our nation that is not the home to at least one Fortune 500 company. And the culture of the state has grown a bit more dark and dismal with the addition of casino’s and sex shops. Gambling and sex shops feed on economic and cultural depression and there is no shortage of that to feast upon in West Virginia. Creating an addicted and dumbed-down state population is not exactly the way to attract companies looking for well-educated and effective work forces!
Simply put: Governor Beshear and other political and business leaders may assume that you can solve one set of social ills by creating a whole new set of social ills. I simply do not follow that logic. Maybe its OK to create a generation of gambling and sex addicts so the state can maintain solvency in its employee pension programs. I don’t follow that logic, either.
If our political leaders are really worth the salt, certainly they could come up with something more creative than “sin-profits” and “sin-taxes” to solve the state’s problems.
I do not usually step out to publicly protest public policies, but this one is so assanine that there is no way I can sit by quietly while our state government and our Governor try to shove Casino Gambling down our throats as the source of our economic salvation!
I most certainly take a stand along side you!
Perhaps if more of us would voice our opinion & stand together …. it would make a difference.
Is it because we don’t voice our opinion where it can be heard or because they have the power ball in their court?
Nevertheless, I will stand against ALL the obscurity & blatant lies that our government is trying to force upon everyone.
At least your article lets me know that there are ‘thinking’ sentient humans still left upon this planet! Don’t lose hope or the veracity of you voice & opinion. Cognitive thinking is still alive. Thank God!