repubgazette2-23-07gamblingmessagetokidsnewsnotes

In the debate over the expansion of gambling in West Virginia, I keep waiting for even one pro-gambling legislator or lobbyist to talk about table games themselves.

After all, that's the core of the issue, isn't it? You would think that an effort to foist more gambling on the state would include an argument about how great the games themselves really are.

On every other issue, people don't shy away from talking about the subject itself. When legislators offer health care initiatives, they talk about health care. When they try to curb smoking, they talk about smoking. When they debate the food tax, they talk about buying food.

Gambling forces like to refer to it all as a matter of an "entertainment destination." Let's just open a few legal whorehouses around the state and we'll see the biggest boom in "entertainment destinations" you've ever witnessed.

The pro-gambling forces never -- never -- talk about table games. They talk about jobs. They talk about revenue. They talk about the state budget. But they never talk about table games.

Why? Because they can't. What could they say?

I guess they could say, "Roulette will improve the skills of the people of West Virginia and build better hand-eye coordination."

Or I suppose they could argue, "Blackjack will help future generations hone their math skills."

But they don't, because that would sound stupid. Why? Because the whole notion is stupid. So they resort to talking about how much money the expansion of gambling will generate for the state, which is why I have no qualms referring to a legislature bought and paid for by gambling interests, or succumbing to bribes by gambling lobbyists.

It is not political rhetoric to suggest the gambling industry is bribing its way to success. Frankly, there's just no other way to put it and still be honest about it. It may be legal bribery, but bribery it is.

Not enough support in Charleston for table games? Let's promise them a few more thousand dollars. Clarksburg officials are balking? Let's cut them a bigger piece of the gambling revenue pie. Martinsburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Parkersburg? Better up the ante for them, too -- whatever it takes to get them on board.

After all, everyone has a price, and no one understands that better than those whose livelihood depends on encouraging more people to spend their paychecks at the tracks instead of the grocery store.

The support by public officials for table games is the clearest demonstration that, to them, more money justifies almost anything.

Very few municipal or legislative leaders seem to have the courage or moral compass to say, "Hey, we really could use the revenue. We need to hire more police, fix more potholes, provide more services to our residents. But I just cannot support a method of raising revenue that depends on encouraging people to blow their paychecks on table games and racetracks, and leads to the breakup of marriages and the destruction of lives."

I would hate to be the legislator who goes home and explains to his or her young child or grandchild, "Yeah, grandpa voted today to bring more gambling to West Virginia. But I did it for you, because our state needs more money. And we had no choice because Pennsylvania's going to do it, too."

And when Joe Manchin signs the legislation -- no matter how much he claims it will help senior programs or schools or other budget needs -- his actions will speak louder than his words, and his action will say, money rules, money talks, money justifies anything.

News & Notes

Things that don't make sense

* The legislature wants to expand your dad's ability to blow the family paycheck on gambling, but fine him if he blows some smoke in the car.

* The legislature wants to provide free vaccines for 6th grade girls, spend thousands to promote broadband Internet access across the state, subsidize the Tamarak boondoggle, but cannot afford to eliminate the food tax.

* The state toll authority was revealed to have overstepped its boundaries by making terrible investments over the years, losing millions of dollars, but the legislature is advancing bills to allow the state to expand its ability to invest in things like real estate and other assets.

* The state auditor posted online the salaries of every one of the state's 65,000 workers, many of whom make embarrassingly low wages, but no one can find out how much money the members of the Brickstreet Board of Directors make, all of whom are said to be paid ridiculously high stipends for little work. (State workers should ask the legislature to do for them what it did for workers comp -- just declare them a private company, thereby hiding all their activities from public scrutiny.)

Other items from around the state

...Delegate Linda Sumner was the only member of the delegation from the 27th District to oppose renewal of the "temporary" gas tax, saying she wanted to put family budgets ahead of state budgets...

...A new West Virginia resident who has recently moved into the state with her husband, a West Virginia native, dropped me a note saying in part, "Being an 'outsider', I'm amazed and generally flabbergasted by the sheer ignorance and/or the greed and avarice that significantly influences how this state conducts business. Being a 'native' who has some insight into WV state politics, my husband often resorts to responding to my rants with an 'I know, darlin', I know.'" All I can add is, I know, I know...

...The state Republican Party is gearing up for a big fundraising event in April, with a special guest of honor and other surprises. More details to follow soon...

....Isn't it fascinating that when the Senate Judiciary Committee pared down from 7 to 4 the number of new circuit judges it might add, 3 of the 4 went to southern counties -- Mercer, Mingo and Wayne. Removed from consideration were Kanawha, Monongalia and the Eastern Panhandle circuits. The amendment to reduce the new judgeships was sponsored by Sen. Truman Chafin of Mingo County. The more things change, the more they stay the same.