Let People Work, Texas!
House committee considers video gambling at racetracks
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs said allowing video gambling at horse and dog racing tracks would create rural jobs.Copyright 2004 Associated Press, All rights reserved.
You know what this means, right?
It means that the State of Texas has deliberately kept the unemployment level higher than it would naturally be if more forms of gambling were allowed. By outlawing jobs, more people are left out of work. It's a simple equation.
Keep this in mind every time you hear a politician wringing his or her hands about jobs. In all likelihood, that politician has voted numerous times to criminalize all manner of jobs and businesses.
UPDATE(4/30/2004 10:15am)
The proposal is taking fire:
Republicans and Democrats alike are threatening to kill a proposal to expand gambling in Texas by legalizing video lottery terminals, a move that could deal another big blow to the current House school finance plan.The bipartisan opposition to video lottery comes from Republicans who object on moral grounds and Democrats who hope an attack on legalizing the terminals will force House leaders to drop a plan for higher sales taxes. Together, they could have the 51 votes needed to kill what has become a major part of a House committee's revenue-raising plans.
Copyright 2001-2004 Cox Texas Newspapers, L.P. All rights reserved.
Republicans oppose gambling on MORAL GROUNDS!? What fucking balls they must have to tell me it is wrong to want to attempt known risky ways of increasing my wealth. They have no right nor standing to prohibit me or anyone else from taking chances with our money.
No, I "bet" that the primary reason Republicans oppose this is due to religious dogma that seeped into the conventional wisdom of their communities. Since their constituents dislike gambling, they can't get elected as easily if they support the legalization bill.
Gambling. Another victim of democracy.