Posted on 10/21/2004 7:30:50 AM PDT by cogitator
CAMBRIDGE, Md., Oct. 20 -- Slot machine gambling could once again dominate the General Assembly's agenda when lawmakers return to Annapolis in January, legislative leaders predicted Wednesday, even as they reiterated their sharp divisions on expanded gambling. . . .
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) has made the legalization of slots his keystone initiative since taking office but has failed repeatedly to build consensus for a plan. Ehrlich has run into strong resistance not just from House leaders, but also from rival factions within the business community, each of which wants to carve its own cut of the proceeds from slots. . . .
[House Speaker] Busch [D] said every proposal to date has concentrated slot machine parlors "in Democratic districts," such as Prince George's County and Baltimore, despite strong objections from officials in those jurisdictions. . . .
Earlier this week, state budget analysts predicted that a budget gap once expected to exceed $1 billion in the next fiscal year will actually be closer to $388 million. . . . Still, the budget pressures will not disappear. Busch predicted a $250 million increase in the state's Medicaid costs and a need to find $490 million during the next session to pay for the so-called Thornton Commission education reforms that passed in early 2002.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ever notice how whenever politicians get it into there heads that something should be done...no matyter how many times the electorate tells them no they just keep bringing it back again and again and again.
Yeah, you're right: seems to me that a lot of surveys and polls show that Marylanders are split about 50-50 on slots in general, but they're usually opposed to having slots operations near them.
My solution: operate floating/day cruise casinos on the Bay out of Baltimore and Annapolis (maybe even Havre de Grace) and on the ocean out of Ocean City.
The more time these liberal dimwits of ours spend arguing over slots, the less time they have for their usual topics of pouring more money into the schools, raising general taxes to pay for it, and the ever popular gun grabbing. I hope they waste the whole session on it.
That's what the idiotic Thornton plan does, so unfortunately the two topics are inextricably linked.
Slots are a good idea because Delaware and West Virginia already have them, and not only that, Baltimore City already has them! What do you think those cherry machines in every bar in Baltimore are? They all pay out!
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