Comments on: Tri-State has the Cure for AIDS and is a beacon for World Peace

By: JAB

JAB — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:14:47 +0000

Kent Carper & Hoppy Shores should stay out of this, they have been bought by tri-State!

By: B.K.

B.K. — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:36:59 +0000

I love it! A proponent of the cop-out table games bill provides his argument and it’s:

“Get a life this is bs vic.”

Wow! I’m overwhelmed by the substance & logic!!

By: Vito

Vito — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:11:58 +0000

Don’t you just love the compassion that kanawha county commissoner Kent Carper has for a yes vote ? Can You Spell Pay Off ??

By: herd man

herd man — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:02:36 +0000

GET A LIFE THIS IS BS VIC

By: B.K.

B.K. — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:16:18 +0000

Ed Taft asks, “What does Ireland know that we don’t?”

I’m sure you’ll agree, but in one word: CAPITALISM.

Our Legislature does everything they can to stifle it, as long as they or their buddies are not inconvenienced. They say they’re for working people, but have opposed every single effort to reduce taxes on working people. They say they support tourism in WV but they recently increased the hotel tax by some obscene amount. They say their for bringing jobs to the area, but tax businesses at a confiscatory level; even though they have to give tax credits and immunity to companies when they are trying to attract companies like Toyota. (Wouldn’t the fact that they have to do that clue them in to the reality of the dismal economic climate they’ve created?)

I could go on and on, but I have a feeling I’m preaching to the choir here (except maybe for Hot Tub Dave).

Oh yes, let me specify that I’m talking about the Democrats in the Legislature. It is not my intention to lump Sen. Sprouse or right-thinking Delegates like Kelli Sobonya in with that bunch.

By: Kelli Sobonya

Kelli Sobonya — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:39:30 +0000

Is it necessary to expand gambling to include Las Vegas-style casino games in order to help seniors? Answer is NO! Case in point:
The lottery was created in the 1980’s with the promise that lottery tickets would help seniors. Then came the slot machines that were approved in 2001 that promised to “help seniors” and now, WV seniors just can’t make it without the revenue promised from table games. Since 1985 when the Lottery was created, and with all the promises given to our senior citizens, are our WV seniors better off now than they were prior to 1985? Most will say no! It is disingenuous for the gambling industry to use senior citizens to sugarcoat their issue. If the tracks were the true corporate sponsors they claim to be and truly want to help WV senior citizens, they would immediately ask the Legislature to remove their exemption they have been “conveniently” afforded these past few years and pay the $1,000 per machine fee that they fraternal organizations and private slots clubs have to pay each year per machine. This would yield approximately $11 million each year for our senior citizens, probably more. Also, in a 2006 article, the Charleston Gazette reported that the WV Lottery set another sales record for the 2006-07 budget year, with $1.56 billion in total sales, up about $40 million from last year’s previous record. The state’s share of lottery profits was $639 million, about $29 million above estimates. Right there is $29 million that could go for our seniors on top of the $11 million each year if the tracks would remove their exemption.
On the “tourism” argument, in the monthly publication “Governing Magazine” that legislators each receive, there is an article in the August issue on page 52 that discusses municipalities and casinos. In the article, Rocky DiVeronica, Chairman of Madison County NY Board of Supervisors says that his county was promised that the casino would give the local economy a big boost when the Oneida Indian Nation signed a gaming compact with NY State. He says that has not been the case. “They (gamblers) park their cars in the Oneida parking lot, gamble their money away, and drive back out to where they came from. They do very little shopping, and they do very little tourism.” he said.
On the jobs argument: on the Indiana State Government website: http://www.in.gov there is on the gaming segment a study on the Horseshoe Casino in Hammnond Indiana. It reveals that most people employed by this partricular casino were ALREADY EMPLOYED FULL-TIME when they began working at the casino. Less than 1/4 of the employees hired by the casino were unemployed when they began working at the casino! So much for the NEW jobs argument. There are graphs in this study that shows that most of the casino employees have a low rate of college attendance or graduation rates. Also, average median income of casino workers at this casino is $18,000! Also, most casino workers at Horshoe Casino rented their homes/apartments as opposed to owning them.
For the municipalities and counties who think that table games is the silver bullet in solving their financial problems, besides the studies (national independent studies) that show that for every $1 that gambling brings in to government,m it costs nearly $3 in social costs, here is a case in point: If you go to the WV Lottery website http://www.state.wv.us/lottery, it will show you how much each county receives from video lottery month-by-month. In my county of Cabell, it averages approx. $17,000 per month in revenue. However, if you take the $48 per day that a county pays to incarcerate inmates and times that by 365 days for the year, it costs the county around $17,000 to house an inmate for the year. If you look at the Problem Gamblers Helpline statistics, many who have called in report they embezzeled from their employer, stole money to fund their gambling debts, wrote bad checks, committed forgery, and resorted to prostitution. So, to house just one inmate for this infractions would cost the county as much if not more than they bring in from video lottery. With the defeat of Jefferson County’s referendum on table games, that took away 1/2 of the promised revenue to the counties and municiplaities. So, the costs will outweigh any benefit for expanding gambling to include Las Vegas-style casino games. The election is in two days and hopefully those who vote will carefully consider the ramifications and look at all the facts. It’s easy for a well-funded out-of-state company to invest millions of dollars to produce glamourous and glitzy catch-phrases and electioneering communications, but take away the “sugar coating” and look what you are left with. Gambling, gambling, and more gambling. If only the racetracks weren’t ashamed of their product. It’s not about jobs; it’s not about tourism; it’s not about senior citizens. It’s about Las Vegas-style casino gambling. I would urge a vote NO for Kanawha County’s children and for West Virginia’s future!

By: KMA

KMA — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:06:28 +0000

Do you have a grassroots petition for us to sign?

By: KMA

KMA — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:06:07 +0000

Do you have a grassroots petition for us to sign?

By: Ed Taft

Ed Taft — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:10:55 +0000

Gambling will bring forth about 1000 jobs I guess, but I wonder if anyone knows that in Reno and LV and Atlantic City, about 40% of dealers end up fired for trying to cheat the house? Psychologists tell us that the temptation to pocket a chip or two is just overwhelming for many people. So, if 400 of the 1000 end up in jail, well, is that the price we pay for economic development?

Maybe it’s time to study Ireland, the poster country for the EU. Ireland is a lot like WV, and for years it lagged behind other EU countries. But in the last 20 years, it has grown and prospered like topsy, and now is a high-tech center in Europe, with plenty of good jobs.

What does Ireland know that we don’t?

By: CLH

CLH — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 16:16:34 +0000

End poverty? Casinos will end poverty? What kind of stupid campaign are they waging here? Do they think that the only people who gamble away money are the ultra-rich? Has anyone bothered to watch at the local convenience store to see who buys lottery tickets? The biggest LOSERS from any gambling establishment are the poor. The gambling industry has only one goal: Take money away from anyone you can without really creating any kind of true benefit to society. Give me a break!

However, I DO think this idea of a cure for AIDS coming from the casinos’ efforts may have some merit. NOT!