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Gambling is a social failure
"We made a
deal with the devil when we allowed gambling to come into Illinois and
it is the taxpayers who have been left holding the bag when it comes to paying for the costs of cleaning up the unseen messes it creates." Illinois State Rep. John Bradley Source: Marion Daily Diane Wilkins 03.09.2005 SPRINGFIELD -- State Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, said during a press conference that after 15 years, results show that gambling is a social failure. "Our state has become reliant on an industry that rather than a boon has actually been a drain on our resources," Bradley said. "We made a deal with the devil when we allowed gambling to come into Illinois and it is the taxpayers who have been left holding the bag when it comes to paying for the costs of cleaning up the unseen messes it creates. It is time that we have the courage to recognize that gambling is a failure and that we must end this 15-year social experiment that has done far more harm than good." Bradley said the casinos have been a huge disappointment because of their negative impact on local businesses, high social costs and their failure to live up to promises that they would help schools. Bradley noted that when the General Assembly approved riverboat gambling in 1990, its proponents claimed that the surge in revenues for the state's coffers would result in a windfall for Illinois schools. "Increases in education funding did not keep up with increased revenues from riverboats," Bradley said. "Furthermore, rather than being a source of aid above and beyond what the state was already committed to spend, money from the riverboats was instead used as a replacement, freeing up funds to be spent on other items. It is a bad public policy to place the burden of funding schools on an unsavory and sinful industry that preys upon many people's weaknesses and desperation. Our kids deserve better than for us to offer them educations built on a foundation of ill-gotten gains." Bradley contends that the existence of casinos has done little to create other new businesses and actually causes the local economy to suffer by siphoning money away. Academic studies demonstrate that rather than decrease their entertainment expenditures, if gambling is not available people will instead choose to spend their money at retail establishments, restaurants and other kinds of entertainment venues. U.S. Department of Commerce calculations show that every one dollar spent in Illinois circulates through other in-state businesses and adds an additional $2.41 to the local economy. Figures provided by the Illinois Department of Employment Security indicate that over half of the counties with casinos, in fact, have higher unemployment rates than the rest of the state. Bradley cited statistics and data compiled by experts that demonstrate the high social costs often ignored by gambling proponents.
The Illinois State Board of Education records reveal that for 2003, 46 school districts in counties with casinos were placed on the state's financial early warning or watch list. Representatives of many organizations opposed to gambling have indicated their support for Bradley's initiative including: Illinois Church Action Against Addiction Problems; Illinois Family Institute; Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery; Northern Illinois Conference Anti-Gambling Task Force; Concerned Christian Americans and the Illinois Family Coalition. During a press conference held in Springfield Thursday, Bradley was joined by Jerry Prosapio, a former gambling addict who is a member of the South Suburban Coalition Against Gambling Expansion. "Gambling has power over so many people," Prosapio said. "It nearly destroyed my family and my life. It is something that is not needed any longer in this state. For me this is an issue that goes beyond economics or entertainment. This is about providing a safer and healthier environment in our state." Bradley's concluding remarks were a strong indictment against the increased reliance on gambling monies by the state. "The bottom line is that there's no such thing as easy money and casinos are not good for our state or our families," Bradley said. "The people of this state were sold a bill of goods when the Legislature approved casinos and it's time we cut our losses and cash out. I look forward to working with my fellow legislators to improve state finances by putting our focus and energies into productive economic investments that return dividends to the taxpayers of this state, not to gambling companies' shareholders." http://www.ohioroundtable.org/news/newsindividual.cfm?news_ID=258&issuecode=casino |
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