(originally drafted on 5/16)
I don't like horse racing. I am soooo tired of hearing about Preakness (tomorrow). This is a barbaric and archaic sport that i hope goes the way of the dodo. (the same with Dog races, bull riding and really any other "sport" that forces animals to compete with each other - although i don't have an opinion on polo b/c i'm not clear on the role of the horse other than transport....)
The political leadership in MD wants to legalize slots in MD so that we can save the MD racing industry and have more funds for "education." I'm sorry - i don't buy it.
1. industries evolve - some die off - some grow. Let this one have a quiet death without putting it on life support by encouraging people to gamble MORE than they do already.
2. gambling profits are unreliable and inconsistant and bring a host of other problems that we will be force to spend money on (addiction programs, additional police presence at gambling establishments, etc.) If our Governor and General Assembly leadership think that we need more money for education then here are a few suggestions i have for raising those funds:
um... increase taxes. No one likes this BUT at least it is a legitimate way for the government to raise revenue (rather than taking advantage of people who like to throw their money away)
Increase taxes on.... let's see.... why not cigarettes? (I know it is a regressive tax on lower income people but HEY - no one is forcing them to smoke) How about alcohol? Same thing. And i've been known to enjoy a beer or glass of wine (or 5).
What else can we do... we can stop giving HUGE tax breaks to developers to build gigantic condo buildings only to have them sit below capacity for 15 years... How long did it take before Harbor View was at full capacity??
I guess I could go on but it would just make my ulcer worse.
Just say NO to slots in November.
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