'Moral' legislators make me just cringe.......

Last night, the Kansas legislature narrowly approved a bill to OK state casinos in Kansas. The governor is expected to sign the bill. What amazes me is these comments from an opponent of the bill in the Kansas City Star this morning.......


For opponents, it was a bitter defeat, and one they said will haunt the state in years to come. They predicted more crime, gambling addiction and bankruptcies as money is siphoned to casinos.

“You are forever changing the face and culture of Kansas,” said Sen. Karin Brownlee, an Olathe Republican, who called her no vote the most important vote she had ever cast. “I can’t do that.”



Senator Brownlee is totally oblivious to reality in regards to compulsive addicts. In this case, gambling addicts. I can assure Senator Brownlee, who obviously has her head in the sand, that her vote doesn't make a lick of difference in the grand scheme of things. Addicts will find ways to satisfy their addiction no matter how far they have to go to do so.

Let's take an example of a gambler in Kansas right now. We'll call him Bob. Bob is a gambling addict who likes to play poker and slots. Senator Brownlee is telling the world right now that if the Kansas Senate had voted no on this legislation, that Bob would have been saved from himself because the state wouldn't be providing a government-sanctioned way for Bob to act on his impulses.

Senator Brownlee, you wouldn't know the truth if it hit you in the face. I can guarantee you that Bob is going to satisfy his gambling cravings whether that bill was passed or not. Bob has lots of options. He can drive to Missouri or Oklahoma to gamble, where there are multiple casinos open to the public. That's money going right out of the Kansas state bankroll into other states. Even in your own state of Kansas, there are Indian casinos open on reservations.

There is also something called the Internet (perhaps the senator has heard of it) where Bob can play any casino or card game he wants. The money in that case leaves Kansas and goes overseas. The federal government has "stopped" the flow of money into those institutions, but I can assure you that if someone is addicted enough to gambling, they'll do anything including finding a way around the rules regarding deposits to overseas gambling establishments. The Democrats in the U.S. Congress right now are trying to repeal that amendment that was put in by Senator Frist because they realize how unenforceable that law really is at this point. Banks are refusing to fund the new software to block the payments. They want the government to pay for it and, of course, the government doesn't want to do that. They obviously didn't consider the consequences of their law before they put it into place.

As far as bankruptcies which the opposition said will increase if the casinos were allowed in the state, those are going to happen whether Bob is gambling online, in other states or in the state of Kansas. A no vote wouldn't have changed that either way. If Bob doesn't get help IF he is out of control, he's going to go bankrupt no matter what. That's a simple fact of addiction.

The opposition of the casinos also suggested that crime would increase in the state. As I said before, if Bob flies off the deep end and kills someone because he lost all his money, it won't be because casinos were approved in Kansas. He would have lost that money either way, whether in Kansas or somewhere else. Crime in regards to gambling will actually decrease. You'll have less people engaging in illegal gambling because a state run alternative is in place.

Senator Brownlee, you need to stop playing the role of the 'moral police' and start making changes that can help Bob IF he wants help. The state of Missouri actually takes a certain percentage of casino income to fund programs that help addicted gamblers. You also now have a perfectly legitimate reason to send a bill through to request increased funding for programs that help gamblers who have a problem. That's where you can make a difference. Resisting a casino bill only routes gamblers to other states and all of the revenue associated with that gambler.

Also, there are many more people that don't have a gambling addiction who simply want to have a place for entertainment. Those people should have the option to spend their entertainment dollars in the state of Kansas instead of having to go out of state to do the same thing.

Senator Brownlee, I encourage you to dismount from your moral high-horse and engage the reality surrounding gambling addictions. You can help the people of your state that have these problems, but voting 'No' on this bill will not make any difference in regards to the reasons you cited.