Thursday, April 07, 2005

Oregon’s potential off-reservation casino

“Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed a contract Wednesday allowing the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to build what would be Oregon's first off-reservation casino in Cascade Locks.

The contract signed by Kulongoski and Tribal Chairman Ron Suppah is the first of its kind, with the tribes agreeing to [eventually] give the state as much as 17 percent of their gross gambling profits to a nonprofit that, in turn, would donate the money for state programs… most of it for tuition aid for college students. Tribal officials estimate that after 10 years, the casino will have contributed $270 million to state programs.”
-The O

Although it would be nice that the casino would eventually give as much as 17 percent of their gambling profits to state programs, it is not a morally correct way of giving money to the government.

This is the only kind of addictive thing in our state that is actually being encouraged, and that will give our state money. Let’s take smoking and drinking for examples. We tax cigarettes not only to discourage people from smoking because it kills them, but to raise funding for our government. Also, we tax alcohol (although not very much) to defer the purchase of alcoholic beverages, because they are harmful to people, and to society. And the government also benefits from this. But gambling is different.

Gambling is an addiction too, yet we are rushing to make it available to even more people? I am not saying that nobody should gamble, but should one of the main reasons to open a casino be to get state funding? That is what it looks like to me, and I do not agree with it. If it is really about state funding, then there are more effective ways to get it. Sadly, this is only one of my main concerns about casinos in off-reservation land.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

EC . . . . populated by nothing but crazy liberals intent on self-righteousness and feel-good exclamation points. You are a lower demon of hell, EC. Keep flitting away.

Yanni Znaio said...

As far as taxation on tobacco and alcohol go, I think you're missing the point that the purpose of taxation is to raise sufficient revenues to provide the minimum amount of government services deemed necessary.

It is an abuse of the taxing power for government to use it as a bludgeon to attempt to modify the behavior of the citizenry.

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Wally Banners said...

Hi great peice! I belive your totaly right. A reason to get a casino for state funding is asine at best. your literlly creating a factory of social disorders to follow.

Ruthlin said...

I can't believe how many state-sponsored lotteries there are--I don't see how it's the role of The State to encourage gambling! Ridiculous! And really, why in the heck should the State get any money from Indian Reservations?! They're supposed the be sovereign nations! If they want casinos, they should be able to have casinos and keep the money! I don't see where the State figures into it at all.
Ruth Lindsay

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