Kentucky Pro-Family Advocate Urges State Against Proposed Casino Plan
by Ed Thomas
March 9, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Proponents in the horse breeding and racing industries believe the money Kentucky residents allegedly spend in casinos in neighboring states could become tax revenue for their own state. However, one Kentucky pro-family group is warning that a proposal to bring casino gambling into the state to benefit those industries is what he calls a "Trojan Horse" and will end up harming rather than helping the citizens.The idea proposed by the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) is to add casinos at eight race track sites in the Bluegrass State. This coalition of interests from the Kentucky's horse-related industries is trying to build support for its plan in the legislature and has reportedly sent letters to lawmakers, local school board members, and civic leaders across the state. KEEP projects tax revenues of as much as $437 million from the casino profits, which would supposedly be funneled into the state to benefit education, healthcare, local governments, and environmental and agricultural concerns.
But Richard Nelson, a policy analyst for the Family Foundation of Kentucky, says the problem with the casino plan and all its promised millions in tax revenues is where all that money will actually originate. "It is coming from the pockets of Kentuckians," he asserts, "and it's unethical, and it's bad public policy for the government to bring in that kind of money that requires so many people to lose."
Nelson believes the casinos would hurt Kentucky citizens and their families and eventually harm the economy of the state as well by taking away discretionary incomes that could buy goods and services in other areas of the economy. In fact, he says he has seen research from places across the United States where this very thing has happened.
"Casinos do not help states, they do not help economies, and they don't help individuals," the Family Foundation spokesman contends. "In fact, one of the problems with bringing a casino into any city across the state," he adds, "is that you will see individuals become addicted and lose it all -- people taking their paychecks to the casino and losing it all, people mortgaging their homes and losing their homes."
Nelson says many local leaders, including school board members and state legislators, are leery of the KEEP proposal because of the involvement of gambling. He believes their uneasiness is appropriate since the "Trojan Horse" of casino revenues has been shown to usher in many problems that can destroy individual lives and undermine the welfare of communities.
Ed Thomas, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
