Comments on: Amid Budget Crisis, Beacon Hill Renews Gambling Debate http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/30/casino-gambling WBUR is Boston's NPR News Station, featuring NPR news and programs such as Car Talk, On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Radio Boston. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Simon Waters http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/30/casino-gambling/comment-page-1#comment-2893 Simon Waters Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:52:35 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11526#comment-2893 How can I find Friday's 11:00pm Capital Steps show?? Thanks, Simon How can I find Friday’s 11:00pm Capital Steps show??

Thanks,

Simon

]]> By: Delia Donatelli http://www.wbur.org/2009/10/30/casino-gambling/comment-page-1#comment-2871 Delia Donatelli Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:21:32 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=11526#comment-2871 Why must the state resort to gambling to create new revenue sources? Why isn't the state building on its strengths? We have the best universities and hospitals in the country, if not the world. Why aren't we focussed on leveraging these resources to sustain our role in high technology leadership? What message are we giving our children when we place a high priority on gambling? Doesn't this encourage them to look for easy ways to make money rather than developing skills and pursuing careers that make a positive contribution to society? Gambling preys on people's weaknesses; it is addictive; it causes people to spend money they cannot afford; families suffer, children go hungry: it destroys marriages and families; people go into debt, often followed by crime to pay off debts. All this is well-documented. Is this the society and culture we want to foster in our state? Why aren't we trying to raise standards instead of driving them down? Why is Gov Patrick, and our legislative leaders, so eager to embrace gambling? Do they just care about their campaign coffers and not about the impact on the people and the Commonwealth? If the state pursues this path, the one thing that is certain is that revenue for the state will be far less than projected, and the costs, far greater; a net negative in revenue and in quality of life for the people of the Commonwealth. Is this what our leaders want for us? Why must the state resort to gambling to create new revenue sources? Why isn’t the state building on its strengths? We have the best universities and hospitals in the country, if not the world. Why aren’t we focussed on leveraging these resources to sustain our role in high technology leadership? What message are we giving our children when we place a high priority on gambling? Doesn’t this encourage them to look for easy ways to make money rather than developing skills and pursuing careers that make a positive contribution to society?
Gambling preys on people’s weaknesses; it is addictive; it causes people to spend money they cannot afford; families suffer, children go hungry: it destroys marriages and families; people go into debt, often followed by crime to pay off debts. All this is well-documented. Is this the society and culture we want to foster in our state?
Why aren’t we trying to raise standards instead of driving them down? Why is Gov Patrick, and our legislative leaders, so eager to embrace gambling? Do they just care about their campaign coffers and not about the impact on the people and the Commonwealth? If the state pursues this path, the one thing that is certain is that revenue for the state will be far less than projected, and the costs, far greater; a net negative in revenue and in quality of life for the people of the Commonwealth. Is this what our leaders want for us?

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