This is a couple of days old, but it’s still a definite problem in Maryland:
Casino owners, labor and other interests spent more than $3.6 million to influence lawmakers during last month’s special session to expand gambling in Maryland — a figure that comes to about $900,000 a day for the four-day session, according to disclosure reports filed Monday.
The biggest spender was a Washington-area labor organization which — with help from the owners of the National Harbor development — poured $2.7 million into television advertising designed to persuade the General Assembly to pass legislation authorizing table games and a new casino in Prince George’s County.
It’s not because of the gambling issue itself – which is known as Question 7 down here in Maryland, and which will be on the ballot in November. And to be truthful? I’m not actually against expanding gambling, per se. But I have had it gently pointed out to me by some of my colleagues that what I should be against is giving Governor O’Malley and his cronies a happy-happy new money spigot to splash in (which is what has happened in the past when gambling has been expanded in this state). That’s… a dang compelling argument, actually.
So call me not exactly happy that our Democratic-controlled legislature is taking that kind of money from lobbyists. It’s merely teaching them bad habits.
Moe Lane
Totally agree about the joke O’malley, he is basically as horrible as Maryland politics, so I guess he will stay. I believe in state’s rights, but also believe gambling should be legal. So much money wasted fighting over this issue, the should give it to the kids school lunch program I guess.
The Maryland corruptocrats have fought increased gambling for so long, they must be afraid they WONT get their hands on the take. I love how West Virginia is spending tons of cash to scuttle the bill, shows the corruption and the veneer of protecting us all from vice.
I haven’t decided on question 7 yet. I’m not anti-gambling, and if this were say, just a question about adding table games, I’d be all for it. But Maryland’s gambling laws seem to be more about political pay offs than offering a reasonable gaming option for tourism and recreation. I really don’t care if hey put a casino in PG county, I don’t think it is something that the state should have to vote on. If gambling is legal, and somebody wants to build a casino, they should be able to build it wherever they want. Gambling, as activities go, is one of those things that I think does deserve a little more government oversight, just because of its nature, but to get down to defining specific companies and specific sites that can do it as a matter of law, something is wrong there. I don’t live too far from Charles Town, their casino is alright, and I’ll go there for my table games. If Maryland live could offer me craps, that might be an option, but only because the restaurants are better 🙂