Sunday, July 11, 2004
Why does LA get the money?
Just got back from a weekend getaway to the Grand Coushatta Casino in Louisiana. It lists itself in Kinder, but it's really Native American land.
It was a nice place to gamble, but probably not somewhere to go again.
For starters, I lowered the median age in the casino by 4 years just by walking into the place.
Then, it seemed like Wal-Mart to me - people of all kinds: races, ages, sexes, backgrounds, socio-economic levels.
Also, there seemed to be more money bet in LA than in LV if you know what I mean.
Finally, for the politics, everyone there was from Houston and the surrounding area. So, these Houston people were spending all their cash across the state line, putting money into the Louisiana treasury and the Coushatta tribes pockets. At the same time, Texas is cutting programs for children's health insurance, police patrols, and drug abuse prevention.
Sounds like there's a simple fix to this problem, eh? Legalize gambling in Texas. None of the money goes to Louisiana anymore - or not as much. Imagine the impact of the Galveston economy if the state legislature allowed the Landry's Corporation to open a casino near the San Luis. But, no ... the devil is in the gaming. So, the Houston metropolitan area sends buses to LA everyday ... Dallas does the same for Shreveport ... And, children go without dental care or immunizations.
Being pragmatic, now I need to offer a solution ... write your representative ... Ask why the state allows LA to benefit from Houstonians entertainment dollars ... If they can't give you an answer or use the standard party lines - casinos bring a multitude of problems to the area and society - remind them about the economic impact on the area - jobs, taxes, new facilities like restaurants and hotels - that's just for starters.
Yes, there are problem gamblers. But, we also have problem drinkers and you can still buy beer at Diamond Shamrock ...
That's all for now.
It was a nice place to gamble, but probably not somewhere to go again.
For starters, I lowered the median age in the casino by 4 years just by walking into the place.
Then, it seemed like Wal-Mart to me - people of all kinds: races, ages, sexes, backgrounds, socio-economic levels.
Also, there seemed to be more money bet in LA than in LV if you know what I mean.
Finally, for the politics, everyone there was from Houston and the surrounding area. So, these Houston people were spending all their cash across the state line, putting money into the Louisiana treasury and the Coushatta tribes pockets. At the same time, Texas is cutting programs for children's health insurance, police patrols, and drug abuse prevention.
Sounds like there's a simple fix to this problem, eh? Legalize gambling in Texas. None of the money goes to Louisiana anymore - or not as much. Imagine the impact of the Galveston economy if the state legislature allowed the Landry's Corporation to open a casino near the San Luis. But, no ... the devil is in the gaming. So, the Houston metropolitan area sends buses to LA everyday ... Dallas does the same for Shreveport ... And, children go without dental care or immunizations.
Being pragmatic, now I need to offer a solution ... write your representative ... Ask why the state allows LA to benefit from Houstonians entertainment dollars ... If they can't give you an answer or use the standard party lines - casinos bring a multitude of problems to the area and society - remind them about the economic impact on the area - jobs, taxes, new facilities like restaurants and hotels - that's just for starters.
Yes, there are problem gamblers. But, we also have problem drinkers and you can still buy beer at Diamond Shamrock ...
That's all for now.
