Casino: Gambling In Ohio, With an Awesome Video of Pesci

There was an article on casino gambling in Ohio that appeared in the Business Journal. When I see these things, I usually start to laugh, but at the same time get unusually perturbed. Apparently, a group out there known as the Ohio Roundtable has brought suit against Governor Ted Strickland in regards to his plan to put slot machines in racetracks around Ohio. The Ohio Roundtable is a conservative group that has opposed casino gambling in Ohio since 1990. They also oppose the plan to put casinos in Ohio when it goes to ballot this November.

I see things like this, and all I want to ask these people is, ARE YOU SERIOUS? I usually do not go after conservative groups like this, but today I am taking a major shot at them. On the right, we have groups like these that oppose gambling on moral grounds. On the left, we have groups that oppose gambling on social grounds. That was evident today at the Canfield Fair, because apparently both the Democrats and Republicans had anti-gambling literature.

There is a hodgepodge of conservative and liberal activists out there using faulty logic and coming to the same wrong conclusions, and I am sick and tired of these people running the show.

Well, gambling is morally wrong they say. Yes, based on your own beliefs and opinions my ultra-right wing friends. Here is a reality check: we thought drinking was morally wrong too, and guess what happened to Prohibition. Well, gambling is socially harmful. It is called free choice, and no one has to gamble if they do not want to my far left liberal friends. Spare me your tired and contrived arguments for my own sanity.

Somehow, the facts escape these people that every state around Ohio is making money off the State of Ohio, except the State of Ohio itself. I seriously want to shake these people when I hear them talk about this issue. As this state is going down the toilet (rather, we were already flushed and in the pipes to the sewer by this point now that it has gotten so bad here), these people are still out there beating the morality and social drums.

News flash folks: YOU ARE NOT MICHAEL JACKSON! STOP BEATING IT ALREADY! A friend had to tell his nephew I am not Richard Dreyfus, and I had to tell him that I am not an alarm clock to wake up at 5:00AM. If I can deal with those crazy realities, then surely these people can stop beating their damn drums about morality.

A true conservative would advocate free individual choice. If you want to play $10,000 on a hand of blackjack, you should have every right to do it. Just don't come crying to me when you lose.

The reality is gambling will keep Ohio dollars in Ohio if it does nothing else. It will create jobs for the construction of these locations, it will provide jobs to staff these locations, and if we do a halfway decent job at promoting these locations and making them nice, maybe we will get some out of state business. Who would have thought it possible that we Ohioans can drum up money from outside the state for a change? Imagine in the possibilities.

I happen to agree with Strickland on the idea of gambling, even though it took a terrible Ohio economy and a few years to make him come around. Better late than never I guess. I would still advocate for a Youngstown casino, because I think we are getting screwed on the particular issue. But I am all for Ohio gambling.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown