I’ve become well and truly tired of writing about Massachusetts and its political establishment’s inability to get its act together on casino legalization. Suffice it to say that with Gov. Deval Patrick and House Speaker Robert DeLeo (left) firmly entrenched in opposing foxholes, chances of enactment this year are now zip. The losers are Bay State taxpayers, as millions of dollars in casino licensing fees and revenues slip through Beacon Hill’s fingers (especially as the value of a casino license itself continues to plummet).
There’s plenty of blame to go around, starting with Patrick, whose waffling on how much gambling he wanted and where frustrated the efforts of lawmakers to craft a compromise. DeLeo’s not entirely blameless, either, as his desire to “juice” horse tracks into racino status not only makes a joke of regulation but gives tracks several furlongs lead over resort-casino owners, who’d have to apply, get licensed, invest and build, trying to play catch-up with the horsey set and its slot parlors.
Incidentally, isn’t it past time to rethink of the sport of kings entirely? If it’s inherently unprofitable perhaps its future is to serve as an amenity for slot houses. The races would be a diversionary loss-leader for the casino: sort of like Matt Goss on four hooves.
Speaking of diminished value … that falling object you just saw was the asking price of an Atlantic City casino (not that you can sell one for love or money these days). Pennsylvania casinos notched an 18% revenue increase on the strength of slot play alone. We can now only brace ourselves for an undoubtedly dire July-revenue dispatch from the Boardwalk, especially when the early table game winnings from the Keystone State are tallied.
Long-struggling Sands Bethlehem trampolined into third place ($24.5 million) on the strength of a 25% gambling revenue increase. Both it and second-place finisher Harrah’s Chester ($27 million, flat from 2009) are still vastly outpaced by Parx Casino, which raked in nearly $37 million and grew its take 19%. At least this month’s report provides some much-needed hope for Sands, which has been on track to be a money-losing dinosaur and is still years away from completion. Perhaps parent Las Vegas Sands can finally start recouping its whopping $743 million investment — or at least up the asking price whenever COO Michael A. Leven gets around to peddling it, as he’s hinted he might.
Hmmm … is our friend Sharron Angle cozying up to the anti-gambling crowd? Check out her newest endorser, GING-PAC and decide for yourself. It’s not crystal-clear but GING-PAC list of favorites includes some of the champion prudes of our time … along with one of “Casino Jack” Abramoff’s pet congressmen. However, Angle herself — feeling the need for cash? — has scrubbed the no-casino-money pledge, along with some vaguely anti-industry language from her Web site (bottom of page). Just to keep us guessing, Original-Recipe Angle said she “does not oppose casinos,” which is kind of like me saying I do not oppose your continuing to draw breath … but is a remarkably cool attitude toward the Silver State’s leading industry. New & Improved Angle’s platform simply keeps mum on the issue.
Somebody please tell me there’s an acceptable third-party candidate out there! And if Nevada were to elect an anti-gambling senator, wouldn’t that be a heckuva thing?
Thanks for the link to this site:
“Anti Corruption Republican ~
Demonstrating that Republicans hold their own Accountable”
I’m not sure that their motives are that selfless, since a random search of the archives provides this statement:
“One of the people the Angry Left hates is our own former Congressman, Tom DeLay. Travis County DA Ronnie Earle is a member of the Angry Left due to his Quixotic attempt to prosecute Mr. DeLay. Too many Democrats can’t see Mr. Earle’s personal vendetta. In fact, I’ve pointed out how some members of the Angry Left don’t even think a crime is necessary to prosecute Mr. DeLay. Even Cragg Hines of the Houston Chronicle can’t seem to escape the thought processes of the Angry Left…”
I guess I’m a part of the Angry Left too, since I think DeLay is a crook.
Also, thanks for the link to the old/new Angle Web site comparison. Let’s hope some acolytes tell her that the new Sharron is “too accommodating to the mainstream” so she changes it back to the tea party rants that she posted there before.
By the way, if the Republicans truly wanted to hold themselves accountable, they’d indict themselves for malfeasance in office.
There’s way too much Jesus in Angle’s rhetoric for Sheldon Adelson’s comfort, I suspect, and it’s even starting to freak out the R-J, which is really saying something.
‘”Republican Sharron Angle says her campaign to unseat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada is “a calling” from God and that her faith is helping her endure a fiercely competitive race in which Democrats have depicted her as a conservative extremist.
“When you have God in your life … he directs your path,” Angle told the Christian Broadcasting Network in an interview posted on its website Wednesday.’
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j04tE84K-JlFJEUiyISrymxP2mSgD9GV4EU00
See? It gets better. Maybe next she’ll say that she’s following the Holy Ghost to the Gates of Babylon (US Senate) in order to Cleanse the Temple.
(Yes, I know the Temple wasn’t in Babylon, but she probably doesn’t.)
Even the right wing radio radicals are treading lightly on Ms. Angle. Mark Levin recently did a segment on this Senate race and did not even mention Angles name, he just unloaded on Harry Reid and called for his ouster. Not a word about Angle, even though Levin had interviewed her on his show previously.
Today Angle is scheduled to speak to a radical doctors group that denies HIV causes AIDS, and calls Medicare “evil”. I highly doubt the seniors of Nevada agree with that sentiment. It will be an interesting speech. I believe the Nevada Republicans could have nominated a statue and easily defeat Harry Reid. Every one of us Americans who dream about retirement and count Social Security and Medicare as a vital part of our dream, are taking notice of this woman. Perhaps she has enough money stashed away to retire without the funds we have already paid into the systems, but most of us do not.
Mike A said:
“Perhaps she has enough money stashed away to retire without the funds we have already paid into the systems, but most of us do not.”
Interesting point, Mike. I wonder if Ms. Angle is eligible for a State pension from her days in the Legislature?
Then there’s this:
“Should old people starve? Let the market decide!
Of course, the fate and merit of Social Security are merely academic to Angle. Win or lose her Senate race, her golden years are secured in large part thanks to the retirement benefits collected by her husband, Ted, who spent 37 years working for the Bureau of Land Management within the United States Department of the Interior…
When her husband was making most of the family money while she mostly stayed home (“the acceptable and right thing to do”), surely Angle must have determined that the Interior Department and the BLM are constitutional. A self-described constitutional “soldier,” surely Angle would not have allowed her family to be supported primarily by a government entity created in direct violation of both the United States Constitution and — a no less impressive arbiter of truth, justice and the American way — Sharron Angle’s uncompromising and stalwart personal principles.”
http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2010/06/17/opinion/damned_pundit/iq_36435520.txt
I suppose that, if asked, she would say that God was using that unconstitutional Department temporarily, as a tool to allow Sharron to prepare for His Mission to shut down those unconstitutional Departments – except the Angle pension part.
Question: I don’t know how old Sharron & Ted are, but I assume that they’re both going to be eligible for Social Security & Medicare fairly soon; what are the odds that neither will sign up for those “unconstitutional” Federal programs?