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I am a little surprised that the attitude on the program, at least as expressed by the gambling industry representative was the preservation of gambling as a necessity. I have always opposed gambling for all the reasons we can think of, not the least of which is that some parents will not provide for their kids adequately due to gambling losses. I would also like to see the division of the proceeds published for all to see, and I have an alternative suggestion.

Let us float an initiative along these lines; when considering traveling to a casino, call some friends instead and go to breakfast, talk to your friends, have a nice time, save gasoline. Much better to spend the time talking to your friends rather than staring at the slot machine. Then calculate how much money you have saved and send half that amount to the college of your choice and keep the other half for yourself. This approaches the needs of the community and personal savings directly, and cuts out the financing of the gambling industry people who should be doing something productive anyway. 

Jack White

Albany OR

posted 3 years, 3 months ago
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During discussions of government funding of local communities, we have forgotten that taxpayers elsewhere nave no interest in funding county governments in Oregon regardless of how essential such funding is to our communities. Other regions of the country have their own problems, especially now. The loss of the logging industry , for example, means a loss of productivity (wealth production). We need to consider what fraction of current productivity is appropriate and historically acceptable as tax revenue, and how we can live within that amount of revenue. Federal government subsidies may not be sustainable because they are borrowed money and those debts will come back to haunt us soon, These most fundamental issues are difficult to deal with but should be considered seriously now.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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