Planning for the Pittsburgh casino’s arrival

 

In this economy anything’s possible, but reports continue to indicate that the nation’s most predatory industry will have a major outpost in Pittsburgh by August.  Government remains in denial at all levels regarding the oncoming negative impacts, and from what I hear the nonprofit community is just about equally motionless.

 

Although our resources are limited, we intend to do something.  We are meeting with representatives of two interested church groups this Friday to discuss effective options.  Your suggestions and assistance are welcome; we will keep you informed of any decisions.

 

Denial in Washington County too

 

The Meadows has a great PR program.  The Washington County Food Bank lavished praise on the Meadows in December for helping to collect food; it somehow managed to overlook the extent to which slot machines create hunger.  The Washington County human services director was quoted as saying they are happy that problems from the casino have not manifested.  (I’m not sure what they were looking for—or trying to avoid seeing—but one source has indicated that Gamblers Anonymous participation in Washington County doubled following the casino’s arrival.  Of course, the great majority of the suffering happens quietly in families of gambling addicts, away from the view of any human services director.)

 

Video poker

 

Our Governor has certainly become creative.  He promised no expansion of gambling until we could see how the slots played out.  Four of the five stand-alone casinos haven’t opened yet, but the Governor needs more money so he now tells us that legalizing video poker in establishments across the state would not constitute an expansion of gambling.

 

Whenever you have the opportunity, remind policymakers that to restore the legitimacy of government and strengthen the economy they should be rolling back addictive forms of gambling, not multiplying government revenue by profiteering from gambling’s victims.

 

An excellent commentary by Michael Geer of the Pennsylvania Family Institute on this topic is at http://www.pennlive.com/columns/patriotnews/asiseeit/index.ssf?/base/columnists/1235174108146750.xml&coll=1.

 

Other articles worth reading

 

Georgia has joined the many states looking to hook tourists and locals on gambling.  The proposal would put video gambling in Underground Atlanta.  A newspaper columnist talks sense about this idea:

http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/03/08/suwooten0308.html

 

The most recent proposed site for the relocated Foxwoods Philadelphia casino is adjacent to Chinatown, alarming community leaders who note the particularly tragic toll gambling exacts on Asians.  Here is an article from the Sacramento Bee documenting the problem:

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1681279.html

 

If you have a child in kindergarten, make sure he or she is checked out for behavioral tendencies that could result in compulsive gambling (we’re serious!—read to the third paragraph):

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1882595,00.html

 

Here’s one group of elected officials with unusual wisdom:  The Lebanon County Commissioners unanimously overruled an advisory board and voted against allowing residents of the Renova Center to take a field trip to Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.  (The Renova Center is home to about 25 people with severe mental and physical disabilities.)

 

Thanks for your continued interest!

 

--Bruce