FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The first step involved in getting the current massive amount of “legalized” gambling here in PA was to save DYING horse racing.
in Lancaster County, there was a move to put an off track betting parlor (OTB) in East Lampeter Twp. Which had exercised its local option vote on small games of chance gambling and had voted against small games of chance even for charitable purposes.
There was a huge push back against the OTB. Our leadership team decided to ask Senator Noah Wenger for help in stopping it. (Horse racing falls under the PA Departments of Agriculture and Senator was the chair of the Senate Agricultural Committee.)
Our LC PAGE leadership team , two teachers, two pastors and a physician went to see Lancaster County Senator Noah Wenger (Chair of the Senate Ag Committee where horse racing is located) to get his help in stopping an OTB at East Town Mall in East Lampeter Township that had exercised local option and voted AGAINST small games of chance even for charitable purposes. He greeted us by looking at me in a very accusatory way and saying, “I heard that you are running for my office!” I had no idea what he was talking about. (I guess it is very true that what a legislator wants more than to be elected is to be reelected.) in hindsight, I was very naive for years. Horse racing falls under the Dept. of Agriculture even though we don’t eat horse meat.) He was of no help on this issue. Yes, the OTB went in East Town Mall.
The fateful Fourth of July weekend when the slots legislation passed by adding hundreds of pages for the casino details to a thirty-three line bill for background checks for people who worked at the tracks. I got an anonymous call that said that horse racing was to be sunsetted that weekend if they didn’t act to extend it.
I naively immediately called the Chair of the Dept. of Agriculture, Noah Wenger, knowing that he would be able to stop the push for slots legislation to “save a dying horse racing industry” as it was being sold as a great idea. Instead, to get the GOP votes needed to pass it, the GOP was promised that there would be a provision for a property tax ‘’reduction’ passed first thing in the next session and they did.
No, Noah Wenger did not stop this economic drain of slots and casino style gambling. (BTW, gambling does NOT create new wealth. It only recycles it. Some call it “Theft by Consent” or “Robbery with Permission.”) Noah’s contribution over the weekend of that bill’s passage was asking to introduce an intern! He made not one objection to the actual slots legislation!
Looking back with clearer vision, I believe that he wanted to cater to the Amish votes and protect the businesses such as the sales of race horses and the feed for them by those who helped get him elected. (Could the Amish who had their bishops at the hearing on this OTB at the Holiday Inn on Route 501 sell race horses???) We presented over a thousand letters of opposition to that OTB that day which were collected in less than a week. (The hearing was announced over Labor Day weekend when most people are distracted by end of summer activities.) I can only imagine the snickers as the less naive among the pushers watched as we persisted in trying to stop the inevitable harm that comes with gambling such as suicides, bankruptcies, divorces, loss of savings and retirement accounts, etc.
Here we go again. While public attention was on the Presidential election, in a stealth way, preemptive legislation has passed to ensure extend horse racing which is due to end AGAIN!
Since the purpose of the slots/ casino legislation was to “save the dying horse racing industry,” that purpose evidently has not been achieved, that legislation and all related legislation should be repealed.
Now is the time to stop this economic drain in PA. End the farce of its being a way to dupe gamblers into paying ‘voluntary’ taxes.
Gamblers have been led to believe in winning when losing is the more likely scenario. They believe in getting something for nothing when, in reality, they get nothing for something … a consumer protection issue for certain.
As we all as know, gambling interests are very skilled at building dependence on their harmful and very questionable enterprises. To shut them down immediately would be a shock involving employees. To ease this shock, a three year shutdown process of any type of gambling in PA tied to the “saving of a dying horse racing industry” would help slow the impact on the workers as well as the other businesses tied to this harmful enterprise.
For 16 years, our diverse, statewide coalition, PAGE, held these fleecing vultures at bay. The time to stop them is now!
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This is a very good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/1/2022 re this major gambling expansion debacle that has helped drain billion$ from the legitimate economy, hurt PA gamblers, their families and helped fill the coffers of the gambling interests.
To those who believe that the blame of embracing this harmful legislation lies only with the Democrats and Governor Ed Rendell (who backed casinos for years,) hang on. With a Republican House snd Senate, they needed Republican votes for this to pass. So, in a “face saving” move (since the Republicans had opposed slots/ casinos for years) a property tax “reduction” was promised. They became partners in PennsylVEGAS.
They have also kept expanding and expanding gambling and NOT because the citizens demanded more but to appease the ever greedy gambling interests.
Gov. Wolf was favoring stopping horse racing subsidies.
There is a taxpayer coalition wanting to eliminate property taxes. I wonder how both parties would vote on ending the subsidies and disabling the enabling legislation. IMO, the casino enabling legislation would no longer be “legal” because there would no longer be the explicit purpose.
Although people seem to believe that once a law is passed that’s that. Wrong. ANY law ESPECIALLY a harmful one can and should be repealed.
Dianne M. Berlin