If you wanted to expand gambling in the state, how would you proceed? First of all, declare a budget shortfall that cannot be filled either by attrition or identifying waste and eliminating it. Convey to the people the only way forward is by an unpopular tax or expanding gambling.

Expanding Medicaid isn’t the answer since the federal government is reaching Greece status itself, and eventually the entire burden will fall back on the state. I believe you get the picture of what is occurring in Alabama. The only people who want more taxes are those who do not have to pay them.

It is difficult enough on families in the lower middle class to make it now without continuing to tax them into bankruptcy. One area of waste that could be addressed is in legislative pay. Legislators make entirely too much money for the time they spend and the results of their sessions. An exorbitant amount of time is spent each session on how to expand legalized gambling and bashing the mean Republicans. Not passing a budget acceptable to the Governor isn’t a new or just a mean old Republican thing. It has happened before with the Democrats in control.

The state legislature earned a name many years ago as the “do nothing legislature.” It appears the more things change, the more they remain the same.

I am not sure everything has been done that can be done to eliminate waste and reduce the size of state government. We now only have politicians word for it. Pardon me if I am skeptical. Local, state and federal governments tend to keep growing in spite of sagging revenues and government outlay. I have yet to see a department head who wanted to give up an employee or cut their budget. Just because the state is funded by taxpayer dollars is no reason to be extravagant and wasteful. Little doubt, there are tremendous needs within the state mainly due to misguided priorities and Democratic dominance until just recently. Our prisons are over full, our roads and bridges are falling apart, poverty is rampant and physical and mental health needs are issues as well, just to name a few. Logically speaking, you would think gambling would be taxed if it is going to be allowed to flourish.

However, it seems the Bentley administration is a little confused as to what to do with it. Do not misunderstand, I am against expanding gambling of any type.

We have enough problems now providing for those most likely to be lured into these establishments or to a lottery. Apparently the administration decided to stop raiding and removing illegal machines, so establishments once boarded up have already reopened for business. Is it legal or not? If it is illegal, stop it, if it is legal, tax it.

Gamblers who can afford it and those who can’t should realize gambling establishments always win and lotteries prey on those least able to afford it. Alabama decided in 1999 to have not, and my vote would still be to have not and enforce it. We already have too much poverty and too many dysfunctional homes to deal with as it is.