Gaming, indeed.

My position against gaming is well known, particularly in Frankfort.  Gaming lobbyists never waste time bringing it up to me.  Despite my personal, philosophical objection to the idea of gaming I'm still willing to have a learned discussion about it.  I'm open to hearing opposing view points.  My job as a legislator requires me to keep an open mind and weigh ideas.  If anyone who supports gaming ever came to me to talk about it I'd be happy to have that discussion, but unfortunately, so far, their arguments have failed even the slightest examination.  There are lots of questions gaming advocates haven't answered.  If they want it to pass, like advocates for any legislation, they must be prepared to answer the questions and own the results - good or bad.

A recent article in the New York Times discussed some of these questions in the context of a study done by a partnership of universities.  It's a short read that I highly recommend, regardless of your position.

The debate in Kentucky circles the often cited "let the people decide" sales pitch.  I posed to gaming supporters during the 2014 session the following hypothetical:  If we moved such a law forward, and put the gaming expansion matter on the ballot for voters to defeat or pass, would the gaming industry consent to spend just as much money advertising the woes of gaming as it does advertising it's merits?  Supporters conveniently fail to say out loud what everyone in state politics believes - the best ad campaign usually wins.  How many of you reading this believes the gaming industry would be outspent by those of us who oppose gaming?  Casinos made about $35 Billion in 2011. The Family Foundation and the Kentucky Baptist Convention don't exactly compete.

While I'm at it, here are a couple more questions that must be answered by the gaming industry:

1. What portion of your patrons are in the middle and lower income groups of the communities/regions where the casino exists?

2. What do you do to educate your patrons that you are taking steps to attract prolonged gaming? For example, do you inform them that slots are designed to entice more gaming (i.e., "near misses" and penny bets)?

3. What financial information about patrons do you collect?

4. How much do middle and low income gamblers lose as a percentage of their income?

5. What impact do casinos have on existing businesses in the areas where they operate?​

6. Excluding management, what are the mean and median incomes for your job positions?​

7. What losses in revenue do churches and non-profits experience when a casino enters a region?​

8. Similarly, do churches and non-profits experience an increase in service requests and outreach in regions where you operate?​

9. What amount, if any, do you set aside to provide for financial education programming and does that programming use a curriculum that cautions against gaming habits? How do you make your patrons aware of the education programming?​

 These are just a few to start with.  So far, I haven't had a conversation with a gaming supporter that didn't bring up a handful more that went unanswered.  I'm not holding my breath.

The Long Range Transportation Plan

I have received an official notice from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet that their "Long Range Statewide Transportation Plan" (LRSTP) is now available for public inspection and comment for 45 days – running from May 7, 2014 through June 23, 2014 at close-of-business.

For my constituents and readers, I've provided links below to both the plan itself and the survey which allows for comments to be submitted.  You can find both these links and others that may be useful at the Transportation Cabinet's website.

The Long Range Statewide Transportation Plan

The Survey to Submit Comments About the Plan

Disordered Priorities

I've gotten well over 500 emails today (over 420 in the last 15 minutes - no joke) about an amendment made to HB222 in the Senate.  The original bill restricted the methods of euthanasia at animal shelters.  The amendment prevented the practice of fraudulently posing as a potential hire on farms to attempt to capture (by hidden video) illegal or inhumane treatment of livestock.  These identical, form emails are all in anger over this so-called "ag-gag" amendment.

During the committee meeting on the bill (during which I supported the bill and the amendment) I asked why the sponsor - a nice woman, but a decidedly pro-choice liberal democrat, was so enthusiastic about the underlying bill that would prevent painful methods of death for animals (specifically, gas or decompression chambers) when just the day before she voted against a bill in the House Health and Welfare Committee that would have simply given pregnant women more information before they make the decision to abort their unborn child's life.  I referred to the torturous methods of abortion - drowning in saline, being pulled apart limb by limb.  How can another human can find no issue at all with torture-type procedures being performed on an unborn child, yet sponsor legislation to prevent painful methods of death for a stray dog?  I understand the desire to protect animals, as a cat and dog owner myself I'm disturbed by the idea of a decompression chamber for goodness sake.  But there are humans drowned and dismembered - on purpose.  The reality that so many people wish to protect that "right" is truly disturbing.

As I read through this burst of emails I wonder where the moral outcry is from all of these people for the 50,000,000 humans who have died unnatural, tortured deaths.  I have never gotten so many emails about that, and certainly not from all over the country and the rest of the world like I have today.

UPDATE: Now at 854 emails in the last 45 minutes.

UPDATE #2: Now at 1133 emails in the last hour.

UPDATE #3: Just shy of 2000.

UPDATE #4: 2500.

I had to switch to Airplane Mode to keep more from coming while trying to take a screenshot, and while I typed this post and caption another nearly 200 emails came through.