Sunday, March 7, 2010

Gambling And Corruption Linkage Was Predicted Here

The Journal Sentinel takes note of some high-profile gambling-related cases in the area.


I can remember during the run-up to the Potawatomi tribe's gambling expansion in the Valley a few years ago - - from bingo operation to full-blown casino - - that then-District Attorney E. Michael McCann, a gambling opponent, warned that with the expansion would come a rise in corruption.

The argument was lost. The expansion took place, with a series of enhancements, and the resulting operation is one of the country's biggest.

So there should be little surprise that the expansion has a down side, since to stay in business, the casino needs to take in more than it pays out, which means losers will be tempted to keep trying to win or get even - - even with other people's money.




5 comments:

Anon Jim said...

Is it not just the berries when your favorite tactic is used against you?

I.E. running to a favorable judge to get a ruling you want.

The argument for initially having a casino or not located in Milwaukee and the subsequent expansions was lost when Federal Judges correctly ruled that gambling per se was legal in Wisconsin allowing the Native American nations in Wisconsin to operate casinos.

Granted it was required for the tribes to negotiate an agreement with the local government, but if said governmental body stone-walls all the tribe has to do is go back t0 the judge who will if push comes to shove - mandate a compromise.

So for all the dire warnings from the incompetent "see no evil, hear no evil" McCann and others, they were meaningless.

James Rowen said...

After all that circularity, you not only missed the point - - you really didn't make one.

Anon Jim said...

My point was that you never had the capability to stop Potawatomi from either establishing or expanding their casino.

As far as your point that casinos by their nature lead to corruption and wind up with some people ruining their own lives, guess I didn't need to comment on the obvious.

And Toni Clark being yet another corrupt Milwaukee Democrat politician, isn't that like the norm?

James Rowen said...

More generalizations. And how do you turn things so partisan?

Anon Jim said...

How do I turn things so partisan?

You might want to look in the mirror James.

You are much more interested in conservative figures far and wide that have no actual power, yet turn a total blind eye to corrupt politicians in your own back yard who do.