OPINION: Casinos in Georgia? No way!

I’ve no real issue with people who wish to wager a few dollars in any form or fashion, but please, don’t sell the idea by tying it to (a) education and (b) economic development, and don’t try to convince me that casino gambling has no downside.

First, education: If voters use education funding as an excuse to fund education, will the question on the ballot in four years be, “Should Georgia have prostitution with funds going to education?” Or, “Should Georgia legalize marijuana with funds going to education?”

That’s a red herring. Nothing the Republican-controlled General Assembly has done in recent years suggests a seriousness about providing adequate funds for education. Here’s the subtle message — if teachers help us approve casino gambling, we may give teachers a raise.

Second, economic development. For the casino business to be a success, it has to bring in tourists. Otherwise, all it does it take from other entertainment venues, from Braves games to Six Flags to movie theaters. And with other nearby states offering gambling, its ability to attract out-of-state residents is limited.

We have a political party that is dominated by the religious right that desperately wants to promote gambling, and not just gambling, but the huge commercial gambling venues. A handful of tracks for horse racing and pari-mutuel betting is one thing, but casinos are something altogether different. That the GOP wants to open Georgia to casinos suggests that its conservative religious principles are a frail façade.

There is a social price to pay for legalizing gambling. It’s difficult to measure in economic terms, but you can count on increases in the divorce and bankruptcy rates if the casinos come in. You may also see a hike in the crime rate. Already, those backing an expansion of gambling in Georgia are wooing state officials with gifts and contributions that no new ethics legislation will stop.

The story line here is that to get a new revenue source with no political cost — as opposed to justifying to the voters any increase in taxes — the General Assembly would sell its soul. It may be true that people who want to gamble will find a way, but it’s immoral for the government to promote the allure of “easy money,” particularly by legislators who call themselves fiscal conservatives.

Not just “no.” Hell no.

Mark Beardsley is the editor of The Commerce News. He lives in Commerce.