Quote:
Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage
You didn't do anything wrong. Just reminding everyone that this thread isn't going to devolve into a Sheldon/Trump diatribe.
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On gambling issues, the political parties dont generally play into it. I know many Democrats who are against extending gambling because it is ostensibly a hidden tax on the poor. (Of course, I disagree.) And many Republicans are against gambling for moral (read, religious) reasons or are catering to their evangelical backers.
But on the other side, many Republicans have strong libertarian leanings -- thus are OK with gambling and may also see revenues as an avenue to cut taxes. And there are Democrats who push gambling as a way to pay for social programs.
For those in office, as was pointed out here, it often depends on who is funding their campaigns. I remember Clinton was pretty friendly to the casinos who were major backers of his campaigns.
Generally, Democrats tend to be more amenable to Indian casinos -- Natives are largely Democratic and Dems also have guilty consciences about the past. Indians also received preferences in order to settle treaty violation lawsuits (upstate NY for example).
In the old days, New York State OTB had a ton of clout with both parties -- hence that dumb surcharge -- because of all the patronage it gave out. Nothing to do with ideology/partisanship.
Bottom line: There is no political argument to be had here. Its an issue that transcends liberal/conservative or Democrat/Republican.
