Ohio Issue 3: Just Say 'No'

Norma put up this post concerning Ohio Issue 3 over 6 weeks ago and it is still generating comments and hits. She had a guest blogger, Buckeye RINO, write the meat of the post which definitely touched nerves, here's an excerpt:

Gamblers have no idea how much "entertainment" they will receive for a set price. Conceivably one gambler can be entertained all day for $20, while another will lose that same $20 within seconds. Casinos are thieves that try to seize all that they can. Casinos are not open, not transparent, which is why they are the preferred venue for money laundering.

Somali pirates create jobs. Nigerian scammers create jobs. Of course casinos create jobs, but the jobs that are created are not the product of newly created wealth. They are parasitic jobs that feed off the plundered wealth that others created. Similarly, taxes, which are confiscated wealth that others created, also fund jobs. But just as we cannot tax our society into prosperity, we cannot gamble our society into prosperity. Producers are the wealth creators, and casinos aren't producers.

I contributed a bit within the comments, which are worth reading. Not my comments, mind you, but some of the others. Although, in reviewing the post I did notice that I linked to a worthwhile fact-checking site regarding Ohio Issue 3.

I've heard the pro-gambling side from people: recreational casino users who know when to quit and assume everyone else does, business owners who want to add slot machines for extra bucks, etc. They all say the same thing: people should take responsibility for themselves, none of the government's business, etc. They sound sanctimoniously libertarian. But there is a social cost to gambling and it preys on the weakest and poorest. Huge corporations are running the show, and their coziness with the state governments should make even the libertarians wary.