State Senator Terry Link appears to be obsessed. His schemes for bringing a casino to Lake County over the years have been repeatedly thwarted, most recently just this past week, as a gaming bill he championed appeared to have been stopped cold by House Speaker Michael Madigan.Now the latest ploy is to propose placing the casino in Park City, which is (as some source referred to it) a "suburb" of Waukegan. Ha Ha. I didn't even know Waukegan had suburbs. Link tried to get new Waukegan Mayor Bob Sabonjian to bite on the offer of a casino and was turned down flat. Thus, Link's thumb-in-the-eye to Sabonjian is to place the casino in neighboring Park City, which is desperate for revenue.
Why is Terry Link so obsessed with bringing gambling to Lake County, as near to his home in Waukegan as he can? Is it really the fact that he simply cannot think of any other way to produce jobs and economic development in Lake County? Really- he can't do any better than that?Anyone want to take a few guesses as to other motivations?
UPDATED 05/09/08: The Lake County News-Sun is in support of the idea of a Lake County casino, and suggests that if the Mettawa Costco doesn't go through, maybe that site would be a possibility. Ha ha.
And, for all of Senator Link's "don't give up hope yet" rhetoric, and no matter how badly the folks in Park City may want a casino, Chuck Sweeny of the Rockford Register Star says no how, no way.
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9 comments:
One look at Link's list of donors is enough to show why Link is pro-gaming expansion. MOre gaming revenue also covers up the deficit spending he's supported through his 4+ terms and minimizes the need to cut the budget which he relies so heavily on to spead money around before elections.
Given the Senators history for making politcal 'deals', it's not unresonable to think that he's already lined up minority allies from his base of supporters to meet MBE participation for added gaming venues.
If you really want to go deep on this...since gambling money is supposed to go to education, Link's support of this long-shot (pun intended) bill might be enough to keep the teachers (whose pensions he's helped raid over the years) on his side with actually having to do anything.
Keith Gray
Link continues to look for ways to help himself NOT the people he serves.
Think about it - the many ways a casino helps Senator Link:
1. More low paying jobs (and an increase in vendors supplying the casino. These "Vendors" would have a "link" to Link and potentially participate in a pay to play arrangement). Higher paying jobs go to the Link "Grassroots Organization".
2. Increase in gambling addiction (more contributions to Link from the NICASA folks)
3. Increase in substance abuse (even more contributions to Link from the NICASA folks)
4. Increase in domestic abuse (from the drunk gambler coming home and beating up his wife and kids) (Link can introduce legislation mandating casino revenues set aside 5% of earnings for Domestic Violence Shelters selected by Senator Link)
5. Increase in home foreclosures and bankruptcies (from the drunk gambler losing his fortunes, beating his wife and kids, not paying his mortgage, etc..) (Link can introduce legislation mandating casino revenues set aside another 5% of earnings for the Emergency Shelter Act so Senator Link can determine which homes should not be foreclosed upon)
6. Increase in crime (Link can introduce Red Light Cameras to catch robbers, prostitutes and pimps outside of the casino) Imagine the additional revenue! And the criminals face no criminal charges because a police officer wasn't involved - just fines!
7. Increase in State Revenues for programs to 1) Help the Gambling Addict 2) Help the Substance Abuser 3) Installation of Red Light Cameras to Fine more criminals 4) Provide safety and shelter for women/children of domestic violence)
The benefits of a casino to a community:
1. No need to invest in higher education for your child - they can walk to the casino for bartending and waitressing jobs.
2. No need for prozac - feeling down and out, just grab a couple hundred nickels and quarters, walk to the casino and WIN BIG (yeah)...
All kidding aside, to think a state or local government will thrive on the "poor mans tax" is irresponsible. How about introducing legislation to encourage real sustainable job development in Lake County Senator Link. But then, you can't control the business community can you?
http://cityclub.blip.tv/#2030296
Mark at the city club of chicago, good for those who haven't seen his latest stuff (and for making you know who nuts that he's still around and smirking and kicking :) :).
FOKLAES
Keith-
I appreciate your comment, and I want to say at the beginning that I agree with your most general point: gambling is not the way to fix the budget deficit. I have to say, however, that several of your supporting arguments hit me very much the wrong way, and I'd like to address them with the understanding that I'm not for the creation of more casinos.
I have a hard time determining the purpose of your second argument. Yes, being a Democrat that represents a district with a strong minority population, Senator Link's base does include minority leaders in the community. I don't see this as a logical or persuasive angle on which to attack gambling proposals. Since it was a short, generalized paragraph, I don't want to extrapolate to far into your motives in making this argument, but the apparent root of your argument is potentially problematic.
As far as education in the 30th district, I can't see as persuasive the argument, "casinos will give school more money, and that's bad." While throwing money at schools is certainly not the best way of solving their problems, it still stands to fact that most teachers, particularly in places in Waukegan and North Chicago, are not paid as much as they should be in order to attract the quality of teachers those kids deserve. Beyond teacher pay, North Chicago High School still does not have air conditioning, due to lack of funds. As much reasonable disagreement can exist about the amount of resources schools need, I think we can all agree that air conditioning is not a debatable aspect. Funding education doesn't merely please the teachers' unions, it garners support from the community as well.
If you're running against Terry Link again, Keith, attacking minority development organizations and calling for less funding to education is not the way to do it. Say what is true about gambling: it's regressive. The majority of tax revenue out of gambling hurts those who can least afford it, and that's not the way to close a budget deficit.
Gee, Keith, it's no wonder you keep losing elections. You consistently demonstrate the oft-pondered question: If a Republican shouts in a crowd of people deep in the woods, would they still hear him? More importantly, would they care?
Loser Link has been just about as bad a state senator as you can find. He's done nothing to address any issues in springfield and the only times we hear from him are when he either shows up at some local dem fest or wants gambling.
THROW THE BUM OUT.
Go keith.
That is all.
TA:
A. Terry Link is connected to the mob.
Let's return to the most important point. Why is Keith fighting the good fight alone? Why can't chairman mckenna, use the connections and wealth of a fortune 500 board member and the unemployed political talent of the last 12 years that gave us 12 years of rule of congress and 8 of the white house to lay waste to a corrupt democrat establishment? Because other than pat Mark on the derriere, the guy's got nothing.
McKenna runs a paper company and if you've ever met the guy you know that the scranton branch manager of the dunder mifflin paper comapny is a more charismatic and effective leader, than is McKenna. Heck I'd take the assistant to the regional manager or the temp over mckenna.
FOKLAES.
I agree that Waukegan should have a casino. It would provide jobs for Waukegan and North Chicago, towns that have high unemployment rates. Many Lake Co. residents go to casinos in Milwaukee, Elgin, and Aurora, helping the economies of those towns. If Waukegan gets a casino, those Lake Co. residents would stay in Lake Co. and help the economy of their area.
Conservative Veteran
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