Beshear to talk about future of gambling amendment

Gov. Steve Beshear has called a 2 p.m. news conference in the Capital Rotunda on casino gambling. Beshear will be there with House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, and the rest of House leadership to "talk about the future of the expanded gambling amendment in the House," said Dick Brown, Beshear spokesman.

Last week, Beshear and Richards both said they were still several votes shy of the 60 needed to get the constitutional amendment out of the House. Asked if that's changed, Brown said, "I would assume something's changed or they wouldn't bother having a news conference."

Besides Democratic House leaders, other backers of casino gambling, such as the chambers of commerce and racetracks also could be there.

-- Janet Patton

Comments

[JeffR]

I don't get the chambers of commerce being behind this. Casinos take business and employees away from local hotels, restaurants and bars.

[Commonwealth Progress]

JeffR:

You're right on target with both your question and your point about the negative impact casinos have on other businesses. The state and NKY Chambers of Commerce are bought and paid for by their Corporate members, who generally don't like to make waves when one of their corporate colleagues has an agenda they want to pursue. The KY Chamber Board includes Churchill, and the NKY Board includes Turfway. The state and regional chambers have been ignoring the real needs of small and mid-size, locally owned businesses for at least the past 20 years. In addition, the Chamber staff people have never run businesses of their own, and they're woefully uninformed of the interrelationships between various business sectors. Like our Governor, Chamber staff leaders haven't taken the time to look at any of the mounds of studies from across the country on the negative business impact casinos have in the area surrounding them. Other more informed Chambers in other parts of the country have taken more informed stands in opposition to casinos and in support of their small business members. The Chambers in this state, by and large, are not part of the solutios we need. They're entrenched bureaucrats (in the Sociological sense) who care for little more than their own employment. Our Commonwealth needs an organization (or organizations) that will stand strong for the interests of small and mid-sized KY-owned businesses. Unfortunately, the existing Chambers are more interested in pursuing the agendas of their corporate members who pay more in dues.

[Mojo Wilkins]

This casino business is just a scam to fleece Kentuckians. The casinos will make out great. The state government will get a lot of cash too. But all that will be on the backs of Kentucky small businessmen who will see several hundred million dollars in discretionary (and nondiscretionary) income drained from the state and sent to the power brokers of Big Casino.

Those hundreds of millions are the funds that would otherwise be spent on goods in Kentucky stores.

So what will 200 million a year being drained out of the economy mean? It'll ensure that we keep our place at the bottom.

[GAYLE]

THE COMPANYS HERE ARE AFRAID THAT PEOPLE WILL FIND OUT HOW MUCH THEY HAVE BEEN UNDER PAID . BECAUSE WHEN THE CASINO'S COME THEY WILL BE MORE AND BETTER JOBS HERE IN KY.MY GOD PEOPLE LETS HELP MAKE A WAY FOR OUR CHILDREN SO THEY WANT HAVE TO LEAVE HOME( KY )TO FIND WORK AND MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
CASINO'S DOESN'T CAUSE MORE CRIME, THAT IS WHAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE YOU TO THINK, JUST THINK FOR YOURSELF. ANOTHER THING THE MORE MONEY WE MAKE THE MORE IT WILL GIVE US MORE TO TIDE TO OUR CHURCHS. OKAY LETS HELP MAKE LIFE BETTER BY GIVING OUR PEOPLE JOBS HERE AT HOME. I AM A GRANDMOTHER I'D LIKE TO HELP KEEP MY GRANDCHILDREN HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM ME. WAKE UP LETS COME OUT OF THE DARK AGES. WAKE UP WE HAVE DRUG PROBLEMS IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE CASINO'S YET. NOW WHO DO WE BLAME THAT ON.THAT IS ONLY ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS.

[Jim Anderson Stivers]

Right on, Progress . . . you got it right.

The never ending "glad handing, shake and howdy" of the larger Chambers of Commerce in Kentucky, are just as you described. They cater to the larger corporations, who can make large contributions, to their agenda. Whatever the Agenda . . .

It used to be, the Chamber of Commerce was a local organization and did what it could to attract and maintain business in the community.

Examples of that are the NORTHERN KENTUCKY CHAMBER. They are a lobbying group for big business in the region. Not the little guys, that very much need assistance. But, little guys are not the one that pays the bills and the lease for office space and all the overhead. The NORTHERN KENTUCKY CHAMBER has grown to be a powerful force in their area.

I see they are for CASINOS. Which IMO- is a "buy out"- to their large corporate friends and supporters. Last I remember, the head of the Chamber in Northern Kentucky has a rather large profile and a very, very, good income. That is the person that represents INDUSTRY CONTACT.

Louisville is pretty much the same way. Except, they did participate in Economic Development as an Agency, rather than have one full time employee, to be there to support expansions and represent Louisville, when they have a client of interest, the Chamber used to be the source for client contact. I think that was changed later to a larger number of employees a large budget and some very well paid project people that were trained in the KED office.

You can bet when the photo ops come today, for the "BIG POW WOW" . . . you will see the shiny teeth of Chamber members who have, if you go to LET THE PEOPLE VOTE and check, you will see they support the Gaming issue. Northern Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington. (Where are the major tracks??)

And, with so much property, being acquired for a NEW CASINO, in Northern Kentucky, they feel very confident of winning this debate.

IMO the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES is still divided on the CASINOS and, from what I can tell, talking to others, there has been little change.

Don't eat the CARROT!!!

And the CARROT is . . . "OK guys, then lets just have some slot machines and no board games." How shallow an approach!

Don't buy it . . .don't eat it . . . it will make you ill.

I just wanna say
Jim Anderson Stivers

[Commonwealth Progress]

Gayle:
You want your grandkids to grow up to be custodians, bus tables and deal cards in an environment that doesn't provide them with benefits, and subjects them to flea bites? I want more for my kids and grandkids than that. They're more valuable than that. The Dark Ages to which you refer involve the super-wealthy taking money from working people without giving anything in return...The Dark Ages. We're in 'em, but we have the wherwithal to get out, with statespeople willing to lead us up, rather than engage us in a race to the bottom. Your comment about crime not increasing contradicts several studies conducted by independent scholars at accredited universities across the country. As Jefferson said (and I'm paraphrasing), an uneducated populace is the greatest threat to Democracy.

[JW]

Is Besshear going to make an announcement or will it come from the state's political power broker, aka Kelsey?

[Jim Anderson Stivers]

It may just be that Kelsey will yield his position and let GAYLE make the comments.

That is, since Gayle and Kelsey are the same! It's a troll message. KEEP has several of them on blogs. And, not very stealth, at that. Same words, different name.

jas in Frankfort,KY