Casinos? A Great Idea!!!

          I believe casinos in Texas are a great idea. I believe casinos not only are a great boost to the economy, but it would help with the 25 billion dollar budget shortfall. Casinos would help the budget shortfall by bringing tourism into the state. The state would have new people visiting from other areas of the country, and they would bring their dollars here in Texas. This would bring extra tax revenue into the state, not only gambling revenue, but tax revenue from the brand new restaurants and hotels that casinos usually build. 

            Also people that live in Texas that travel to other states such as Louisiana or Oklahoma to gamble would keep their gambling dollars in state, and Texas could collect that tax revenue as well. This should save the state from cutting from education or from health services to fix the budget shortfall problem. We need to put as much money into these services as we can.

            Now I hear the argument that if casinos existed in Texas that it would bring all sorts of problems. One such problem is the addiction problem, where a man would gamble his mortgage away inside a casino. My answer to that is it is not my problem, but the right answer is that if a person is that addicted to gambling to the point that he is taking his mortgage payment inside the casino, then that person is taking his mortgage payment outside the state of Texas, might as well keep those dollars in state. Another potential problem is the “moral” issue that would be brought up by the “religious right”; I have a question for these people. What are morals? Are morals facts or opinions? Also these same people are pro-business and nothing would increase jobs as quickly as casinos. The other reason is the restaurants and hotels that are already established before casinos would take a financial hit. I agree but I don’t think it would be as bad as expected. Casinos would bring tourism from other states, and I believe that the outsiders could potentially help the hotel and definitely the restaurant industry. Have you ever eaten inside a casino? Yuk.

            I’m sure that there are many more numerous solutions to antidote the budget shortfall crisis in Texas. I believe that allowing casinos in the state is a win-win for the state and its citizens.

A Happy Medium

            In reading my colleague’s blog “Bring Books Not Guns” and he is making the argument that people should bring books instead of guns to school. I just want to say that I agree with my colleague, but however I do see the argument of people bringing guns to defend themselves.

            My colleague used the example of the unfortunate instance that a student from the University of Texas went inside the library on campus and committed suicide. Although this is a sad instance, I believe it is a very rare one. Unfortunately when an individual decides to go into a crowded room or building usually before the person commits suicide, he murders a few people in the process. There are usually plenty examples of this every year, some factory in Pennsylvania, some post office, or Virginia Tech. The Virginia Tech incident claimed 32 lives. I wonder if any of the 32 people who lost their life would have had a gun if the numerical outcome would be different. 

            The argument that police are well trained in these types of emergencies is true. Still it takes to much precious time; 30 seconds can seem like an eternity in that situation. I am not trying to make universities into the Wild West; I am just merely suggesting that there should be a happy medium. I just don’t know what that medium is, but I do know that if you are a crazed gunman, and you want to shoot up some university, the “no guns allowed” rules will not stop you from shooting up the place.

TERM LIMITS: A GREAT IDEA!!!

Tomorrow’s impending election will probably result in Rick Perry’s 3^rd term as Governor of Texas. Rick Perry has been Governor of Texas for 10 years, and if he wins the election tomorrow he will be Governor for 14 years at the end of his next term, and even possibly more. I believe that the Texas State Constitution should be amended to create a law that all elected officials are subject to term limits. The advantage of term limits for the Governor is that it will limit the Governor’s power to a level intended by the State Constitution.  Governor Perry’s authority is elevated. Out of approximately 4000 appointed officials Governor Perry has appointed them all. This leads to having only his people in the executive power. So there is no listening to the other side, because there is no other side to listen to if you appoint everyone. Also, if you are in the State Senate or a Congressperson you should have term limits as well. I believe that this would drastically reduce lobbying, especially from corporations. If you are the head of a major corporation here in Texas, and you know every election cycle that you will have the same person holding office, then it would be fairly easy to bribe that person, because you know who that person is going to be. If term limits were instituted, it would be more difficult for corporations to gage who they are going to bribe. Now I understand the argument that if the voting public votes the official in, then that is how our democracy works. I counter with this argument; absolute power will corrupt absolutely, and if these officials continue to stay in power, then our system is corrupt.