People hate change. So we often don?t until forced ? even if doing so would be good for us.
So it goes with legalizing slots in Maryland. Without a budget crisis to mend, legislators, most notably House Speaker Michael Busch, have been able to squash debate about the issue.
But with an estimated $1.5 billion deficit looming, legislators must wait no longer to legalize them.
This is not a moral issue. It is a revenue issue. The state already sanctions gambling in the form of the lottery, so those who oppose slots on moral grounds should expand their righteous umbrella of protest to include all forms of gambling. The only immoral act would be for legislators to consider raising taxes ? rumblings of a special session to do just that abound ? without first legalizing slots.
Senate President Thomas Mike Miller says his billto legalize slots could generate $800 million. Even if slots grab half of his estimate, it?s still better than the $0 gained by sending state residents to Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to entertain themselves.
It would also go a long way toward reviving the state?s languishing $1 billion horse-racing industry, in which attendance has dropped in the double digits over recent years, including at Pimlico, site of Saturday?s storied Preakness.
Gov. Martin O?Malley has referred to the Triple Crown race as Maryland?s Super Bowl. He advocates adding a limited number of slots to save 17,000 jobs related to racing and to save the Preakness for Maryland.
The number of slot machines that should be allowed is a worthy discussion. Becoming the “Little Vegas” the state was known for in the 50s and 60s may not be a goal anyone strives for. But whether to allow them should be a moot point. Legislators must legalize slots when they next convene and show they can balance the budget without looting taxpayers.
