Arkansas needs development
Economic growth, not re-distribution, will boost tax revenue
Lewis Delavan

Don Rickley* entered his store wondering why it wasn't open yet. He figured his troubled store manager probably had passed out behind the counter.

His manager and friend generally did a good job, but addictions to gambling and alcohol were taking a performance toll. Rickley pondered corrective action as he walked over to wake up his friend and co-worker.

The horrible realization came: His manager was dead. Hounded by a zeal to gamble, certain his next bet would bring him instant riches, the young man had lost everything.

First he lost the money he earned. He went into debt, certain he'd win it back many times over. Losing all his money to gambling, he couldn't support his family. Then he lost his life.

Fast forward a number of years. A young man leaves his Dallas apartment, driving straight to Acapulco.

He says the living is cheap in the Mexican resort. But then he starts having bad luck.

First he hits a dog, and needs 500 bucks from his parents to pay the owners.

Then, he wrecks his car. The Mexican police are tough. He needs 10 grand to pay the fine, paying directly to the policeman.

It sounds believable, the first time.

Then he has another wreck, And another wreck. And another. And many more. If he didn't pay the fines and damages, he'd rot in a Mexican jail, he said.

Was he dealing drugs? Using drugs? Or a really terrible driver?

Nope. It turns out he had a really terrible gambling addiction. Mexican "gaming" operators were all too happy to help the "rich" American gringo unload his dollars.

Gambling takes its toll in many ways. Some gamblers become despaired and kill themselves. Others con mom and dad into sending money they really don't have. Others use their children's lunch money or baby formula money.

Yet others take the rent money or the utility payment and gamble it away.

The cancer is growing.

All over America, states are sanctioning gambling.

Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, ever obsessed with creating a state lottery, is at it again.

After failing to gain traction in a lottery amendment drive earlier this year, Halter is now promoting an initiated act to create a state lottery.

But Halter really doesn't like to discuss the lottery. He wants to talk education.

Halter says we need more college graduates to do better. He's got the choir nodding approval.

We do need better post-secondary education. But Arkansas needs economic growth, not economic redistribution.

Luring industry to the state grows the economy. Bringing Toyota's Hino plant to Marion or a Coors-Tek plant to Friendship or Traskwood would create jobs and generate new tax revenue.

Attracting Billy Bob Thornton, Ang Lee or John Hughes Jr. to Tull or Bryant to film "Slingblade II" or "On Brokeback Pond" would bring money to merchants and boost state and local tax revenues.

Lotteries redistribute money, but don't build value or create new money. Maybe a handful of out-of-state residents would spend $2.899 a gallon to drive here, pumping greenbacks into the Natural State, but it's doubtful.

Halter's plan would mostly enrich a handful of "gaming" operatives - many of them living out of state

Yes, a few people would win handsomely.

And redistributing money would create some college scholarships - but individuals, families and business owners would foot the bill.

Halter and other proponents will say, heck, most states are sponsoring lotteries already, so they can't all be wrong.

They'll point to Oaklawn Park horse racing and Southland greyhound racing and say Arkansas already has gambling, so a little more won't hurt.

They'll say "It's for a great cause!"

One of the biggest tragedies will be the young Arkansans who won't get a college education because our state's leaders wouldn't pursue economic growth.

In the 1960s, Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller aggressively pursued industry to grow the economy.

That seems a better than gambling away young Arkansans' future.

---

* "Rickley" is a real person, but I changed his name to protect his privacy.

Lewis Delavan is news editor of the Saline County Voice. His e-mail is ldelavan@salinecountyvoice. com; his telephone number is 315-6397.