* Are the gaming bill negotiations working? Maybe…
[State Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, one of the gambling bill’s sponsors] said he thinks the governor and the bill’s sponsors are 75 percent of the way toward a resolution.
Quinn also hinted at a timetable. “I think here by the end of the summer, we’ll have some basic principles that we have to have,” he said.
* But getting the governor to comment publicly about specifics has been nearly impossible. Yesterday, he told reporters that the Gaming Board had identified three regulatory problems with the bill, but he didn’t even say what those were. Considering that many or even most of the Board’s objections were shown to be without merit, maybe that’s why he wouldn’t elaborate. And Mayor Emanuel pointed out yesterday that he was for proper oversight…
“Jobs and proper oversight go hand in hand,” Emanuel said during an online chat hosted by the Better Government Association. “They are not at loggerheads.”
“I want the right oversight, because I want the integrity of this, and it can be done,” Emanuel added.
* Until now, one of the few specific problems Quinn has cited is that he doesn’t want slots at the State Fair Grandstand, even though people bet on horses almost every day during the event…
“Harness racing has been at the fair for a long time, but when you put in slot machines, that’s a wholly different situation,” Quinn said. “Who needs slot machines when you have (Grandstand entertainer) MC Hammer?”
A gaggle of expansion supporters flooded the rally, wearing bright orange T-shirts asking Quinn to sign the legislation.
Gerard Fabrizius, chairman of the Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District, was among them, though he didn’t have an orange shirt because organizers ran out.
The gambling package includes the promise of new money for districts like his, which is why he traveled to Springfield to show his support.
“He needs to sign it because we’re floundering locally,” Fabrizius said.
“I don’t think we can have what’s called cannibalization of gaming in Illinois, where there’s so many different places there’s gambling that it ends up hurting the overall product,” Quinn said. “We have to do this in a prudent way.”
Considering all that Illinois money going to Indiana’s casinos, however, this may not be as big a problem as it may appear. Also, Quinn has publicly dissed Danville’s bid to host a casino. Where the heck would they cannibalize from?
“I don’t think we can have what’s called cannibalization of gaming in Illinois, where there’s so many different places there’s gambling that it ends up hurting the overall product,” Quinn said. “We have to do this in a prudent way.”
Ummm, you have had a bit of that each time a new casino came on line, but most folks don’t drive huge distances to gamble in Illinois. If I was a casino I wouldn’t want another casino in this state, just like I wouldn’t want another gas station in town if I have the only gas station in town. But that is not the way life works.
If he was so worried about cannibalization of gaming venues why did he sign video poker then? That is going to hurt casinos as well.
well said OneMan, he should let Rahm negotiate it and move on!
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 12:36 pm:
Maybe with enough gambling outlets we could replace all other sources of state revenue. And with voluntary contributions instead of reluctant ones. What’s not to like?
SDS — years ago I proposed my TOP plan (Tax On other People) that including more gaming as well as high taxes on light beer (two things I don’t really participate in)…
The question keeps coming back to:’just how many people would actually gamble regularly enough for growth numbers capable of hitting the big dollars being anticipated’? Cannibalization would sure be an issue for any group putting up the bucks to build the facilities needed to expand gambling. Get enough grocery stores in the same area and margins get real thin. Gambling would be no different.
- Springfield Skeptic - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 2:06 pm:
It’s sort of entertaining the way the Governor continues to think up excuses to justify a bill for which he’s not really in favor.
Sure, some cannibalization might take place. However, in downtown Chicago, many new customers and tourists would be coming in. In the south burbs, Indiana would be cannibalized. The closet thing Danville would cannibalize is French Lick, Ind.
- Holdingontomywallet - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 6:58 pm:
Quinn also hinted at a timetable. “I think here by the end of the summer, we’ll have some basic principles that we have to have,” he said.
Quinn will pass some form of gambling expansion. That is a better political solution for Democrats than cutting public sector pay and benefits. Oh yes, let’s hear the rhetoric about the “average” pay and benefits of public sector workers so that masks all the perks like so many teachers accumulating 2 years sick pay and exchanging that for 2 years of service credits to allow them to retire 2 years early, irregardless of that perk underfunding the pension. The way it works in Illinois politics is exchange campaign donations and votes for favorable legislation. Land of Lincoln, that’s out the window, it’s Land of Campaign Contributions and Votes in exchange for Legislation. And to pay for perks resulting from favorable legislation, issue bonds, raise taxes, and pass gambling expansion. Yippee. Illinois, land of big debt, big taxes, big gambling, where Public Sector Workers are King.
The only form of gambling expansion we need right now is slots at horse tracks, because other states have slots at horse tracks.
Rather than other gambling expansion, first cut the public sector perks that are out of line and close business and personal tax loopholes with the high income earners.
The private middle class is being squeezed between those in the Public Sector (not all public sector) that receive the overly generous perks) and those wealthy individuals and corporations (not all wealthy individuals and corporations) that pay a miniscule percentage of taxes.
You can hear the ice breaking under Quinn’s feet. With today’s remarks, it seems clear he will the sign the bill.
It should be noted that the legislation authorizes casinos other than Chicago — private sector money will still have to fund them. I don’t think it’s a slam-dunk that anyone will build a privately funded casino in Danville.
- OneMan - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 10:58 am:
Ummm, you have had a bit of that each time a new casino came on line, but most folks don’t drive huge distances to gamble in Illinois. If I was a casino I wouldn’t want another casino in this state, just like I wouldn’t want another gas station in town if I have the only gas station in town. But that is not the way life works.
If he was so worried about cannibalization of gaming venues why did he sign video poker then? That is going to hurt casinos as well.
- reformer - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:39 am:
There’s no question the new casino in Des Plaines is attracting customers who used to go to Elgin.
If Arlington Race Track gets slots, it will attract customers from both casinos.
If Rahm gets his City-owned, land-based, Casinopalooza, it will draw from Arlington, Des Plaines and Elgin.
- railrat - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:46 am:
well said OneMan, he should let Rahm negotiate it and move on!
- Six Degrees of Separation - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 12:36 pm:
Maybe with enough gambling outlets we could replace all other sources of state revenue. And with voluntary contributions instead of reluctant ones. What’s not to like?
- OneMan - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 1:11 pm:
SDS — years ago I proposed my TOP plan (Tax On other People) that including more gaming as well as high taxes on light beer (two things I don’t really participate in)…
- zatoichi - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 2:06 pm:
The question keeps coming back to:’just how many people would actually gamble regularly enough for growth numbers capable of hitting the big dollars being anticipated’? Cannibalization would sure be an issue for any group putting up the bucks to build the facilities needed to expand gambling. Get enough grocery stores in the same area and margins get real thin. Gambling would be no different.
- Springfield Skeptic - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 2:06 pm:
It’s sort of entertaining the way the Governor continues to think up excuses to justify a bill for which he’s not really in favor.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 2:57 pm:
Sure, some cannibalization might take place. However, in downtown Chicago, many new customers and tourists would be coming in. In the south burbs, Indiana would be cannibalized. The closet thing Danville would cannibalize is French Lick, Ind.
- Holdingontomywallet - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 6:58 pm:
Quinn also hinted at a timetable. “I think here by the end of the summer, we’ll have some basic principles that we have to have,” he said.
And you would believe Quinn because………?
- Mark - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:07 pm:
Quinn will pass some form of gambling expansion. That is a better political solution for Democrats than cutting public sector pay and benefits. Oh yes, let’s hear the rhetoric about the “average” pay and benefits of public sector workers so that masks all the perks like so many teachers accumulating 2 years sick pay and exchanging that for 2 years of service credits to allow them to retire 2 years early, irregardless of that perk underfunding the pension. The way it works in Illinois politics is exchange campaign donations and votes for favorable legislation. Land of Lincoln, that’s out the window, it’s Land of Campaign Contributions and Votes in exchange for Legislation. And to pay for perks resulting from favorable legislation, issue bonds, raise taxes, and pass gambling expansion. Yippee. Illinois, land of big debt, big taxes, big gambling, where Public Sector Workers are King.
- Mark - Thursday, Aug 18, 11 @ 11:18 pm:
The only form of gambling expansion we need right now is slots at horse tracks, because other states have slots at horse tracks.
Rather than other gambling expansion, first cut the public sector perks that are out of line and close business and personal tax loopholes with the high income earners.
The private middle class is being squeezed between those in the Public Sector (not all public sector) that receive the overly generous perks) and those wealthy individuals and corporations (not all wealthy individuals and corporations) that pay a miniscule percentage of taxes.
- wordslinger - Friday, Aug 19, 11 @ 4:56 am:
You can hear the ice breaking under Quinn’s feet. With today’s remarks, it seems clear he will the sign the bill.
It should be noted that the legislation authorizes casinos other than Chicago — private sector money will still have to fund them. I don’t think it’s a slam-dunk that anyone will build a privately funded casino in Danville.