Labor Supports Patrick�s Proposal

February 26, 2008

Online gambling brings strange bedfellows together. Take for instance Governor Deval Patrick over there in Massachusetts trying to gain support for his gambling proposal. He is determined that he is going to bring three casinos into the state, as this is going to help with the state�s budget. However, if only life were that simple.

He has had to battle his opponents who say that the amounts that he says are going to come from these casinos are false; that an anti-casino pressure group has brought in a big player to combat his proposal; and an Indian Tribe trying to bring in their own casino. It changes on a week by week basis as to whether or not there are more people in support of the casinos than against.

However, he would have more people on his side if he simply allowed online gambling in the bill. In fact, he doesn�t even have to mention online gambling, but the fact that he has makes it difficult for even those who support him to support him.

The proposal excludes online gambling and Indian land casinos from the state, which he just can�t do. If he starts bringing in casinos and slots, he has to allow the tribes to do the same thing per federal law. And what if the online gambling ban is reversed? Is he going to patrol the airwaves to see if people are participating?

However, one group he does have on his side is the labor unions. He tells them that the building of the casino will bring in thousands of jobs, and so the labor unions support the plan as they want those jobs for their members. The 400,000 member Massachusetts AFL-CIO has announced that they are throwing their support behind Patrick and his bill. Not bad for a day�s work.

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