This email from Chris Howard, treasurer for the St. Louis County Central Committee, was forwarded to us recently:

I am sending this information out because I feel it is important. I realize that this is a controversial issue with many people. After talking with several legislators about the real potential outcome of Proposition A passing; I feel that this is NOT in the best interests of schools or the Missouri economy.

Consider this, if both Kenny Hulshof and Jay Nixon are opposed to Proposition A, I believe this may be the only thing they agree on. According to some as much 2.5 billion and as “little” as 2 Billion will have to be “lost” in MO casinos to reach the 100 million mark for schools as promised. I am for better schools, real education and more $ spent in the classrooms. However, the promise by those in favor of Prop. A is that 100 million more $ will be added to the education budget. This is simply not true. This “earmarked” money will replace the $ budgeted by the legislature. As the economy worsens nationally, (by the way, the Missouri Casinos are the only ones making a profit, with a loss limit in place!) less tax revenue might be received by the state, leading to budget shortfalls. Below are some of the other specific reason’s I am against Proposition A.

* Prop A weakens our law enforcement as it takes away mandatory identification requirements, which the Missouri State Highway Patrol says are needed to prevent and investigate heinous crimes, and which takes away the ability to enforce the Missouri self –ban list, know as the Disassociated Person List.

* Prop A removes the $500 loss limit and expands gambling at a time when the country faces an economic crisis. Proposition A can only raise $100 Million in new revenue if Missouri losses over $2 billion. Regardless of your position on gambling, this is the worst possible time to make losers of the people. Missouri casinos are not in need of a bailout. Even with a loss limit, Missouri is one of the only gambling markets in the entire country experiencing growth.

* Prop A exploits our schools as the casinos are once again using them as leverage to expand gambling. Additionally, Prop A, yet another elaborate shell game just like 1994, only represents a 1.1% increase in the educational budget, and only provides a $1.76 per month per student increase. Moreover, as many as half of Missouri schools will not receive any money at all and an unbelievable 81% of the money collected will not be distributed.

Please consider voting against Proposition A and urging others to do so. If you are interested in helping defeat this issue please let me know.

Thanks,

Chris Howard

Related:

Video: “Rotten Deal”

Hat tip: pigactor  (Blogger Josh Schroeder)

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