Central Illinois legislators are enamored with slots at racetracks. Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) has stated he’s against gambling expansion that does not have slots at the tracks. He claims the slot money helps agriculture business in Illinois.

However that can only be accomplished with a massive transfer of money from other elements of society, including the poor who would frequent slots at tracks or the new casinos. In order for the good old days of horse racing to be sustained, people must enter into a new order of being losers at the slots.

Slots are programmed machines that by design allow the house to win over the players. Unlike poker, which is based on the cards dealt each hand and skill, slots are determined by preset programming over which the player has no control.

There is no doubt slot machine players will become the 21st century economic slaves to a new order of politicians who spend public money but are unwilling to raise taxes to pay for the money they spend. In the process a new breed of private sector entrepreneurs will benefit from the transfer of money from middle class and poor classes of our society.

Gov. Quinn will soon decide the fate of SB744. You can contact Gov. Quinn at 217-782-0244 to register your thoughts on SB744.

Doug Dobmeyer is the spokesperson for The Task Force to Oppose Gambling in Chicago. The Task Force made up of civic, religious and individuals has been active in opposing a Chicago casino for the past 22 years.