4 Friday, March 19, 1993 OPINION UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN IN OUR OPINION Gambling is no answer to state's revenue woes H. L. Mencken quipped, "For every problem there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong." This could serve as a government credo. 11 This could serve as a government credit, because in today's politics simple and neat attempts at solutions are used far more often than sound, prudent ones. The gambling issue is proving to be such an example, in Kansas and across the nation, as politicians scramble to keep new revenues flowing into their accounts. Twenty years ago, only three states had lotteries. Today,48 states have some form of gambling and most are continuing to expand their gaming operations.The impetus for this is derived from legislators' unwillingness to raise taxes or cut spending.So they have turned to creative ways of convincing the citizens of their states to continue to fill their bottomless pockets. Unfortunately, their creative idea is not a good one. In fact, it is a sham. In many states, the big revenues that were predicted never occurred, or did and then fell off after the first few years. For example, as indicated in the September 1991 issue of "Governing," lottery ticket sales in the 1980s increased by an average of 26 percent every year. Yet they grew only 8 percent in 1990 and 3 percent in 1991. Unfortunately, legislators have already earmarked the anticipated funds for one program or another. Thus they are forced to either cut spending or raise taxes. And we all know how good legislators are at cutting spending and new programs. Somehow, through this whole mess, the American Indians of our country have also been sold on this false bill of goods. Instead of being forced to sit down and truly work out solutions to the problems of the American Indian nations, we are attempting to remain removed from these problems by allowing them to harbor casinos on their land. With monies from these "sin dollars," they would hopefully rebuild their nations, but the chances of that are slim. The 1993 Kansas State Legislature has been barraged with a variety of gaming proposals. Under the pressure of federal law, they are being forced to negotiate a gaming compact with American Indians. This potential loss of state revenue, along with the foreseeable loss of tourist dollars to Missouri's new riverboat casinos, have even put full legalization of high-stakes casino gambling on the floor of the Kansas Senate. Those who stand to profit from the legalization of casinos in Kansas have promised jobs, tourism and increased tax revenues. But these carrots should not blind legislators to the facts. Gambling is a short-term solution that inevitably fails and leaves in its wake increased amounts of crime and a plethora of broken promises. The Legislature should stand opposed to any new gambling measures and seriously look at the benefits that have never materialized from the lottery and parimutuel betting that we passed in 1986. We should all be embarrassed by our treatment of American Indian tribes across this country. What a lesson we show them as we turn our backs on real solutions, and leave them only the wrong ones. Gambling is no solution at all. JEFF REYNOLDS FOR THE EDITORIAL BOARD Kansan Editorial Board: Kris Belden, Greg Farmer, Vered Hankin, Jeff Hays, Val Huber, Kyle Kickhaefer, Tiffany Knight, Stephen Martino, Jolinda Matthews, Colleen McCain, Chris Moeser, Simon Naldoza, David Olson, Carol Pfaff, Jeff Reynolds, Chris Ronan and Michael Taylor WACBBO, TEXAS MUST BE A MISTRANSLATION OF THE GREEK! Who needs creative decorating if alcohol, cards, stereo are it? I've been at KU for a couple of years and I've seen many different apartments and dorm rooms. After much consideration I have come to the conclusion that it's all for naught, because here at KU, if you've seen one you've seen them all. What I'm talking about is the apartments and dorms of males. I really have not had that many opportunities to visit female living quarters. The issue is, in my experience, that guys living arrangements lack a certain creativity, and in a sense are basically the same. The college lifestyle is confining, and forces one to live in a certain way, and this seems to be especially true as far as males are concerned. I've noticed a few things which seem present in most men's apartments. See if any of this sounds familiar. A huge display of any and all alcoholic cones shown proudly on the mantel or cabinet. Usually, I'm in awe. "Wow! That's really impressive how you've managed to drink 19 bottles of Overever this week." Usually STAFF COLUMNIST most rational people would throw away the bottles or maybe even recycle them. But again, we college males are proud of our killings, and if nothing else, this provides an excellent conversation piece. There is the huge stereo system and all of its components, with tapes and compact discs for all to admire. There's nothing wrong with this, it's great for parties or when you're by yourself. Play a little Skymnard, drink yourself silly, put your empty bottle on the table, and enjoy, a good time is well within your grasps. Another thing that is popular would be the deck of cards on the coffee table. These are a great source of entertainment for one and all. If your guest wants to play some "Go Fish," or just practice the latest from David Copperfield, it's more than possible. The great part about any of these things, is you can mix and match them with each other, and the fun increases exponentially. Of course, there are the posters. From girls to beer bottles to sports heroes, and the gratuitous 1988 NCAA champs banner. It's great to support the team and appreciate history, and even better to know that the local businesses still have a market for them. The point I'm making is all of us are the same, and that's scary. This could be attributed to a lack of cash flow, or even more drastic, it could be a lack of imagination. Maybe instead of a voda bottle, a nice Monet print would work. Originality is foreign in these domestic environments. This does not seem to be an uncorrectable dilemma. It may not even be aprobble. It just seems odd that most male apartments are the same. Is this by choice? I hope so. I'd like to think that guys are resigned to do what is expected of us. We know that the stereotypical nule is a beer-guzzling sports freak. Maybe we are just trying to live up to our image, thus we manifest it through a lack of originality in our homes. It could also just be laziness. Why paint when you have posters? Why reach when you have remote? It's all about living up to the college lifestyle. We know that the alcohol-stereo card combination works, so we stick to it. There's nothing wrong with it, and it's accepted, but it's boring. Try something new! Put carpet on the walls. Put away the Jimmy Buffet CD Go crazy. If we don't, we may all end up in "Margartiaville," and there certainly would be no "Woman to blame, cause you know... It's your own damn fault." Andrew Glilman is a Norman, Okla., sophomore majoring in English. Gunman gives 'right to life' new meaning STAFF COLUMNIST Last week in Pensacola, Fla. James Gunn, a doctor who worked in abortion clinics, was murdered in cold blood. He was shot three times by the same man who killed Michel Griffin. Guess which side Griffin represents? Right to life. Ironic, isn't it? The battle cry of many right-to-lifers is the idea that no one, including a pregnant woman, has survived the attack or dies. But Griffin changed the rules. The logic goes something like this: Gunn was "murdering babies," so Griffin was morally justified in killing him, order to prevent any more "murders." Should it be that no person has the right to decide who lives or dies unless that person thinks he is right, regardless of what the law says? Most anti-abortion groups, including Operation Rescue, one of the most active groups, have denounced the murder. But the Houston-based group Rescue America has set up a trust fund for its film's fictional dummy donor, DOOM'S dummon murder. If that is the case, why is the group rewarding it? Gunn's murder is particularly alarming because it moves anti-abortion tactics to a new level. Protesters no longer are content to picket clinics and harass patients. Now protesters harass patients and staff members at home by taking down vehicle license numbers and looking up home addresses. Protesters make personal threats against abortion clinic staff members, as well as the family and friends of those staffers. Some protestors have even sunk to harassing the children of staff members. One group of protestors stood outside the playground of a school attended by the $ ^{6} $ year-old daughter of a clinic staffer in Dallas and yelled at the child. Protesters also bomb clinics, raid clinics and destroy property inside them. And now a protester has killed. The difference between these tactics and the ones mentioned previously is that the others are legal. The most frightening thing is that in the minds of these religious zealots, such terroristic actions are just — regardless of their illegality. Protesters justify their actions by saying they are doing what God wants them to do. By saving babies they believe they are following God's law. Here's the catch: this country does not operate according to God's law. The law of this land is found in the Constitution, in statutes and in court decisions, and not in a book or ideology that some group has deemed sacred and has chosen to loosely interpret to suit its needs. Federal regulations need to be enacted to protect both the staff and patients of abortion clinics across the United States. Anti-abortion protesters argue that such legislation singles them out, and that protesters for other causes do not face such severe restrictions. But environmental activists protesting the destruction of a rain forest or nuclear-weapons activists surrounding slos are not trying to deprive anyone of her legal rights. Any time a protester tries to do the wrong with nuclear weapons, the environment or abortion — the protester should be stopped. Kate Michelman, president of the National Abortion Rights Action League, recently said, "The government needs to ensure that vigilantes, terrorists and religious extremists do away our basic right to choose." If protesters, especially extremists, really are concerned with abortion, they should quit attacking the people in the way that has been done and continue trying to change the law. And those who believe in the right to choose should do everything in their power to encourage legislators to protect that right. Julie Wasson is a Springfield, Mo. senior in political science and journal- KANSAN STAFF GREG FARMER Editor GAYLE OSTERBERG Managing editor TOM EBLEN General manager, news adviser BILL SKEET, Technology coordinator Editors Aest. Managing ... Justin Krupp News ... Monique Guiselain Editorial ... Stephen Morrison Campus ... KC Trauner Sports ... David Mitchell Photo ... Mark Powlandi Features ... Lynne McAdoo Graphics ... Dan Schauer Wire ... Tiffany Lahey Ha Assistant Editors Asac. Editorial ... Chris Muster Asac. Campus ... Joe Harder Ast. Campus ... Christine Laue Stacy Mortford Asac. Sports ... Richard Hankiss Reporters Vicki Bode ... Mark Button Jess Delfaven ... 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