by Randy Weidner
published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on March 10
As revenue goes, this is low-hanging fruit. Should a strapped state ignore it?
When I read Annette Meeks’ diatribe against the racino bill (“Let’s run the numbers on racetracks,” Feb. 27), my first urge was to respond in kind, refuting in detail each of her arguments. But why bother?
The public isn’t buying it. A recent Survey USA News Poll reveals that four out of five Minnesotans now favor putting slots at Canterbury Park and Running Aces.
The public knows that in tough times like these, the simple act of permitting slots — in a state that already has thousands of them in tribal casinos — would provide Minnesota with a huge and badly needed economic shot in the arm.
Plain and simple, the racino bill is a jobs/stimulus bill that won’t cost taxpayers a dime. It is estimated that an infusion of $125 million every year could and would produce thousands of high-paying jobs and help with deficit reduction…… READ MORE
