Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel continually hounds Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn regarding the Illinois casino bill. While Emanuel wants the gaming expansion bill signed so he can get his Chicago casino, Quinn says he hasn’t decided yet. Therefore, it sits on Quinn's gubernatorial desk unsigned.
Proponents are politicians, many who reportedly have received nice sums of money from the gaming business for the election campaigns. Opponents want Quinn to slide that bill off his desk and let it fall in the trash bucket. Those against it say Illinois has more than enough gaming in this state already and that gambling addictions in Illinois are running amok, putting many of those in the Land of Lincoln in the Land of Destitution.
Here’s an example of how pathetically desperate the political argument for expanded gaming in Illinois is getting. Over the weekend, a sinkhole swallowed a car in Chicago, and a report followed which said that the sewage system where the incident happened has 100-year-old pipes. Without skipping a beat, Emanuel stood before the media and Chicago citizens to say that the infrastructure repairs demand a casino in Chicago. And furthermore, the insinuation was that if Chicago doesn’t get a casino, it will all be on Quinn's head.
While it's true that infrastructure funds have been cut nationally and state-wide, Gov. Quinn asks the rhetorical question of Mayor Emanuel: Every city that has financial troubles needs a casino? Come on!
Think back 100 days or more, as today is Mayor Emanuel's 100th day as mayor of Chicago. He is the one who kept saying over and over again that he’s fighting for the people… for the people… for the people. Yet when it comes to a serious societal problem like gambling addictions, the unspoken message is: To hell with the people – Chicago needs the people with their gambling addictions and money to pay for the sewer pipes.
Is this finally enough to convince Chicagoans that they may have jumped on the wrong bandwagon last winter when there were some 19 persons running for mayor? One can hardly imagine any other one of those candidates on that list blaming the lack of funds for sewer repairs on Quinn’s wise decision – thus far – to not have yet more gaming in Illinois.
On this, Mayor Emanuel’s 100th day in office, one can only hope he remembers what he said day-in-and-day-out during the campaign. He claimed he wanted to be a mayor for the people. On day 100, it’s a good time for him to start.
And Gov. Quinn, keep up the good fight against the gaming expansion. Many people are with you on this issue. Oh, and remember to flush twice, Governor. It’s a long way to City Hall’s fifth floor.
COMMENTARY
Comments