'No dice' to gambling pipe dream

In the ‘Halloween' movie horror franchise, the villain Michael Myers incredulously always returns in sequels after what previously appeared to be certain death. The same now goes for state Sen. Terry Link and his own horror franchise, casino gambling in Lake County.

Now that Waukegan officials have finally wised up after being burned twice, Sen. Link is selling his snake oil to the ethics-challenged mayor of Park City. When told Gov. Quinn expressed pessimism regarding gambling expansion, Link responded: “When you've got a veto-proof vote on something, it doesn't matter what the governor thinks.”

There is overwhelming evidence that shows gambling to be an overall detriment to the community and that casinos do very little to develop new jobs and revenue. With the current economic conditions in our state, and gambling revenue continuing to dwindle, this move is pure insanity. Just this week it was reported that initial foreclosure filings in Illinois surged 24 percent. The following day it was reported that home prices have declined up to 20 percent in many metropolitan areas. Perhaps Sen. Link can reconcile reality with his gambling pipe dream.

What's even more insidious is that any expansion of gaming would likely include video poker machines. Video poker is at the heart of the current trial for reputed mobster Michael “Big Mike” Sarno in Chicago. This enterprise is purported to have raked in thousands of dollars weekly from poker machines throughout the suburbs, plotted violent jewelry store heists and burglaries, and fenced stolen merchandise. Is this the kind of element we want to have in our community? I say “no dice.”

David Pfeifer

Waukegan