Sunday, March 15, 2009

An old saying comes to mind....

...reading this story (all emphases mine -- ed.):

AUSTIN - Casino gambling at resorts and Indian reservations. Video slot machines at racetracks. It's all on the table at the Texas Legislature.
Lobbyists for the gambling factions are working to win support. Opponents want to stop the proposals from gaining momentum. For both sides, the next couple of weeks could be crucial.
Lawmakers aren't desperately looking for new sources of revenue, like taxes on gambling, especially since billions of dollars in federal stimulus money are coming to the state.
"It's been my observation that the Legislature looks more favorably upon the expansion of gaming legislation in years where it looks like the budget is going to be difficult to make without it. This doesn't appear to be one of those years as we're figuring our way through the stimulus package," said Republican House Speaker Joe Straus.

And what might that old saying be, you wonder? Well, here's your answer: "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime."
I suppose it might be getting to be Americans' nature to take a handout whenever it's offered, but still I found this bit of news quite enlightening. The Law of Unintended Consequences in action, perhaps? Here we are, having the feds give Texas this money, and as a direct result of that Texas legislators are putting off the implementation of a way to bring more money to Texas honestly instead of effectively waiting for the next government handout. (And yes, I suppose it might be a stretch to call a casino an "honest" source of funds, but it's still a damn sight more so than a government handout.) What are they going to do when the stimulus funds run out?