Kanawha County, This is For You

Congratulations on your expanded gambling. Here's a poorly written song in commemoration

On a warm summer’s evening with the state economy bound for nowhere
We met up with the Gamblers, we were all too edgy to sleep
So we took turns a starin’ at dropping coal revenues
Desperation overtook us and they began to speak

They said “Fella’s we’ve made a life out of raisin’ people’s taxes
And spending all their money pretty recklessly
Now if you don’t mind my sayin’ you don’t want any higher taxes
If you want to pay for all this I’ll give you some advice

So we let them have grey machines and all we got were Hot Spots
Same colors as a dog’s sore and just as healthy
Of course that just wasn’t enough. What about Pennsylvania?
We need to offer more just to keep up.

You got to know how to hold ‘em
Know how to cajole them
Don’t let them walk away
Let them think they’re having fun
We’ll all be counting our money

And we'll keep them at the tables

There's money enough to count
Till the dealing’s done

Now every gambler knows the secret to survivin’
Is getting in the desperate and the down on their luck
Taking all their money, give the state their cut
Hungry kids are crying and the bank will take their truck

Of course the real song has a bit of wisdom in it

Now every gambler knows
The secret to survivin’
Is knowing what to throw away
And knowing what to keep
For every hand’s a winner
And every hand’s a loser
The best you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep

Good luck guys. The state should never rely so heavily on a revenue stream that it will have to help combat eventually.

Table Games and the Republican Party

Officially state Republicans tend to oppose the expansion of gambling, especially when it comes to table games. Some Democrats endorse their legalization as another way to bring much needed revenue to the state to fund its various programs. The issue is more complex than simple red versus blue politics.


Republicans behind the scenes face splits on this issue because conservatism does not just exist in one form. Social conservatism, or the "Bill Bennett" form, concentrates on issues of morality. Gambling, gay marriage, and other issues must be resisted because they break down the moral fibre of the community and families. Another form of conservatism emphasizes individual freedom and it comes primarily from the British Whig traditions of the 1700s, some of which influenced the Founding Fathers. The "Bill Buckley" form of conservatism emphasizes issues such as gun rights, but also is permissive in social issues. Economic conservatism, as it is often called, argues that people have natural rights to make choices in their lives and that government ought to stay out as much as possible. Libertarians follow these ideas in a much more broad manner. Some debates, such as abortion, link the two. An economic conservative can argue that each person no matter how young has the right to life, while social conservatives argue against murdering a baby.


While the official line that conservatism means no table games remains clear, many Republicans have a difficult time reconciling that with their beliefs of individual freedom and choice. Relying on gambling as an industry brings up issues beyond morality and the destruction that some choices bring to individuals and families (though many believe they have the right to make "bad" choices in a free society.) The state continues to construct a house of cards by leaning more and more heavily on revenue sources that it tries to officially discourage. Gambling and cigarrette based revenues fund an increasing amount of the state budget and some of those monies go into discouraging the behaviors that create the revenue!


If it bothers a conservative to oppose table games because of their beliefs on individual choice, they may take comfort in opposing them because it is bad policy.