Saturday, October 07, 2006

Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems calls upon Rod
Blagojevich and Judy Baar Topinka to come up with a better plan to fund
education that does not rely on people gambling away their money to fund
state programs. Green Party candidate Rich Whitney is the only gubernatorial
candidate to propose a plan that does not include gambling. The public knows
that gambling does not solve the problem of school funding. According to a
Copley News statewide poll, 49 percent oppose Gov. Blagojevich's plan of
selling or leasing the state lottery to increase funding for schools, and 40
percent oppose state Treasurer Topinka's plan to allow casino gambling in
Chicago and more than doubling the number of gambling positions at the nine
casinos. Blagojevich opposed the expansion of gambling when he ran for
office in 2002 and stopped many gambling expansion proposals in the
Legislature during his first term. We call upon him to reject the sale or
leasing of the lottery, which will lead to a massive expansion of gambling .
As a state representative, Topinka voted against legislation that created
casino gambling in Illinois and opposed keno, tribal casinos and other
expanded forms of gambling during this campaign for governor. We ask her to
reject a massive land-based casino in Chicago and expansion of gambling
positions at existing casinos, which will rival the casinos in Las Vegas.

Gambling is an unstable source of revenue. The children and citizens of
Illinois deserve a well-thought-out plan in place of a "quick fix" gambling
proposal that will result in long-term devastation to individuals and
families.

It's time to come up with a better plan that does not include gambling.