Magna Carta News
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Wasting public money treating fools
No sooner does new money become available and government will figure out every possible way to waste it instead of spending it on what it was originally state it was to be used for.
Government trying to use public money to treat fools for various self-inflicted ailments either real or imaginary is par for the course, not something new at all.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ray Carter, House Media
Capitol: (405) 557-7421
Contact: State Rep. Thad Balkman Contact: State
Rep. Lance Cargill
Capitol: (405) 557-7386 Capitol: (405) 557-7400
Norman: (405) 447-4988 Harrah: (405) 454-1022
Lawmakers Renew Call for Funding Gambling Treatment
OKLAHOMA CITY (October 11) - Oklahoma House leaders today renewed their
call to provide more gambling addiction programs, noting that the launch
of a state lottery provides the perfect funding mechanism.
"We've seen a shift from meth addiction to gambling addiction in
Oklahoma with devastating consequences in both cases," said House
Speaker Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville. "Unfortunately, the state has no
counselors certified to treat gambling disorders. Compulsive gambling
tears down families and leaves its victims without hope. As lawmakers,
we have to face this problem head-on."
Hiett said State Rep. Thad Balkman, chair of the House
Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Health and Social Services,
will spearhead the effort to help gambling addicts.
Under the House proposal, Balkman said a portion of lottery
money will be used to pay for gambling treatment. If the House plan
becomes law, gambling addiction programs at the Department of Mental
Health and Substance Abuse Services would receive $500,000 per year from
the Oklahoma Lottery Commission.
In addition, House leaders want to require that an amount equal
to 1 percent of annual lottery advertising expenditures be provided to
the agency for the treatment of compulsive gamblers.
Hiett said he hopes to incorporate faith-based counseling
programs into the state response as well.
"Gambling has horrendous social and economic consequences for
addicts and for our state," said Balkman, R-Norman. "Unless we fill the
gap left by gambling losses with treatment efforts, we will continue to
see homes torn apart by financial nightmares and an increase in social
problems such as domestic abuse."
State Rep. Lance Cargill, who recently conducted a legislative
study on gambling problems, said the state must dramatically improve its
response to problem gamblers.
"To expand gambling without providing treatment for addicts is
like doing a high-wire act without a net - it's just a matter of time
until the system fails," said Cargill, R-Harrah.
State officials estimate that up to 51,000 Oklahomans are
pathological gamblers and another 76,000 may be problem gamblers.
The economic impact of those 127,000 individuals is significant.
Recent reports indicate the state economy is already bearing the loss of
$50 million in gambling-related bankruptcies and that number is could
increase as gambling expands in Oklahoma.
Two state questions championed by Gov. Brad Henry have fueled
the recent gambling explosion in Oklahoma. One of those initiatives
legalized casino gambling for the first time while anther state question
legalized the lottery.
Previously, horse racing and bingo-style games were the only
legal forms of gambling in Oklahoma.
Currently, the state of Oklahoma earmarks only 7 cents per
capita on gambling treatment. That number is expected to increase to
21 cents per capita, but that sum still falls short compared to other
states.
For example, Connecticut spends 52 cents per capita on gambling
treatment even though there are only two casinos in the state while
Oklahoma is home to more than 80 casinos.
-30-
Lawmakers Renew Call for
Funding Gambling Treatment
No sooner does new money become available and government will figure out every possible way to waste it instead of spending it on what it was originally state it was to be used for.Government trying to use public money to treat fools for various self-inflicted ailments either real or imaginary is par for the course, not something new at all.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ray Carter, House Media
Capitol: (405) 557-7421
Contact: State Rep. Thad Balkman Contact: State
Rep. Lance Cargill
Capitol: (405) 557-7386 Capitol: (405) 557-7400
Norman: (405) 447-4988 Harrah: (405) 454-1022
Lawmakers Renew Call for Funding Gambling Treatment
OKLAHOMA CITY (October 11) - Oklahoma House leaders today renewed their
call to provide more gambling addiction programs, noting that the launch
of a state lottery provides the perfect funding mechanism.
"We've seen a shift from meth addiction to gambling addiction in
Oklahoma with devastating consequences in both cases," said House
Speaker Todd Hiett, R-Kellyville. "Unfortunately, the state has no
counselors certified to treat gambling disorders. Compulsive gambling
tears down families and leaves its victims without hope. As lawmakers,
we have to face this problem head-on."
Hiett said State Rep. Thad Balkman, chair of the House
Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Health and Social Services,
will spearhead the effort to help gambling addicts.
Under the House proposal, Balkman said a portion of lottery
money will be used to pay for gambling treatment. If the House plan
becomes law, gambling addiction programs at the Department of Mental
Health and Substance Abuse Services would receive $500,000 per year from
the Oklahoma Lottery Commission.
In addition, House leaders want to require that an amount equal
to 1 percent of annual lottery advertising expenditures be provided to
the agency for the treatment of compulsive gamblers.
Hiett said he hopes to incorporate faith-based counseling
programs into the state response as well.
"Gambling has horrendous social and economic consequences for
addicts and for our state," said Balkman, R-Norman. "Unless we fill the
gap left by gambling losses with treatment efforts, we will continue to
see homes torn apart by financial nightmares and an increase in social
problems such as domestic abuse."
State Rep. Lance Cargill, who recently conducted a legislative
study on gambling problems, said the state must dramatically improve its
response to problem gamblers.
"To expand gambling without providing treatment for addicts is
like doing a high-wire act without a net - it's just a matter of time
until the system fails," said Cargill, R-Harrah.
State officials estimate that up to 51,000 Oklahomans are
pathological gamblers and another 76,000 may be problem gamblers.
The economic impact of those 127,000 individuals is significant.
Recent reports indicate the state economy is already bearing the loss of
$50 million in gambling-related bankruptcies and that number is could
increase as gambling expands in Oklahoma.
Two state questions championed by Gov. Brad Henry have fueled
the recent gambling explosion in Oklahoma. One of those initiatives
legalized casino gambling for the first time while anther state question
legalized the lottery.
Previously, horse racing and bingo-style games were the only
legal forms of gambling in Oklahoma.
Currently, the state of Oklahoma earmarks only 7 cents per
capita on gambling treatment. That number is expected to increase to
21 cents per capita, but that sum still falls short compared to other
states.
For example, Connecticut spends 52 cents per capita on gambling
treatment even though there are only two casinos in the state while
Oklahoma is home to more than 80 casinos.
-30-
