State owned casinos are government expansion on steroids! If Governor Sebelius is sincere in her stated reasons for state owned casinos, logic would dictate she and her wealthy campaign contributors should build a Casino in Greensburg. If the state can modify the route of Highway 54, why not modify their plans for state-owned casinos? A casino in Greensburg would cause Dillons/Kroger to instantly commit to a mega-grocery store with a bakery/deli, coffee bar, video rentals, plus an in-store bank with 24 hour ATMs. Restaurant chains, sports bars, topless dancer clubs, payday loan outlets, bail bond agents, private investigators, addiction counseling centers and many other businesses would come running. Property values would skyrocket. Greensburg would grow, the state would get its take, and the inevitable drain of cash leaving Kiowa, Rush, Pratt, Clark, Commanche and other rural counties to be gambled away in Wichita or Dodge City would be prevented. Let's go for it!
Of course using a state owned casino to rebuild Greensburg would result in a city that would no longer be Greensburg, Kansas.
The people of Greensburg are looking to the future, but they also hope to recreate that quality of life which brought them there in the first place. A quality of life you can't get in Las Vegas. A quality of life the state can't create and money can't buy. Unlocked doors, neighbors who cherish and watch out for each other, knowing everybody and their dog—literally. Rural towns like Greensburg aren't perfect, but they're loaded with loyal, honest, hard working people. Greensburg is a community with a foundation built on traditional family values and a strong faith in God.
State-owned casinos are the worst legislation to hit Kansas in a long time. This legislation was carefully crafted behind closed doors, then blown by without one public hearing. The media (self-interested proponents of expanded gambling) did a fine job downplaying the issue so Kansans would not have time to do anything until it was too late. It is still downplayed while the constitutional questions are being dealt with in the most bizarre example of conflict of interest imaginable. Railroading bogus legislation, then suing themselves to get a supreme court rubber stamp to prevent legitimate court challenges. One almost senses they expected more resistance, but those who should be screaming about this are being very careful. Hey, if you were a legislator would you want these guys funding your next opponent? Exactly.
Those who bankrolled pro-gaming candidates will reap millions. Our Governor and elected officials have lost all perspective of what the proper role of government is supposed to be. Following the carefully plotted midnight filibuster victory, Governor Sebelius rode around the state like a Roman General. The only thing missing were anti-gambling opponents dragged in chains to be pelted by cheering crowds of contributors who benefit from this unprecedented greed-driven government expansion. The media who would never let these tactics slide if it threatened their bottom line. Think the news media serves as a watchdog? They're licking their chops over the big casino advertising campaigns. Rigging the legislative process to take from the poor and reward the politically connected is all this is. Public ignorance and apathy made it easy. If you are among those who wanted casinos, you've been distracted from seeing what we're gambling away. The state owning anything competing with private enterprise should be unconstitutional. This is Kansas, not Russia. They knew better than to attempt to amend our constitution to allow casinos, but who cares about the constitution when you have the governor, her hand-picked supreme court, and most of the legislature in your pocket?
If state owned casinos are a good thing, let's have one in Greensburg! How about a new city motto; "What goes in Greensburg—stays in Greensburg—especially your paycheck!" or, "Greensburg—the next Sin City!" It seems perverse to even joke like this.
I pray Greensburg will continue to be a community that makes all Kansans proud, but if it's not a good idea to put a casino in Greensburg, then why build them anywhere, and for heaven's sake why as state-owned businesses?
I chuckled when governor Sebelius spoke of rebuilding Greensburg to be "green". Excuse me? Ever seen a "green" casino? The state-owned casinos will use more electricity than the city of Greensburg, or all of Kiowa County, to produce what? Entertainment? Yeah, there's a real shortage of that these days.
Kansas, I'm pleading here! What are we letting go under our watch? Do we want our state to be the best place on earth to own a home and raise a family, or has our future been sold out to greed-driven gambling interests and the politicians they've bought?
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