There's an interesting article in today's Washington Post about Congresswoman Donna Edwards lone stance against the effort to bring casino gambling to National Harbor (Question 7). I've always been impressed by her independence. It got me thinking. I had to suffer through about 20 gambling industry sponsored ads for an against this while trying to watch Hurricane Sandy news tonight. The money being spent is incredible - and it's because the stakes are high.
The problem is that the ads are completely disingenuous. I don't think this fight is about keeping $500 million of Maryland's money in Maryland. I think it's more about attracting Northern Virginia's discretionary spending into Maryland which is why they are going to park the casino a 10-minute car ride from my front door and just about everyone else with an Alexandria post office address just in time for the completion of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
If they'd just come out and say that they want Northern Virginia to pay for their schools, the thing would probably pass by a landslide. However, that probably would not be a very nice thing to say on television so we won't be seeing that ad.
So I'm not sure if George Washington was a big gambler, but apparently he was a member of the Alexandria Jockey Club and someone painted a picture of him betting on whether he could crack a walnut. I have a feeling gambling is gonna be coming pretty close to Mount Vernon again soon.
Then, the next thing you know, everyone in Virginia will be screaming about exporting our gambling revenue to Maryland just like the justification for the lottery and the ads start all over again.
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