Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Americans are a funny bunch of folks when it comes to attitude about the rich.
Another record Powerball lottery event has come and gone. There were two winners in distant states from Georgia. At the height of the frenzy of lottery ticket selling more than 100,000 tickets were being sold per hour. Those people who track these types of events announced that the odds were very high that anyone could win. I saw a number of 1 in 175,000,000 chances to win the jackpot. Knowing the odds were great against ever winning the grand prize did not keep people from flocking to the lottery outlets to take the chance they would walk away a millionaire. I found it interesting that the week when President Obama was planning and speaking at rallies, pushing for tax increases on the wealthy, that so many people were lining up to …
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
How are we supposed to feel safe with the government or a quasi-government board overseeing casinos when they can't control ethics in government?
In the Primary Election on July 31, the voters requesting a Republican ballot will have five non-binding straw poll questions to determine the opinion of the voters. I view the five questions on the ballot dealing with public policy issues from a moral perspective. Question number 1 is: “Should Georgia have casino gambling with funds going to education?” My answer for this question will be no. Across the country there is a major push taking place to increase gambling outlets. Like a fast food restaurant being placed on every corner, the marketing concept is the more outlets, the more money can be raked into the accounts of the casino owners. We are supposed to feel safe, however, with the promise that the government or a quasi-government …
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
We must learn from the mistakes of others when they expanded gambling in their states.
There is a push taking place in many parts of our nation to expand gambling. Knowing what is being sold is a way to enrich the owners of the casinos and to create a class of people who become addicted to the promise of hitting the jackpot and becoming rich, it is necessary to change the image of gambling. In order to promote gambling, it must be turned into just a game; so therefore, it is now being called gaming. To assure the credibility of gambling, it must be linked with the government and some government entitlement; therefore, government boards are appointed to oversee the process. We all know how well the government looks after the citizens when they have oversight of the taxpayer’s money. (GSA gone wild at taxpayer’s expense) Les …
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Citizens must stay informed on all the issues.
During the last couple of weeks, as I drove to the Capitol each day for the special session of the General Assembly, I was made acutely aware of the gridlock on I-85 that runs (crawls) through Gwinnett County during what is misnamed “rush hour.” It can take more than an hour to make the short drive from 316 to I-285 during the height of the traffic snarl. However, I found the trip was worth the hassle. As I walked the halls of the Capitol during the special session, I made some observations and drew the following conclusions: From where I stand, it is more important than ever for all citizens to stay informed on all the issues being considered at all levels of government.
Ray Newman
4:09 pm on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
I agree Cynthia. Even with the snarled traffic and need to find a parking space being inside the Capitol brings a sense of pride about our state and also an awareness of the need to stay informed about what is happening there. I love my job. more ›