Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 19, Number 8, 1 ʻAukake 2002 — Disgruntled voter [ARTICLE]

Disgruntled voter

I am terribly disappointed with Andy Anderson. I had hoped that maybe a businessman as governor would be good for the state. Then, Anderson creates an ad, and makes public statements supporting legalized gambling in the form of a lottery. Anderson said, "I believe our ehildren are far more important than putting my big toe into the gambling question." What does he think a state-operated lottery is but legalized gambling? The gambling addiction rate among adolescents is twice that of adults. "Gambling is festering in eveiy high school and is near epidemic proportions on college eampuses," said Ed Looney, executive director of the New Jersey Council

on CompulsVe Gambling. Is Andemon really thinking of the children? He justifies his position with how mueh money would result in ineome to the state. He quoted figures from the National Association of State Lotteries. That same report showed New Jersey, the state Anderson ranked so highly, actually had a decrease in lottery ineome last year. Furthermore, he did not tell us the many social costs to the state consequential to legalized gambling, i.e., there is a legislative mandate that requires at least $600,000 per fiscal year by the state to fund the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling. The State of Hawai'i has no services for compulsive gamblers. How ean a businessman who said, "I ean read a budget and balance sheet," read just the profit and not he loss side of the ledger? Marshall K Hood Honolulu OHA reserves the righ t to edit all letters for length, defamatory and libelous material, and other objec - tionable content, and reserves the right to print. All letters must be typed, signed and not exceed 200 woids. Send letters Ka Wai Ola o OHA, 711 Kapi' olani Blvd., Ste. 500, Honolulu, HI 96813 or email to oha2002@aloha.net.