That’s real nice. Governor Riley and Attorney General King can’t seem to play nice together. The governor rightly wishes to stop illegal gambling in the state. Attorney General King says that he won’t support the governor’s task force and its investigation into the Country Crossing Casino in Houston County. Each has leveled accusations at the other about conflicts of interest and who did or did not take money from gambling interests in other states. Meanwhile it’s business as usual at several casinos, both Indian and non-Indian, throughout Alabama. If these two can’t get on the same page and work for the common good of the people of the state of Alabama, what hope is there to ever shut down these illegal slot machines? Not much.
I’m inclined to take Governor Riley’s side in this skirmish. At least he is making an effort, symbolic as it may be, to shut down these slot machines, which, if one reads the law logically, are illegal. Too many attorneys and politicians have become involved in all of this and have muddied the waters as most of us have come to expect of them. Attorney General King’s job, as I understand it, is to uphold the laws of the state of Alabama. He happens to be an attorney and a politician which is a very dangerous combination. Where there is smoke there is usually fire and Mr. King too often leaves a trail of it behind him. Common sense would seem to dictate that these casinos are operating illegally. Politics and legal loopholes say otherwise. It’s an unfortunate situation to say the least.
Gambling is bad for people and the communities in which it thrives and it thrives on those who can least afford to do it. The house always wins. Always. Without fail. It makes far more people poor than it does rich and that will always be the case. Since slot-machines are illegal in Alabama, regardless of what Milton McGregor and the Indians say, then those who are sworn to uphold and enforce the law in Alabama should do so at all costs. I would encourage Governor Riley and Attorney General King to dispense with the needless political posturing and work together to put an end to this scourge of illegal gambling. Soon.
The View From We2 
Bingo, slot machines, dog racing, horse racing, and other forms of gambling seem to me, to be a tax on the poor. Which in turn is a tax on me. Therein lays my heartburn with it and where I think they should start. Like it or dislike, think it’s legal or not, do it or don’t; no one should be allowed to walk through those doors without first proving two things. 1-you make a certain amount a year and 2- you are not on the Government roles for any handout programs. Then and only then are you TRULY spending your money and not mine. If you were to do those two things, I assure you they would shut down. After all, it’s not the people like myself who have horded their money all of these years to have some saved up in the waning years of life that are in there pissing it away (sorry, can I say that?). It’s the idiots that have very little to start with that are in there chasing the impossible dream and hoping they are the one that wins it big and can go to work the next morning and tell the man to stick it. As you pointed out, the House wins. They are in business to make money not make us rich. Sure, there are a few big payouts to a handful of individuals, and that’s what feeds the fire. That fire then manifests itself in the form of the ignorant smiles and gleaming eyes of the brilliant financial guru’s running in the front door of the Casinos, only to come out with their head held low and wondering how they are going to explain to their family that there won’t be food this week. If you have the money, time and intestinal fortitude to sit by these scholars of the one arm bandit and play, by all means friend do so. If you are living payday to payday, have credit card debt and know the guys name at the payday loan store, do me and all other tax payers a favor and sit your butt on the couch. The Wiz
The Governor's head of the task force on illegal gambling takes HIS dollars to the Mississippi Casinos where it is all legal. Makes you stop and think a moment, doesn't it?
Wiz…as usual, your suggestions make far too much sense to implement. Rick…I'm glad he stepped down. Bad judgement on his part. In fact, rather dumb judgement. But if I am supposed to think that his gambling dollars would be better used in Alabama, well, Mississippi can have 'em as far as I'm concerned. I will stick to my guns and say that gambling is bad for people and the government certainly shouldn't be involved in it. Bad public policy. Period.
So why can't we put it to a public vote in Alabama, oh yea, thats not how the system works here. So much for democracy!