State Sen. Rickey Hendon, in a press conference at city hall Monday, proposed riverboat casinos and the reopening of Meigs Field airport as a short-term remedy for Chicago's financial crisis. Since he's on the Gaming committee in the Senate, he knows what it would take to move such a deal forward.
Sen. Hendon acknowledges that some people do not like the idea of relying on gambling to support government, but he points out that Indiana and Michigan have, or will soon have casinos that people from Illinois will be going to, and it's better to keep these revenues in the state. He also favors riverboats, not land-based casinos which would displace residents; and he favors casinos which are limited to gaming so that others may invest in restaurants and other nearby supporting businesses. His proposal provides for local, female and minority ownership of the casinos.
He points out that raising taxes is not politically feasible right now. He says other forms of municipal revenue-grabbing, such as red-light cameras (he passed a bill in the legislature to curb some of their abuses) and outrageous parking fees and tickets, are just plain unacceptable: "Put a boot on your car after only two unpaid tickets? Come on now!"
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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