Adelson and Dumont ruined the Dallas Mavericks so I’m against them and their casinos. Talarico can take all their money. Personally I will vote against the amendment to allow casinos just to stick it to the Adelson family for trading Luka.
I'm not against casinos but I imagine Louisiana will lobby as hard as they can against them. The only reason Lake Charles is on the map is because people travel from Houston and Southeast Texas (and other areas of Texas, probably) for their casinos.
I'm okay with it because illegal gambling doesn't make sense because we aren't the morality police and it makes no sense to be legal in one state and not another. Just like THC, it's annoying that a man made line in the sand is the different between legal activity and being a criminal.
But I don't think Louisiana casino giants will "allow" it.
Sports betting was actually brought to the House floor last Legislative session. It was attacked by the far-right fundamentalists and Christian Nationalists. They said it was “against family values.” Obviously, it didn’t pass. 😭
Thanks, Michelle. You are so right about Colin-- I've been reading all the articles & social media I can about him & James. I still hear from Allred because I supported him previously & am in his original district.
I appreciated what Tommy said about the Mavs too, lol.
I would like to say I don’t follow sports, but my husband follows sports the same way I follow politics…so, I know enough to get me through a conversation. 😁
The damage done to this country because Democrats didn’t vote for Hillary and/or Kamala is incalculable. We’d be in a very different place if they had.
I hate the Clintons but I hate what this court is doing far more and there’s no 4 year limit to their destruction. There’s no justification for allowing that harm to advance when it could have been prevented simply by voting.
Republicans understand how much power the court wields and they would have voted for a pedophile if he gave them the court they wanted. But Hillary was a bridge too far?
I’ve been reading leftist theory, trying to find the case for voting and against purity politics and it seems like some of the famous dead guys they claim to worship so much once advocated for working with the parliament. I think they just want to be cool and edgy, but they’re mostly young or privileged and they don’t understand the harm they do to other communities. I wonder how to get through to them.
I'm against gambling but the cat is out of the bag. A lot of data has come out recently on the proliferation of online gambling and it's addictive nature for young men. The FBI is now investigating fixing in pro sports (NBA, MMA).
The negative externalities outweigh the increased tax revenues. It is social pollution and the clear winner is the house; the billionaires who own these casinos, gambling platforms and sports franchises.
When lotteries were pushed in different states, budget deficits and funding for schools were used as reasons for creating a lottery. Then years after the lottery was created, guess what? The deficits and defunded schools still existed, as the extra money just goes to a general fund (run by Republicans in our case).
Gambling also has the highest risk of suicide when compared to other addictions.
Thank you for that perspective. I think all of these aspects certainly should be talked about. Do you think that some of this harm would be preventable with strong guardrails?
I'm all for guardrails. Better chance of getting them in now vs. later.
I'd push for heavy taxation on the casinos with increasing annual amounts. Some of that permanently diverted to gambling rehabilitation and a health institute, plus funding for the regulating agency. No tax breaks on the casino property development and good casino worker comp with benefits. They'll likely shop around for a small town close to a big city, where they'll get tax breaks and minimal oversight.
If not, we'll see the politicians and billionaires celebrate their win, while the negative externalities play out later. The gambling addict will be shamed and the communities and nonprofits will pick up the slack. See school gun deaths and alcohol. We're a pro-business state and hesitant to tax even vices (alcohol excise taxes haven't increased in decades). I wonder what causes some gambling communities to live and others to die (Vegas, Atlantic City), leaving gaping holes in their wake.
I think that would matter a lot when establishing them in the first place. If Texas turned blue and were legalized gambling, we could set all that stuff up on day one, maybe even but it on the ballot let the people vote on it.
I think you'd probably have to have an entire government agency dedicated to regulating and overseeing casinos and other gambling operations, like the ATF.
I'd honestly never heard the term "harm reduction" before. It makes perfect sense. I think Allred is not the answer, but I'll vote for him over Cornyn any day. Tallarico on the other hand is someone I've already dontated to and will continue to do so. Casinos? Need to understand better the projected windfall to the state and how the money will be used. I'm really not a fan as I've seen what gambling addiction can do, but I'm open if there's a good plan with some serious guardrails in place to ensure the money goes where it's supposed to.
That being said, my biggest concern is getting registered Dems off their asses and into a polling place. We do that for the next two elections and we'll break the cycle and turn Texas Blue.
Harm reduction is a leftist term, I don’t know where it originated from, but the idea is that while candidate X is still complicit in bad votes that don’t uphold our principles, we still vote for him over candidate Y, because he’s a Nazi. So, by voting for candidate X it might keep the system going but it reduces harm to marginalized communities. And why primaries are so important.
Great column. Here are my two cents. I screwed up voting for Allred last time. My heart was with Guitteriez. He was authentically Texan in that South Texas way I am familiar with. He always had the right take on corporate power and corruption. But I wasn't as steeped in Texas Democrats back then as I am now. I wrongly figured this "Republican lite" gambit would entice Republicans over. Wrong. That is a losing strategy. Texas Republicans take their conservatism straight up. They don't want the watered down version Democrats provide.
I also had a frustrating experience trying to door knock for Allred with paid out of state canvassers. Suffice it to say, these kids weren't exactly interested in being effective. They were just getting their pay checks.
Loya looks fantastic! I'm interested. The Talarico campaign sent a video of Talarico's interview with Jon Favereau. It was really heartening to see Talarico answer to question about taking the Adelson PAC money. He was just as calm and even and straightforward as if he had been asked what he had for lunch. Compare and contrast how Trump and other Republicans lose it and go ballistic when asked about a potentially harmful political event.
That said, I personally am against casino gambling. I would much rather see jobs and development with higher paying, more skilled jobs with good pay and benefits. I personally do not care for these kinds of "sin" industries. I don't think they do anything to build up the social fabric. I also think they attract crime like fleas on a dog. But, right now, that's not a deal breaker for me on Talarico. [I guess I'm an idiot, but I don't see why Adelson isn't trying to put a casino in in New Orleans.]
I want to see this and any other issues hashed out in the primary. These adversarial confrontations season our candidates for dealing with their Republican opponents. It gives the voters important information. Assuming we get it all out in the primary, it is much harder for Republicans to play gotcha with information in the general if the "scandal" is old news.
We live and we learn. I’m looking at the results of the poll so far, and it doesn’t seem like it’s as clean cut of an issue as I thought it would be. There’s a lot of negative connotation that comes with gambling. I get that. I think these discussions are important.
I made this mistake with Kamala. I initially thought it was a good thing for her to be appealing to Republicans and going on tour with Liz Cheney. I see now how that hurt her, and the election of Mamdani showed that as well. We need to go further left. That's what the Democratic voters want (especially the younger ones), and the more we try to meet them in the middle the further right we wind up.
That's why I'm endorsing Gina. Andrew White seems lovely, but he's running on "I can get the Republican vote because I'm a white man". Eh.
I agree. I’m a lovely, normal white male worked for Biden given the unique circumstances of 2020. But it is not a template for Democrats. We have got to actually have the courage of our convictions.
Right now, the voters, both left and [normal, non-crazy] right are screaming for someone to fight, fight, fight. Both left and right are furious at the corruption, the arrogance and the lack of real representation in politics. Besides, as my mother used to say, “might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb”. Meaning if people are accusing you of doing something and you believe in what you are doing - just do it. Don’t try to split the difference.
I love that saying and am going to remember it! That describes my journey into political content creation. I was being "careful" about what I posted for years and told by people in my small red town that I was being too political and liberal on social media. So I said you know what, I'm going to just lean into it, then. Now they don't say a word!
I love that you are doing that! Most Texans will respect someone with the courage of their convictions, even if they don't agree. Besides, I think the reality of MAGA Republicans and their real intentions are starting to hit home for everyday people. We may not get all the horses to drink, but we can lead them to the water. LOL
Adelson and Dumont ruined the Dallas Mavericks so I’m against them and their casinos. Talarico can take all their money. Personally I will vote against the amendment to allow casinos just to stick it to the Adelson family for trading Luka.
lol you’re allowed to vote anyway you want.
I'm not against casinos but I imagine Louisiana will lobby as hard as they can against them. The only reason Lake Charles is on the map is because people travel from Houston and Southeast Texas (and other areas of Texas, probably) for their casinos.
I'm okay with it because illegal gambling doesn't make sense because we aren't the morality police and it makes no sense to be legal in one state and not another. Just like THC, it's annoying that a man made line in the sand is the different between legal activity and being a criminal.
But I don't think Louisiana casino giants will "allow" it.
Sports betting was actually brought to the House floor last Legislative session. It was attacked by the far-right fundamentalists and Christian Nationalists. They said it was “against family values.” Obviously, it didn’t pass. 😭
Thanks, Michelle. You are so right about Colin-- I've been reading all the articles & social media I can about him & James. I still hear from Allred because I supported him previously & am in his original district.
I appreciated what Tommy said about the Mavs too, lol.
I'll be sharing this one to Bsky right now!
I would like to say I don’t follow sports, but my husband follows sports the same way I follow politics…so, I know enough to get me through a conversation. 😁
The damage done to this country because Democrats didn’t vote for Hillary and/or Kamala is incalculable. We’d be in a very different place if they had.
I hate the Clintons but I hate what this court is doing far more and there’s no 4 year limit to their destruction. There’s no justification for allowing that harm to advance when it could have been prevented simply by voting.
Republicans understand how much power the court wields and they would have voted for a pedophile if he gave them the court they wanted. But Hillary was a bridge too far?
I’ve been reading leftist theory, trying to find the case for voting and against purity politics and it seems like some of the famous dead guys they claim to worship so much once advocated for working with the parliament. I think they just want to be cool and edgy, but they’re mostly young or privileged and they don’t understand the harm they do to other communities. I wonder how to get through to them.
I'm against gambling but the cat is out of the bag. A lot of data has come out recently on the proliferation of online gambling and it's addictive nature for young men. The FBI is now investigating fixing in pro sports (NBA, MMA).
The negative externalities outweigh the increased tax revenues. It is social pollution and the clear winner is the house; the billionaires who own these casinos, gambling platforms and sports franchises.
When lotteries were pushed in different states, budget deficits and funding for schools were used as reasons for creating a lottery. Then years after the lottery was created, guess what? The deficits and defunded schools still existed, as the extra money just goes to a general fund (run by Republicans in our case).
Gambling also has the highest risk of suicide when compared to other addictions.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/problem-gamblers-have-highest-suicide-rate-of-any-addiction-disorder-studies-show
Thank you for that perspective. I think all of these aspects certainly should be talked about. Do you think that some of this harm would be preventable with strong guardrails?
I'm all for guardrails. Better chance of getting them in now vs. later.
I'd push for heavy taxation on the casinos with increasing annual amounts. Some of that permanently diverted to gambling rehabilitation and a health institute, plus funding for the regulating agency. No tax breaks on the casino property development and good casino worker comp with benefits. They'll likely shop around for a small town close to a big city, where they'll get tax breaks and minimal oversight.
If not, we'll see the politicians and billionaires celebrate their win, while the negative externalities play out later. The gambling addict will be shamed and the communities and nonprofits will pick up the slack. See school gun deaths and alcohol. We're a pro-business state and hesitant to tax even vices (alcohol excise taxes haven't increased in decades). I wonder what causes some gambling communities to live and others to die (Vegas, Atlantic City), leaving gaping holes in their wake.
I think that would matter a lot when establishing them in the first place. If Texas turned blue and were legalized gambling, we could set all that stuff up on day one, maybe even but it on the ballot let the people vote on it.
I think you'd probably have to have an entire government agency dedicated to regulating and overseeing casinos and other gambling operations, like the ATF.
Absolutely.
I'd honestly never heard the term "harm reduction" before. It makes perfect sense. I think Allred is not the answer, but I'll vote for him over Cornyn any day. Tallarico on the other hand is someone I've already dontated to and will continue to do so. Casinos? Need to understand better the projected windfall to the state and how the money will be used. I'm really not a fan as I've seen what gambling addiction can do, but I'm open if there's a good plan with some serious guardrails in place to ensure the money goes where it's supposed to.
That being said, my biggest concern is getting registered Dems off their asses and into a polling place. We do that for the next two elections and we'll break the cycle and turn Texas Blue.
Harm reduction is a leftist term, I don’t know where it originated from, but the idea is that while candidate X is still complicit in bad votes that don’t uphold our principles, we still vote for him over candidate Y, because he’s a Nazi. So, by voting for candidate X it might keep the system going but it reduces harm to marginalized communities. And why primaries are so important.
Great column. Here are my two cents. I screwed up voting for Allred last time. My heart was with Guitteriez. He was authentically Texan in that South Texas way I am familiar with. He always had the right take on corporate power and corruption. But I wasn't as steeped in Texas Democrats back then as I am now. I wrongly figured this "Republican lite" gambit would entice Republicans over. Wrong. That is a losing strategy. Texas Republicans take their conservatism straight up. They don't want the watered down version Democrats provide.
I also had a frustrating experience trying to door knock for Allred with paid out of state canvassers. Suffice it to say, these kids weren't exactly interested in being effective. They were just getting their pay checks.
Loya looks fantastic! I'm interested. The Talarico campaign sent a video of Talarico's interview with Jon Favereau. It was really heartening to see Talarico answer to question about taking the Adelson PAC money. He was just as calm and even and straightforward as if he had been asked what he had for lunch. Compare and contrast how Trump and other Republicans lose it and go ballistic when asked about a potentially harmful political event.
That said, I personally am against casino gambling. I would much rather see jobs and development with higher paying, more skilled jobs with good pay and benefits. I personally do not care for these kinds of "sin" industries. I don't think they do anything to build up the social fabric. I also think they attract crime like fleas on a dog. But, right now, that's not a deal breaker for me on Talarico. [I guess I'm an idiot, but I don't see why Adelson isn't trying to put a casino in in New Orleans.]
I want to see this and any other issues hashed out in the primary. These adversarial confrontations season our candidates for dealing with their Republican opponents. It gives the voters important information. Assuming we get it all out in the primary, it is much harder for Republicans to play gotcha with information in the general if the "scandal" is old news.
Let's go.
We live and we learn. I’m looking at the results of the poll so far, and it doesn’t seem like it’s as clean cut of an issue as I thought it would be. There’s a lot of negative connotation that comes with gambling. I get that. I think these discussions are important.
I made this mistake with Kamala. I initially thought it was a good thing for her to be appealing to Republicans and going on tour with Liz Cheney. I see now how that hurt her, and the election of Mamdani showed that as well. We need to go further left. That's what the Democratic voters want (especially the younger ones), and the more we try to meet them in the middle the further right we wind up.
That's why I'm endorsing Gina. Andrew White seems lovely, but he's running on "I can get the Republican vote because I'm a white man". Eh.
The next era of populism is going to come from Texas, just like the first era of populism. 😁
I agree. I’m a lovely, normal white male worked for Biden given the unique circumstances of 2020. But it is not a template for Democrats. We have got to actually have the courage of our convictions.
Right now, the voters, both left and [normal, non-crazy] right are screaming for someone to fight, fight, fight. Both left and right are furious at the corruption, the arrogance and the lack of real representation in politics. Besides, as my mother used to say, “might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb”. Meaning if people are accusing you of doing something and you believe in what you are doing - just do it. Don’t try to split the difference.
I love that saying and am going to remember it! That describes my journey into political content creation. I was being "careful" about what I posted for years and told by people in my small red town that I was being too political and liberal on social media. So I said you know what, I'm going to just lean into it, then. Now they don't say a word!
I love that you are doing that! Most Texans will respect someone with the courage of their convictions, even if they don't agree. Besides, I think the reality of MAGA Republicans and their real intentions are starting to hit home for everyday people. We may not get all the horses to drink, but we can lead them to the water. LOL
Well, not going to comment on this one other than to endorse Hector, cause you know what I said months ago. This would be an issue.
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Thanks Michelle! All in for Talarico…he’s an amazing guy!