Proponents of video slots at racetracks have avoided any mention of gambling. Instead they say we’ll have more jobs, more money for tourism and no tax increase.

Let’s examine the idea of increased jobs: Dog and horse trainers and handlers will eventually lose jobs as people will be going to the “racinos” to play the slots, not watch races. At least this is what happened in other states with racinos.

Food services will increase at these gambling locations in order to keep people playing the slots, but that will take business from already established restaurants and taverns nearby.

As far as tourism, people who are interested in gambling will continue to go to Las Vegas for the variety and excitement. Most of the players frequenting racinos will be from our neighborhoods and small towns within a 100-mile radius, which is why other businesses will suffer.

Expanding gambling will in reality tax us more by our having to pay for the safety and social services that addictive and criminal behavior reap on society and by the need to maintain the historic and natural environment that attract visitors in the first place.

Let us be firm in our resolve to stop any expansion of gambling in our beautiful state. If enough of us vote NO this time, as over 90 percent of the voters did in 1994, maybe the proponents of 33 will think twice about presenting us with a variation on the gambling theme in the next election.

(Printed in Letters to the Editor, THE INDEPENDENT, Oct 30 )