Gambling Ruling Could Cripple Budget In Cash Starved Florida

House leader Marco Rubio could have been sleeping well this week after emerging victorious in his battle with Governor Charlie Crist over casino gambling expansion for the Seminole Indians.

What he should have been doing, however, was losing sleep over where he and his fellow victorious Legislatures are planning to come up with the tax money that was promised through the Seminole compact.

The state budget is already in trouble financially and losing tens of millions of dollars at the cost of being right is hardly admirable. Rubio cared more about being right than the good of his state.

That is a trend that has been around in politics for decades. Now, Rubio and other legislators must be once again trusted to get a deal done with the Seminoles.

The truth is that the Seminoles will look to the Federal government to overturn the recent Supreme Court ruling. The chances are strong, with the way that the law is written, that the Seminoles will end up with the Class III gaming they are seeking.

When and if that happens, the state of Florida will get nothing from the Seminoles. No up front money, no revenue money, nothing. So while anti-gambling groups cheer the decision by Rubio to fight the Governor, others will question his motives.

They will question why it was so important to be right, when money was lost that could have went to help fund education for the state's children.

So as the Fourth of July celebrations come to an end, and people go back to their everyday jobs, the question must be asked. What will Rubio now do to make up all of the lost promised money from the Seminoles? Maybe that was a question Rubio should have asked before insisting on proving he was right.



2008-07-07