State budget analysts say the money from the casino-fueled Education Trust Fund is, in fact, going to schools. But that stream has allowed the governor and lawmakers to take money that once went to schools and redirect it to pay salaries, fund roadwork and support other government programs and services.
"While gambling was sold as a way to bring in more money for education, it really hasn't been putting more money in schools," said Benjamin Orr, director of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy. "We've essentially invested the same amount of money in our schools that we would have with or without legalized gambling."...
...When the General Assembly was considering casino gambling in 2009, Del. Curt Anderson sponsored a bill that would have forced state officials to use the trust fund money to increase funding for education. It died in committee...
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-casino-education-20170121-story.html
This is an old story and exactly what has happened in other states that introduced gambling, for decades. Hard to believe the MD legislature didn't know how this plays out all over the country. Check who got the bribes oh wait, I mean "campaign contributions" from the gambling organizations. As always in Maryland, follow the money.
ReplyDeleteI thought gambling was introduced as a clever way to subsidize state retirement pensions.
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