Legislators have financial reasons to push gambling

Legislators have financial reasons to push gambling
EDITOR:
Gambling seems to be part of the human experience. It probably always will be.
Our legislators have gradually made it much more difficult to enforce gambling laws now than it was 40 years ago. Who really benefited from such a change? I can tell you with certainty that it was the illegal gambling industry.
Our legislative representatives most always use the political spin concerning schools or jobs or both when proposing more gambling. Some proposed the placing of slot machines at Ohio's racetracks to increase school funding.
Does anybody remember the published recorded conversation between Lenny Strollo and Cambpell's school board treasurer? Strollo tells the school board's treasurer that "we" (the Mob) would take 70 percent of the take of such machines on school property and the school board would receive 30 percent. Strollo also said "we" (the Mob) had ways to skim from the 30 percent. Skimming is a long-standing mob tactic.
History has proved to me that where you have gambling, legal or illegal, you will most likely have mob involvement. You have but to examine the history of Las Vegas or Atlantic City to see the extent of mob involvement.
If our lawmakers really want to serve the public and school systems through gambling operations, they will set up a system which the state owns, operates and services with state employees. That way the state can keep 100 percent of the profits instead of receiving the short end after it has been skimmed. If you really want to know whose interest these legislators have in mind, follow the big money trail.
DONALD G. BAKER
Youngstown
X The writer is a former Youngstown chief of police.
School violence results from absence of religion
EDITOR:
A recent Vindicator letter said we should not only have freedom of religion, but also freedom from religion.
It was so important for people to have prayer and the Ten Commandments taken out of our schools, but now see what has happened. School shootings are almost becoming a common occurrence.
When Jesus talks about the chanting of prayers in public places in Matthew 6:5-7, He was referring to the hypocrites who would pray loudly in the streets just so people would look at them.
If your prayers are sincere, it doesn't matter how many people you stand before because it's between you and God.
By taking God out of schools, the only thing we've successfully done is to let the devil fill that void. And look where it's gotten us: Columbine High School and Santana High School are just two of the many examples.
JENNIFER COY
New Springfield
Americans purchasing too many Chinese goods
EDITOR:
I read with interest the recent column by Joseph Bosco on the U.S.- China "war." As Mr. Bosco stated, China has been helping Iraq strengthen its air defense system.
Before people shake their heads too much, they should guess where many household items sold in this country are made? That's right, China. The same is applicable to clothing.
So why are we sending our money to a country that is the opposite of what we stand for and is using this money -- our money -- to help other countries like Iraq and North Korea?
No country can stand by itself economically, but it seems to make sense to trade with a country that has viewpoints similar to your own. By having a large trade deficit with China, we are only hurting ourselves -- if not now, then sometime in the future. And that future may be sooner than we think.
MICHAEL J. McCLEERY
Youngstown