QhN.ON
Wednesday, January 31, 1996 Page 4
1 Daily
Nebraskan
Editorial Board
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
J. Christopher Haiti.... Editor, 472-1766
Doug Kouma..Managing Editor
Doug Peters.Opinion Page Editor
Sarah Scalet... Associate News Editor
Matt Waite.Associate News Editor
Michelle Garner.Wire Editor
Jennifer Mapes...Columnist
i-vs—
James Mehsling/DN
No deal
Lawmakers, know when to fold ‘em
The issue of expanding gambling is really very simple.
There are clearly defined issues involved in the debate that few
dispute. .
Gambling is fun.
It does make money.
Jobs are created when casinos are built.
Gambling, however, is also not what it claims to be.
It is not an economic development tool.
It will not lower taxes. *
It will expand social service spending.
According to Robert Goodman, who for two years researched
states with new gambling laws, expanded gambling is a no-win situ
ation.
There are a few things that need to be said as the Nebraska Leg
islature begins debate on LR43CA, a constitutional amendment
expanding gambling.
Gambling brings in revenue, but it increases state spending for
social services, such as problem gambling counseling, and criminal
processing. Goodman said if Nebraska were to introduce gambling,
it would be looking at an increase of $50 million in spending.
Gambling is addictive, and addictive behavior breeds actions that
a person would normally not take.
Actions like gambling their way into bankruptcy, gambling away
savings that was meant for their children’s education, gambling away
money that was meant for the future.
All on the roll of the dice.
A pull of the slot.
A game on the table.
Just one more time, they will promise.
Nebraska will see an increase in problem gamblers. With casi
nos in Iowa and South Dakota calling across borders, we will see
some of the downside of gambling.
Some would argue that the state needs to see some of the upside.
What upside?
Why make a bad situation worse? Why gamble away a child’s
future, a happy birthday, a day in the park, all because the horse
racing industry and a group of well-aid lobbyists want to see gam
bling in the state?
A casino in Nebraska is not worth it.
Editorial policy
Staff editorials represent the official
policy of the Spring 1996 Daily Ne
braskan. Policy is set by the Daily
Nebraskan Editorial Boanl. Editorials
do not necessarily reflect the views of
the university, its employees, the stu
dents or the NU Board of Regents.
Editorial columns represent the opin
ion of the author. The regents publish
the Daily Nebraskan. They establish
the UNL Publications Board to super
vise the daily production of the paper.
According to policy set by the regents,
responsibility for the editorial content
of the newspaper lies solely in the
hands of its students.
Letter policy
The Daily Nebraskan welcomes brief letters to the
editor from all readers and interested others. Letters
will be selected for publication on the basis of clarity,
originality, timeliness and space available. The Daily
Nebraskan retains the right to edit or reject all material
submitted. Readers also are welcome to submit mate
rial as guest opinions. The editor decides whether
material should mn as a guest opinion. Letters and
guest opinions sent to the newspaper become the
property of the Daily Nebraskan and cannot be re
turned. Anonymous submissions will not be pub
1 ished. Letters should include the author’s name, year
in school, major and group affiliation, if any. Re
quests to withhold names will not be granted. Submit
material to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Nebraska Union,
1400 R St. Lincoln, Neb. 68588-0448.
vtovi wm> caw
IT BE?
■-/
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UNL’s cold shoulder
Kudos to the DN for your
criticism of winter weather policies.
My hands recovered from frostbite
just in time to send you this letter.
I still fail to understand why
morning classes were canceled on
Jan. 18 but not on Jan. 26. The wind
chill was about the same both days
but five inches of snow fell on the
26th and none fell on the 18th.
Where’s the logic?
Maybe the University should
forget expanding the Union and
build us some heated walkways, if
they’re going to have classes during
a blizzard.
v. NickWiltgen
junior
broadcasting
via e-mail
Money matters
I am writing in reference to the
article about the library course that
is a requirement of all freshman
students. I completely agree with
Mr. Kerber in his opinions about the
course and would like to see
something done about the matter. I
took the class as an in-state student
and thought the $83.50 tuition fee
was too much. I understand the
course is offered to help, but other
courses are there to help and are not
required. The University should at
least make the class worth a letter
grade if the requirement policy
stands. I would like to spend my
money in ways that can actually help
my grade point average.
Allison Walters
freshman
finance
' ‘ - via e-mail
Ticket trouble
Re: editorial entitled “Husker
support” (Jan. 22)
You’d better talk to the ticket
office about tickets to basketball
(and other) games. As season ticket
holders last year, another housemom
and myself got the notice to pur
chase tickets for the 1995-96
season. Because we are not here
during the semester break, we
decided to get single game tickets
for all the other games. I made three
trips to the office — early Septem
ber, November, December — each
time being told that we would have
to wait to see how many season
tickets were sold or would have to
take bench seats. In December, they
said they should know by the time
second semester started which
tickets were available. By telephone
Jan. 1,1 was told no good seats were
available and we would do just as
well buying them at the door.
Thanks a lot.
We were also season ticket
holders for football and volleyball,
only to be seated behind the referee
at center court for the final volley
ball tournament, instead of our
regular seats. Thanks again!
Mary Remus
house director
Gamma Phi Beta
Re-butt-al
It was to my astonishment that
Kristi Kohl (“Ab-or-tion,” Jan. 30)
James Mehsling/DN
countered the most fundamental of
pro-abortion arguments, and then
went on to argue for abortion. She
admitted that abortion suggests
“killing the innocent young life
inside (the woman).” The difference
between a born and unborn baby
then becomes a mere matter of
location. Does anyone out there
think the killing of a newborn infant
is permissible if its life presents an
inconvenience? That’s right, an
inconvenience. An unwanted
pregnancy is an inconvenience, most
often as a result of one’s own
irresponsible actions, just like all the
other problems we have to put up
with in life. In the case of rape or
incest, it’s one of the hardest
inconveniences I can think of, but it
was you, Ms. Kohl, who, a little
later in your article, referred to the
unborn baby as a “person”. A
person has a right to life. And, yes,
parenthood is demanding, but if a
young mother feels she’s not able to
handle it, there are waiting lists full
of names of families that will adopt
and care for that child as their own.
Darren Furasek
sophomore
electrical engineering
via e-mail
Send your brief letters to: Daily Nebraskan, 34 Ne
braska Union, 1400 “R” Street, Lincoln, NE 68588,
Fax to (402) 472-1761, or e-mail
<letters@unlinfo.unl.edu>. Letters must be signed
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