Ohio Casino Cheating

[DaBurglar]

It seems that casinos in OHIO are experiencing a lot of trouble over the last 6 months of 2014.......consider:http://www.hometownstations.com/story/2 ... riseAnyone who plays in OHIO have any thoughts on this article/video?????

[olds442jetaway]

My thoughts on this and crime in general probably stray quite a bit from the norm. I long have wished for a national lottery to build and staff more prisons. Put them in the middle of nowhere. I don't really care. If 20 percent of the US population ends up there so be it. At least they wouldn't get out to continue thier crime sprees and have rap sheets as long as a roll of toilet paper. It also would create jobs in construction, staffing, probably medical, etc. etc. I know this will never happen, but those are my thoughts anyway.

[DaBurglar]

My thoughts on this and crime in general probably stray quite a bit from the norm. I long have wished for a national lottery to build and staff more prisons. Put them in the middle of nowhere. I don't really care. If 20 percent of the US population ends up there so be it. At least they wouldn't get out to continue thier crime sprees and have rap sheets as long as a roll of toilet paper. It also would create jobs in construction, staffing, probably medical, etc. etc. I know this will never happen, but those are my thoughts anyway.Haha  good post, very interesting and "out of the box" thinking olds......but you are correct, it probably never will happen, unless our society "wakes up" and the typical right wing, back to the 50s, leave-it-to-beaver Republican mindset gets replaced with a more centrist, non partisan mindset which seeks to actually SOLVE problems instead of making the 1% richer.America's war on crime (and Drugs and Poverty) is a farce......it is simply designed to perpetuate the semi-police state in which we live......Prisons, incarceration and criminal justice  is BIG BUSINESS in this country;   It is actually a "growth industry" in and of itself, the business of running prisons.....think about it:   It employs huge numbers of people and has hundreds of  "niche" markets and industries directly tied to it (Think of everything that goes into making a prison run, starting with the actual BUILDING itself and all that is housed with in, all the jobs within it and all the people employed in those jobs.!!!)   Once you take all that into consideration, you will start to see WHY in many states people are locked up and imprisoned for simply having a baggie of Marijuana......likewise the "three strikes" laws also take on new light when you understand just how important the "Prison Industry" is to many state and local economies.....Three strikes, while ostensibly designed to keep (or deter) the so-called "Hardened criminals" off the street, in fact deters NO one but instead keeps the prisons of this country within many states (like California) bursting to capacity......Oh, its a colossal mess indeed, and one which, as our government(s) sink further and further into insolvency, will take on added urgency and importance in years to come.Now, in the context of the original video about Ohio and its incidents of casino cheating by people, and the prosecution thereof, is it not (tragically) ironic that casinos were allowed by states (like OHIO) to increase Tax revenue to allow the states to address public problems and issues (like crime.)   And here we have the very casinos now putting a strain on the states by fostering criminal behavior that requires the state to expend additional resources (i.e.  LAW ENFORCEMENT, court time and prosecutors, just to name some of it) to fight and deal with it....???    What is wrong with this picture???

[notes1]

DB, i have agreed with many of your posts, but you are way out of line here. just because someone wants to be safe, someone feels criminals should be put away and not harm anyone else, hardly makes them 'right wing'. where have all the social programs, that were going to 'solve' the problem gotten us. billions spent on the war on poverty, yet poverty still exists. even more biliions spent on education, yet the drop out rate has never been higher.  i am no proponent of big government, but i do believe governments primary role should be to protect us.  maybe going back a little bit to those 50's days, where folks took responsibility for their actions, worked out their problems with the help of family/churches, would not be such a bad idea.  capitalism has gotten more people out of poverty than any social program. not my quote, but i believe it, 'opportunity is equal for all, the outcome is up to you".

[DaBurglar]

DB, i have agreed with many of your posts, but you are way out of line here. just because someone wants to be safe, someone feels criminals should be put away and not harm anyone else, hardly makes them 'right wing'. where have all the social programs, that were going to 'solve' the problem gotten us. billions spent on the war on poverty, yet poverty still exists. even more biliions spent on education, yet the drop out rate has never been higher.  i am no proponent of big government, but i do believe governments primary role should be to protect us.  maybe going back a little bit to those 50's days, where folks took responsibility for their actions, worked out their problems with the help of family/churches, would not be such a bad idea.  capitalism has gotten more people out of poverty than any social program. not my quote, but i believe it, 'opportunity is equal for all, the outcome is up to you".I respect your statement here and even agree with a lot of it......I did not fully elaborate on "ALL aspects" of this issue in my previous post which you cited, only because this is hardly the forum or the place.......these issues are extremely complex and have DEEP DEEP roots in many aspects of society.I merely mentioned the "Right wing" simply because it is typically the right who advocate "More Prisons, more bars, more walls, more guards" instead of solving the systemic causes of crime within our society.......YOU are correct when you point out that we have spent untold amounts of money supposedly addressing issues like poverty and crime and illiteracy and especially drug abuse.....but my answer to that is a lot of the money we have "Allegedly" sunk on these issues has instead been wasted and frittered away through a whole smorgasboard of wasteful efforts, fraud, abuse and dishonest government legislatures and officials.One need only look at the so-called  WAR on drugs to see the utter futility and hopelessness (and waste) going on.......and while I agree with you 100% real criminals should be locked away, our jails are full of NON-violent drug offenders (it is true, look it up, I have seen figures ranging as much as 50-60% of all inmates in state and federal prisons are there for NON-violent drug offenses, mostly simple possession for personal use or addiction.......surely you agree our prison resources and money are better spent putting true blue criminals away and not people who want to smoke pot but happen to live in a state where that is still illegal in this day and age??)Sidenote:  this is what I am talking about, this type of debate.....notes1 is able to express his point of view clearly, soundly and with respect....he disagrees with at least some of what I wrote, and that is cool;   notice that I, in response, have NOT attacked him or called him names, I simply have engaged and furthered the debate and elaborated on my own point of view.......Let's hear from others, if they feel so inclined!!!

[notes1]

in your posts, YOU use words such as 'wasted', 'frittered away', 'abuse', 'wasteful efforts' to describe some government spending. that is the exact postion of many 'right wing' folks and fiscal conservatives, such as myself.  you are certainly entitled to your opinions, but, i have grown weary of the class warfare and generalizations that were used. i am not advocating political correctness, simply accuracy.

[DaBurglar]

in your posts, YOU use words such as 'wasted', 'frittered away', 'abuse', 'wasteful efforts' to describe some government spending. that is the exact postion of many 'right wing' folks and fiscal conservatives, such as myself.  you are certainly entitled to your opinions, but, i have grown weary of the class warfare and generalizations that were used. i am not advocating political correctness, simply accuracy.I use wasteful and fraud and abuse as part of my argument because they are TRUE......I am neither right wing nor left wing.......I am truly in the center because I feel that is where the real honest SOLUTIONS to problems exist.We are way off  topic here........to bring it BACk to "CASINOS and the CAsino Industry", let me throw this out:The "class warfare" that you allude to in your post is easily identified with the Casino Industry:    The CONCENTRATION of wealth that is now a hard and true reality whereby the richest 1% control more and more (up to 65-70% in many studies) of the TOTAL wealth is  extremely unhealthy, unfair  and  UNSUSTAINABLE.     You cannot deny this, and it is businesses like CASINOS, which suck in MORE and MORE wealth from surrounding communities and keep it in the hands of a relative few.    True, casinos employ THOUSANDS and support SOME local business, but it is not nearly enough to offset the wealth it concentrates in the hands of people like STeve Wynn, of especially Sheldon Adelson.      Casinos SHOULD have been limited to Vegas and the state of Nevada....the results of casinos operating in communities all across the country are OBVIOUS and tragic.     They have NOT delivered on the promise of prosperity for the greater comminity at large.    and even in the case of the actual EMPLOYEES of casinos, who seemingly benefitted back in the 1990s when casinos were sprouting like fungus, they are now being laid off or are realizing that their chances for growth in terms of their career or income are GONE (i.e. they are STUCK in dead end jobs and companies, and unless they want to move to Macau, and SOON, they will not GROW at all anymore with companies like CET or MGM....)

[royal flush]

no one forces you to play

[WVRadar]

True, casinos employ THOUSANDS and support SOME local business, but it is not nearly enough to offset the wealth it concentrates in the hands of people like STeve Wynn, of especially Sheldon Adelson.      Casinos SHOULD have been limited to Vegas and the state of Nevada....the results of casinos operating in communities all across the country are OBVIOUS and tragic.     They have NOT delivered on the promise of prosperity for the greater comminity at large.    and even in the case of the actual EMPLOYEES of casinos, who seemingly benefitted back in the 1990s when casinos were sprouting like fungus, they are now being laid off or are realizing that their chances for growth in terms of their career or income are GONE (i.e. they are STUCK in dead end jobs and companies, and unless they want to move to Macau, and SOON, they will not GROW at all anymore with companies like CET or MGM....)

I have to disagree with your statement about casinos and the greater community. We now have 3 casinos within 30 miles of my home and the taxes they provide for the communities have helped. While it is true that employees are being laid off, I believe they would have left my state (West Virginia) long ago if it hadn't been for the jobs provided by the casinos. I've also seen many retirees supplementing their income with jobs in the casino. While the employees may be stuck in dead end jobs, at least they are able to stay in our area instead of moving (as both of my kids have done). To illustrate the seriousness of the job loss in our community...I retired from a steel mill after 38 years service two years ago...at that time there were slightly over 800 employees. When I started there in 1974 Weirton Steel was the largest employer in the state of West Virginia with over 13,000 employees. Even in the early 80's when steel was being crushed by imports and the company fell on dire straits, the mill was purchased by the employees and became the largest employee owned company in the nation. I can't remember exactly, but I think there were still around 10,000 employees then. For many factors, Weirton Steel did file bankruptcy in 2004 and has changed hands twice, but has never completely shut down. They are now operated by the largest steel company in the world, Arcelor Mittal, which is owned by a family in India.

As for limiting the casinos to Las Vegas I totally disagree. My wife and I would have been deprived of many hours of entertainment if not for the local casinos. We also like to attend minor league baseball games, and we like nothing better than hitting the casino in the morning then taking in a game at night. We plan to do this a lot more as our favorite baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates have minor league teams that travel to cities such as Akron, Columbus and Toledo, Ohio; Erie, Harrisburg and Wilkes Barre, PA, all with casinos nearby.

[DaBurglar]

I have to disagree with your statement about casinos and the greater community. We now have 3 casinos within 30 miles of my home and the taxes they provide for the communities have helped. While it is true that employees are being laid off, I believe they would have left my state (West Virginia) long ago if it hadn't been for the jobs provided by the casinos. I've also seen many retirees supplementing their income with jobs in the casino. While the employees may be stuck in dead end jobs, at least they are able to stay in our area instead of moving (as both of my kids have done). To illustrate the seriousness of the job loss in our community...I retired from a steel mill after 38 years service two years ago...at that time there were slightly over 800 employees. When I started there in 1974 Weirton Steel was the largest employer in the state of West Virginia with over 13,000 employees. Even in the early 80's when steel was being crushed by imports and the company fell on dire straits, the mill was purchased by the employees and became the largest employee owned company in the nation. I can't remember exactly, but I think there were still around 10,000 employees then. For many factors, Weirton Steel did file bankruptcy in 2004 and has changed hands twice, but has never completely shut down. They are now operated by the largest steel company in the world, Arcelor Mittal, which is owned by a family in India.

As for limiting the casinos to Las Vegas I totally disagree. My wife and I would have been deprived of many hours of entertainment if not for the local casinos. We also like to attend minor league baseball games, and we like nothing better than hitting the casino in the morning then taking in a game at night. We plan to do this a lot more as our favorite baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates have minor league teams that travel to cities such as Akron, Columbus and Toledo, Ohio; Erie, Harrisburg and Wilkes Barre, PA, all with casinos nearby. excellent well written and thought out post.......you raised some issues that I did not address, and the fact that you actually LIVE in west virginia and have experienced and seen all that you have gives your viewpoint added strength and credence.The issue as a whole is a lot more complex obviously than I described.....your community could actually be one of the LUCKY ones (no pun intended) in that the casinos you have in your area actually do ADD more than they take away, when ALL things are considered.    But I would still like to know HOW long you have had the casinos open in your area, and I would advise that, if it has only been a few years, give it some more time to wait and see what shakes out.....But egad....the STEEL industry!   My hats off to you and your company's survival.....the history of the steel industry in the USA is both a tale of GREATNESS and National Pride, and also a tale of WOE and how TECHNOLOGY and many so-called advances in efficiency actually DESTROYS jobs!     That is actually part of this whole equation and situation of wealth concentration and the disappearance of the Middle class.....advances in computer and automation have literally caused millions of JOBS to "vanish" while concentrating vast wealth into a a few hands......