Touchplay By Any Other Name is Still the Same
Nathan Greene
5 Comments
By Emily Geiger
Let’s make up a conspiracy theory. 
Ah... the memories
Suppose there were people who wanted to bring back Touchplay-like gambling to Iowa. Suppose these people included state legislators who miss that gambling revenue and want to find a way to take more money from some poor suckers who can barely afford their mortgage, food for their kids, and cigarettes for themselves (thanks to that pesky tobacco tax).
Oh yes, cigarettes. Those are another problem for these hypothetical state legislators. You see, despite the fact that the smoking ban is hugely popular with the general public, there is a vocal minority throwing a hissy fit over the smoking ban. After all, if you’re going to a bar to kill your liver, you might as well damage your lungs as well.
How on earth can we fix these two problems? How can we get back some of that gambling revenue and placate those loud-mouth idiot bar owners at the same time?
Eureka! I’ve got it.
How about we bring back Touchplay under the guise that it is necessary to help out these poor bar owners who say they are losing money (even though the vast majority aren’t) because of the smoking ban?!? What a great idea!!!
Oh wait, this isn’t a hypothetical situation, this is exactly what Rep. Brian Quirk (D-New Hampton) and his cohorts are trying to do. How sweet that these guys can’t help but prey on people’s addiction for their own financial gain!
I thought we had learned our lesson about gambling on every corner in this state. Apparently not. I know, I know, they say this will only be in “adult establishments.” Isn’t that exactly how Touchplay started?
And what better way to fuel the economy in this time of economic crisis than to promote gambling.
Oh wait, I forgot. Gambling only fuels bankruptcies… silly me.
Reader Comments (5)
Hurray for you! I have sent this to my local legislature suggesting it needed to be read by every legislature and to my Pastor suggesting it needs to be read by every Pastor.
While I don't necessarily oppose gambling as a choice of options for people, I highly object to governments betting on and hoping for the financial ruin of their citizens to fuel their budgets.
It's only a short term solution to getting money. If it works,the citizen goes broke. Then they need social services and welfare and bailouts and handouts and all kinds of tax payor funded assistance to survive.
How will the government, who took everything from that person thru gambling be able to give that person everything back through welfare?
Welfare is funded through tax payments of citizens. If the citizens are broke, where do they get their taxes to fund their bloated budgets then?
It's like the government has become termites and are slowly eating up the "solid wood" that is their citizens.
I dont know, No one is putting a gun to there head to play. Who says that these people arent just going to go online and gamble, or to a bookie
The point is to not dangle the object of their obcession in front of people everywhere they turn. Can they still get their fix if they really go looking for it? Sure. But why make it easier for them, especially considering the cost to us when we have to make up for when they go on welfare and file bankrupcty.
Jeremie - who hosts a webpage dedicated to republicans for obama, Jim Leaches group of leaches - doesn't get the point at all, which is likely why he is supporting Obama. Leach never got it either.
Yes, people will gamble. I don't really care what people do with their money, but, I don't think the Government should be the gambler and depend on their citizens bad luck and ultimate bankruptcy to fund schools and public safety.
It's kind of like leaching on them - sucking all their blood til they die. Then, how will schools and public safety be funded?