Thursday, September 15, 2005

The Horror, The Horror

The City Council has another boffo idea -- the City of Pittsburgh should actually own a casino (slots license, technically speaking).

Didn't anyone in their elementary schools teach these people not to run with scissors? Seriously: this is perhaps the most foolish idea to come out of Downtown in many ages. The City would sign a deal with a casino operator to front the license fee ($50-odd million) and manage the business. Presumably any sane operator would require that the City guarantee the fee. Presumably the operator would take the first $50-odd million in operating profits to recoup the fee. And if there were no profits, the City would end up with a $50-odd million dollar bill. As well as no tax revenues. And this is a win for the City precisely . . . how?

It's even more foolish than taking another bite at the Downtown redevelopment apple.

Even more foolish than the Chief of Pittsburgh's police saying "trust us" when asked to disclose department policy on Taser use.

It's enough, even, to make a soul pessimistic about Pittsburgh's future.

When in doubt, then, there's only one cure: Go Steelers!

There. I'm smiling again.

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