Kansas City Counts on Gambling for Parking, Art, Self-Esteem

Gambling revenue is to government what masturbation is to single 20-somethings — just a reliable thing to fall back on in case you can’t find a date one night or have trouble funding a parking garage. The Kansas City Star has an article on the latter here, which you will agree with me should be a nominee for "most boring headline ever."

I loathe the gambling industry. I know that is not very libertarian of me, but I never claimed to be a strict libertarian. Casinos (outside of Vegas) are the most depressing places on earth, next to refugee camps. I like gambling the old-fashioned way — the type that involves point spreads and neighborhood poker, and, until recently, was controlled by the mob. Call me sentimental.

The gaming industry likes to pay money to the government. I know that sounds weird, but they are to government what a dealer is to an addict. Government gets dependent on gaming, and then every time government needs more money, gaming gets to expand and kick back repay some of its new profits in taxes or fees. We have bills to remove Missouri’s loss limits filed every year, which is nothing more than a way for government to get more revenue to expend and waste.

What does this have to do with a parking garage?

The city could use general revenues or convention and tourism revenues, but Landes said both of those options would limit the city’s ability to provide other services. Landes and Budget Officer Troy Schulte also rejected any notion of a tax increase for the garage. Instead, they prefer to use gambling revenues.

Let’s just have the boats pay for it! Aren’t we smart! Saint Louis City and County are no different, expanding gaming as a quick and easy fix for a budget, with the typical government belief that everything government does is so important, it must be maintained perpetually. Eventually, though, it comes back to bite you.