Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site rocksvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rochester!rocksvax!sam From: sam@rocksvax.UUCP (Sam Houston) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Legal Sin in New York State? Message-ID: <1201@rocksvax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 17-Jan-84 17:41:18 EST Article-I.D.: rocksvax.1201 Posted: Tue Jan 17 17:41:18 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 19-Jan-84 01:27:12 EST Organization: Xerox, Rochester, N.Y. Lines: 276 Am I finally showing my age? Have I become a real live conservative? Is it middle age crisis? Should it just be ignored?-------------- The government of the State of New York is presently: # Running horse track betting parlors which go by the name of "OTB" (off track betting) # Running a massive state-wide numbers game that is enthusiastically supported and reported # Presently proposing a new State-run sports betting enterprise __________________ Up until recently I guess I just accepted these things as a way for the State to raise revenues (by taking a cut) and make the whole thing somewhat more interesting than paying increased income or sales taxes. But, these very same activities if indulged in by the private sector are considered CRIMES. Ok, so what's criminal or immoral is only relative to the time and place; but in this time and place betting and numbers are considered by the NY penal code to be criminal. Why should the State be allowed to support such activities? Does the end justify the means for the State? Well, I don't like the whole thing anymore. I think it smacks of State-supported (and run) immorality. I think it is basically a non-productive activity that only spreads the money of those who participate to those who don't and to the state bureaucrats who administer the system. I think it is a degenerate activity for a government to be in. Why, in a few years I expect to see: @ Full service State run casinos. @ State run recreational drug suppliers. @ State run brothels. They'd all be raising money for good causes--education, public health, social services, public works, etc. By golly, then we'd really be the Empire State. ---------------- Are other states doing this kind of stuff under the guise of revenue raising? It's not that I don't personally like to gamble, just that it seems so totally illogical for a state to promote such activity, and then claim its illegal unless you do it their way. Please, somebody--convince me that it's ok. That those fine representatives in my state capitol have only our best interests at heart. That somebody has done a study that shows state-run viceing to be a much more efficient revenue raiser than plain old taxation. That my moral viewpoints are hopelessly warped. That everybody's doing it, so what the heck.... non compos mentis in New York, sam Subject: Legal Sin in New York State? Newsgroups: net.flame Am I finally showing my age? Have I become a real live conservative? Is it middle age crisis? Should it just be ignored?-------------- The government of the State of New York is presently: # Running horse track betting parlors which go by the name of "OTB" (off track betting) # Running a massive state-wide numbers game that is enthusiastically supported and reported # Presently proposing a new State-run sports betting enterprise __________________ Up until recently I guess I just accepted these things as a way for the State to raise revenues (by taking a cut) and make the whole thing somewhat more interesting than paying increased income or sales taxes. But, these very same activities if indulged in by the private sector are considered CRIMES. Ok, so what's criminal or immoral is only relative to the time and place; but in this time and place betting and numbers are considered by the NY penal code to be criminal. Why should the State be allowed to support such activities? Does the end justify the means for the State? Well, I don't like the whole thing anymore. I think it smacks of State-supported (and run) immorality. I think it is basically a non-productive activity that only spreads the money of those who participate to those who don't and to the state bureaucrats who administer the system. I think it is a degenerate activity for a government to be in. Why, in a few years I expect to see: @ Full service State run casinos. @ State run recreational drug suppliers. @ State run brothels. They'd all be raising money for good causes--education, public health, social services, public works, etc. By golly, then we'd really be the Empire State. ---------------- Are other states doing this kind of stuff under the guise of revenue raising? It's not that I don't personally like to gamble, just that it seems so totally illogical for a state to promote such activity, and then claim its illegal unless you do it their way. Please, somebody--convince me that it's ok. That those fine representatives in my state capitol have only our best interests at heart. That somebody has done a study that shows state-run viceing to be a much more efficient revenue raiser than plain old taxation. That my moral viewpoints are hopelessly warped. That everybody's doing it, so what the heck.... non compos mentis in New York, sam Subject: Legal Sin in New York State? Newsgroups: net.flame Am I finally showing my age? Have I become a real live conservative? Is it middle age crisis? Should it just be ignored?-------------- The government of the State of New York is presently: # Running horse track betting parlors which go by the name of "OTB" (off track betting) # Running a massive state-wide numbers game that is enthusiastically supported and reported # Presently proposing a new State-run sports betting enterprise __________________ Up until recently I guess I just accepted these things as a way for the State to raise revenues (by taking a cut) and make the whole thing somewhat more interesting than paying increased income or sales taxes. But, these very same activities if indulged in by the private sector are considered CRIMES. Ok, so what's criminal or immoral is only relative to the time and place; but in this time and place betting and numbers are considered by the NY penal code to be criminal. Why should the State be allowed to support such activities? Does the end justify the means for the State? Well, I don't like the whole thing anymore. I think it smacks of State-supported (and run) immorality. I think it is basically a non-productive activity that only spreads the money of those who participate to those who don't and to the state bureaucrats who administer the system. I think it is a degenerate activity for a government to be in. Why, in a few years I expect to see: @ Full service State run casinos. @ State run recreational drug suppliers. @ State run brothels. They'd all be raising money for good causes--education, public health, social services, public works, etc. By golly, then we'd really be the Empire State. ---------------- Are other states doing this kind of stuff under the guise of revenue raising? It's not that I don't personally like to gamble, just that it seems so totally illogical for a state to promote such activity, and then claim its illegal unless you do it their way. Please, somebody--convince me that it's ok. That those fine representatives in my state capitol have only our best interests at heart. That somebody has done a study that shows state-run viceing to be a much more efficient revenue raiser than plain old taxation. That my moral viewpoints are hopelessly warped. That everybody's doing it, so what the heck.... non compos mentis in New York, sam Subject: Legal Sin in New York State? Newsgroups: net.flame Am I finally showing my age? Have I become a real live conservative? Is it middle age crisis? Should it just be ignored?-------------- The government of the State of New York is presently: # Running horse track betting parlors which go by the name of "OTB" (off track betting) # Running a massive state-wide numbers game that is enthusiastically supported and reported # Presently proposing a new State-run sports betting enterprise __________________ Up until recently I guess I just accepted these things as a way for the State to raise revenues (by taking a cut) and make the whole thing somewhat more interesting than paying increased income or sales taxes. But, these very same activities if indulged in by the private sector are considered CRIMES. Ok, so what's criminal or immoral is only relative to the time and place; but in this time and place betting and numbers are considered by the NY penal code to be criminal. Why should the State be allowed to support such activities? Does the end justify the means for the State? Well, I don't like the whole thing anymore. I think it smacks of State-supported (and run) immorality. I think it is basically a non-productive activity that only spreads the money of those who participate to those who don't and to the state bureaucrats who administer the system. I think it is a degenerate activity for a government to be in. Why, in a few years I expect to see: @ Full service State run casinos. @ State run recreational drug suppliers. @ State run brothels. They'd all be raising money for good causes--education, public health, social services, public works, etc. By golly, then we'd really be the Empire State. ---------------- Are other states doing this kind of stuff under the guise of revenue raising? It's not that I don't personally like to gamble, just that it seems so totally illogical for a state to promote such activity, and then claim its illegal unless you do it their way. Please, somebody--convince me that it's ok. That those fine representatives in my state capitol have only our best interests at heart. That somebody has done a study that shows state-run viceing to be a much more efficient revenue raiser than plain old taxation. That my moral viewpoints are hopelessly warped. That everybody's doing it, so what the heck.... non compos mentis in New York, sam