This blog is dedicated to progressive and liberal thought. It also discusses new technology, how technology affects privacy and developments in Russia, China, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Rightardia fully supports the rights of workers to organize, the feminist movement, and all Americans regardless or ethnicity, sex or gender.It uses humor, satire and parody to expose conservative thought for what it truly is: BS! Rightardia contributes to the DNC, DCCC, DSCC and MoveOn.Org.
Florida lawmakers are considering a misguided plan pushed by out-of-state and foreign casino operators to open the state to Las Vegas-style mega-casinos. This ad shows why destination casinos are a bad bet for Florida.
The Miami Beach commissionaires said that gaming carries “severe and painful economic and social costs,” “promotes corruption of the governmental process,” and would “exacerbate traffic.”
People held various signs at the commissioners meeting such as "Art Basel Yes, CasiNO!" One sign said:
What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas.
Miami Beach Protest organizer, Amy Turkel, said bringing a casino to the area would cannibalize local business and bring an unwanted negative element to the town. Turkel added:
It will tear out the heart and soul of the community.
Gov. Rick Scott has been trying to push casino gambling on Floridians although it was twice voted down during state-wide plebiscites.
Although casino gambling may be "business friendly" it is certainly not "family friendly."
Pam Bondi, the State attorney general, and Adam Putman, the State Agricultural Commissioner, do not support the governor's agenda for casino gambling.
TALLAHASSEE.—Attorney General Pam Bondi is opposed to the expansion of gambling in Florida. She said
“I believe that authorizing mega-casinos would take our state in a fundamentally wrong direction. We need less gambling in our state, not more.
As a former prosecutor, I share the concerns of law enforcement that authorizing mega casinos will lead to increased crime. I cannot stand by and watch the groundwork being laid for casinos to exist throughout our state. Specifically, I’ve spoken with law enforcement officers who have confirmed that casinos are a magnet for money laundering.
It’s been suggested that allowing mega casinos in South Florida is the best way to ensure that there is no further expansion of gambling. But that argument reminds me of the sales pitch for the Seminole Compact just a few years ago. We were told that giving the Seminoles exclusive rights to casino gambling would be so lucrative for Florida that there would be no more expansion of gambling. Yet here we are, only a short time later, being asked to go along with yet another massive expansion.
Allowing mega casinos in South Florida will only serve to justify the next push for even more gambling in other parts of Florida.
Under the terms of Florida’s compact with the Seminoles, authorizing mega-casinos in South Florida would give the Seminoles the legal right to convert the Tampa Hard Rock into a full-blown, Vegas-style casino.
I thank Commissioner Adam Putnam, State Attorney Brad King, and Steve Casey of the Florida Sheriff’s Association for standing alongside me in opposition to the expansion of gambling.
I think about the promise of Florida and about what kind of state my niece and my nephews will grow up in. As we move forward, I hope we can all work together to grow our economy and create jobs the right way.”
Rightardia applauds the Attorney General. The FL attorney General, Chief Financial officer (CFO) and the Agricultural Commissioner are elected officials who don't work directly for Gov. Rick Scott.
Certainly building more casinos would provide short term benefits to the construction and perhaps the travel industry. But in the long term gambling increases crime and has a long term negative effect on Florida families.
There have been two plebiscites on this issue and Floridians said "no." Gov. Scott needs to read the voter's lips. Rick Scot is puttting "business friendly" before "family values."
Seminole Tribe of Florida Tribal Chairman James Billie stated his tribe will:
vigorously fight against any attack on our Compact with the state.
The Seminoles wiil fight any attempt to bring resort casinos to Florida.
Rightardia agrees with Chief Biilie. The Republicans have tried to get the FL Constitution changed on two or three occasion starting in the 1970s. The last gambling ballot effort that was defeated in 1994-95.
Why can't Rick Scott read the voter's lips? Perhaps if he had lived in Florida longer he would understand voter sentiments about gambling better. Gambling is a real family values' issue.
Florida families and seniors don't need the gambling vice. Florida gambling is a constitutional issue.
Also to borrow a page from the Republican Party, why does Rick Scott hate the Seminole Indians?
Casinos are not a solution to Florida's economic ills
North America -- the United States and Canada -- is being turned into one huge casino, where politicians receive kickbacks from criminal syndicates and illegal business deals involving American and Canadian companies.
The secretive deals involve defense contractors that are intent on exporting jobs and sensitive rare earth mineral defense technology overseas and are laundering foreign pay-offs to U.S. and Canadian firms through North American gambling operations with impunity.
That's the take by a former top-level Republican Party source who has witnessed the backroom deals personally.
The "casino-ization" of North America involves top politicians in Alabama, including former Republican Governor Bob Riley, a rumored 2012 presidential candidate.
The Casino conspiracy involves Riley's son Rob's business operations; leaders in British Columbia and the city of Vancouver; Texas oil interests; and casinos in Macau in which the family of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping has a major stake.
FL grifter-governor Rick Scott may be involved,too. Scott said he is open to allowing Las Vegas-style casino resorts in Florida.
This would open the door for promoters to move swiftly ahead with legislation this year that would end the decades-old ban on the high stakes games.
However, Floridians voted down casinos in past plebiscites and the only casinos in Florida are on native American reservations or proeprty owned by native American tribes.
The Florida Senate is voting on a proposal that could bring "destination casinos'' to Miami Beach, Tampa and possibly three other locations.
The term "destination casinos'' refers to the high-end casinos being built around the globe that feature entertainment, retail malls and convention space in addition to gaming tables and gear.
A British deputy consul in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg has been sacked after he was secretly filmed having sex with two prostitutes.
The explicit video, which was believed to have been shot in a brothel, was posted on a local news website. The footage apparently shows drunk James Hudson romping with two prostitutes.
The British Foreign Office (FCO) confirmed the departure of Hudson, who was the deputy consul general in the city. However, they refused to comment on whether it is indeed their man in Yekaterinburg who is in the video.
The FCO spokesman said the organization “expects all its staff to demonstrate high levels of personal and professional integrity and takes all allegations of inappropriate behavior seriously.'"
Yekaterinburg media also accused Hudson of gambling and drug abuse during office hours.
Meanwhile, instead of criticizing the diplomat for his indecent behavior, the British papers have pointed a finger at Russia.
''A security source said Russia's FSB intelligence service, the modern KGB, may have carried out the sting to embarrass Britain,” wrote The Sun. "Russian intelligence has a long history of making sex films and taking compromising photos to control people or further its aims.''
According to The Telegraph, ''Hudson, 37, resigned from his posting to the Urals over the video, which is thought to have been secretly shot by Russian spies. ''
Mail Online News wrote: "Security sources believe Hudson has been caught in a classic sting by Russia's notorious FSB intelligence service."
Meanwhile, Dmitry Babich, a reporter at Russia’s RIA news agency, is “not sure this affair has a political character.”
“Actually, we’ve learned about it from British tabloids. If FSB and Russian authorities in general had wanted to make it a scandal, we would have learned about it from Russian television and it would be given a very high profile,” he said.
Hudson, a divorced father of one, joined the Foreign Office some 15 years ago. He has been posted to Sarajevo, Havana and Budapest. But being caught with his trousers down on film has meant his last posting on active service, not least to Her Majesty, was probably in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.
