Stan Lee: Casinos win, Kentucky loses with Jack Conway.

Here is a press release from Stan Lee, candidate for Attorney General:

The Operating Philosophy of Jack Conway:
Casinos Win, Kentucky Loses

Rep. Stan Lee, Republican candidate for Attorney General, today released the following statement:

The operating philosophy of Jack Conway seems to be pretty simply – casinos win, Kentucky loses.

On Friday, July 20, 2007, the Louisville Courier-Journal did a story on the “operating philosophy of the casino industry.” Simply put, they win, hardworking Kentuckians lose. In the article, the Courier-Journal examined the latest scandal at Caesars Indiana and how the “slot machines are rigged by design” and are “programmed to make the casino the overall winner.”

This “losing philosophy” extends beyond the doors of the casinos as communities with casinos note higher crime, more drugs, and increased rates of divorce and family violence. The operating philosophy of Jack Conway seems to be in line with the casino industry. On Thursday, July 19, 2007, Conway’s campaign manager, Mark Riddle, acknowledged Conway supports bringing casinos to every county across the Commonwealth. Apparently Jack Conway doesn’t see anything wrong with increased rates of murder, robbery, prostitution, and bankruptcy. That’s not the kind of rigged operating philosophy Kentucky needs from its top law enforcement officer.

With Jack Conway and the casino industry watching over our Commonwealth, we can expect the crime rates to soar. A recent study found that in every community in which casinos were introduced, the crime rates went through the roof. In fact, crime rates for casino communities are 84 percent higher than the national average.

For example, in 1996, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute conducted a study of the state's 17 casinos, and found that crime rates increased in all counties where casinos had been located. The crimes showing significant increases included murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault and burglary. The study also noted that local governments incurred nearly $51 million in additional costs to their criminal justice system for increased investigations, arrests, arraignments and imprisonments associated with gambling-related crimes.

Conway continues to turn a blind eye to studies that show sharp increases in crime are not limited to the towns where casinos are located. A study of casinos in Atlantic City found crime increases extending at least 30 miles into the surrounding communities.

If casinos come to town, make no mistake about it, the casinos will win, and the people of Kentucky will lose. This is the operating philosophy of the industry and apparently Jack Conway operates that way as well.