Like Clockwork, Lexington Herald Leader Chimes In With Louisville Courier Journal On David William's Gambling.
Williams: Full disclosure about gambling needed
12:00am on Apr 6, 2011; Modified: 1:49am on Apr 6, 2011
Kentucky voters have a legitimate interest in knowing about Senate President David Williams' history as a gambler and his relationship with the companies that operate casinos.
Williams, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, should lay out the details of when and where he has gambled and how much he has won and lost.
The only definite information the public has comes from records of Williams' 2003 divorce, reported last week by the Herald-Leader's Bill Estep.
Gambling losses are reported to the Internal Revenue Service only when they are used to offset taxable winnings. From 1999 to 2001, Williams reported gambling losses of $36,147, according to a document in his divorce case in Cumberland County.
Most Kentuckians would probably consider that a notable amount of gambling, and some might take it into consideration when casting their votes.
What makes Williams' history with casinos even more significant is the high profile the question of expanding gambling has had in policy debates in Frankfort over the past 15 years.
Gov. Steve Beshear ran four years ago on a promise to support some form of casino gambling in Kentucky as a way to help the Thoroughbred industry compete with casino-fueled subsidies in other states and improve state government's finances.
As Senate president, Williams has played a major role in blocking efforts to expand gambling in the state. Williams has argued that electronic slots and casinos are a poor form of economic development that exploit bettors, encourage corruption and would ultimately harm Kentucky's signature horse industry.
Williams has long acknowledged that he has frequented racetracks and casinos, although he said it has been several years since he has gambled at a casino.
There has been speculation that he might have ulterior motives for his opposition to expanding gambling in Kentucky, stemming from his dealings with out-of-state casinos that want to stop new competition from opening in Kentucky.
Now that he's running for governor, Williams should address that speculation head on.
He should answer questions and release his income tax returns going back into the 1990s. At the very least he should release the portions of his tax returns that deal with gambling. He also should release the documentation of his losses, which would include information about where and when he was gambling.
And he should disclose whether he has received preferential treatment from casinos, including lodging, meals or other perks.
These are legitimate questions that will dog Williams should he win the Republican nomination. The sooner he gets them out of the way, the better.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/06/1698270/williams-full-disclosure-about.html#ixzz1IjGZIADB
12:00am on Apr 6, 2011; Modified: 1:49am on Apr 6, 2011
Kentucky voters have a legitimate interest in knowing about Senate President David Williams' history as a gambler and his relationship with the companies that operate casinos.
Williams, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, should lay out the details of when and where he has gambled and how much he has won and lost.
The only definite information the public has comes from records of Williams' 2003 divorce, reported last week by the Herald-Leader's Bill Estep.
Gambling losses are reported to the Internal Revenue Service only when they are used to offset taxable winnings. From 1999 to 2001, Williams reported gambling losses of $36,147, according to a document in his divorce case in Cumberland County.
Most Kentuckians would probably consider that a notable amount of gambling, and some might take it into consideration when casting their votes.
What makes Williams' history with casinos even more significant is the high profile the question of expanding gambling has had in policy debates in Frankfort over the past 15 years.
Gov. Steve Beshear ran four years ago on a promise to support some form of casino gambling in Kentucky as a way to help the Thoroughbred industry compete with casino-fueled subsidies in other states and improve state government's finances.
As Senate president, Williams has played a major role in blocking efforts to expand gambling in the state. Williams has argued that electronic slots and casinos are a poor form of economic development that exploit bettors, encourage corruption and would ultimately harm Kentucky's signature horse industry.
Williams has long acknowledged that he has frequented racetracks and casinos, although he said it has been several years since he has gambled at a casino.
There has been speculation that he might have ulterior motives for his opposition to expanding gambling in Kentucky, stemming from his dealings with out-of-state casinos that want to stop new competition from opening in Kentucky.
Now that he's running for governor, Williams should address that speculation head on.
He should answer questions and release his income tax returns going back into the 1990s. At the very least he should release the portions of his tax returns that deal with gambling. He also should release the documentation of his losses, which would include information about where and when he was gambling.
And he should disclose whether he has received preferential treatment from casinos, including lodging, meals or other perks.
These are legitimate questions that will dog Williams should he win the Republican nomination. The sooner he gets them out of the way, the better.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/04/06/1698270/williams-full-disclosure-about.html#ixzz1IjGZIADB
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 3:18 AM
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