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Social Conservatives Blast Gambling Plans

Posted Mar 27, 2009 by William March

Updated Mar 27, 2009 at 11:02 AM

Several of the state’s leading social and religious conservative figures appeared in Tallahassee today to condemn plans for expanded gambling on Seminole reservations—a key component of the state Legislature’s desperation moves to balance the state budget.

Their anger focussed on a proposal in the state Senate to allow, in essence, full casino-style operations at Seminole reservations, and expanded use of gambling machines at parimutuels elsewhere in Florida, a plan projected to bring in about $1 billion a year in state revenue.

But opponents including Bill Bunkley of Tampa, a lobbyist for the Florida Baptist Convention, also opposed a House proposal for a state agreement with the Seminoles that would allow more limited expansion of gambling. They said the state shouldn’t agree to any compact with the tribe allowing expanded gambling.

At a news conference this morning, Bunkley spoke along with former House Speaker Marco Rubio; former House speaker and Senate majority leader Dan Webster; former state Rep. Dennis Baxley, now executive director of the Florida Christian Coalition; and Nathan Dunn of the Florida Family Action, a religious conservative political action group.

They said increased gambling would also lead to increased crime, problems with gambling addiction, and moral decay.

“Gambling is a tax on the poor and has consequences that have an even greater burden on taxpayers in the future,” said Webster.

Besides a hot potato in the Legislature, the issue could become yet another sticking point between Gov. Charlie Crist and conservative Repubilcans.

Crist, who opposed expanded gambling during his 2006 campaign for governor, has said he may be willing to accept the Senate plan in order to avoid massive state budget cuts.

Crist is considered likely to run for the U.S. Senate next year, and Rubio, a frequent critic of Crist, has opened an exploratory Senate campaign. He won’t say whether he would stay in the Senate and run against Crist in a primary.

“It’s an enormous problem” for Crist, said John Stemberger, head of the Florida Family group.

Asked how he would recommend the state solve its budget problems without gambling money, Stemberger said, “We’re in a difficult situation. ... But you have to weigh the choice of evils.” He said tax increases are “not desirable and not usually good policy, but when you weigh it against the moral cancer of gambling there’s really no comparison.”