In these troubled economic times, using casinos to generate state revenue makes about as much sense as making a cash deposit during a bank robbery (“Casino crowd,” Journal-World, Dec 28). Granted, there may be some short-term profits (the same arguments made when the lottery was established), but this form of economic redistribution only serves to further the divide between the haves and the have-nots, and does nothing to re-establish the agro-industrial-intellectual base of the state.

At a deeper level, what does state-sponsored gambling say about us as Kansans? Even with hard work and persistent effort, has the American dream become so remote and incredulous that citizens must now rely upon luck and good fortune to realize their hopes? Should the state be an accessory in pandering to these simple-minded scams? Don’t want to sound too apocalyptic, but if the state is indeed the soul writ large, then we Kansans continue to walk confidently down the yellow-brick road toward, if not perdition, than at least greater poverty.