Forum for July 5, 2024: Gambling’s ills

The truth about gambling

I noted with consternation the caption under a photo of Andy and Laurie Sanborn in the front page article (“Sanborn gets extension to sell casino”; June 28) about their legal case involving their charitable gambling operation in Concord. The caption states that the couple opened Casino Concord because “they wanted to find a way to give back to the community.” I found nothing in the article that provides context to support this statement. In fact, every report on their business operation indicates fraudulent behavior designed solely to enrich themselves at the expense of their community. I note that the Valley News sourced this article from the New Hampshire Bulletin, but this does not excuse an implied editorial endorsement of their ethics and morality.

Gambling is a scourge on our society, which in many cases leads to an addiction that causes untold misery and wrecked lives. Others have pointed out the irony of the new gambling casino under construction on Miracle Mile, right next door to the Listen Center, the executive director of which has been convicted for embezzlement from this same worthy charitable organization because of his gambling addiction. It is bad enough that New Hampshire operates a state lottery, which some would argue is essentially a tax on poor people, but even worse that it allows gambling casinos to operate under the guise of supporting charities.

I would hope that the Valley News would work to expose the damage being done to the people of this state by gambling, and specifically that being done by this nefarious couple (one of whom is a member of the state legislature and until recently served on the Lottery Commission, in essence a fox guarding the henhouse), rather than attributing noble motives to their greed and corruption.

John Andrews

Lebanon

Time to try
something different

Several weeks ago I sent to the Forum a letter including this quote (which was omitted) “Albert Einstein is reportedly to have said, ‘If you want to have a good definition of insanity, do the same things over and over and expect a different result.’ ” The Forum editor, then framed my letter as a comparison of Netanyahu with Putin, which was not my intent at all. I do not think Netanyahu tracks people down, slips them plutonium, murders them, has people thrown off buildings, imprisons, tortures and murders political opponents among many other crimes. I do think he has a blind spot towards the Palestinian people, who he considers his sworn enemies. My letter was trying to point out the betterment for Israel and the world to feed, clothe and nurture the Palestinians so as to do things differently and pray for a different result.

On a related note, I have been trying for over 15 years to get Congress to pass the Child Security Act, starting a Roth-like IRA with $2,000 put in it for every newborn child in the U.S. Assuming 3.5 to 4 million births per year, the program would cost about $7-8 billion dollars a year, and the price would stay constant. The money would be put into any of the dozens of funds available to all federal workers. Until age 18, the funds would be divided equally between the C, I and G funds at which point the recipient could access all the funds available. No withdrawals until age 65. Assuming the normal doubling of the stock market every seven to eight years, each fund would have half a million dollars in it at maturity. Enfranchise every American. Pick a day when poverty ends. Do things differently.

Matt Cardillo

Sharon