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Your stand on betting is wrong
The bill under consideration by the state that would legalize video poker in bars is the "College Tuition Relief Program." Under this program, every family in Pennsylvania with an income of $100,000 or less would receive assistance from the state toward their children's college tuition. Some families would pay as little as $1,000 a year in tuition costs, books included.
There are 17,000 liquor licenses in the state that would be eligible for machines. The money earned by these bars would mean additional employment in their communities; unlike the 80 percent the casinos make in profits that go to the already rich corporations, some of which are soon to be owned by foreign corporations (such as The Meadows).
Get your head out of the sand and support the bill, and find out the facts before you send more business to the big casinos that are already very profitable, and support the bar owners who are hurting during the economic crisis, and the families of Pennsylvania who could use the help in sending their children to college.
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Canonsburg
Advice to shoppers
Attention, Wal-Mart shoppers. I have a word of advice to the small minority who feel that Wal-Mart's "yield to pedestrians" policy, while very helpful to folks heading into and out of the store, does not apply to any random area within the vast acreage of the parking lot. The crosswalks are the areas located in front of the entrances and are marked by stripes painted onto the pavement. THAT is where drivers are asked to yield to people who are walking.
Unfortunately, there are a few with a special sense of entitlement who feel that it's OK to walk down the center of the driving lanes while chatting with their friends, or calmly strolling across a driving lane - not in the crosswalks - without so much as a glance to see if a car is coming because they are fully convinced that they are firmly within their rights.
Elissa Gooden
Waynesburg
Give me rhubarb
Margie Frank was right to write a letter about rhubarb.
I would sure like to go to the garden and pull up a few sticks of rhubarb, instead of going the store. My friend Jane bought me some for $5 a pound, and it sure was good.
My family about 90 years ago (by the way I am 92) had rhubarb and my mother called it a spring tonic. So just give me a piece of rhubarb pie and a dish of steamed rhubarb and I will be happy.
Noreen Hull
Washington
Fines for signs
Ha! The weekly citations to property owners! Perhaps they work. Perhaps that's when they could get help to move an item to the area for removal.
I see an avenue for revenue they've neglected. Political campaign signs still litter the county. About $25 a day would feed the pig and do it for every election forthcoming.
Sonja L. Parkinson
Prosperity
Memorial is lavish
Your editorial May 24 on the lavish expenditure proposed for the memorial of the Flight 93 crash in Shanksville should be given deep consideration.
Your suggestion seems much wiser.
Madaline Scott
Rices Landing
Walmart : 6/26/2009
I can only speak for myself but I do watch and stop for all car. I feel that to not do so could mean your life even at the cross walks. As for walking down the middle of the parking lanes it is not safe to walk close to a parked car for fear of not being seem by someone backing out. I do however stop and give a car room if they are driving down the lane.
Stand on Betting (Part 1) : 6/26/2009
The deal to sell the Meadows (et al) to Crown Ltd (Gary Packer and the Ho group) is no longer viable. The current owner Oaktree-Millenium group still retains ownership but employees a soon to be bankrupt MEC (Magna Entertainment Corporation) to run the horse racing part of the business. According to Act 71 (slot legislation), the house gets 45 percent of the gross terminal revenue (the sum left over after all winnings are paid out). The state average is over 91 percent of the total handle is paid out to the slot players while horse players get less than 80 percent return on average. Base on those figures, the racino’s do garner 45% of the 8.9% of handle or in other words, the house gets currently about 4 percent of every dollar wagered in the racino. Based on 2009 figures so far, the Meadows Racino will handle over 3 billion this year with the Meadows making a little over 118 million in proceeds. I admit it is lucrative but not as much as your statement of 80 percent.
Stand on Betting (Part II) : 6/26/2009
I do agree that expanding gaming in this state to bars and clubs is a no-brainer as long as the proceeds go to college tuition. Let us face it that many of these bars and clubs have been using these video poker machines for years now costing law enforcement time and effort to enforce the laws. Make them legal so that the player in the state has some protection in that the state will set payout minimums on handle. I knew of some machines thought to be of the better payouts to pay the customer 40 percent of the handle. With the state minimum of 85 percent for Casinos, the slot player will get a better deal. I also agree table games should be instituted in the state with those funds dedicated to reducing the take out rates on horse racing wagers. Pennsylvania holds the distinction of being the greediest in the take out rate in Trifecta wagers in the sport. Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs is listed at 35 percent retention. Nowhere in the states or Canada is it that level. By using the proceeds from table games we can generate increased handle on Pa tracks. That in itself will create more purse revenue for the horsemen plus give the gambler a chance at getting a little more of his money back.
