The much tempting prospects of casino gambling are lurking in the background. Proponents argue that additional $1billion could be easily generated from such operations without the need to raise taxes, or alternatively curtail budget cuts.
Texas Capitol has come to be the wrestling arena, where instead of the pumped sweaty boxers, lawmakers fight against scarce budgets, pressures to amend public education and lower property tax. Still, uncomfortable by the casino gambling idea, next week, the House will discuss another budget plan that will not be able to restore health insurance to children who lost the coverage in the last session. Only 50,327 college students would be funded by the Texas Grant program, which is a serious downfall of nearly 18,000 students. The university tuition is likely to experience inflation due to the budget plan, incepted in the House that doesn’t give them enough to stay afloat.
Republicans, once disgusted by the proposition of gambling expansion in Texas, are now not so keen to eradicate it entirely. The shortage of $2.5 billion, including $600 million for public education, which is a very delicate matter in itself, apparently made some impact on the Republican leaders. These figures presume nourishment from the state’s emergency fund by using $1.9 billion for the next budget.
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| Source: Gamblingsmart news Staff
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Monday, 4 April 2005 |