BCT Editorial – 5/24/06

This page was last updated on May 28, 2006.

Look ahead; Editorial; Beaver County Times; May 24, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Just a thought in regard to how the revenue from slot machines should be used by the commonwealth:

“The American Society of Civil Engineers gave Pennsylvania an overall grade of D for its infrastructure. It was in line with the national grade ASCE handed out last year.

“As we noted in Sunday’s editorial, improving the state’s roads and bridges, addressing its waste water concerns and doing something about drinking water as well as doing much-needed work in other infrastructure areas is going to cost billions of dollars that the state doesn’t have.

“So, instead of using the slots’ revenue to reduce school district taxes by an insignificant amount, why not use the money to build a better infrastructure for future generations of Pennsylvanians?”

[RWC] This sounds a lot like the argument the Times uses against domestic oil and natural gas production. That is, the amount “would literally be a drop in the bucket,” so let’s not even try.

This is also a continuation of the position that taxes in PA are “OK” and don’t need reduced. Instead, the Times wants slots taxes spent on something else. Remember this the next time you read an editorial accusing anyone of spending like drunken sailors.

Also, didn’t we recently read an editorial telling us government spending goes down when taxes go up? This editorial would seem to unmask that ridiculous assertion for what it was, a lie.