Response to "JACKPOT $$$ (x10)"

When I read Mai's post about gambling, it reminded me of the gambling issue that I wrote about in my earlier blog. I would like to agree with what she is saying. Despite all the money that could be brought in from tourists, coming into possible Texas casinos, gambling could cause a huge a problem. I myself have witnessed crazed gamblers with my own eyes. Throwing down everything they have in their pockets and hope to win back what they have already lost. By the end of the night, they walk away empty handed. And by implementing credit card usage with the gambling machines, that can only spell game over. You can pull out money and lose it with every swipe; now that's what you call "losing your life with every swipe."
If gambling is made legal in a down time like this, people will be burning their wallets and pawning their houses. This can only cause more and more trouble. More families can end up falling deeper into debt, more bills going unpaid month after month, more houses being foreclosed, this can only spell disaster. Before you know it, you can pawn your whole life away before the fat lady gets a chance to sing. But on the bright side of things, lawyers, therapists, and psychologists will be turning some profit.

Immi what? Immigration?

A controversial topic of illegal immigration, here in Texas, raises fists and eyebrows alike. Whether the immigrants have green cards or not, whether they legally stepped in to Texas soil or hopped the border, immigration has become a problem with benefits. Immigrants have helped the Texas economy by providing cheap labor. Although, due to the tremendous amounts of immigrants being classified as the “working poor,” it is draining tax money that the citizens of Texas have to pay. Commonly, the tax money that is used is for healthcare. Many bills have been proposed to deal with the problem of illegal immigration. Some of the bills would include things that would restrict certain services to illegal immigrants as well as bills that would harshly punish businesses that would employ illegal immigrants. Some of the bills that were proposed would include: denying birthright citizenship to babies that are born of parents that are “illegal.” Also a bill that would deny tuition benefits to “illegal” children and would require them to pay a higher tuition fee.

Many complain about how “those illegal immigrants are taking our jobs” but really, they’re doing the jobs that we personally won’t do. It is very hard to fully support the idea of illegal immigration, but it’s also something that is hard to prevent. Statistically, there are many benefits that some may overlook, though; some can argue that illegal immigration causes nothing but trouble “and money is coming out of our pockets for nothing.” Also, a sense of morality sets in. Seeing how most, if not all, of the illegal immigrants are working for dirt paying salaries brings about a sense of pity. Some can also argue that due to the large amounts of influence from the immigrants, some fear that Texas would one day completely lose its culture.

Source:

Ratcliffe, R.G. Illegal workers the talk of Texas. Houston Chronicles. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4440332.html