I was stunned by the Cumberland Times-News' recent minimal coverage of the slot machine bill being considered by our state General Assembly especially when contrasted with the Baltimore Sun‚s coverage of the same issue two weeks earlier. Not once the T-N article mention Western Maryland as a location for the slot machines and only once was Speaker Casper Taylor's role referred to. Is it possible the local newspaper is colluding with the Speaker to sneak in another one of his nefarious plans with minimal public awareness?
 
 Here are some quotes from the Feb. 4, 2001 issue of the Baltimore Sun which shed more light on the Speaker‚s intentions:
 
 "House Speaker Taylor is joining some of his top lieutenants in supporting a bill that would send the question of slot machines directly to the people in a referendum next year."
 
 Sponsor Delegate Howard P. Rawlings "said last week he will soon introduce legislation to legalize slot machines at four locations- most likely including sites at Baltimore and Western Maryland...It would be best to do it now, when people are not confronted with the prospects of reelection. Next year people will beat you up about it."
 
 "Taylor, who has long advocated bringing slot machines to the state, in large part to boost tourism in his home area of Western Maryland, backs Rawlings‚ proposal. I think a constitutional amendment is easy to support because what we are saying is "I'm not making this decision, the people will" Taylor said.
 
 At least Delegate Kevin Kelly accepted responsibility for his vote on slot machines and stated "a constitutional amendment to put slots at tracks devalues and demeans the constitution."
 
 Now thanks to the Speaker the majority of downstate folks will decide this issue for us. It's easy for them to outnumber us.
 
 It looks to me like the local folks fighting the racetrack at Little Orleans were right all along. Speaker Taylor's proposed racetrack was only a thinly veiled attempt to import more intense forms of gambling into our portion of the state. Could it be that our economy has been purposefully stymied over the past several years in order to make us highly vulnerable to the gambling industry?
 
 Speaker Taylor recently told our Board of Education to ask for whatever money they needed because he could get it for them. Why is it now this money is unavailable? Is it because he hopes to introduce slot machines to pay for educational expenses? Wasn't that what the LOTTO was supposed to be for?
 
 Aren't we bombarded enough by the state's multiple entreaties to "Play to Win?" How much more will we be assailed when the state becomes dependent upon the funds received from slot machines? Isn't it a conflict of interest when a party responsible for education entices its members to engage in a self-defeating practice? When is enough, enough?
 
 If the Speaker is in favor of taxing slot machines for education, then why was he so adamantly opposed to the recent attempt to tax tip jars for the same purpose? Could it be that he wants our educational officials to beg for slot machine proceeds? If more money is needed for education then why not do what Governor Glendening and 27 other governors want, pay retail sales tax on the internet, just like we all pay whenever we go to the store? That would result in millions of increased funds for education and not be subject to the myriad of social ills and expenses caused by gambling.
 
 Has it occurred to anyone else that no other county has a "Speaker of the House" and they all are doing at least as well or better than are we? I have heard dozens of excuses to cover up our failed economic development policy always comparing ourselves to someone in worse shape. But look around, there are a lot of folks nearby much better off than ourselves and we should be doing something about it instead of quivering and quaking because the Speaker doesn't approve.
 
 I repeat a previous reader commentary's refrain: "Where are we with the Speaker's "Grand Plan?" Sure some fat cats and good ol‚ boys have it good, but what about the rest of the county which has half the income of its downstate neighbors? Why trust those who have failed us time and time again? Tell your Delegates (if they will listen) and your Governor "No more gambling" and tell them you want real economic improvement, not desperate attempts to line their campaign pocketbooks.
 
 Sincerely,
 
 Frank J. Clark
 Submitted to the Times-News 2-20-01
 
 2/21/01