"As a Republican of long standing, I'm baffled by the attempts of some Republican elected officials to pursue additional gambling money to enrich the state's coffers.

Not only is the idea wrongheaded as state policy, it goes against the grain of bedrock Republican principles.

Many of us have moral questions about gambling revenue as a source of public money. It just doesn't feel right to use people's weaknesses and the money of those who can least afford it to fund our budget shortfalls. In fact, it seems to prey upon the most vulnerable in society.

The Republican Party of Minnesota platform opposes any expansion of gambling. Furthermore, Minnesota Republicans have always opposed the use of gambling money as a source of general revenue funds for state government."

Get the Story:
Jack Meeks: Gambling at odds with GOP (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/28)
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