Opinion: Seminole compact won't benefit students

Friday, January 11, 2008  

"Last month's announcement of the agreement between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida touts yet another important advancement for education funding through expanded gambling. It reported that the state is to receive $50-million as soon as the federal government approves the compact, with guaranteed payments of $100-million a year and then payments of between 10 and 25 percent of revenue thereafter.

As WTSP in Tampa Bay reported, Gov. Charlie Crist said the state will reap billions of dollars in new tax revenue for education because of the deal. "This historic agreement comes after 16 years of negotiations between the state of Florida and the Seminole Nation," Crist said at a news conference with Mitchell Cypress, chairman of the tribe.

I do not criticize the decision to reach a settlement with the Seminoles, although this is itself controversial. I do criticize the continued use of education to justify the state's decision to authorize gambling based on the premise that the money will go to education.

Given the record of the Florida Legislature in the handling of gambling revenues, it is misleading to claim that money is going from gambling into education."

Get the Story:
Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte: Students lose in this shell game (The St. Petersburg Times 1/11)