Opinion: Seminole compact won't help education

Thursday, February 28, 2008  

"The agreement between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida touts yet another important advancement for education funding through expanded gambling.

Providing the Florida Supreme Court doesn't declare the agreement made by Gov. Charlie Crist unconstitutional, as legislative leaders contend, the state would receive $50 million, with guaranteed payments of $100 million a year and then payments of between 10 percent and 25 percent of revenue thereafter.

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.

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

Does this mean that education funding has benefited from having slot machines in South Florida? Absolutely not. The revenue that comes from slot machines is used to fund education, and the Legislature then displaces general revenue money devoted to education. There is no net gain for education."

Get the Story:
Sandy D'Alemberte: The gambling myth (The Tallahassee Democrat 2/28)