Column: Cowlitz Tribe casino a bad gamble for community

But then, lo and behold, the proposed Cowlitz Tribe casino near La Center reappeared. It was like a gift from the heavens. The casino, you see, ranks behind only the CRC and the Clark County commissioners in its ability to grab the attention of readers, and it might stand alone in its power to permanently alter this community. Therefore, it was news when the Cowlitz Tribe and the state gaming commission recently agreed on some of the details for the facility.

The tribe could build two casinos, one with as many as 75 gaming tables and one with as many as 50. There could be a total of 3,000 “tribal lottery player stations,” which are slot machines in all but name. And there would be a certain percentage of the gross revenues going toward community mitigation (law enforcement, emergency services, etc.) and addiction services.

None of this is set in stone. The proposal remains, for now, locked up in federal court. And yet it highlights one of the most disturbing trends in American society over the past 30 years. As columnist George Will once noted, “Gambling has swiftly transformed from social disease into social policy.” And, as a French proverb says, “Gambling is the son of avarice and the father of despair.”

You see, once upon a time, the American Dream was that you get a good education, you work hard, and you build a life for you and your family. Now, the dream is that you buy a lottery ticket and strike it rich. Hard work has been replaced by luck in the American ethos, and we all are poorer for it.