WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE

(Lowman S. Henry is chairman and chief executive officer of Lincoln Institute His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org).

As the economic recession continues, the schemes by governments to fleece more money from the private sector are infinitely more creative and in far greater abundance than are ideas for operating government more efficiently or -- heaven forbid -- cutting spending.

On the state level, the legalization of table games at casinos is attracting serious consideration.

It is worth remembering that Pennsylvania's foray into legalized gambling began as a means of saving the ailing horse racing industry. The slots initiative morphed quickly into a full scale "casinoization" of Pennsylvania.

Gambling opponents argued that slots would be but a "gateway drug" that would open the door for table games and ultimately full-service casinos. State government is grappling with a $3 billion budget deficit and, with tax hikes apparently politically impossible, table games have indeed emerged as an enticing alternate.

Governor Rendell would like to spread gambling even further by making it legal for bars and restaurants to operate video poker machines.

Pennsylvania's experience with legalized gambling has been fraught with bureaucratic bungling and outright corruption. Despite that fact, the allure of more tax revenue from gambling now appears to be too enticing for legislators to resist.

It is entirely possible, if not likely, that table games will be part of whatever budget solution emerges.

Elected officials are seeking more ways to put their hands into our pockets. It is time for a new mindset to take hold.

All of the creativity and effort that is put into finding new sources of revenue should be redirected to finding ways to live within the revenue already available

By following that course, more money will remain in the private sector -- the only place where real wealth and true economic growth can occur.

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