Q: Which former Baltimore mayor said this:

"I don't subscribe to the notion that it should be used as a revenue stream," he said, "a slot in every pot, a slot in every garage."

Fill in the Blank:

" _______ said he considers slots "a pretty morally bankrupt way" to fund education..."

What Mr. Franchot might be doing to help the situation is suggesting ways the Governor could reduce spending.

The problem is Maryland is that spending is out of control!

O'Malley has destroyed the film and television industry in Maryland. He cut the incentive program in half while all other states increased theirs. He didn't like the stories about city government that were on The Wire. Actually city government may have been worse than the show displayed. Next Baltimore crime show is probably going to be made in Vancouver. Canada will make the money and Maryland will be shown for what it is once again.

O'Malley has destroyed the film and television industry in Maryland. He cut the incentive program in half while all other states increased theirs. He didn't like the stories about city government that were on The Wire. Actually city government may have been worse than the show displayed. Next Baltimore crime show is probably going to be made in Vancouver. Canada will make the money and Maryland will be shown for what it is once again.

Funny that O'Malley is already flipping out over the impending failure of the referendum. Having a tantrum aimed at Franchot is only going to make people roll their eyes. Slots is a sleazy business filled with sleazy characters like Mike Miller and Joe DeFrancis. And O'Malley is going to have to spend the next six months rolling in the filth with these guys. Enjoy.

No way the slots referendum fails. It gets 60% of the vote, minimum. And why stop at slots? Lets get full table gaming already and let tourists from other states bring in revenue and pay for the services we get.

Slots will never get anywhere near 60%. Gambling referenda have been failing all over the country. The tide is going out on this whole stupid industry, and for good reason.

If people want to gamble go ahead and let them. No one puts a gun to their head to do it. I'm not dumb enough to spend all my money playing slots, but if someone else wants to and it brings revenue to the state, there's no problem. Tough for the nanny-staters who know whats best for all of us, I know.

Aspen, the problem is this isn't some kind of libertarian gambling policy where anybody could open a poker parlor and just pay taxes on the proceeds.

It's a statist's wet dream of a miniature planned economy; highly regulated and packed with giveaways to politically connected industries.

Mr. Wagner, can you post the full list of anti-slots steering committe members released by Marylanders United to Stop Slots?

Baltimoron, do I really think it wouldn't be highly regulated with licenses given, probably at a discount, to the politicaly well-connected? Of course not. I've seen how the slots issue is working, and I've seen the same thing happen in other states too.

But, the revenue generated and given to the state won't be mine! Or, at least very much of it won't be. I do like to gamble here and there. But the point is, theoretically at least, that my taxes could go down, as could the fees that gouge you when you move here and register your car, etc. Everything keeps going up, but my mutual funds keep dropping and my paycheck stays the same.

"Lets get full table gaming already and let tourists from other states bring in revenue and pay for the services we get."

Tourists from what other states? Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware already have them. That leaves Virginia and Charles Town WV is closer and certainly a nicer ride. I thought the argument was that MD dollars were leaving the state and if that's the case, Marylanders who end up with gambling problems will need that "services" money you're speaking of.

It's a lose-lose situation being perpetuated by two losers by the names of Miller and O'Malley. They aren't satisfied with the $1.6B tax increase after they've increased the overall budget by roughly the same amount. No wonder they're looking elsewhere.

"throwing stones in a hypocritical way."

If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is!

Calvert... none of those states have poker, blackjack, roulette, or any other table gaming. They have slots. That's it. Boring old slots. Time to one-up them.