"I know the intentions with the finances are always good, but we all know about good intentions," said Lubbock resident Jason McKay.
Legislators filed a bill to legalize casinos in Texas Monday and some locals argue that doing so would make our cities more dangerous.
"Cant say I'm too excited about it," said McKay. "I'm not sure I approve of the element it might bring."
But lawyer Tommy Turner said that argument is getting old.
"We had the same argument about bringin alcohol sales into the city limits," Turner said. "Do you see the city streets running awash with blood from the car wrecks. No. Did you see a crime spike. No. That's just not a good argument."
The man pushing the bill along is former Texas Tech Chancellor and state Senator John Montford.
He said casinos would bring non-tax revenue to the education community and stop the outflow of money into neighboring state casinos.
"There's a lot of revenue that is going to surrounding states around Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana all have casinos so you don't want that money to leave the state," County Commissioner Rick Heinrich said.
But Heinrich said to make the casinos profitable, Texas towns would have to become vacation destinations.
"You cant depend on the 280,000 people in Lubbock county or the surrounding area which would be half a million to help support it," Heinrich said. "I think it would help, but it has to be a destination for entertainment for the weekend to play golf, go see a show, do a little gambling. So you have to make that whether it's here, Dallas Ft. Worth Metroplex, to where people want to come in from Florida or wherever, 'Hey lets go to the casinos in Texas!"
But before he completely supports the bill, Heinrich wants to know where exactly the gambling revenue would be going.
"I think if you said it was for public education for the kids then I think it would have a good chance. But if you said it's to go to a general fund because we need money to balance the budget, then I would say it would have a harder sell to pass."
Legislators filed a bill to legalize casinos in Texas Monday and some locals argue that doing so would make our cities more dangerous.
"Cant say I'm too excited about it," said McKay. "I'm not sure I approve of the element it might bring."
But lawyer Tommy Turner said that argument is getting old.
"We had the same argument about bringin alcohol sales into the city limits," Turner said. "Do you see the city streets running awash with blood from the car wrecks. No. Did you see a crime spike. No. That's just not a good argument."
The man pushing the bill along is former Texas Tech Chancellor and state Senator John Montford.
He said casinos would bring non-tax revenue to the education community and stop the outflow of money into neighboring state casinos.
"There's a lot of revenue that is going to surrounding states around Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana all have casinos so you don't want that money to leave the state," County Commissioner Rick Heinrich said.
But Heinrich said to make the casinos profitable, Texas towns would have to become vacation destinations.
"You cant depend on the 280,000 people in Lubbock county or the surrounding area which would be half a million to help support it," Heinrich said. "I think it would help, but it has to be a destination for entertainment for the weekend to play golf, go see a show, do a little gambling. So you have to make that whether it's here, Dallas Ft. Worth Metroplex, to where people want to come in from Florida or wherever, 'Hey lets go to the casinos in Texas!"
But before he completely supports the bill, Heinrich wants to know where exactly the gambling revenue would be going.
"I think if you said it was for public education for the kids then I think it would have a good chance. But if you said it's to go to a general fund because we need money to balance the budget, then I would say it would have a harder sell to pass."
