Is the Government Addicted to Gambling Revenues?Who's Regulating the Regulators?

[Machjo]

I figured since we're going with blanket statements, we might as well put into perspective who the worst bad guys are.

If you mean that corporations are bad, I beg to differ. They are not bad per se; it depends on the board of directors.

Also, though I liked the wordplay I still recognize that sometimes government spending is not avoidable.

 

[Cannuck]

No they aren't and therefore should not be owned by the government. As for taxing them, it depends on how social harm they cause, though I can't imagine sport fishing causes much damage, and golf might take up much urban space but then that's what property taxes are for.

I would like you to explain more about your view regarding governments not "owning" golf courses because they are not a necessity.

Swimming pools, playgrounds, skating rinks, parks....none of these things are necessities and yet most are owned by municipal governments. Are you saying we should get rid of them (which is the only logical option as no private enterprise is going to make money with a playground or pool)?

 

[mentalfloss]

If you mean that corporations are bad, I beg to differ.

I'm not saying all corporations are bad, but in North America, people should understand that there is more damage caused by unfettered capitalism than government spending. That is, a completely free market without any bounds whatsoever. It's the worse evil right now, as a lot of corporations can hide beneath the media scrutiny (Monsanto, Cargill), while a government's actions are constantly the focus of media attention.

In any case, in response to the OP.. there are many watchdogs and ombudsmans that monitor and scrutinize government policy. This kind of transparency can bring some accountability when the next election comes.

But he did hit on a very good point - in that government still requires more accountability and needs to deliver more transparency. A lot of people get distracted by the size of government. That's a red herring. The size of government is irrelevant if they can duly respect the will of the people, and be held accountable if they don't.

Corporations don't have the same level of democratic scrutiny. People recognize their actions has perfectly legitimate and ethical as long as they make a profit. That's why a healthy, representative government is so important.

 

[taxslave]

Governments are addicted to gambling revenue.

Corporations are addicted to gambling lives.

To a certain extent that is true. Anyone that goes to a casino is a mere piker. To be a real gambler you must operate a business. Size is not that important. The owner of a small business gambles everything he owns and usually what he can borrow 24/7.
Government OTH are merly addicted to spending money. Much like women that shop for things they don't need because it makes them feel good.

 

[mentalfloss]

Corporate tax cuts are going to shareholders and not into operations.

Who's gonna regulate that?

What did Corporate Tax Cuts Deliver?

Due to ongoing corporate tax cuts, corporate income taxes make up a falling share of all government revenues. In fact, by the end of January, corporations will have fully paid their share of taxes.

The general federal corporate income tax rate stood at 28% in 2000. It was cut to 21% under the Liberals, and then cut in stages, from 21% to 15%, under the Conservatives. The most recent cut was from 16.5% to 15%, effective January 1, 2012.

Each one percentage point cut to the corporate income tax rate costs the federal government about $2 billion in annual revenues.

The argument for corporate income tax cuts has been that increased after-tax corporate profits would be re-invested in company operations, boosting economic growth, productivity, and jobs. However, studies have shown that rising corporate after-tax profits have not resulted in increased real investment.

This study looks at the profits and investments of Canada’s largest companies, those listed on the S&P/TSX Composite Index, from 2000 to 2010.

In line with cuts to the statutory federal and provincial tax rate, the effective tax rate (that is, taxes actually paid by Canada’s largest companies to the federal and provincial governments as a share of pretax profits) has fallen from one third in the early 2000s (35% in 2000), to between one fifth and one quarter (24% in 2010).

Companies have used increased after-tax profits to boost dividends paid out to their shareholders. Dividends as a percentage of after-tax profits have risen from 30% in 2000 to over 50% in recent years.

Companies have also chosen to retain higher after-tax profits as financial assets, as cash, and as longer term assets, not counting investments in capital stock.

The study looks at the change in the assets of Canada’s largest non-financial companies. (Financial companies and conglomerates are excluded because they typically hold large financial investments as part of their ongoing business.)

The Top-10 Corporate Hoarders have collectively accumulated $30.7 billion in extra short- and long-term assets between 2000 and 2010, since 2000. The leading cash hoarder has been Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, which accumulated over $5 billion in assets over this period.

The Appendix lists Canada’s top Corporate Hoarders.

Cuts to corporate taxes have resulted in a major loss of government revenues, without the anticipated result of higher corporate investment in machinery and equipment, new plants, and other areas of company operations. Instead, we have seen a big increase in dividend payouts and in financial assets.

What did Corporate Tax Cuts Deliver? | Canadian Labour Congress

 

[GreenFish66]

Funding Fun(d)givers


Gaming/Gambling; Always a Guaranteed Jackpot For Government FunHouse!...Wins BigTime ..Allways!...

Casinos are a good indicator as to the well-Being of the People/ Environment / Economy around it...Especially if the governments are relying on their jackpot winnings as a prime source of FunDing money...(Is Government Gaming/Gambling predictable ?)

Seniors and Single gamers seem to be what's keepin casinos alive; Sustained by promotional events( Mostly geared to Seniors/Women ( Married couples bail fast after they realize how much it costs them )) .

Question is( ) - Are public Fundgivers addicted to Gambling ?.. Are People Enjoying Themselves ?...
Enjoying Good , fun, healthy entertainment, while addicted to Gambling/Smoking/Drinking?...
Who's regulating the establishment ?.. Are People having fun, while gaming responsibly ..?

Are Government run establishments fun?...Do they share FunMoney fairly ?..

I always seem to have more fun in privately owned casino's ...

I say let governments tax the winnings ,if they must ( tax money going to assist social programs )
...
Casinos should be privatized so they can be both ...More fun ...and Regulated properly by the peoples government ..In the publics best interest...

If the health and environment of Gov. run casino's is Suffering/Failing/ Addicted to high risk.( If Gov's Addicted to Gambling revenues.?)?
How will this affect / reflect on its Economy as a whole ?..
How will it affect Canadians?/what effects will it have on Canada ...Now...And as we Progress into the future..?.

How do we proceed positively forward into a more Sustainable /Prosperous/ Enjoyable/Healthy/State of Well Being;... and have a fun fullfilling entertaining experience, at the same time?..

Bigger..Fairer, and More Frequent Pay outs!.Greater rewards for the people Paying/Playing!..That's how!...

Time to privatize Casino's ...So Gaming Governments can remain accountable and transparent to its people ..

The People Need Government...Want Business..
Government needs Business; to better fill the needs, and wants of its people.
Business needs both.As does Government.
lol
(Generally speaking ?)

To Continuosly/Constantly/Consistently Rely on Risky Gambles to somehow sustain, grow and support a supposedly healthy economy; now; and into the future; just somehow seems recklessy unnecessary to me.

Always have to be thinking about and creating new (alternative) ways, that will move us altogether , positively forward , into a more sustainable/prosperous/ healthier future..for all; together.

Where's the predictability ?..The financial security ..In casinos(Gaming )?.

How do/will , Casino's/Gaming Govs., ensure Sustainable acceptable profit margins; in an area that is suppose to be risky and Unpredictable ?...
_________________

It's great when you risk little and win a Big Jackpot !...Sucks when you have little and loose all your Fun money in 10min ..On a Fri...After working hard all week to earn it ..

Feels a little better knowing at least a portion of the losses go to funding government social programs...

1 thing for sure...Government FunHouse!...Wins Bigtime ..allways!...

...
______________________

Jackpot.!....Paydirt!...( Note to Self - Get Government Job working with Addicted Gamblers OR IN Gaming Corps.Promotions department - Wash Hands..)


_______________
_____________________________

End of Spew ...( for now)

Lol -

 

[Omicron]

I respect your sentiment, but do your research. You are not bad, but that is ancient history... some time before neanderthal, genes got into the line of the human population. Sort of like bad-wolf genes getting into golden/black labs.

Not just since the time of neanderthal, but also along the way were two genetic neurological mutations...

The first enabling one to calm down when surrounded by yahoos while in a cave in order to make it easier to strike out...

And the other starting about 9000 years ago enabling them to feel okay about staying put to drink beer and eat bread from the grain grown, while the others went nuts eating rats without garlic. It was a narrow and special time... Angels could not be bothered with, yet with uneducated humans back then would have taken to heart enough to stop Lucifer that time around.

In any case, obviously part of the definition of a civilization would be for the government to be in control of gambling.

I just got back from the US, and I can bla-bla all I want in retirement, but seriously I recommend chaps defend/maintain/hang-on-to the border.

It's not because I saw a threat. It's because I didn't.

 

[GreenFish66]

So who's sellin these nuts to the animals inorder to buy the Beer and Bread? What if the people don't like Garlic rat nuts?

So what your sayin is -- Got no beer; got no bread; you grow nuts! (?)

_________________________________

All I ask for is a little beer money , a little food and fun money ..., and now and then ...Just a little! ..
( JackPot !- Ol' Golden Honey!)

 

[Omicron]

So who's sellin these nuts to the animals inorder to buy the Beer and Bread? What if the people don't like nuts?

So what your sayin is -- Got no beer; got no bread; you grow nuts! (?)

Huh?

Lemme guess... you didn't know modern people started growing grain in order to stuff into clay pots to discover coming out of that bread from the yeasts of bread (which the women loved) and beer from the yeasts of beer (which the bored guys loved after having been hammered down from being great warriors into being sedentary farmers).

That means you didn't know how after cooking meat you didn't know that stuffing stuff into clay pots caused changes because of yeast.

Question: What would be better... to send your kind to another planet in order to get that off the earth, or send those who got it to another planet in order for them to start over with a clean planet while the ook-ook eek-eeks feel such joy for being total monkeys as they take planet earth down.

It's a hard decision.

Let mother earth take care of it, or let us shorcut.

The only way I can think to make it fair, even though it is more expensive, is to take all species worth preserving to another planet while the idiots here destroy themselves, and then bring the life back.

Still... I can't help feeling like there's something wrong with that picture...

You guys seriously don't know what happened in the heavenly mind when it saw self-awareness come out of dust.

Notice how the legend of creation does not involve an otter diving down to the bottom of an ocean to come back with some mud to make earth from? Notice how the legend of creation does not involve a turtle swirling over an infinite ocean with a continent on its back?

Notice how the only thing you babies needed other than to be loved (which I have figured out the string theory of) was to break heart over the timeline?

Starting with... it says that birds preceded the mammals, which is weird until you learn that birds are dinosaurs.

Anyway... seriously... compare your Genesis creation story, apply it against the minds of your ancestors, and compare that to the story of an otter building the world from a handful of mud.

 

[GreenFish66]

When did Gaming/Gambling make its way on to the evolutionary chart?..
How long can the losing players keep playing before the winner can't win anymore?
Who enforced the rules ?
What happened to the Very lucky winner and the winnings .?..

All depends ultimately I guess , on what the majority of the Players, especially the losers believe..Here's hopin' this " Unusually Very Lucky " historical winner is a good sport , buys the losers each a beer , in the least ..So the poor losers don't get PO'd ,start Cryin cheat , at this " Unusually abnormal, Very Lucky winner " ; upsetting everything everybody else had going for them ..."


----------------------------------------------

 

[Omicron]

So who's sellin these nuts to the animals inorder to buy the Beer and Bread? What if the people don't like nuts?

So what your sayin is -- Got no beer; got no bread; you grow nuts! (?)

Huh?

Lemme guess... you didn't know modern people started growing grain in order to stuff into clay pots to discover coming out of that bread from the yeasts of bread (which the women loved) and beer from the yeasts of beer (which the bored guys loved after having been hammered down from being great warriors into being sedentary farmers).

That means you didn't know how after cooking meat you didn't know that stuffing stuff into clay pots caused changes because of yeast.

Question: What would be better... to send your kind to another planet in order to get that off the earth, or send those who got it to another planet in order for them to start over with a clean planet while the ook-ook eek-eeks feel such joy for being total monkeys as they take planet earth down.

It's a hard decision.

Let mother earth take care of it, or let us shorcut.

The only way I can think to make it fair, even though it is more expensive, is to take all species worth preserving to another planet while the idiots here destroy themselves, and then bring life back.

Still... I can't help feeling like there's something wrong with that picture...

You guys seriously don't know what happened in the heavenly mind when it saw self-awareness come out of dust.

Notice how the legend of creation does not involve an otter diving down to the bottom of an ocean to come back with some mud to make earth from? Notice how the legend of creation does not involve a turtle swirling over an infinite ocean with a continent on its back?

Notice how the only thing you babies needed other than to be loved (which I have figured out the string theory of) was to break heart over the timeline?

Starting with... it says that birds preceded the mammals, which is weird until you learn that birds are dinosaurs.

Anyway... seriously... compare the Moses Genesis creation story, apply it against the minds of your ancestors, and compare that to the story of an otter building the world from a handful of mud, stop complaining, and start paying attention to Chinese ambassadors having studied history capable pf seeing the time-line and don't want it to go that way nearly as much as they'd like to colonize planets and the galaxy, which is exactly when one would expect Wall Street to step in selling snake oil, but oops...

They would like to trade more than mercury/lead laced toys, said trick they learned from Japan...

They are total bully assholes having been deprived of spiritual leveling. If you put out your hand to shake it they will swat it aside if they think you are a twit, such that in that respect maybe they are human, or maybe they are imitating western civilization as seen by them.

That can be played to counter-measure reconnection.

If they want to build all the cheep stuff like Japan used to do, then there is a way for them to build rocket ships to colonize the solar system, using all the resource and polluting planet earth on a level that Japanese never could.

In the west, dork-hole MBAs incapable of doing anything other than take down the global economy like a jar of fruit-flies sucking Lucifer's dick are idiots leaving Chinese with no direction in spite of all the military power, while I know from return that Chinese see it too and don't want it. Something about our university system combined with ancient hiring practiced put us back to the old ways of dummies having important jobs in order to not progress civilization.

http://tunes.digitalock.com/tijuanataxi.mp3

Ever notice how once being outed, the harder good tries to make things right, the harder the enemy fights to take another trillion dollars from that which they exploit, in order to be granted a few more years before Lucifer eats their souls?

That explains the bad attitude of demons. They know they're going to be eaten, so all they can do is bring in as many others to be eaten first before it is their turn.

 

[GreenFish66]

Time Govs get out of the Gambling Biz..So they can better Protect/ Deal with/for/to; The people..

----------------------------

Well, Omicron .You said alot ..Some which I would agree to ..some not..Ultimately..The best scenario to me , would be ; to Explore and Inhabit other Alternative Worlds and Planets ; while still having a Safe/Secure/Loving Home, to back to, for supper..

----------------------------------------

Cheers to Beer, Bread and Gamblin' with Nuts ...

 

[Niflmir]

Wait, so the government is making a profit on something and we want to sell that to corporations?

The usual argument for selling off crown corporations is because of the government dragging its feet, not running a business really profitably. Since when were private corporations a good example of virtue?

 

[GreenFish66]

The problem is Gov. is selling-PROMOTING Smokes/Liquor/Gambling - For a Profit!..
This Biz..should be left to private corporations...So the Government can Do what it is suppose to do ..Protect/Be held accountable to / work for/with - It's people ...

Can't honestly be called a Responsible/Honest/ Accountable Gov.. If your hookin' people to Smokin'/Drinkin'/Gamblin'

Let the private sector run these Wants/Addictions..So Gov.can Properly Regulate it;... Be moreTransparent..
_________________

I wonder if Casinos are truly sustainable/profitable; without overly/overtly causing unnecessary harm to Its people .. ?

What happens when gamblers run out of Money?

Are Governments addicted to Smoking/Drinking/Gambling Revenues?

Who is regulating the regulators?

Economy/Gov can be evaluated by how it runs its Gov.Biz.


------- Gaming/Gambling is no fun, for anyone, when run, strictly, by Big Gov.---------

 

[damngrumpy]

Two things we like to blame the weather man and the Government. How can you blame
the government for gambling? Even if the government banned gambling and never
allowed it in the first place, gambling would still exist. So essentially they allow it and tax
it.
My question is, why allow gambling, drinking and smoking, and at the same time, not
allow prostitution, pot and other social ills and tax them too? We changed things recently
in terms of history. Pot was ignored as was cocaine until anti booze laws were repealing
in the mid nineteen thirties. If governments want money go after the untaxed social sins
that people engage in anyway? Instead we keep them illegal and fill prisons with people
who are not really criminals they just refuse to conform to the social norm. More of the
safety net revenue could be made by taxing this stuff than spending money on prisons.
All the new prison won't house killers and bank robbers, those crimes are going down.
The new jails will house those who have some pot or engage in risky behaviour and why?
Fear and votes that is why.

 

[GreenFish66]

Governments should not run Businesses...Especially highly addictive ones, that they themselves, are relying on/addicted to...

Reasons are obvious...

Government is there to act with/for the people; To ensure what is Necessary/Needed.... Not to feed their unquenchtionable/unsatisfiable/unsustainable ever wanting hunger for ever More....That's the job of business...( Preferably Green/Clean Tech Biz)

The Governments Gaming/Gambling.Smoking ...Drinking... Business practises , conflict with the responsibility it has to ensure the saftey/security/Well-Being/Health(?) of its people..

Government is there to ensure We, The People, get what is necessary/needed...Business is there to give what is wanted......

_____________________

------- Gaming/Gambling is no fun, for anyone, when run, strictly, by Big Gov.---------

 

[Machjo]

I would like you to explain more about your view regarding governments not "owning" golf courses because they are not a necessity.

Swimming pools, playgrounds, skating rinks, parks....none of these things are necessities and yet most are owned by municipal governments. Are you saying we should get rid of them (which is the only logical option as no private enterprise is going to make money with a playground or pool)?

Yes, except maybe school playgrounds. Charities could take over. After all, over time we could pay off the debt and then gradually reduce taxes. This would give us more pocket change to give to charity than we do now.

I'm not saying all corporations are bad, but in North America, people should understand that there is more damage caused by unfettered capitalism than government spending. That is, a completely free market without any bounds whatsoever. It's the worse evil right now, as a lot of corporations can hide beneath the media scrutiny (Monsanto, Cargill), while a government's actions are constantly the focus of media attention.

In any case, in response to the OP.. there are many watchdogs and ombudsmans that monitor and scrutinize government policy. This kind of transparency can bring some accountability when the next election comes.

But he did hit on a very good point - in that government still requires more accountability and needs to deliver more transparency. A lot of people get distracted by the size of government. That's a red herring. The size of government is irrelevant if they can duly respect the will of the people, and be held accountable if they don't.

Corporations don't have the same level of democratic scrutiny. People recognize their actions has perfectly legitimate and ethical as long as they make a profit. That's why a healthy, representative government is so important.

I do agree there needs to be more democracy in the private sector too, and am in favour of co-determination laws similar to Germany's.

And I agree that the size of the government matters less than what it actually comprises. Gambling should not be among its properties though.

Two things we like to blame the weather man and the Government. How can you blame
the government for gambling? Even if the government banned gambling and never
allowed it in the first place, gambling would still exist. So essentially they allow it and tax
it.
My question is, why allow gambling, drinking and smoking, and at the same time, not
allow prostitution, pot and other social ills and tax them too? We changed things recently
in terms of history. Pot was ignored as was cocaine until anti booze laws were repealing
in the mid nineteen thirties. If governments want money go after the untaxed social sins
that people engage in anyway? Instead we keep them illegal and fill prisons with people
who are not really criminals they just refuse to conform to the social norm. More of the
safety net revenue could be made by taxing this stuff than spending money on prisons.
All the new prison won't house killers and bank robbers, those crimes are going down.
The new jails will house those who have some pot or engage in risky behaviour and why?
Fear and votes that is why.

There is a difference between the government tolerating gambling and the government engaging it it itself. From my understanding the lottery corporations are often government-owned, but correct me if I'm wrong.

tolerating it and pushing it are very different things.

 

[Cannuck]

Yes, except maybe school playgrounds. Charities could take over. After all, over time we could pay off the debt and then gradually reduce taxes. This would give us more pocket change to give to charity than we do now.

Where are the charities to get the funds to manage these things? How much do you think it costs to run an arena for a year?

 

[Machjo]

Where are the charities to get the funds to manage these things? How much do you think it costs to run an arena for a year?

The charities would get the funds either from donations, user fees, or both, just as the government gets it from taxpayers, who incidentally are the same people for the most part, except that this way those who use it most are likely to pay more for it.

 

[JLM]

Yes, except maybe school playgrounds. Charities could take over. After all, over time we could pay off the debt and then gradually reduce taxes. This would give us more pocket change to give to charity than we do now.



I do agree there needs to be more democracy in the private sector too, and am in favour of co-determination laws similar to Germany's.

And I agree that the size of the government matters less than what it actually comprises. Gambling should not be among its properties though.



There is a difference between the government tolerating gambling and the government engaging it it itself. From my understanding the lottery corporations are often government-owned, but correct me if I'm wrong.

tolerating it and pushing it are very different things.

To the best of my knowledge the Government doesn't OWN any casinos in British Columbia. The four casinos in this area are owned by a Corporation, controlled by the Gov't and taxed and the proceeds going for good causes like health and sports activities for youth.

Lake City Casino Kelowna Owner