Leaders' stance on gambling right on

I have nothing but admiration for organizations that know what they do best and do it, rather than try to do things they don't do well.

This is why I was proud of the group of community leaders from southwest Missouri who met recently to take a stand against gambling in the region, especially Branson, because it doesn't fit the image.

I have to be careful here. I'm no fan of gambling. Since the lottery has been legal in Missouri, I have yet to spend one penny on a lottery ticket.

But I realize that a lot of folks like to gamble. I don't want to be one of those people I rail against: Those who demand the government pass laws forbidding others from doing what I don't want them to do.

Missouri already has the lottery and the riverboat casinos in St. Louis and Kansas City. Both are regulated by the state, and, of course, taxed. Isn't that enough gambling?

Since I have free will, I'm not directly affected by legalized gambling. I could be wrong I often am but I think it will be a long time before Missourians vote to raise the present level of legalized gambling.

The local mayors and other civic leaders who met in Branson to make their "We don't want no stinking gambling around here" statement weren't concerned about legalized gambling coming to the Ozarks. No. They were on the alert for gambling coming to Branson through the back door.

If you're familiar with this story, you know that casinos can be operated by Indian tribes on reservations, even if it is a violation of state law. The uninformed might ask, "Is there an Indian reservation in Branson?" Easy answer: "No." But because of a 1988 federal law, a tribe can buy land and put it into a trust.

By fiat, the feds, the same folks who brought you the IRS, can declare it a reservation