Editorial: GOP resolution unfair to gaming industry

We are saddened to see a move afoot at the Republican National Committee in Washington to ban the GOP from accepting contributions from the casino industry.

Gaming, though it has problems like any other industry, has earned a rightful place in society. It produces hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country and is recognized on Wall Street alongside such corporate giants as General Motors and IBM.

From its very inception, the Republican Party has been recognized as the party of free enterprise, a distinction that runs counter to this narrow-minded push to single out the industry by the GOP's ultra-conservative wing.

It was learned this week that a South Carolina RNC member has offered a resolution to not only ban the RNC from taking casino donations, but also to prohibit the national party from providing financial support to candidates who favor legalized gambling. The proposal is being considered by the RNC's resolutions committee, which meets next week.

Naturally, Nevada GOP Chairman John Mason already has pointed out to the RNC the absurdity of the proposal.

Though moderates within the GOP who have accepted casino contributions are likely to shoot down this resolution next week, the fact remains that it has heightened the debate over the legitimacy of legalized gambling in America.

We can only hope that as the debate spills over into the 2000 election year, Americans will see through the narrow-minded logic of gaming's rabid critics.

We also hope the Republican Party, which has refused to support campaign finance reform the past several years, will begin to see the bigger picture and work to improve the entire political system instead of picking on one industry.

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