Florida gambling advocates never rest. They just keep pushing -- slot machines there, casino boats here, video lotteries everywhere.
The social ills and massive public cost associated with gambling don't deter them. The manifest public sentiment against the casino-fication of Florida is a weakening barrier.
This could be the year that gambling advocates finally get a strong grip on the vulnerable throat of the state's family-tourism-based economy. Gov. Jeb Bush and state lawmakers should take aggressive action to stave off this looming threat.
The most imminent issue: The pending vote in Miami-Dade and Broward counties that would allow full-fledged slot machines at pari-mutuels (race tracks and jai-alai frontons) there. The elections are set for March 8. Gov. Jeb Bush and other state leaders still have time to speak against the local referendum.
A "no" vote in Broward and Miami-Dade has benefits for the rest of the state. The Miccosukee Indian tribe, citing agreements with state and federal governments that allow them to offer an electronic analog of any game of chance available elsewhere in the state, is already pushing to add slots to its Hard Rock casino in Tampa. The Seminole Tribe, which owns four other casinos around the state, is expected to follow suit.
Bush has some negotiating room with the tribes, and he should do everything in his power to persuade them not to expand gambling. But forces are already working against the governor. Sen. Steve Geller, D-Hallandale filed a bill that would force any agreement to be reviewed by the Legislature, a move that would undermine Bush's negotiating posture.
If the Miami-Dade and Broward votes pass, the governor's bargaining ability becomes crucial, as does the Legislature's resolve to -- at the least -- make gambling pay for Florida's school children.
Geller said this week he thinks the tax rate for south Florida casinos should be set at a relatively modest 30 percent. That's unacceptable. The Florida Lottery returns half the revenue from ticket sales to state coffers, and anything less from gambling profiteers should be out of the question.
When this ballot question was proposed, supporters promised more than $400 million for schools the first year slot machines operated. Geller's suggested figure would produce less than half of that. Again, this is a statewide issue, because slot taxes would fund schools across the state.
If state leaders are forced to cope with the social blight and public expense that inevitably accompanies gaming, they should at least find a way to make the industry cover some of the expense. At the same time, they should recognize that gambling is best avoided from the start.
That means legislative leaders should look for ways to discourage the casino ships that depart by the dozens from ports all over Florida every day, and be prepared to take a strong stand against any further expansion of gaming in the state. The latter is more pressing: Bills already filed would allow the highly addictive video lottery machines to be installed in pari-mutuel facilities, along with high-stakes poker and dominoes tournaments.
Finally, if the Miami-Dade and Broward voters approve slot machines, lawmakers should get ready for the influx of state costs associated with addiction, broken families and increased crime.
State leaders won't have complete control over the hand they're dealt this spring -- but they should be prepared to make the best of the cards they hold, understanding what's at stake.