Three reasons fantasy betting hearings a joke
Congress — which is far worse than the President Truman-named “Do-Nothing” 80th Congress — recently began holding hearings on whether fantasy betting should be legal. The need to hold hearings on this question is a blatant absurdity for three reasons.
First, betting is a fact of life in this country, and government is already deeply involved in it, with state lotteries and the like.
Second, legalizing fantasy betting — including reasonable regulations thereof, could be easily put into law, including the taxing of such betting which would serve to create a larger tax base for the federal and state governments, which all badly need the income. Not to mention maintaining the well-paying jobs fantasy betting companies have created for computer technicians and others.
For those who think this will worsen betting addiction — please! Those unfortunate people who are unable to control their betting habits will continue to bet — and overbet — legally or illegally, no matter what Congress does.
Third, these hearings put into glaringly stark contrast how absurd the actions — or, better put, inactions — of this Congress are.
It has no compunction wasting time holding hearings to decide if fantasy betting should be legalized, an absolute no-brainer if ever there was one. Yet they constantly kick down the road dealing with — let alone taking constructive action on — financial matters that threaten the very foundation and future well-being of this country.
To name just a few: the ever-growing debt problem this country faces, the problems of an ever-shrinking middle class due to wage stagnation, unemployment and, more importantly, underemployment; funding of medicare and medicaid and coming up with a health insurance program that actually works well — unlike the faux “solution” that Obamacare promised to, but hasn’t delivered to the majority of Americans; Social Security and the fact that most people in this country can’t afford to save enough — if anything — for retirement, which means that far too many won’t have enough to live off when they reach retirement age; the ridiculously skyrocketing cost of a college education; and the increasingly poor secondary education young people in this country are getting. Again, just to name a few!
Some people are surprised that the current Congress’ approval rating fluctuates between 9 and 15 percent. Frankly, I think it’s a wonder the rating is that high.