Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner » Archive » Borough panel fine-tuning tax proposals

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner » Archive » Borough panel fine-tuning tax proposals:

"Should pull-tabs be subject to a proposed area-wide sales tax?

Should newspaper subscriptions?

The Fort Knox gold mine?

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly’s finance committee took up these and other questions at a work session Thursday on two proposals to reduce property taxes.
One proposal, pushed by Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker, is for a 2.5 percent sales tax that would jump to 5 percent in the summer. The other, introduced by Assemblymen Luke Hopkins and Tim Beck, is for a combination sales tax and gross receipts tax.
It turns out that rewriting the borough’s tax system isn’t easy.
There are two different proposals and any number of ways to implement either.
Some of the issues discussed Thursday were policy calls, such as how major taxpayers such as Fort Knox and the Flint Hills refinery should be treated under the new system. Hopkins said it was his intention that both be subject to the gross receipts tax."

CJOnline - Kansas Lottery sets sales record

CJOnline - Kansas Lottery sets sales record:
"The Kansas Lottery hit a record for sales in the fiscal year that ended June 30, Lottery officials said Tuesday.
Total sales in the fiscal year were nearly $241 million, an increase of more than 2 percent from the previous year's sales, which also had set a record.

The Lottery will transfer $71 million to the state for fiscal year 2007, the highest transfer in a single year since the Lottery started selling tickets in 1987.
Ed Van Petten, Kansas Lottery executive director, said instant games and pull tabs played an important part in making this a record year."

Postbulletin.com: Travel scene -- Volunteers help some navigate MSP airport - Sat, Jul 21, 2007

Postbulletin.com: Travel scene -- Volunteers help some navigate MSP airport - Sat, Jul 21, 2007:
"MAC helps out
The Metropolitan Airports Commission, which governs the airport, then granted the foundation a small retail space to raise funds to support its outreach programs and services. The retail outlet, sublet to the Minnesota Store with the foundation receiving a share of the profits, is in the North Star Crossing. That sector is one of the most successful airport retail venues in the world.
Another important source of funding came via Minnesota's approval of charitable gambling in 1988. The foundation sells pull tabs at its lottery booth at North Star Crossing, as well as Powerball tickets at both the Lindbergh and Humphrey terminals. The Powerball franchise is the most profitable in the state, with sales exceeding more than $1 million annually. "

Herald Argus

Herald Argus: "EDITOR’S NOTE: Rather than Speak Out, we would suggest you do some investigation on the Internet.

“I see where the Polish Carnival advertised gambling through channel 99 today on the La Porte station. How can they let people gamble when your taverns here in La Porte cannot have gambling? This seems very unfair, not only to me, but to a lot of other people. Why can’t the bars have (unintelligible) boards, (unintelligible) boards and pull tabs if this carnival can have gambling right out in the open? Why isn’t it a felony for them like it is for the bar owners now? Why is it any different just because they are a church group? This just isn’t fair.” "

St. Cloud Times | Opinion

St. Cloud Times Opinion:
"Rep. Larry Haws deserves a big thank you for representing District 15B well. The past year Haws put a lot of time and effort in getting bills passed to help our community and our veterans.
Larry Haws has the edge, the positive attitude, the professionalism, the confidence, the incredible ability and will power to put a bill on the fast track to become law.
Let me mention just one such bill that became law. Haws sponsored a bill to help fraternal organizations pay for expenses such as water, heating, electricity and sewer costs through pull-tab profits. Money made from pull tabs helps relieve poverty, homelessness, disability, treat problem gambling, education, scholarship funds, recognize military service, recreation, snowmobile trails, ATV trails, food shelves, cancer and the list goes on.
Some fraternal organizations have had to close because costs were too high. Now the doors will remain open to carry on this needed work. Thank you, Larry Haws!
Haws represents what we need in St. Paul — 'A little less talk and a whole lot more action,' 'A lot more nice.' ... We need leaders. I think I know who is the leader of the pack — Larry Haws. I like the way he communicates."

The Herald Bulletin - EDITORIAL: Know this: Cherry master games are illegal

The Herald Bulletin - EDITORIAL: Know this: Cherry master games are illegal:
"We don’t have much sympathy for bar owners who are complaining about increased enforcement to shut down their illegal gambling devices, called cherry masters. On July 1, the state passed a new law to increase enforcement by adding 16 extra state excise police officers to go after the machines.

During the same legislative session, however, the General Assembly approved the use of slot machines at Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs. Bar owners are crying foul, but what part of “illegal” don’t they understand?
In a meeting in Anderson on June 21, Brenda Scott, primary enforcement officer for the Madison County branch of the state excise police, told local bar owners, “Keep in mind, those dailies, weeklies, monthlies, pull-tabs have always been illegal. No one should have been doing that.”"

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"No 'Wanted' poster
Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of Indiana Licensed Beverage Association, said some bar and restaurant owners would face a serious adjustment to the new enforcement effort by the gaming commission and other efforts by excise police enforcing alcohol and tobacco regulations.
'We are entering a whole new world here,' said Klopfenstein, who said the new gaming police were not unlike Elliott Ness and the 'Untouchables,' special U.S. Treasury agents who enforced federal prohibition laws during the 1930s.
Yelton responded, 'I can assure you we have no 'Wanted' poster here,'
The gaming commission is still working on a policy to enforce gaming laws, and Yelton said there were no plans to target eastern Indiana, even though the region was the headquarters for former Teamsters boss John Neal's video gambling empire.
Neal was arrested last year on video gambling and money laundering charges, just two years after getting out of prison after serving time on charges of operating illegal gambling business, conspiracy to defraud the IRS and money laundering. Neal remains in the Ashland, Ky. federal prison on a probation violation from his previous conviction.
Yelton estimated there could be as many as 5,000 to 40,000 Cherry Masters or other video gaming machines throughout the state, still found in truck stops, tobacco stores, bars and other retail establishments."

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"Regular players
A handful of poker players were standing outside Royal Crown Wednesday night, talking about the club closing as dealers planned some big dealouts on the final night.
'This is a club and it should be left as a club,' said Joe Ramos, a former dealer and player.
Ramos said Texas Hold'em offered entertainment for many people, with as many as 100 people a night playing at the downtown club.
'I guess I could go to a bar, get drunk and then get pulled over,' he said.
Ryan Clements, who runs the club, said the closing would be like losing family given the number of regular players.
'We have never had any problems,' Clements said.
The closing puts 15 people out of work and shutters a downtown storefront. Koger said she was still looking at how the club might be turned over to a charity.
Rep. Dennis Tyler, D-Muncie, voted for HB 1510, and said he did not know the bill would put Texas Hold'em clubs out of business. Tyler also has been criticized by some bar and restaurant owners for approving slot machines at horse tracks, including nearby Hoosier Park, while outlawing other gaming in other establishments.
'We did that to have property tax relief,' Tyler said, referring to how money from slots would fund property tax rebate checks to homeowners.
Tyler had a bill to legalize drawings, polls and pull tabs in bars, but that legislation never got in the final bill. He will renew those efforts during the short session."

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters | The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN

New state gambling laws doom poker clubs, Cherry Masters The Star Press - www.thestarpress.com - Muncie, IN:
"MUNCIE -- Cherry Masters, electronic slot machines, will be the target of Indiana's new gaming police, and Texas Hold'em clubs like Royal Crown in downtown Muncie will close after midnight with a new crackdown on illegal gambling.
'The state has declared us a game of chance,' said Linda Koger, who owns Muncie Liquors and is a partner in the downtown poker club. 'We are being forced to close our doors.'
The option, Koger said, would be possibly facing a class C felony charge for promoting professional gambling.
During its last session, the Legislature approved House Bill 1510, which included new penalties for possessing electronic gaming devices like Cherry Masters and promoting illegal gaming like drawings, pull tabs and sports pools.
That law also redefined gambling as risking money or other property for gain, contingent in whole or in part, upon chance, and only permits charitable gaming. And it gave the gaming commission authority to enforce that law.
'We always contended that the law made them illegal,' Ernest Yelton, executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, said about Texas Hold-em clubs."

Union Leader - Robert Philbrick: Milford arrests show hypocrisy of NH gambling laws - Monday, Jul. 9, 2007

Union Leader - Robert Philbrick: Milford arrests show hypocrisy of NH gambling laws - Monday, Jul. 9, 2007:
"Thank goodness we don't have to worry about Doug Bianchi and Artie Gagnon preying upon hapless gambling addicts any longer. Their reign of lawlessness and illicit activities is finally at an end. After all, as Mr. Metcalf warns, '. . . gambling is not a victimless crime, because addicts don't just hurt themselves', and '. . . instead of supporting their families, they are playing video poker or engaging in other forms of illegal gambling.'
Of course, they could, instead, participate in the legal, 'good gambling' sanctioned by the state of New Hampshire, in the form of Powerball, Megabucks, myriad scratch ticket games, etc., at the convenience store not 50 paces from the 'bad gambling' video games the same state agents tell us are illegal, immoral and harmful to families.
In the room next to the den of iniquity at the Harley-Sanford VFW post, you can spend your paycheck on 50-cent 'pull-tabs,' another legalized gambling game the state of New Hampshire happily takes its cut from."

Herald Argus

Herald Argus:
"‘Taxation and regulation’
While State Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, voted against the gambling bill earlier this spring, State Rep. Tom Dermody, R-La Porte, supported it based on the fact that it continued to allow non-profit groups like veterans organizations to sell tip boards and pull-tabs.
Still, Dermody said he’s disheartened that the legislation could put bar owners out of business, and vowed to fight to amend the law.
“You hate to see business shut down, especially when you make it legal for one group and not for the other. We stopped halfway,” he said. “We’ll come back and fight another day.”
That fight will likely center on what Pelath refers to as “taxation and regulation,” which would legalize tip boards and pull tabs by taxing them at the state level.
“We have riverboats and horse tracks and then we’re going to take it out on taverns and that doesn’t seem the route to go,” said Pelath.
“Owning a tavern is an extremely tough business,” he said. “They are operating at small profit margins.”
Many tavern owners said that to scrape by until the law is hopefully amended, they will likely have to reduce spending and raise prices.
For now, however, all they can do is swallow the bitter pill the state has served them.
“The state isn’t doing anything for us,” said Ted Fouth, president of the La Porte, Porter and Starke County Tavern Association. “It’s getting tighter and tighter. We can’t even breathe.”"

Herald Argus

Herald Argus:
"‘A fair shake’
Still, Fritzen said he generated anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 annually from tip boards and other games -- the kind of revenue that many tavern owners can’t afford to lose.
“We’re not happy. It’s really biting into our livelihood,” said Gene Samuelson, who with his wife Barbara owns Hilltop Bar in La Porte.
“We deserve a fair shake,” he said.
“You have to have entertainment gaming to pay your bills. It’s that crucial for a lot of businesses,” said Larry Rose of Western Inn in La Porte.
While Rose said he could recoup some of the lost profits from illegal gambling by becoming a licensed Indiana Lottery merchant, he said he could never make up the difference completely because gamblers are less likely to play the lottery because the odds of winning aren’t as good as with pull tabs and tip boards.
It’s always been understood, Fritzen said, that tavern gambling games, while a much-needed source of income for some, hold more entertainment value than anything else.
“Which one of these bar owners is making millions and retiring? None of them,” he said.
While tavern owners argue that much of the profits reaped at casino riverboats are sent back to Las Vegas, tip board and pull tab money, they say, gets recycled back into the local economy."

Herald Argus

Herald Argus:
"New gambling law could put some taverns out of business
LA PORTE -- Before selling I Street Family Tavern to Chris Fritzen, former owner Les Strickland told him to never rely too heavily on profits from tip boards, pull-tabs and other forms of illegal gambling to operate the business.
It was some of the best advice Fritzen ever received, as a recent law cracking down on illegal gambling in taverns across the state has already threatened to put some local tavern owners out on the street -- and will soon close at least three cigar stores/pipe shops.
“If I (just sold) liquor and beer, I would be in a world of hurt,” Fritzen said. Fortunately, he also makes a decent profit from food sales at I Street.
Whereas the state formerly turned a blind eye to illegal gambling in bars so long as no one complained, bar owners now fear that under the new law, which took effect Sunday, enforcement will become stricter.
According to the law, tavern owners convicted twice of a gambling offense could be charged with a felony and could also lose their liquor license.
“That’s pretty much the death penalty. It means you’re out of business,” said Brad Klopfenstein, executive director of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association.
While gambling games have always been illegal to operate at bars, Klopfenstein insists they’ve never been huge cash generators.
“They are nothing but traffic builders. It’s designed to keep people in your establishment and have people spend a little more money,” he insisted."

St. Cloud Times | Opinion

St. Cloud Times Opinion:
"Rep. Larry Haws deserves a big thank you for representing District 15B well. The past year Haws put a lot of time and effort in getting bills passed to help our community and our veterans.
Larry Haws has the edge, the positive attitude, the professionalism, the confidence, the incredible ability and will power to put a bill on the fast track to become law.
Let me mention just one such bill that became law. Haws sponsored a bill to help fraternal organizations pay for expenses such as water, heating, electricity and sewer costs through pull-tab profits. Money made from pull tabs helps relieve poverty, homelessness, disability, treat problem gambling, education, scholarship funds, recognize military service, recreation, snowmobile trails, ATV trails, food shelves, cancer and the list goes on.
Some fraternal organizations have had to close because costs were too high. Now the doors will remain open to carry on this needed work. Thank you, Larry Haws!
Haws represents what we need in St. Paul — 'A little less talk and a whole lot more action,' 'A lot more nice.' ... We need leaders. I think I know who is the leader of the pack — Larry Haws. I like the way he communicates."

PineandLakes.com: Jenkins council position filled 07/11/07

PineandLakes.com: Jenkins council position filled 07/11/07:

"Pull-tab sales approved
The council approved a Patriot Athletic Club (PAC) request to allow the group to sell pull-tabs at local establishments. At the June city council meeting, Brett Dale from PAC introduced the request to the council saying the group plans to sell pull-tabs at Underdogs Bar and Grill along with the Pequot Lakes Youth Hockey Associaiton (PLYHA).
According to a letter to the city written by John Engstrom on behalf of the PLYHA, Underdogs is not a big enough seller to support both clubs.
'The Hockey Association also feels that PAC has unjustly barged in,' Engstrom continues in the letter. 'We have been doing charitable gambling out of Underdogs for two-plus years. PAC received their license and have now gone after two of our sites.'
Engstrom says both groups are trying to keep costs down for youth sports and acknowledges that the establishment owner ultimately makes the decision about which groups to allow. However, Engstrom feels the profit margin at Underdogs is not large enough to benefit either club."