On Tuesday, November 7th, Guam will be electing its new governor and senators for the 29th Guam Legislature. I’ve already decided who to vote for, so that is no longer an issue to me. What I wasn’t too sure about was Proposal B. My vote of confidence would help to legalize slot machines at the Greyhound Park here on Guam.

After weighting the pro’s and con’s and watching the commercials on television, the more I thought about it, the more I believed it was not worth its weight in gold. Proposal B promises money to schools and a better economy. wow. After many years of hardship, how can we expect a few slot machines to make a positive difference in the lives of our children and in the community? If this was the solution to all our problems, why didn’t someone figure this out sooner? Many of us who grew up here on island in the 1980’s all remember what occurred when they allowed gambling machines on our soil. They had made similar promises. Instead, it brought pain and suffering to many families and children.

Payday came, kids were left in vehicles, parents blew paychecks, and kids went hungry. They say that the machines will stay in the park and will be under controlled conditions. How will that make things better? Will a security guard ask you if you have enough in your wallet put aside to support your family if you lose all your money? Will the owner return your money if you spent it on his machines instead of on your mortgage? Will Guam Greyhound provide your family with a few hot meals if you don’t have the money to put food in your cabinet? Just because they are monitoring the slots and only 18+ adults can enter doesn’t make gambling any better. Come On. They want you to spend your money on their machines! They don’t discriminate!

From my perspective, gambling has never helped Guam. Never. I’ve seen to many broken families because of gambling, and I just can’t see myself voting yes for Proposal B. Perhaps there is more to it than that, but I don’t see the bigger picture, and I’m voting NO based on my past experiences.