Wednesday, April 27, 2005

 

Pet Peeve

One of my many pet peeves is racino, the word and the thing. The word is apparently formed from the race- in racetrack plus the -ino in casino. An uglier sounding word would be hard to imagine. Whoever first uttered this abomination deserves glossectomy.

The Minnesota governor and legislature, instead of dealing with real problems, are squabbling over a proposed racino at the Mall of America (a place that gives me the creeps every time I set foot inside it). State spending outpaces state tax revenues, and the governor's bright idea to fix the problem is for the state and the Indian tribes to go into the gambling business together. Before he was elected, the governor was on record as opposing any expansion of gambling in Minnesota.

Back in my native land, the state of Maine, a landmark restaurant in Bangor, Miller's, is closing after 55 years in business. The owners are selling the space, for $3.8 million, to a racino. Rep. Patricia Blanchette, D-Bangor, gushed: "This is a big move for the city of Bangor, and it's a gigantic leap for the state of Maine." A gigantic leap into the maw of hell.



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