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Some Pennsylvania pols not backing video poker

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania -- As reported by The Delaware County Daily Times: "Some local legislators have mixed feelings about Gov. Rendell's proposal to legalize video poker to fund higher education, which came up during state budget hearings this week.

"Rendell wants to legalize video poker in bars and private clubs to raise money to aid students at community colleges and state-owned universities.

"State Rep. Greg Vitali, D-166, of Haverford, said Wednesday he didn't support video-poker machines in bars in the state because it would be a 'significant expansion of gambling.

"'It's estimated that you would increase the number of video-poker machines by 250 percent,' he said.

"Making gambling that accessible would have 'negative consequences' on the community, Vitali said. 'You don't want it too easy to have a person lose their hard-earned paycheck in gambling.'

"Vitali said there are better ways to fund higher education and that the relationship between the enactment of video-poker legislation and the funding of higher education is 'illusory; it's not real...'"

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