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Stop me if you’ve heard these before: Slots will increase addiction, bankruptcy and crime; slots are bad for small business; slots are a regressive tax on the poor. They’re some of the bullet points on a Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland anti-slot referendum memo, which also cites Marylanders United to Stop Slots, “a broad-based coalition of community, business and labor leaders, clergy,” (read: the usual boycott this-and-that crowd) “Republicans, Democrats and citizens from across Maryland” (read: it’s okay, just drink the Kool-Aid with us).

On the other hand, here’s a portion of the organizations that have endorsed the slot referendum: the Maryland Chamber of Commerce (and 12 local chambers of commerce), the Maryland Association of Counties, the Maryland Retailers Association, the Maryland Independent College and University Association, and the Maryland State Teachers Association and the University System of Maryland. Maybe you’ve heard of some of them. They tend not to endorse initiatives that will truthfully increase addiction, bankruptcy and crime.

The aforementioned bullet points are ridiculous assertions made by vested interest groups, not objective citizens. Moving on to a valid point, however, the bottom line is that Maryland schools need more funding and that’s going to come from one of two means (or not come, at all): through voluntary or involuntary contributions. Voluntary contributions are good; involuntary contributions are bad.

Examples of involuntary contributions are armed robbery and taxes. In both cases, money that you have earned, so that you can spend it as you need or want, is forcibly taken from you and spent however someone else needs or wants. To increase revenue from involuntary contributions, more money is forcibly taken from you, i.e. you’re robbed again or a greater portion of your income is taxed. Examples of voluntary contributions are direct tuition payments and gaming revenue allocated to the state education budget. In both cases, money that you have earned, so that you can spend it as you need or want, is freely given by you and spent however you need or want (if spent, at all). To increase revenue from voluntary contributions, you willingly give however much more money that you are agree upon, i.e. you donate to additional scholastic programs or you play a few more games at the casino.

Which is best: Getting robbed, spending a greater portion of your income on taxes, spending more money directly on scholastic programs or letting people play some games? Yes, that’s right: the games.

Fact: Many Marylanders who want to play slot machines already spend their money in other states where slot machines are legal. That’s lost private and public revenue, statewide.

Fact: If slot machines are built in Maryland, the same people who are already spending their money in other states will spend less of their money for the same experience in-state because they will have lower transportation costs. That’s retained personal income.

Fact: Building gaming facilities creates new jobs in Maryland. The last time I checked, creating new unspecialized jobs for a growing workforce curbed unemployment and helped bring more families above the poverty line.

Tuesday, vote “yes” for Question Two.

Adam Kirchner is a senior mass communication major, and is a columnist/blogger and proofreader for The Towerlight.