Every session of the Legislature offers several examples of some big interest groups ganging up to kick the stuffing out of a smaller interest group. In this session, the premier example centers on the seemingly innocuous game of bingo.
The big guys in this instance are the state's Indian tribes and the Catholic Church. They have joined forces to push through a bill that would outlaw electronic bingo machines, and in the process cripple fundraising efforts for an untold number of small charities across California.
This lets the tribes and the church hold onto their share of the gambling business. For the tribes, it's their legal monopoly on slot machines; for the church, it's the caller-and-dauber bingo games that are a staple of parish fundraising.
For the complete story, please see Editorial: B-I-N-G-O V-E-T-O, Sacremento Bee, August 24, 2008.
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