The pokie machine debate is a regular one. And on Thursday it was back in front of the Invercargill City Council where those for and against a sinking lid policy stated their cases.
I had a good mate who gambled heavily(to me anyway) I asked him how much he spent a year,quick as a flash he said 28000.hell I thought.then I asked how much do you win about 22000.so this was my mates hobby.i do feel sad for people who are addicted to gambling.there is an up though we all benefit from great sporting facilities .who sitting somewhere grand decides on the 14 venues of high deprivation,what a pompous utterance.
If 14 of the 15 venues in Invercargill and Bluff are in areas of medium to high levels of deprivation we shouldn't be debating pokie machines, we should be debating how to make changes so our society has no areas classed as deprived of anything. From the councils point of view their focus should be on living within a budget that doesn't force ever increasing rates increases on residents until it becomes unsustainable.
Personally the odd few dollars I put into pokie machines gives me a lot more pleasure than the thousands I pay in rates and tat the end of the day the proceeds are probably spent on doing a lot more good in the community.
I had a good mate who gambled heavily(to me anyway) I asked him how much he spent a year,quick as a flash he said 28000.hell I thought.then I asked how much do you win about 22000.so this was my mates hobby.i do feel sad for people who are addicted to gambling.there is an up though we all benefit from great sporting facilities .who sitting somewhere grand decides on the 14 venues of high deprivation,what a pompous utterance.
If 14 of the 15 venues in Invercargill and Bluff are in areas of medium to high levels of deprivation we shouldn't be debating pokie machines, we should be debating how to make changes so our society has no areas classed as deprived of anything. From the councils point of view their focus should be on living within a budget that doesn't force ever increasing rates increases on residents until it becomes unsustainable.
Personally the odd few dollars I put into pokie machines gives me a lot more pleasure than the thousands I pay in rates and tat the end of the day the proceeds are probably spent on doing a lot more good in the community.