Rep. Smyk Thinks Delaware Casinos are Being Raped
So he says in this recording of a debate answer defending his vote for bailing out casinos. Smyk is — surprise — an ex-cop and the district he represents is the area where Bradley committed his crimes against children. And this career cop wants you to believe that the taxes paid by casinos are the equivalent of rape. A comment that completely diminishes the violence of real rape and completely devalues the real trauma endured by its victims. To be sure, plenty of Ds voted for this bailout too — but none of them would tell you they were somehow in the rape prevention business. His opponent, Marie Mayor, has a great response — that the revenues from casinos ought to be in use the fix Delaware infrastructure, which is exactly right. So the choice is between the R who wants to reduce the casino taxes vs the D who wants to help get our roads and bridges fixed. There’s no point in re-electing Smyk if the only people he plans to represent are a handful of casino owners. Go Marie Mayor!
Tags: Featured, Marie Mayor
Look. Let’s face it- this dude is so simple that Humpty Dumpty look like a genius in comparison
This is simply the latest in a loooong line of verbal gaffes
No wonder Lopez keeps him attached to his hip- kinda like Schwartzkopf and Atkins…..
Dude can’t be left without adult supervision
cassandra_m Your post is way off the mark. You seem to misunderstand the very premise of why the General Assembly bailed out the casinos in the first place. It was never intended to show just how much politicians want to represent “a handful of casino owners”. The sole purpose was to save jobs. Thats it.
Delaware is not Texas, or California, or New York. We don’t view job expendability the same way other states with much larger populations do. With every job we lose in Delaware, we feel it. We are just a little over 900,000 people. Ensuring that everyone who wants a job or has a job can keep a job is one of the many responsibilities of Delaware’s elected and appointed officials.
Are you somehow suggesting that Obama, because he vigorously pursued a bailout for General Motors that he cares solely about the CEOs and Board of Directors that pillaged the company for bonuses? He pushed for a bailout to save jobs! He realized just as you must realize, that the price of doing nothing to save our jobs is just as devastating as it is long lasting. What happens to a few of us will effect all of us.
And as for the Casinos being overtaxed, I side with the Republicans in this regard. 43% is far too much to ask of any entity in terms of taxable income. Imagine how the public would react if we taxed each taxpayer at 43%. Think pitchforks and torches.
You must expand your understanding of the situation much better. We all need shelter and protection from a bad economy. We all need our jobs, and God bless the people who have good jobs. To slam people for voting for a bailout to aid the casino workers would be to slam all of the Democrats who are running in districts in Delaware who house casinos, as well as slamming those districts who directly benefit from workers spending their paychecks buying things that they need–which are generated by work created by casinos. It’s all revenue neutral–it’s all connected.
This bailout is about these casinos not being able to compete in a marketplace that is getting tougher to compete in every day. That’s not a taxpayers problem. This legislature nixed a possible solution that might have give Delaware casinos in more competitive places. But the people who are geting the bailout were the people who pushed the GA into not expanding casino gambling.
No one wants to see jobs go away, but that is exactly what happens when an industry that can no longer compete (and is paying the price for the protections it wanted). That’s how the private sector should work. The difference between GM and Delaware casinos is of scale. If GM fell, so would a great many of the suppliers to GM who also supplied the rest of the auto industry, effectively wiping out more than GM. I wasn’t a fan of that bailout, either. Still, it is the job of the casino owners to stay competitive enough to keep the jobs at those casinos. It isn’t the job of taxpayers to finance the delay of the inevitable. But while they are in operation, they should contribute to the Treasury like everyone else.
Which still means that Smyk is very much off base with that remark.
What is appalling about Smyk’s comment is that he described taxation of casinos as “rape.” He probably is correct about 43.5 percent being too high, but his comparison to rape reveals a deep insensitivity that should trouble the voters of his district.
^^^This^^^
cassandra_m: This is a taxpayers problem–I digress. When someone loses their job, thats is revenue that the state cannot tax to pay bills. Everyone is affected.
As for the General Assembly nixing a solution offering more casinos in different places, more notably Wilmington, the worry is centered around the possibility of more bailouts for more casinos. We need to reassess the reasons for why our casinos are failing–which I agree is partially due to executives not preparing for tougher competition.
But it is also due to the state using casino revenues as a crutch to prop up the state. And make no mistake about it, Delaware casinos are crumbling under the enormous weight. Furthermore, It is also grossly unfair for you and everyone else to take 43% in taxes from casinos in Delaware, higher than any other state tax on casinos in the country, and then accuse them of not being competitive enough. Setting up card tables through the legislature, making it legal, then taking all of the revenue for two or three years before casinos ever see a drop of cash from the benefit.
Nobody wants to see these jobs go, except for you–and I’m calling you out for it! Democrats need and must be an advocate for the public, and that includes the basis of job creation and job retention. We already lost 100 jobs in Harrington from Georgia Pacific moving their operations to Georgia, and Five Below are moving all of their stores out of Delaware to New Jersey. We lost Kmart in Dover, and could potentially lose Sears at the Dover Mall. Goodbye jobs!
Casinos in Delaware, is in fact Delaware’s GM! Thousands of jobs hang in the balance, and even more jobs that benefit from business provided by their employees, and gross receipts tax income from the franchises is on the chopping block! How much more destruction of jobs and income are you willing to accept?–all to satisfy laissez faire, social-darwinistic ideological arguments? This is not the Delaware way!
The casinos in DE was a concept too late. Look at what is happening in New Jersey. The Government cannot run a business, they are investing the tax payers money into the casinos. Now let’s look at the money invested in Fisker, FAILURE!!
Then, they have STEAL the money out our our pockets, (because, if the people voted we would vote NO) and give it to Bloom Energy, with NO RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT! How stupid is that. Oh, that’s right Bloom Energy is only going to hire people who live in DE. Let them be HONEST and put a line item in our Delmarva bills for Bloom, see everyone take a stand then. No they won’t be HONEST, THEY HAVE TO HIDE IT!!!
How can a state trooper who represents a district smack in the middle of where Dr. Earl Bradley was raping children use the word “RAPE” to describe the amount the state taxes casinos? That is just sick.
Isell if Smyk is so interested in “jobs” (a word I doubt Smyk can even spell), why is he trying to stop that shopping center in his district that will create 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 retail jobs?
If Smyk wants to defend his vote to rob tax dollars earmarked for infrastructure (including money that was for the roads around a sports complex for children that would benefit his own district with jobs and revenue) to bail out dying casinos, he can find a less disturbing word to describe it, instead of insulting of rape victims including the possibly hundreds of children in his own district who were brutally raped at the hands of a pediatrician.
OMG. WHEN WILL SOME PEOLE LEARN
CASINOS IN DELAWARE ARE NOT TAXED!!!! They pay no taxes!
Please re- read the statute they revenue sharr-they pay a fee for the license and the revenue (incoming funds) are shared by percentages ….depending on whether it is slot revenue or table games revenue.
Sigh – there is not a single casino in this state that is TAXED! They pay absolutely ZERO in taxes
Fees yes, revenue sharing yes and while they negotiated their own contract …..on their own MONOPOLY…. The amout they pay in fees has decreased….
How? Because the legislature allowed them to deduct their capital improvements and marketing Expenses from their state license fees….
WOW- does Smyck think we are all as dumb as he is?
Not to mention the ugly RAPE word- but then again He uses a lot of ugly language when he thinks others aren’t listening ……n’est pas Steve???
http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/LIS147.nsf/93487d394bc01014882569a4007a4cb7/6d9dcc2aff877f5785257cd2006255df
Casinos in Delaware used to pay 29% of tables games revenue minus payouts as well as a 5-7 million licensing fee annually.
Check the statute for 2010-2011
The state also pays the vendors for the Leasing and or purchase of video lottery terminals as well as the staff to maintain them. The casinos do not pay for the machines not tue maintenance
However this has now desolved into a 15% revenue share with ZERO in licensing fees.
The jobs that Delewareans have in these places are mostly food services, maintenance and server jobs-maybe the cage/cashier positions
The highest paying jobs are
Professional gaming staff for all over – mostly New Jersey
managerial positions that were always there
Ask the professional gaming staff personnel WHERE they own their homes- it’s not in Delaware for the majority.
Like a former Surgeon General said about DC – “we rent in this town”
Same applies for the gambling industry
CASINOS in Delaware is an even bigger hustle than the devil finally
convincing people he doesn’t exist.
Jobs being lost??? More like his campaign contributions stopping …..
But it is also due to the state using casino revenues as a crutch to prop up the state.
But that is the reason casinos exist in Delaware at all. Casinos are not “Delaware’s GM” – GM was Delaware’s GM.
Many people were opposed to allowing casinos into Delaware, but the idea that they could be heavily taxed was just too attractive. Casinos represent a regressive tax on the poor, elderly, and vulnerable, and helped put off the day when taxes on the wealthy would have to be appropriately raised. But now that day is here.
Taxation of casinos is essentially a sin tax. If you take away the tax, all you have left is the sin.
Zero Taxes and Government Subsidities for Private Business = JOBS!
Worked great in Kansas…
I think Bill Maher calls these Zombie Ideas. Even when they are put into practice and FAIL the theory never dies.
Plus, I never trust a cop or ex-cop. That’s just common sense.
Aoine this wasn’t a “gaffe”- this is typical of the things Steve Smyk says all of the time. Things like overdosing addicts “jump up” and start “choking” police officers after NARCON is administered, or that “poor people are a cancer on society,” or that the author of the decriminalization bill (Helene Keeley) wants to “legalize all drugs,” or that Sussex County should secede from the rest of Delaware, or just about any one of his rantings about what “liberal New Castle County” is doing to the rest of Delaware.
These aren’t “gaffes” this is what Smyk really believes, he must believe them, he says this kind of stuff every time he gets a microphone in front of his face or a group of people are around. He’s not an idiot, he’s calculated and inhumane.
“Ensuring that everyone who wants a job or has a job can keep a job is one of the many responsibilities of Delaware’s elected and appointed officials.’
Where in the fuck did you get this cockeyed idea? It is not now nor has it ever been the job of elected officials to find jobs for people — unless, of course, those people are related to the politician in question.
“Nobody wants to see these jobs go, except for you–and I’m calling you out for it! ”
Where do you think those jobs are going to go, other than down the street? Restaurants in casinos put out of business restaurants that are not in casinos. None of the dollars spent in casino restaurants go back to the state — or at least, no more than the dollars spent in out-of-casino restaurants. Calling someone out? Howzabout you get your head out of your ass first?
“Five Below are moving all of their stores out of Delaware to New Jersey.”
Wrong again. They moved a distribution center to New Jersey.
“We lost Kmart in Dover, and could potentially lose Sears at the Dover Mall. Goodbye jobs!”
Goodbye shitty jobs, you mean. Apparently you are the last to hear that Wal-Mart has just about put KMart/Sears — they’re the same company, I suspect you didn’t know — out of business. This has nothing to do with elected officials and everything to do with Wal-Mart.
“Thousands of jobs hang in the balance”
All of which will be replaced by non-casino restaurants and hotels
“and even more jobs that benefit from business provided by their employees, and gross receipts tax income from the franchises is on the chopping block!’
No different from any other business, including the businesses that will replace the outsourcing of hotel and restaurant jobs from inside the casino to the wider community.
“How much more destruction of jobs and income are you willing to accept?–all to satisfy laissez faire, social-darwinistic ideological arguments? This is not the Delaware way!”
If we’re going to go against laissez-faire economics, the first step would be to close the casinos altogether and get out the gambling business.
Take that weak PR campaign bullshit out of here. Rejected.
@Aoine: The devil? Really?
Of all the possible Keynesian investments a government can make, putting money directly into the pockets of casino owners has to be the worst.
@Geezer – It was better than Santa or the Easter Bunny…. LOL
@anon – lets face it – Smyck is not the brightest bulb on the tree – Heroin ODs jumping up and choking cops – granted, they are a but miffed that you ruined their $200.00 high – but as far as choking out anyone HAHAHHAHAHA – if you wait 2 minutes the NARCAN wears off the receptor cells and as the Morphine/Heroin whatever – is still on board the receptor cells again happily receive the narcotic and as the NARCAN has a much shorter half life the OD is well, OD’d again and incapable of breathing, never mind chocking anyone!
Obviously he has never seen NARCAN in action in the field…. but then again seeing as his main deal was BAT patrol (Buses and Trucks) and scales etc…. he didn’t see too many ODs the way many others see them – (Does that then make him BATman?- just askin’)
I have heard him in action one too many times to even listen when he speaks – its kinda like Charlie Brown’s teacher WHAAAAT WHAAAAAT WHAAAAT -ad nauseum……..
Just to put this train back on the rails, I’m still flabbergasted by using a rape analogy to describe the casinos’ relationship with the state and to defend a vastly unpopular bailout.
Too damn many cops and rednecks in power in Sussex County
“Too damn many cops and rednecks in power in Sussex County”
Without cops and rednecks, you wouldn’t even have a SuxCo.
Another of the talk radio sponsored candidates..
There’s a little strip on the coast where I live..
Did Rep. Smyk make the best choice of words? No. But let’s not let form trump substance. Obviously he was trying to articulate the over-taxation/over-regulation of the casinos. Unfortunately, sometimes we choose words for affect that are provocative. Speaking of provocative words, that’s exactly what I would deem the term “bailout.”
Casinos in Delaware have been consistently contributing more than $200 million to the state’s general fund since their inception. Who is “bailing out” who? I would consider it more of a “rollback.” Let’s not forget that $200 million number the casinos have contributed to the state annually has dropped in recent years due to increased competition in a saturated gaming marketplace. It’s important to note that in looking at what the casinos tax rate has translated to in terms of money to the state, they were contributing more with the LOWER tax rate than they are now with one of the highest in the country. It’s not just 43.5% to the state, they also pay nearly an additional 20% to the vendors and horsemen, leaving them with less than 40 cents on the dollar. IT IS NOT TAXPAYERS MONEY. It is the casino’s own money…
Would any of you be able to have a business and sustain it keeping 40 cents on the dollar?
I think this is just a matter of being better informed about the issues here and reading beyond the headline.
“Would any of you be able to have a business and sustain it keeping 40 cents on the dollar?”
Maybe-if I knew I had a monopoly on that business in my area. I am no expert on the casino business and I have no way of knowing whether or not the casinos are being made to pay too much. What I do know, however, is that the three corporations that run these casinos wanted to go into that business and agreed to the state cut.
Alex: You’re wasting your talents. Somebody who can give himself a blowjob should be able to make a fortune on the internet.
What an idiot. Businesses have all kinds of gross and profit margins. Grocery Stores only keep a measly 2 cents of every dollar and yet Rep. Smyk isn’t saying that they are getting RAPED and need a taxpayer bailout.
The whole thing just makes you wonder, who is Smyk working for? It isn’t the people of his district.
You know what the alternative is? The state could own the casinos directly. Fuck taking 43%; if the casinos don’t want to do business that way, we should simply revoke their licenses and let government keep 100%.
You apologists can go get real jobs elsewhere — and once the casinos are gone, those restaurant and hotel jobs WILL reappear elsewhere.
“The whole thing just makes you wonder, who is Smyk working for?”
That one’s easy: He’s working for the state cops, who funded his cushy pension.