Bingo bust at Boston Store bothers legislator
March 2nd, 2007
When news broke of the illegal bingo ring at Southridge, I couldn’t believe that they had finally done it: they found another group to pick on other than the nerdowells at Mayfair. Little old ladies and men playing bingo. Because we all know that’s a terroristic training cell if there ever was one.
The objectors were the churches, although the article wasn’t clear if it was churches against bingo or those who play bingo weekly to support their budget. No matter who it is these people need to get a life. Chief among them (no pun intended) is Greendale police chief Rob Dams, who feels it’s more important for strict legal interpretation than common sense.
“I called the head of Boston Store security and told him that either this stops right at this moment or we start making arrests,” Police Chief Rob Dams said.
Does anyone make demands like that, really? If you’re the king of England, I guess possibly, but a suburban chief of police? In case he hasn’t learned by now, it doesn’t look good for your department or community if you start handcuffing 88-year-old folks and their walkers.
In his own defense, he did recognize later in the article that the bingo games are small potatoes. But we also learn that the games have been going on for more than 20 years with a feature newspaper article from 2002 highlighting the playful games framed near the entrance. Was there an ongoing investigation since 1984?
And now here comes the battle of wits in Madison. Mary Lazich, the Republican senator from New Berlin whose district includes Southridge, is outraged and thinks the games were legal and if they weren’t they should be made legal. Greendale Republican Rep. Jeff Stone blames Boston Store for not doing its homework and doesn’t feel the state should play any part.
(If you pull up Rep. Stone’s picture from the Legislature, he even looks like a mean, grumpy old man who would take away senior’s fun.)
The head of the state’s Division of Gaming, said he saw an ad in the local shopper for the bingo games. But wait, didn’t the police chief say churches complained? I think something else is going on here, and none of it smells like roses.
While the state figures out which way is up, let the games go on. Let the regulars have something to look forward to. By the state’s own magic three criteria — prize, game of chance, and cost — even a mother and child playing bingo at home is illegal. The prize is extra dessert at dinner tonight. Bingo’s a game of chance. And the cost was incurred by the mother buying the game and ice cream. How ridiculous are we going to have to be?
