Tax Breaks for Casinos

There are quite a few Hoosiers who are just not thrilled with the General Assembly’s latest attempt to keep them from getting the same tax breaks as some people. The assembly voted to allow tax breaks for the slot machine casinos, but not for the other businesses in the area. Rep. Eric Turner tried to get them a break but was unsuccessful.

Turner says that if they are going to give slot machines a break, they should give that same deal to all of the other businesses that are out there trying to make ends meet. He was trying to get tax breaks for those businesses that were struggling; instead the slot machines will get the deal that no one else will.

The slot machine casinos were getting a tax break because they agreed to bring in the casinos and then the economy went under leaving them holding the bag. They had all kinds of loans and things out there that enabled them to bring in the slot machines, but then were unable to pay back those loans at the current rate.

But smaller businesses say that they are struggling too – and that the slot machine casinos should not get all of the help – not when there are so many of them that need it. They say that they should be offered the same dispensations, and Turner tried to get it for them but they were defeated 56-39. Turner says that he understands the problems that the slot machine casinos are facing, but he is responsible for his constituents as well.