Riley’s gambling task force cost tax payers 4 million

With so many Americans worried about where their next paycheck will come from and unemployment levels at all time highs in many states, it’s probably frustrating for the common working American to hear the government bickering over budgets and taxes, when you’re trying to put food on the table and keep your house.

Sadly it gets worse. I would assume it be angering to learn that during hard times former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley was spending tax payers money on an illegal gambling task force for two years.

According to CBS 8 News, Gov. Bob Riley created the task force in December 2008 with a mission to crack down on illegal gambling in Alabama, that task force cost close to a whopping 4 million dollars!

Controversial raids were conducted throughout Alabama including White Hall in Lowndes County and Victoryland in Macon County. As CBS 8 News learned, the total cost before Gov. Robert Bentley abolished the unsanctioned task force was 3.9 million dollars, which included costs for overtime salaries, moving trucks, aviation flight times and vehicles.

So, basically, not only was the task force shutting down places where people were seeking entertainment with their hard earned money, but it was also being paid for by the same people. That’s somewhat sickening.

Former Gov. Riley issued a statement after CBS 8 News revealed the reckless spending, saying:

“The Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling did what was necessary to uphold the rule of law and restore order to this state. Since the Task Force was formed, the State of Alabama has seized more than $2 million in illegal gambling proceeds and nearly 3,000 illegal slot machines. Attorney General Strange is also pursuing a $75 million tax case against Greenetrack. Confiscated proceeds and unpaid taxes will become part of the General Fund once the cases are complete. Not to mention the fact that we stopped illegal operations from taking millions of dollars out of the Alabama economy every year and sending it out of state. For all that, I’d say the taxpayers got a bargain.” -CBS 8 News

Bargain? Really?

Pending court cases- those will also cost tax payers. Then when you consider the countless jobs that were lost due to the raids and the number of people that will look to the state for Welfare checks- add the cost of the task force which has since been abolished (because it was insanely expensive) and where’s the bargain?

Riley sounds like a used car salesman that just finished selling you a lemon.