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Sparks Responds to Resignation of Anti-Gambling Czar

January 19th, 2010

Agricultural Commissioner Ron Sparks, the Fort Payne Democrat running for governor, came out swinging on the gambling issue this week against Gov. Bob Riley, and his opponent in the Democratic Party primary, Rep. Artur Davis.

Sparks said in a press release he recently ask governor Riley if he were going to stop the people of Alabama from crossing the state line into Mississippi to gamble. Then the Commander of the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling, David Barber, resigned, admitting he won thousands of dollars gambling at a Mississippi casino.

“This just proves the hypocrisy of those who want to kill Alabama jobs and rob our children and seniors of important revenue. We have a Governor who takes Mississippi gambling money while his anti-gambling czar gambles in Mississippi,” Sparks said. “David Barber takes his Alabama money and goes to Mississippi to help educate Mississippi children and help create jobs for Mississippi workers. That money needs to stay in Alabama and help us, not them.”

Sparks pledged if the people of the state elect him governor, he will bring an education lottery to Alabama, protect Alabama jobs, and finally make gaming pay its fair share of taxes.


“I am the only candidate for Governor who has a plan to increase revenue without taxing the hardworking people of Alabama,” Sparks said. “Governor Riley, instead of raiding Country Crossing, you should raid your own task force. They are the ones hurting Alabama jobs — not Country Crossing. I will stop this nonsense when I am governor.”

To his opponent, he said, “What will you do, Artur Davis?”

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 12:51 pm and is filed under Alabama Democratic Party, Alabama Politics, Bob Riley, Elections 2010. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. Yana Davis Says:
    January 19th, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    Of course, the sane thing to do would be for gambling simply to be legalized throughout the United States, with each state getting the lottery and casino revenue from within its borders as the legal states do now.

    It’s ridiculous that the same private act can be defined as a crime in some states and as a positive act of public good in others.

    Universal legalization would instantly do away with the interstate competition for gambling dollars, or at least do away with it in the near future. Then, where one gambled would be decided by other factors, such as proximity.