Conservatively Speaking
State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Bringing back bingo
By Mary Lazich
Friday, Mar 23 2007, 11:27 AM
Senior citizens came by the dozens for 22 years, three days a week, to the Cream City Cafeteria inside the Boston Store at Southridge. They plunked down their $6.95 so in return they could get an early bird dinner special.
Each diner also got seven free bingo cards. They ate at 4:00 p.m., played bingo at 5:00, and were on their way home by 7:00. The seniors descended upon Boston Store, not so much for the baked chicken, or the tea towel set they might win playing bingo, but for the socialization and camaraderie.
For over two decades, the bingo games commenced unimpeded. Last month, Greendale authorities, under orders from the state Division of Gaming, ordered that the games be shut down. Someone had complained to the state. Suddenly, bingo games that didn’t cause a stir for 22 years were now illegal.
Fully aware that the state sanctions a lottery and is deeply involved in casino gaming, bingo players contacted me, amazed that state bureaucrats had so much time on their hands to allow them to sabotage senior citizen games played for trinkets.
Illegal bingo must include three things; a prize, chance, and pay to play. Bingo is defined as a chance game and, because the Boston Store patrons must buy food and receive a minimal prize, games played at Southridge are technically illegal.
The state reacted in a swift and heavy-handed manner that may have been unnecessary. A better solution would have been to work with Boston Store to tweak its policy so that seniors could still enjoy a hot meal, bingo, and companionship.
I have had and continue to have conversations with the state Division of Gaming and Boston Store Corporate executives about a possible way to bring the bingo games back to the Boston Store. The Greendale community and Southridge strive to keep the mall a safe, pleasant place to shop. We must do everything we can to keep seniors returning to the mall. I am hopeful a solution can be reached that will allow bingo to be played again at Boston Store, providing an outstanding community service by staging the games.
It’s especially ironic to see how seriously the state is treating a group of senior citizens at the same time the Dane County District Attorney is announcing he will no longer issue criminal charges against individuals possessing less than 25 grams of marijuana, the equivalent of two dozen joints. The message from Madison is that it’s okay to possess drugs, but senior citizens better not play bingo at their favorite mall.
Something is very wrong when the Wisconsin Constitution will not allow free bingo with an inexpensive meal at Boston Store, but will allow Indian gaming bingo.
