The Joplin Globe
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As a teacher at Carl Junction, I see my colleagues district-wide do amazing things that the community rarely sees. They’re not the type to publicize their good works, so I’d like to do that for them in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week.
In my eight years here, I’ve seen them pull together to ensure the family of a kindergartner had housing, clothes, furniture, and a full refrigerator — his single mother lost everything in a fire. I’ve seen a high school teacher take in a senior so he could graduate from the place he considered home. Teachers came early and stayed late during ice storms so families could shower, do laundry and make it to school the next day.
Our teachers have donated more than $215,000 to worthy causes since I started in 2004. They have done this through some of the toughest economic times in recent memory while taking pay cuts from Career Ladder funds. My friends have sacrificed much in the last year to assist our Carl Junction district and Joplin neighbors with tornado relief. In truth, they believe all kids are our kids.
But crises only reflect what these dedicated folks do each day: love kids. They take students home from after-school activities. They donate books and food and money so students have what they need to thrive over weekends and breaks. They give smiles and praise, pats on the back, hugs and discipline, when necessary, because character is just as important as curriculum. Believe me, they lie awake at night thinking about your kids as much as they do their own.
Even though they don’t publicize it, these people are never really done at 3:30 p.m., and they don’t take summers off. Like parenting, teaching is a 24/7/365 pursuit. I am so proud to have them as colleagues and role models for my own children.
Kristi Alford
Joplin
Casino line of credit
Every day, Missouri loses gaming tax revenue and tourism dollars to bordering states, such as Illinois, where state laws allow casinos to extend a line of credit to gamblers.
In fact, most commercial casinos in the U.S. today can offer credit. This customer convenience for our regular players aids in attracting high-end players and provides extra security for those guests who don’t want to carry large amounts of cash.
An amendment added to Senate Bill 813 would allow Missouri casinos to offer a line of credit while establishing important barriers to protect consumers.
First, under the proposed legislation, a casino guest would need to meet a high financial threshold before they could even qualify for a line of credit. Guests would need to complete an application and qualify for at least a $5,000 line of credit after a credit check.
The line of credit would not be secured by personal or real property, nor would it carry any interest charge. This is not a loan made by the casino to our customers, as it has been mischaracterized by some of the media.
Since the casino assumes all risk if credit is not repaid, the decision to extend a line of credit would be made very carefully. The casino would conduct a thorough credit check, and only casino employees licensed by the Missouri Gaming Commission could approve applications.
Any default on credit would have no impact on gaming taxes, which are based on the player’s gaming transactions and are paid by the casino.
As the most highly regulated industry in the state, the Missouri casino industry understands that any change in casino regulation is taken very seriously. We appreciate the concern of the Legislature and the public to ensure that any such change is in the best interests of Missouri and its citizens.
Mike Winter
Executive director
Missouri Gaming Association
