If ever there were a display of hypocrisy upon the Minnesota business and government landscape, it is Minnesota's casino industry. We scrutinize operations that prey upon the elderly ("Elders too easy a mark for coin fraud," editorial, Jan. 9) -- unless it involves the casinos.
It is even more hypocritical to see casinos trying to pass themselves off as good citizens interested in charity and the community while their dark underside is hidden from view. Anyone who visits a casino can see its effectiveness.
The express teller machine gladly disperses cash while credit card balances pile up. The valets help the elderly in and out of wheelchairs at the front door. The free meals or hotel stays are a tiny fraction of the amounts spent there.
What many people do not see is the fallout from this sham, when people who showed good judgment and frugal spending their entire lives are suckered in at a more vulnerable time in their lives. Bankruptcy, stress and tears often follow.
These victims are the parents and grandparents who raised us. They were our role models, veterans and community leaders. They deserve a better ending to their lives.
CORBY PELTO, PLYMOUTH
