[Video: Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D) signed a bill Wednesday expanding gambling in the state, which will allow for a Las Vegas-style casino in Prince George’s County.]

“Slots, Pinballs Will Be Illegal After May,” was the banner headline of the June 20, 1968, edition of the long-defunct Maryland Gazette newspaper. While the copy of the newspaper someone recently gave me is quite dated, I strongly believe the sentiment expressed in that front page article is just as relevant today: The harmful effects of expanded gambling in Prince George’s County, in this instance with the addition of a proposed casino at either National Harbor or Rosecroft Raceway, will hardly solve the current economic challenges facing us...

Maryland has been proclaimed by several sources as one of the most educated states in the nation. This is a great opportunity to utilize our collective intellectual capacity, to produce meaningful, productive alternatives to slot machines and casinos that could benefit all of our citizens.