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Stack up a controversial, somewhat complicated issue against a General Assembly whose claim to fame is neither courage nor expeditious decision-making and you have the recipe for who-knows-what.
That's the situation currently in place in Pennsylvania regarding the issue of skill games.
For years, the usually cash-strapped state General Assembly has failed to take action regarding the gambling devices -- devices that could bolster the commonwealth's coffers by many millions of dollars, or much more, annually.
And even though the state Supreme Court has ruled the skill games to be illegal gambling machines and has given the state until Oct. 13 to begin enforcing that order, there's no way to tell whether or how that enforcement might fully take shape, even though the state police issued a statement Aug. 5 indicating they will be "prepared to act" when that October date arrives, if necessary.
It seems apparent that "prepared to act" would involve seizing some, many, most or all of the estimated 70,000 currently unregulated and untaxed machines, unless the legislature finds a workable way to allow the devices to remain in operation. But seemingly the legislature has only touchy options available -- all of which are destined to hurt someone -- and lawmakers of this state don't enjoy the thought of being faced with such a predicament.
Nevertheless, lawmakers, who currently are on recess and not expected to return to Harrisburg until late September, should be spending a lot of time these days assessing their district residents' opinions about whether the games should be banned or whether they should be allowed to remain but be taxed.
Right-thinking lawmakers need to admit -- and proclaim -- once and for all that the question before them revolves around the question of unfair competition -- unfair competition that runs counter to the commonwealth's financial best interests, as well as others.'
Those others include casinos and the state lottery.
Therefore, the first acknowledgment needs to be that one gambling option should not remain the proverbial sacred cow.
Pennsylvania Lottery winnings, which used to be free of taxation, now are taxed to a certain extent. Meanwhile, the state's casinos are generating plenty of revenue for the commonwealth's coffers and the good causes those coffers support.
Yet today, there remains no way to track skill games' winnings or winners, no matter the amount won.
The General Assembly should have been able to muster the courage to address the skill games issue when the unregulated and untaxed games first started showing up in convenience stores, bars, private clubs and other venues. But what became uncomfortable for lawmakers was that the games also began showing up in entities that support important causes -- entities such as VFW and American Legion posts.
However, not all stores, bars and private clubs -- if faced with taxation over having the games, as well as having to deal with the paperwork involved -- would support exemptions for anyone else.
Finally, should any skill games winners be free of the tax obligations for which casino and lottery winners are responsible? If the so-called skill games did not exist, many players of those games would be patronizing those other entities whose taxes-paid are beneficial to the state and worthy causes.
For years, Pennsylvania lawmakers have been thumbing their noses at their obligation to pass a state budget on time. Hopefully, the state Supreme Court-imposed Oct. 13 deadline will force them into a timely, correct decision.