The Patriot Post® · Hillary's Poker Tell

Our nation is operating under the burden of $20 trillion in debt, half of which has been incurred by Barack Obama. There’s no end in sight — indeed, Hillary Clinton is running to perpetuate this legacy. With their Big Government policies, Democrats as a party have bankrupted not just the nation, but cities around the country. Think Detroit. But you can also add Atlantic City, New Jersey, to that list.

So it’s awfully rich to hear Hillary Clinton berate Donald Trump for fleecing Atlantic City with his casino. “He doesn’t default and go bankrupt as a last resort,” Clinton yammered. “He does it over and over again on purpose.” We’re not going to defend Trump’s business record, but we are going to note a few things Clinton conspicuously left out.

New Jersey voters legalized gambling in 1976, and state Democrats quickly took advantage of the cash flow to fund their pet projects. Those same Democrats have gone back to the well repeatedly, raising taxes, fees and surcharges on casinos to fund even more pet projects and income redistribution. Beginning in the 1990s, competition from legalized gambling in Connecticut and Pennsylvania further ate into Atlantic City profits. In 2014, four casinos shuttered.

The warning signs didn’t stop Democrat gambling (revenue) addicts. The Wall Street Journal notes, “Employment in Atlantic City has declined by about 10% over the last decade. Since 2010 the city’s property tax base has shrunk by two thirds. Local politicians raised property taxes by 50% between 2013 and 2014 to compensate for the dwindling tax base, but this has merely deterred new business investment and propelled flight. Meantime, local politicians have continued to spend like they work for Google. Between 2010 and 2014, expenditures increased by 10% while government debt doubled.”

Hillary Clinton is the new figurehead of the party responsible for these disastrous policies. And she wants to knock Trump? Politician, heal thyself.