More often than not, state Rep. Mike Sturla gets it.

He's a dependable champion of such noble causes as insuring the uninsured and funding schools so every student has a fair opportunity to achieve.

Local progressives never fail to rally around Sturla because he's the one and only Lancaster County lawmaker who sees the world as they do.

He's such a rarity in these parts that supporters tend to forgive Sturla even when his natural instincts to do the right thing go limp.

No one is perfect, of course, and one of Sturla's most notable failings is his susceptibility to the siren song of expediency. We've seen it in his indifference to legislative reform, and we're seeing it now in his support of Gov. Rendell's proposal to bring video poker to a bar or booze-serving restaurant near you.

Lame excuses

In his heart of hearts, Sturla must know he's playing the devil's hand in this debate.

No one I'm aware of is making the case that legalizing gambling at nearly 9,000 watering holes around the state has some intrinsic value.

OK, maybe a marriage or two will be saved if video poker gives guys who don't golf a reason to get out of their wives' hair.

But that benefit aside, making the government an accomplice in deluding people into thinking they can outwit a flashing, cleverly programmed machine won't go down as a high point of American democracy.

And the thing is, Sturla knows that. There's reason to wonder if Rendell knows that, but Sturla absolutely does. And that's why his advocacy of ever more gambling — or gaming, as he prefers to call it — is just too sad.

If you caught Sturla debating the video poker proposal on WITF's invaluable "Radio Smart Talk" program, you know what I mean.

Sturla's and Rendell's arguments for video poker amount to a house of rationalization built upon a foundation of excuses.

Excuse No. 1 is the old "if-you-can't-beat-'em, join-'em" excuse. Sturla was quick to point out that shady bars are already raking in easy money from some 17,000 illegal video poker machines out there.

As the police can't stamp out illegal video poker, the state might as well get a cut of the action.

Wrong. Enforcement doesn't have to be onerous. Simply make possession of a poker machine outside of a casino illegal and allow police to disable any they encounter with a few whacks from a crowbar. Problem solved.

Unjust tax

Excuse No. 2? It's the old "if-he's-doing it, why-can't-I" excuse that every parent hears again and again. The argument goes that Pennsylvania should legalize video poker because West Virginia has.

Nothing against the Mountain State, but I'm not convinced. Maybe it's just me.

Excuse No. 3 is the popular "it's-for-a-good-cause" excuse. The governor wants revenue from video poker to help Pennsylvanians better afford college. Sturla said video poker could raise $1.8 billion and help balance the budget, particularly in these tough times.

So video poker amounts to a new tax, albeit a voluntary one, taking proportionally more from the poor than the well-to-do, just like every other tax in Pennsylvania.

"I agree it's a regressive tax," Sturla said.

See, he gets it. He also understands the right thing to do: enact a graduated income tax, one with higher rates for higher incomes. Sturla said he'd vote for that kind of tax "any day of the week, and not have gaming."

But Sturla rationalizes that gaming is the only thing that can pass, so it's got his vote.

What a legacy.

E-mail: jhawkes@lnpnews.com