In this extended article, the Washington Post looks at “opportunity gamed away” in Tunica County, Mississippi. The article highlights the sad fact that “somebody born today in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia or South Carolina is far more likely than someone born elsewhere in the United States to attend a poorer school, drop out before high school, work a low-paying job, struggle with debt, go to prison and die young, according to national health, labor and education statistics.”

Questions:

1.How does the current poverty rate in Tunica County compare with the pre-casino rate? How does the current poverty rate in Tunica County compare with the rest of the country?
2. The article quoted one Tunica County resident as saying that the casino boom was a “success story for those in the right social circle.” Briefly discuss what she meant.
3. What was the boom money used for? What does the article suggest should have been done?
4. What fact about the financial mismanagement surprised you most?
5. According to the article, what has changed between the Tunica highlighted on 60 minutes in 1985 and the strike-it-rich Tunica over the last 30 years?

Source:

Harlan, C. (2015). Opportunity Gamed Away. The Washington Post, July 11 (Retrievable online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/business/2015/07/11/an-opportunity-gamed-away/?hpid=z4)

Mardis Jones, the county housing coordinator, in a rundown home in the Old Sub neighborhood. More often than not, he must tell those who have applied for aid that they must wait for years.