Bet On It

Turns out a Los Fresnos building housing an illegal gambling operation belongs to a former McAllen mayor -- and hizzoner could lose his property.

Leo Montalvo rented the structure to Eddie Peña, whom a Cameron County anti-gambling task force busted last week. Cameron County DA Armando Villalobos warns citizens that he's going after customers next, and even landlords might feel the heat because "real estate seizures are possible."

To quote TV anchor John Stossel, "Give me a break." Why is the DA wasting cops' time busting gambling parlors? Sure, it's against the law. And I'm willing to gamble (pun intended) that there are some pretty high-profile patrons of these clandestine casinos, along with ordinary people who chose to play video slots.

But these customers are consenting adults, and if they want to wager their money, why stop them? We allow bingo parlors, greyhound and horse tracks and even the state-run Texas Lottery.

If the district attorney wants to fight the "perception of corruption," he should take a closer look at, say, the Port of Brownsville. What's going on there creates a lot more mistrust than some eight-liners.