I’m always a supporter of freedom of choice. I believe in people’s right to marry whoever they want and ingest whatever substances they want. I believe in a woman’s right to choose.

I support your right to toss your money into a toilet bowl and flush it. And that’s essentially what slot machines are, but when it comes to the state’s plan to legalize them, I am completely against it.

Don’t get me wrong; I think slots are great. It’s yet another way for the state to tax us less and get its nose out of our business. And while I accept gambling has been proven to breed addiction, debt, crime, violence and family breakups, these problems don’t ever give the government the right to regulate private choices.

But Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) plan to bring slots to the state reeks of the false pretenses O’Malley sold during his blitz to raise taxes during last year’s special session.

State officials expect slot machines to raise $550 million in the first year of their implementation. Part of that money, as well as revenue from a corporate tax increase passed last fall, is budgeted for higher education.

But just wait to see what happens if the slots bill is approved. Don’t count on lawmakers to keep their word. During the very session when representatives pushed slots, legislators tried to cut millions from the University System of Maryland, including a sizable chunk of what they predict would be earned in the first year of having slot machines. In the spring last year, legislators drained $15 million from the Higher Education Investment Fund.

And it’s already happening again.

Tuesday, university President Dan Mote announced the state’s budget shortfall could force cuts at the university.

Besides, if the Board of Regents is so eager to jump on the slots bandwagon, why didn’t they push slots in any of Maryland’s college towns? To be fair, if slot machines are to benefit students, the students ought to participate in giving back.

I want to see slots at Thirsty Turtle and Cornerstone. I want to see a fraternity member squatted over a video poker terminal, eyes fixed on the screen, tossing in quarter after quarter of his parents’ hard earned money.

Nathan Cohen is a junior economics and journalism major. He can be reached at cohendbk@gmail.com.