On the surface, it sounds great. More money for education. More money for fire companies.

But is cranking up local and statewide gambling activities the best way to provide for these services – seen by many as critical and basic?

As we all know, the Legislature approved Gov. Ed Rendell’s plan to legalize gambling in Pennsylvania, and use the “profits” to support schools. Unless the timetable changes, people will be pulling the handles of slot machines across the state sometime next year and sending money into school coffers – despite widespread opposition among school boards to Act 72.

Now, the state is considering a measure to allow nonprofit groups to increase the money they can pay out – and also take in – from games of chance, primarily bingo.

The state House has adopted the plan – House Bill 10 – and the Senate will consider it next.

The plan would allow organizations to pay out twice the bingo winnings in a single day that they can now – increasing the amount to $8,000 from $4,000.

So, local bingo games would attract more players. And fire companies and other nonprofit groups can take in more money at their fund-raisers.

Everybody wins, right?

“The people who do the bingos have asked for these changes,” said state Rep. Gary Haluska, D-Patton, who voted for the bill. “Increasing the pay-outs will attract people.”

Certainly, some fire companies are struggling to make ends meet. A June special report in The Tribune-Democrat – “State of Emergency?” – described the financial challenges faced by volunteer departments, including increased demands for training and facilities, while comunity donations are down.

State Rep. Tom Yewcic, D-Jackson Township, likened the increase in bingo pay-outs to the popularity of the Powerball lottery. When the prize money goes up as it did this past week, so does the participation, and groups supported by Powerball make more money, too.

But with this trend could come a high price.

Certainly, gambling can be addictive – and that includes small-time risks such as the state lottery or local bingo games. All addictions are costly to residents, who support intervention programs and the legal system with their taxes.

And gambling has become a prominent part of our popular culture. You can play poker online, or turn on a sports network and watch celebrities engage in a tense game of “Texas Hold-’em.”

Gambling, it would seem, is here to stay.

But have we passed the point of no return?

We seem to be willing to tap into any funding source to support programs that ought to be basic tenants of society: Education, programs for senior citizens, fire protection.

What’s next?

Legalized sale of marijuana to finance low-cost housing?

Legalized prostitution to fund public libraries?

“We have to support our fire companies and nonprofits,” Yewcic said.

Yes, we do.

The question is what is the right way to do that.