We Have Issues: Issue 3
Submitted by David Potts on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 12:37pm.
It just wouldn’t be an election in Ohio without some sort of attempt to legalize gambling, and this year it takes the form of Issue 3.
Ballot Language
TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW FOR ONE CASINO EACH IN
CINCINNATI, CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, AND TOLEDO AND DISTRIBUTE
TO ALL OHIO COUNTIES A TAX ON THE CASINOSProposed by Initiative Petition
To adopt Section 6 to Article XV of the Constitution of the State of Ohio
This proposed amendment would:
1. Authorize only one casino facility at a specifically designated location within each
of the cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo.
2. Levy a fixed tax of 33% of gross casino revenue received by each casino operatorof the four casino facilities.
3. Distribute the casino tax as follows:
• 51% among all 88 counties in proportion to such counties’
respective populations. Half of each county’s distribution will go to
its largest city if that city’s population is above 80,000.• 34% among all public school districts
• 5% among all host cities
• 3% to the Ohio casino control commission
• 3% to the Ohio state racing commission fund
• 2% to a state law enforcement training fund
• 2% to a state problem gambling and addictions fund
4. Require each initial licensed casino operator to pay a single $50,000,000 fee to be
used for state job training purposes and make a minimum initial investment of
$250,000,000 in its facility.5. Permit approved types of casino gaming authorized by Michigan, West Virginia,
Indiana, and Pennsylvania as of January 1, 2009 or games subsequently authorized
by those states.6. Authorize the casinos to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the
discretion of the casino operator and require that the casino facilities shall be
subject to all state and local laws and provisions related to health and building
codes, but that no local zoning, land use laws, subdivision regulations or similar
provisions shall prohibit the development or operation of the casinos at the
designated sites.7. Create the Ohio casino control commission which will license and regulate casino
operators, management companies retained by such casino operators, key
employees, gaming-related vendors, and all gaming authorized by this
constitutional provision.A “YES” vote means you approve of amending the Ohio Constitution to permit
one casino each in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo.A “NO” vote means you disapprove of amending the Ohio Constitution to permit
one casino each in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo.A majority YES vote is required for the amendment to be adopted.
Supporters:
Notable supporters include many labor unions, Armond Budish, and Marcia Fudge.
Arguments For:
Opponents argue that taxes on gambling will provide the state and local governments with additional income. Depending on who you talk to, there may be unicorns and rainbows involved as well.
Opponents:
Opponents include ProgressOhio, Governor Strickland, Sherrod Brown, and Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman.
Arguments Against:
Arguments against Issue 3 mainly consist of the possibility of rising crime rates, rising poverty, live ruined by problem gambling, and moral/religious objections.
My Take:
I said all my opinions would be in the comments earlier on, but it looks like I lied. But hey, so are the people on both sides of this issue. There’s a full blown casino just 40 miles away from me in West Virginia, and a few years ago they had an election to decide whether or not to allow table gaming (poker, roulette, etc…). Living in a two state media market, I got to watch the whole thing play out. There were many of the same arguments involved. Supporters shouted jobs and prosperity, while opponents spun horror stories about families going broke and moral depravity.
Guess which happened? It was a trick question, neither of them did. The casino took this economy on the jaw just like everyone else did, and amazingly enough there have been no reports of people selling body parts to pay off huge gambling debts (just hospital bills) or massive gang wars in the streets.
So my position? I couldn’t care less…
such a bad idea
Submitted by Woodguy on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 3:47pm.
Egregious abuse of the process. Doesn't belong in the Constitution and amounts to a tax on the poor.
Same old arguments/misrepresentations
Submitted by Nifty Lawrence on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 9:12am.
Doesn't belong in the Constitution
The only way casinos will/can happen in Ohio is via a state constitutional amendment because the prohibition against almost all lotteries is already in the constitution.
For casino opponents, slot machines = lotteries = lawsuits to prevent them.
For casino operators, no slots = much less money = no casinos.
and amounts to a tax on the poor
I've been to numerous casinos in several states & have yet to see these poor, huddled masses casino opponents love to advocate on behalf of.
What I do see are adults, such as myself, who like spend their money as they see fit without the interference of others who think they know what's best for everyone else.
Vote Yes...
Submitted by Ryan on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 5:10pm.
Please...if the casinos didn't have it written into the constitution they'd just buy all of the casinos in the state. Take a look at Las Vegas and see how many "independent" casinos are out there.
I travel on occasion to West Virginia, Michigan and Indiana to gamble. I love it. Honestly, with the cost of movies these days I can spend less money playing blackjack than I can to go and see a new release. All of these arguments are just a liberal potemkin village because some people don't like gambling.
Its time to get serious. I would urge everyone to vote for Issue 3.
Yes, let's take a look at Vegas.
Submitted by madrigalmaniac on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 7:24pm.
Vegas has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at 13.9 percent. So much for casino's bringing in jobs. And the 34,000 jobs Issue 3 will create is a sham. 19,000 of those jobs are temporary. Of the 15,000 left, 7,500 are supposed to be created around the casino industry. There is no guarantee they will materialize. So we are basically going to codify gambling into the Ohio constitution for the sake of 7,500 jobs.
Vegas is struggling because previously it was a destination spot. It was one of the few places you could legally gamble, now casino's are everywhere. That's what will happen in Ohio. Few will drive to another city when they have a casino that's closer. As the Hiram University study pointed out most dollars spent will be local. Since most people only have so much disposable income, these will be dollars not spent at other businesses.
If we are going to have casino's, let's at least have a law where Ohio receives as much tax dollars as it can. The 33% tax rate is much lower than other states. Why? Because Dan Gilbert and Penn National, the entities that will own the casino's, wrote the amendment. Do you really believe they put this amendment on the ballot because they are concerned about the welfare of Ohioans, or because they are trying to line their pockets with Ohioans money. I'm guessing the latter.
If you want to gamble, fine. But let's at least enact something that makes sense for Ohio because this amendment doesn't
Casinos