Ohio Casino Issue Passes
After five tries in two decades, gambling coming to the Buckeye StateFrom Staff, AP Dispatches
Article Photos
ST. CLAIRSVILLE - Ohio voters hit hard by the economic downturn have approved casinos tied to new jobs after a fifth try by gambling supporters in the past two decades.
But Issue 3 didn't pass in Belmont, Jefferson, Harrison or Monroe counties, where voters rejected the proposed constitutional amendment.
Issue 1, which provides a stipend for Ohio's veterans, and Issue 2, which creates an Ohio Livestock Board, both passed in all local counties and statewide.
Belmont County rejected Issue 3 with a vote of 38,241 opposed and 10,091 in favor; Harrison County, 2,883 to 2,497; Jefferson County, 11,245 to 9,317; and Monroe County, 2,827 to 1,824.
Issue 1 was approved in Belmont County 13,356 to 4,818; in Harrison County, 3,787 to 1,532; in Jefferson County, 15,174 to 5,106; and in Monroe County, 3,242 to 1,293.
Issue 2, meanwhile, passed in Belmont County 12,228 to 5,979; in Harrison County, 4,013 to 1,377; in Jefferson County, 13,434 to 6,878; and in Monroe County, 3,125 to 1,468.
Tuesday's passage of Issue 3 marked a significant victory for Penn National Gaming Inc. and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who spent nearly $35 million promoting four big-city casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo as the Ohio Jobs & Growth Plan.
With all precincts reporting unofficial results, Issue 3 passed 53 percent to 47 percent.
A giddy Gilbert vowed after Tuesday's Cavs game to do "something special" for the state in return for its vote.
"The reason we did this whole campaign is they told us they wanted casinos in urban cores, wanted jobs, wanted new construction, wanted taxes to stay local, and wanted to make sure it happens here," he said.
Penn president David Wilmott predicted all four casinos would be built in a little over two years.
David Zanotti of the Ohio Policy Roundtable, who group had successfully turned back four earlier attempts, said, "It's pretty obvious that the Ohio electorate bought into the whole culture of despair that's going on with the economy."
Ohio becomes the 39th state to legalize casinos and a coveted prize that had held out among neighboring casino states Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. TruthPAC, backed by MTR Gaming Inc. chairman Jeffrey Jacobs, spent almost $6 million opposing the measure.
Tuesday's vote - which followed four failed Ohio gambling issues in 20 years - was met with immediate resistance. State Rep. Lou Blessing, a Republican who fought the plan, said he plans to push a ballot issue next May that amends elements of the plan, collects more taxes from the casinos, and put the licenses up for bid.
Lawmakers cannot make changes to the casino outline without going to the ballot because it was inserted into the state Constitution.
"I don't know how even the newspaper that endorsed this issue could possibly object to that," Blessing said. "There are some obvious problems that need to be fixed."
The Humane Society of the United States also vowed a future Ohio ballot issue after it was struck a blow by the passage of Issue 2, which creates a new board to oversee livestock care. The issue was approved by 64 percent of voters, with all precincts reporting.
The issue was intended to thwart efforts by animal right groups to outlaw holding sows, hens and veal calves in cramped cages or crates.
Michael Markarian, the Humane Society's chief operating officer, said the group will return to Ohio with a future ballot measure that protects animals.
"By packaging Issue 2 as a pro-animal and pro-food safety measure, the factory farming interests really did everything they could to ensure its passage," he said. "We never really viewed it as a poisonous measure but we viewed it as an empty one, because it doesn't achieve any reforms for animal welfare."
Large farm operators mounted a $4 million campaign to pass the issue, which was backed by Gov. Ted Strickland, while environmental, animal rights and other activists fought it mostly through the press and the Internet.
Ohio voters also passed Issue 1, which will pay bonuses of up to $1,000 to war veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq. It was approved by 72 percent of voters, with all precincts reporting.
In big-city mayor's races, incumbent Democrats Mark Mallory of Cincinnati and Frank Jackson of Cleveland won re-election.
Voting went smoothly statewide except for a glitch in Summit County, which includes Akron. The county ran out of ballots around 5 p.m. and had to turn away some voters. Poll workers contacted them and asked them to return after printing more ballots.
Twinsburg, Green and Tallmadge all had local issues, including for schools and a tax increase, that led to a surge in turnout that was unexpected among local election officials. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said turnout in Summit County could approach 40 percent. Polls still closed at the scheduled time of 7:30 p.m.
Backers of the casino issue spent more than $35 million pushing the plan, saying it would create 34,000 temporary and permanent jobs. Combined with anti-casino TruthPAC, the two campaigns spent more than presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain spent trying to win the pivotal swing state in 2008.
|
JamesT
|
|
|---|---|
|
11-05-09 10:51 AM
|
Watch from local politicians to State elected officials get jobs at these casinos!! Like West Virginia and Pennsylvania did. This will open more major casinos to be built outside of the four cities on the ballot. Remember how West Virgini asaid there will ONLY be 500 slots maximum at the racetracks? How does it feel to be SUCKERS!!! You will see little tax revenue as West Virginia does. The gambling owners have bought off the politicians and thier interest is the politicians interest.
|
|
goodboy
|
|
|
11-05-09 10:03 AM
|
Shark88, "Badboy....you must LOVE LOVE LOVE*****too. Smoking, drinking, and gambling are kin to one another. Just a few tools of Satan's vast arsenal to keep people pointed toward a devils hell." Not sure what all that means, but for what it's worth, I do not participate in your religious delusions. ALthough i'll admit it is a pity that there isn't an eternal punishment for republicans after they die.
|
|
daddybig8
|
|
|
11-05-09 6:58 AM
|
issue 2 still doesn,t make sense. these governing boards are not going to work for free. i bet they are hand picked. the small farmer is still going to pay more to produce. just what they need. more regulations made by some overpaid kiss butt,s.
|
|
GymJones
|
|
|
11-05-09 12:23 AM
|
The people of Ohio have spoke, they want gambling. Sux it SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES!!!!!
|
|
Wheeldog
|
|
|
11-04-09 10:27 PM
|
Back in the mid 1950s there were lots of gambling machines in Wheeling. Everyone knew it, and everyone looked the other way. "Informal taxes" (payoffs) were just part of the operating expenses. The current system is a great improvement, but gambling will always be linked with a shady element of society. It will always prey on those who simply can't resist the illusion of getting rich quick. I recall my father telling me that during the worst of the Great Depression there were always two things people would spend money on; booze and gambling - even if they went hungry.
|
|
Shark88
|
|
|
11-04-09 10:21 PM
|
Badboy....you must LOVE LOVE LOVE*****too. Smoking, drinking, and gambling are kin to one another. Just a few tools of Satan's vast arsenal to keep people pointed toward a devils hell. There is gambler's anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, and smoker's anonymous; people in bondage to harmful addictions which gives the doctors, lawyers, judges, and preachers more work to do. People are always looking for the short cut..the easy and enticing way to prosperity. Ohioians unaware, just sank deeper in to bondage by giving the devil one more victory all for the sake of money. The love of money is the root of all evil. No gambler ever wins.
|
|
pickles
|
|
|
11-04-09 9:20 PM
|
I love the way that p.o.s Gilbert is cheering that he will now become even richer off the backs of the poor hoping for a shot at easy money. The fact that he and his ilk were willing to spend 34 million on this issue and have five tries at it, tells you it will be extremely lucrative for them. He does not care about the jobs, or economy-it's all about how to make him more money.
|
|
wvhoopie
|
|
|
11-04-09 8:35 PM
|
The best to protest this is don't go to any of the gambling casinos, anywhere. Don't gamble.
|
|
EllisWyatt
|
|
|
11-04-09 7:37 PM
|
rover I served in the military for 4 years and I agree with you on bonuses for federalized military personnel. I also agree about calling up Guard and Reserve soldiers for extended periods. HOWEVER, I am sure that you are aware that you sign a contract when you join the military. It tells you your MOS, your pay, you rank, etc. and also that you agree to give up your Constitutional rights and fall under the UCMJ. My point was, soldiers are called up in service of the federal government. Let's say that the feds call up 50,000 soldiers and 25,000 are from Ohio. Is it fair that Ohio should pay bonuses to 25,000 soldiers when they supplied 50% of the manpower? Most good soldiers come from the south and the midwest. Let the Blue states pay the money and the Red states fight the wars. I am not at all opposed to bonuses for veterans.
|
|
rover1958
|
|
|
11-04-09 5:57 PM
|
Ellis you're a lay 'expert' on a multitude of subjects. You should not need a tutorial on why the separate states are deeply involved in a partnership with the Federal Government and the Armed Forces regarding Veterans benefits. Very basically, military persons come from the states, reside in the states, and return from Federal service and control to their separate states. A large number of forces are 'federalized' by the Federal Government and 'called up' to serve National interests and goals. Frankly, I think it's criminal how this card has been overplayed in recent years by grabbing off State units and sending guys / gals off to Iraq and Afghanistan. Most states know these folks suffer, lose jobs, get badly disabled and many die during these Federal call ups. So, historically, the states try to take care of their own with education, medical, tax, and bonus benefits. I do have a bad taste in my mouth about using 'casino money' for a vet bonus though. It's a 'tainted' product.
|
|
Melvin
|
|
|
11-04-09 5:51 PM
|
Burning is right. The money to spend comes alot from people who worked in a growing economy, where the employer gave you a retirement pension and healthcare in retirement. That source of revenue will not be sustainable. The politicians are spending money on things that do not create a future revenue stream, so this is not sustainable. The time will come when revenue will fall, and programs will be cut, and/or taxes will be raised. IT IS CALLED A TRAIN WRECK, and your elected politician is blowing the whistle on the engine.
|
|
Reactionary
|
|
|
11-04-09 5:42 PM
|
OKAY, OHIO!!You got your Casino's! So where's the "Beef"? With all the PROMISES made to get Issue Three passed, I would only hope that OHIO is watching,...very closely. NO 34,000 Jobs and No beaucoup $$$$ = LIED TO..............AGAIN!
|
|
goodboy
|
|
|
11-04-09 4:04 PM
|
The churches were all vehemently opposed to this, which is why I LOVE LOVE LOVE that it passed!
|
|
maxxrep
|
|
|
11-04-09 3:09 PM
|
Its just another business. Its a secondary fact that they are a casino. Jobs is what this is all about anyways. The construction to build these alone will employ thousands for a year. Of course, the three casino Riverboats in Indiana are going to suffer tremendously...
|
|
Shark88
|
|
|
11-04-09 2:57 PM
|
If the economy is so bad, how can people afford to spend money on gambling?
|
|
true2bun
|
|
|
11-04-09 2:45 PM
|
only solution, legalize prostitution at the wheeling island, that will keep them comming, yeah
|
|
BurningUp07
|
|
|
11-04-09 12:20 PM
|
These casinos only do well now because all the baby boomers are retiring that worked in the golden age of America's economy. They have the money and time to spend it. Casinos are not helping anyone in Generation Y in 2009 since most of the jobs are not good paying jobs and noone around here that age can afford to waste money on gambling. So in a way, some of the arguments against casinos are valid, they just make poor economic areas like ours even worse. My stance is unless a significant portion of the funds received from casinos is used for REAL economic development, they are a complete and utter waste.
|
|
UNCOMMONSENSE
|
|
|
11-04-09 11:25 AM
|
Expect yet another round of layoffs at Wheeling Island and Mountaineer. The piece of the pie just got smaller.
|
|
JamesT
|
|
|
11-04-09 10:04 AM
|
Now that Ohio has legalized gambling. Any bets on how long The Abdalla's will have open slots in Jefferson County? Which Belmont County politician will have gambling establishments first? Several years from now, when Ohio gambling will buy off state politicians as West Virginia and Pennsylvania has, watch all these promises of tax revenues from gambling not be seen. We will say, " We told ya so". So many politicians have gone to prison from gambling shinangans and will will most certainly see it here. Congratuations to Mr. Swartz, Goldberg, Gilbert, and the outside special interest for controlling Strictland, Space, and Wilson! Don't forget to donate part of the gambling proceeds to thier synagogues. As violent crime will explode, the protectant guards of the gambling will blame it on drugs and not the sleazy gambling. Watch the gambling expand to all 88 counties in Ohio next. Pandora's box has been opened!
|
|
CoachC
|
|
|
11-04-09 10:00 AM
|
I never play those machines, I only bet on the greyhounds. And the Downs does have the fastest dogs. I also think it's sad that all these states have to turn to gambling for a means to generate revenue.
|
|
USMCDeathPimp
|
|
|
11-04-09 8:24 AM
|
wheeling downs has been rated the BEST greyhound track in the country. probably the best in the world actually. With 3 passing the "comps" to get you backk to the machines will increase, free food, free room, etc.
|
|
MeanStreak
|
|
|
11-04-09 8:05 AM
|
bad thing about this passing is that it will be lost revenue for the state of WV!!!
|
|
MeanStreak
|
|
|
11-04-09 8:04 AM
|
nicky first of ll thank you for serving. Second I take Ellis' question a little different. I think the federal government should be the ones giving the bonus not really the state's position. It would be like working for the FBI and retiring. Then the state of residency gives a bonus to the former FBI agent. I think all vets tend to get sha fted by the government. Again thanks.
|
|
dyingov
|
|
|
11-04-09 7:08 AM
|
Virginia has it right...Governor is limited to ONE TERM! WV could learn from such an idea! Virginia is 1-2 in positive economic comparisons.
|
|
nickynoodle
|
|
|
11-04-09 6:25 AM
|
ellis...i got one after the viet nam war...if ya had to ask why its obvious you never laid your life on the line for your country....they dont give bonus for listenin to rush and holdin a carboard sign on main street.....
|