Issue 1 Voter Patterns Could Predict Casino Win
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Casinos & Issue 1
A local professor said voters' patterns on Issue 1 could help predict whether or not Ohio's casino issue will pass.
NBC 4
A local professor said voters’ patterns on Issue 1 could help predict whether or not Ohio’s casino issue will pass.
COLUMBUS, Ohio —Ohio voters will decide whether or not they want casinos in the state during the general election in November.
NBC 4 talked to a local political science professor about how a recent vote on local income taxes could predict the fate of casinos.
Casinos are a highly-charged issue just like the recently passed Issue 1 or Columbus’ income-tax increase.
The possibility of losing safety forces made the difference between a yes or no vote on Issue 1, according to Columbus State’s Bob Fitrakis.
“It really is unprecedented that people come out in an economic downturn of this nature and vote taxes upon themselves,“ Fitkaris said.
Voters in Ward 8—which includes part of the Short North, Downtown and German Village—passed the income tax by a wide margin.
“This is essentially upper-middle-class people in the highest per capital housing in the area who are right near high-crime areas,“ Fitkaris said.
But the message didn’t sell as well in neighborhoods outside of the central area. In Ward 43—near Maize and Cooke roads—most voters cast their ballots against Issue 1.
“They weren’t feeling as threatened or affected by the loss of police protection, and in many cases they may have been a little economically stressed,“ Fitkaris said.
Fitkaris said the patterns could help predict the casino issue on the upcoming ballot.
“Current massive financial crisis. It should predict a close win for the casinos,“ he said.
Fitrakis said the strength of opposition groups would be the determining factor on whether the casino issue passes.
He said the issue is likely to fail if another casino group were to bankroll the opposition like the last time the issue was up for vote.
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Reader Reactions
Wake up Ohio! I’m not against the casinos, but this is a bad deal. Why should they only pay a 30% tax rate when the race tracks would have to pay 50%. Most of the surrounding states pay around 50% as well. They will tell us all about the jobs they will create, but this is a raw deal. Again, I’m not saying no to casinos. I understand that Ohio residents are already gambling and we will only be keeping the money home, but this is the wrong way to go. Worse yet, do we really want to give half of our casino business to a guy from Michigan? Then he can use our money to pay for his box at the Wolverine games? No way I’m voting for this.
Robert apparently you are unaware retirees, veterans pensions and disability income was EXEMPT from Issue 1 tax.
My wife and I voted YES on Issue One, and will vote NO on the casino issue. We can be considered upper-middle class, African American conservative Christians. However, we haven’t always lived such comfortable lives. Our parents sacrificed so we could get graduate degrees. I spent most of my early life working on farm, harvesting crops and later worked in the construction field while attend college.
We work hard and taxes consume too much of our income. Yet, we vote for school levies while our daughter attends a private Christian school. Are we insane? Have we’ve been duped by free spending politicians? NO! We consider it an investment in our communities and an investment in the futures of children we will never meet.
Like it or not, we have to pay for the freedom we enjoy. Can politicians be better stewards of our tax dollars? YES! But until we fix the system, and boy it needs fixing…and until we elect truly independent politicians that aren’t beholden to stagnant political ideologies; we must keep our communities and city from crashing down around our ears. And if we desire to keep our quality and life and uniqueness, we need to once again kill the casino issue. Its’ not only a regressive tax, but it is also a morally objectionable option that Ohio doesn’t need.
The “threat” of losing safety forces is more like it. Retirees not paying the additional tax passed this unneccesary
increase. coleman & croonies will be gone this November.
many voters, myself and family included, have continuous voted against the gambling issues on the statewide ballot NOT because we are against gambling (do what you want with your money, we don’t care!) but because of the nature of the language.
I am not going to sit idly by and have a PRIVATE CORPORATION pay to have my STATE CONSTITUTION changed by amendment to allow only ONE individual or company to have the rights FOREVER in the state to building casinos.
Voters need to be educated on this issue and if the same legislation pops up on your ballot this fall begging for money that will go to safety services but only into the pockets of a choice few (who may or may not be based in Ohio) VOTE NO!
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