Strickland Defends Slots Proposal
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Gov. Ted Strickland continues to defend his gambling proposal as a way to balance the state’s budget and says Ohio is in company with many other states struggling with financial problems.
Published: July 2, 2009
Updated: July 2, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Gov. Ted Strickland continues to defend his gambling proposal as a way to balance the state’s budget and says Ohio is in company with many other states struggling with financial problems.
The Democrat said Thursday that negotiations with legislators continue. He and the Republican-led Senate have been at loggerheads over the proposal that would authorize slots-like video lottery terminals at the state’s seven horse racing tracks.
The plan is estimated to raise $933 million toward the state’s $3.2 billion projected deficit.
Strickland says he told lawmakers that the only other options are cuts or tax increases.
He did not directly rule out authorizing slots with executive order that would not need legislative approval.
“I am not seeking political cover,“ Strickland said. “Ohio demands legislative action for non-ticketed games.“
Strickland said it was clear to him that he cannot sign the budget without legislative action ... that it would be illegal.
He said the licensing fee would be $65 million, made in four installments.
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Reader Reactions
i beleave in the casino’s. but i feel that they need to have it closer to newark,ohio than clombus or dation. we have so meny people out of work here with owens.halophome,and car lots closeing around here that if we not do something soon newark may not be around for to long.
The Ohio Senate Republicans do not give a whit about gambling. They are concerned ONLY with obstructing all solutions to the budget crisis in hopes of showing during the next gubanatorial election that ‘Gov. Strickland did not accomplish much.‘ If they can then get Kasich elected governor, they can continue their extreme far right wing gut-all-government-so-the-very-rich-get-richer society. There are only two economic classes to the Ohio Republican party—the very very very rich and those who do their bidding, and the cheapest most desperate laborers they can abuse most. I cannot think of any more dangerous group to Ohio citizens than the Ohio Senate.
We need the slots in Ohio. The people that would use them are currently going to West Virginia or Indiana and spending their money. We are supporting other states education systems because the Republican electoral wants to tout moral authority. There is NOTHING moral about failing to provide for ALL Ohioans. Our Governor is doing the best he can with the pile of crap he inherited from the last excuse we had for a governor. The Republican side of the aisle better come to the realization that the majority of us are sick and tired of their crap and if they won’t start looking out for the working class in this state, we will ensure they are unemployed!!!!!
well put aussiekelly, but the answer is the wealthy don’t have to play by the rules that the rest of us have to. The wealthy only want to get richer and they will use whatever unethical, dirty, underhanded sneaky way they can and don’t care who they hurt in the process.
sorry I meant the Republicans don’t understand the $$ is going out of Ohio at 70 MPH. See ya in Wheeling.
All this is just a politcal fight between the Republicans and the Democrats. If the Republicans would have proposed the slots, they Dems would be fighting it. Both parties need to get their heads of the butts and do what is right for Ohio and what is right for Ohio Horseman. Let’s keep the money in Ohio and everyone wins. Just rec’d my flyer from Wheeling, saw on the cover that 4 Ohio residents won over $10k each on slots in WVA. What the Dems don’t understand is that Ohio residents are going to gamble, so why not keep it here in Ohio. If anyone wants to see me over the 4th of July, Guess Where I am going to be, Not in Ohio. We are going to Wheeling on Friday.
Call your state representative and senator now and tell them to DELAY THE FINAL ROLLOUT OF TAFT’S MASSIVE TAX CUTS to generate revenue. A delay of a tax cut is NOT a tax hike.
Perhaps the next time someone thrusts a mic in front of Harris’ mouth he can explain why lower and middle class people who depend on services or their jobs can take a HUGE cut in pay and services but anyone making over $250K a year should get a tax cut.
If working class people, government employees, and as suggested here, elected officials have to take furlough days and we all suffer from cut services, why shouldn’t the delay of tax cuts for the wealthiest Ohioians be furloughed?
However the potential revenue was calculated, the bottom line is it will bring in revenue. It will bring in more than we have now. The slots are being put in places where there is already gambling going on, so I don’t see what the big fuss is about. People need to get off their high horses and understand that these are extraordinary times in our country and extraordinary measures must be taken to get through them….regardless of your party affiliation. I would rather see slot machines implemented as opposed to a reduction or elimination of programs that help the poorest among us.
I think that they can reduce the budget by implementing mandatory ‘no-pay’ work weeks once a month for the next year for all our wonderful elected officials. And as much as I am not a huge fan of republicans - they kind of have a point. How was the ‘projected’ take from slot gambling calculated? Might be slightly important…
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