Crescent-News.com - State casino plan draws varied opinions

By JACK PALMER

Thanks to the current snake eyes economy, the fifth time might be the charm for casino gambling in Ohio. At the very least, the fate of Issue 3 looks to be a crapshoot.

"There are good people with strong arguments on both sides," said Tim Small, president of the Defiance Chamber of Commerce. "I think it will be a close vote statewide."

Proponents argue bringing casino gambling to Toledo and three other cities would create jobs and generate new revenues across the state for counties and school districts.

"Our chamber has not taken an official position, nor has the Ohio Chamber of Commerce," said Small. "The feeling was to leave it up to the chambers where casinos may be built."

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce announced in a press release Thursday that it is urging a "no" vote, stating that it won't support a state constitution revision that creates regional monopolies for owners of Las Vegas-style casinos.

"The Columbus Chamber is concerned with the lack of public engagement in the development of this amendment," said Steve Tugend, vice president of government relations.

Another opponent is 1st District state Sen. Steve Buehrer, R-Delta.

"Some people are against this issue on moral grounds, and I'm in that category," Buehrer said in a phone interview. "Private developers are trying to make their way into the Ohio Constitution. I think it's a big leap for the state to be taken along on their personal odyssey."

Buehrer noted that voters have rejected casino gambling proposals four times before, often by wide margins.

"Ohioans have shown in the past that they don't want to see gambling expanded. Last year, my constituents in the 1st Senate District defeated the proposal with between 60 and 70 percent in opposition."

Buehrer acknowledged that the state's economy and high unemployment rate makes the job creation argument stronger this time around.

"I have a real question how many jobs it will create," he said. "Each slot is projected to take in $100,000 per day, but where is that money going to come from? It might come from movie theaters, restaurants and other entertainment venues already in existence. Many of these casino jobs might replace existing jobs, rather than creating new jobs."

The proposed Toledo location is actually south of the Maumee River on the former Libbey-Owens-Ford Co. waste site next to Rossford. If Issue 3 is approved, casinos would also be constructed in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

"If there's a fraternal or veterans organization within 20 miles of a casino, it will probably close," predicted Defiance resident Kenny Van Streader, former president of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Eagles. "Our area might be affected, too. Even a 10 percent drop in bingo receipts may be enough to close some places."

Van Streader questions how much casino tax revenues will benefit the Defiance area.

"Is it going to equal the $220,000 that the Defiance Eagles gave to charity last year?" he asked, rhetorically. "The Elks, Moose, VFW and many other groups also do a great job supporting the community. If their revenues are down, what will happen to our local charities?"

Taking a different slant was Tim Schortgen, president of the Defiance Police Officers Association.

"Our group hasn't taken a formal position, but many of the law enforcement groups around the state are in favor of it," said Schortgen. "I am in favor of it personally and most of our members are, too. I've been to the casinos in Michigan and I see a lot of Ohio plates in the parking lot. Whenever that happens I think to myself, why can't they do this in Ohio? I realize that some people don't like gambling, but other people enjoy going to casinos once or twice a year for the entertainment.

"The state is in a big hole financially, so it's natural to do everything you can to get out of that hole," he added. "If it comes down to building four casinos around the state or laying off cops and firemen, that's an easy decision for me."

Jerry Hayes, executive director of Defiance County Economic Development, said the proposed amendment has language requiring that a portion of the casino tax revenues be spread across the entire state.

"I understand the argument against gambling, but for the people who want to gamble, I would prefer to see them keep their dollars in the state," said Hayes, who reported that neither the county's economic development office or community improvement corporation (CIC) has taken an official position on Issue 3. "I see a lot of our migration of dollars spent by Ohio residents for this purpose."

According to the pro-Issue 3 group, Ohio Jobs for Growth, first-year casino tax revenues for Defiance County alone are estimated $1.1 million for county government and another $808,000 to be distributed among the five public school districts.

"I'm hopeful but somewhat skeptical of those numbers," said Mike Struble, superintendent of Defiance City Schools. "The lottery was supposed to help schools and that sure didn't happen.

"My gut feeling is that schools may benefit as long as Gov. Strickland is in office, since this is his proposal. After that, all bets are off."

Struble said he doesn't harbor strong feelings one way or another about casino gambling.

"I know a lot of people who occasionally like to go to places like Detroit for entertainment. I don't blame the governor for proposing this. When I look at the state budget, I don't see a lot of good options. If four casinos are what it takes to balance the budget, so be it."

A spokesman for the Ohio School Boards Association, which represents more than 600 school districts in the state, said the organization has not taken an official position on Issue 3.

"What we don't support is the linkage of gambling and school funding," said Damon Asbury, OSBA's director of legislative services. "We don't want people thinking they are supporting schools by buying a lottery ticket. That creates an unfair perception with the public."