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Lawmakers still fighting over casinos

By Dennis J. Willard
Beacon Journal staff writer

POSTED: 06:20 p.m. EST, Nov 07, 2009

COLUMBUS: Dan Gilbert and Penn National are now the house, and in gambling, the house always wins. Right?

A number of angry lawmakers, anti-gambling groups, special interest organizations and others are betting against it.

They have not accepted that voters passed State Issue 3 last Tuesday, which gave Gilbert and Penn National the green light to build casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati.

For example, there is state Rep. Louis Blessing, R-Cincinnati.

Blessing is a longtime lawmaker who has supported expanded gambling in Ohio for years, but he doesn't like the deal handed Ohio.

He wants to go back to voters in May with a new constitutional amendment.

Blessing does not want to ban casinos.

''All the amendment says is those casinos are authorized. There is no requirement that they are built. I want to make sure the casinos are built,'' Blessing said.

His constitutional amendment also would specify that cash wagers are taxed, expand the range of background investigations conducted on casino employees and stakeholders, and open the licenses up for competitive bidding.

''I think $50 million per license is incredibly low,'' Blessing said.

He said he also wants to address the situation in Franklin County where Columbus-area voters defeated the measure, but a casino will be built because the issue passed statewide.

Bob Tenenbaum, a spokesman for Issue 3 supporters, said it is odd that within 24 hours of the issue passing, there were people already talking about undoing it.

''Frankly, I thought the campaign was over, although it doesn't seem to be,'' Tenenbaum said.

He believes the legislature will be reluctant to tinker with the will of the people, noting it takes a super majority in the House and Senate to place an amendment on the ballot.

While Blessing wasted no time announcing a challenge, state leaders are taking a more careful approach to the issue.

House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, expressed similar reservations about moving too quickly to potentially undermine the will of the electorate.

Gov. Ted Strickland said he would evaluate any proposal, but he is focusing more on the amendment's requirement for the legislature to develop rules in the next six months to oversee and regulate the casinos.

Strickland would not have to sign a resolution passed by the legislature to place an amendment before voters in May.

And moving ahead with building the casinos appears to be the course that Gilbert and Penn National will follow.

Tad Carper, speaking on behalf of Gilbert's Rock Ventures, said in an e-mail that ''we're going to proceed to work with legislators to pass the implementing legislation called for in the amendment and proceed full-speed ahead on this economic development initiative the voters have approved.''

While the winners will begin working toward putting rules in place and turning dirt at the four sites, the other side is not giving up.

David Zanotti, American Policy Roundtable president, has worked against five casino efforts since 1990, and he is just as unhappy with the election results as Blessing, but for different reasons.

And Zanotti believes change is needed, but his ideas are not the same as Blessing.

''For 20 years, we've said no business, not casinos, not toilet-brush manufacturers, no company, should have their business model created at the level of constitutional law. Now Gilbert and Penn National have gone from wannabes to kings,'' Zanotti said.

Zanotti believes Gilbert and Penn National were able to finally pass a casino amendment, after four previous efforts were defeated, because they put it on the ballot in an off-election year and focused on delivering absentee ballots.

''State Issue 3 got 90,000 fewer votes in favor in 2009 than the Learn and Earn [a plan to put slot machines at horse-racing tracks] captured in 2006. There was no sea change. Fewer voters made the decision for all of Ohio,'' Zanotti said.

On Tuesday, 1,663,149 voters supported the casinos with 1,476,592 opposed, according to unofficial results. This amounts to about 53-47 percent.

Three years ago, the Learn and Earn proposal was defeated by 56-44 percent.

Zanotti is right. 1,753,555 Ohioans voted for Learn and Earn, but more people turned out and 2,286,911 voters said no.

Last year, voters defeated an amendment to create a single casino in southwest Ohio by an even wider margin — 63 to 38 percent — with 2,093,074 voters for the idea and 3,466,574 against.

''We've created a fourth branch of government. This week, we've got the big oops going on,'' Zanotti said.

He said his organization will announce plans next week to combat last Tuesday's vote, but his group also will push to change the initiative petition process so that constitutional amendments can only go before voters in general elections in even-numbered years when there is either a presidential or gubernatorial race.

''Less than 10 percent of the people in Ohio decided for 90 percent last Tuesday. We don't think that is right. We don't think 1.6 million people should control a ballot issue,'' Zanotti said.

Blessing is also unhappy with the initiative petition process, but he wants to take a stab at a second constitutional amendment through the legislature that is different than Zanotti's approach.

He said millionaires and rich companies like Gilbert and Penn National should not be able to craft self-serving amendments that help a limited number of people.

''We need to do something. The Ohio Constitution right now is silent regarding what can or cannot be included in an initiative petition,'' Blessing said.

The state's founding fathers never conceived of a time when two or four people with a bunch of money could mount a campaign to put language in the constitution to specifically protect their business interests, Blessing said.

 

Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or dwillard@thebeaconjournal.com.

COLUMBUS: Dan Gilbert and Penn National are now the house, and in gambling, the house always wins. Right?

A number of angry lawmakers, anti-gambling groups, special interest organizations and others are betting against it.

They have not accepted that voters passed State Issue 3 last Tuesday, which gave Gilbert and Penn National the green light to build casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati.

For example, there is state Rep. Louis Blessing, R-Cincinnati.

Blessing is a longtime lawmaker who has supported expanded gambling in Ohio for years, but he doesn't like the deal handed Ohio.

He wants to go back to voters in May with a new constitutional amendment.

Blessing does not want to ban casinos.

''All the amendment says is those casinos are authorized. There is no requirement that they are built. I want to make sure the casinos are built,'' Blessing said.

His constitutional amendment also would specify that cash wagers are taxed, expand the range of background investigations conducted on casino employees and stakeholders, and open the licenses up for competitive bidding.

''I think $50 million per license is incredibly low,'' Blessing said.

He said he also wants to address the situation in Franklin County where Columbus-area voters defeated the measure, but a casino will be built because the issue passed statewide.

Bob Tenenbaum, a spokesman for Issue 3 supporters, said it is odd that within 24 hours of the issue passing, there were people already talking about undoing it.

''Frankly, I thought the campaign was over, although it doesn't seem to be,'' Tenenbaum said.

He believes the legislature will be reluctant to tinker with the will of the people, noting it takes a super majority in the House and Senate to place an amendment on the ballot.

While Blessing wasted no time announcing a challenge, state leaders are taking a more careful approach to the issue.

House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, expressed similar reservations about moving too quickly to potentially undermine the will of the electorate.

Gov. Ted Strickland said he would evaluate any proposal, but he is focusing more on the amendment's requirement for the legislature to develop rules in the next six months to oversee and regulate the casinos.

Strickland would not have to sign a resolution passed by the legislature to place an amendment before voters in May.

And moving ahead with building the casinos appears to be the course that Gilbert and Penn National will follow.

Tad Carper, speaking on behalf of Gilbert's Rock Ventures, said in an e-mail that ''we're going to proceed to work with legislators to pass the implementing legislation called for in the amendment and proceed full-speed ahead on this economic development initiative the voters have approved.''

While the winners will begin working toward putting rules in place and turning dirt at the four sites, the other side is not giving up.

David Zanotti, American Policy Roundtable president, has worked against five casino efforts since 1990, and he is just as unhappy with the election results as Blessing, but for different reasons.

And Zanotti believes change is needed, but his ideas are not the same as Blessing.

''For 20 years, we've said no business, not casinos, not toilet-brush manufacturers, no company, should have their business model created at the level of constitutional law. Now Gilbert and Penn National have gone from wannabes to kings,'' Zanotti said.

Zanotti believes Gilbert and Penn National were able to finally pass a casino amendment, after four previous efforts were defeated, because they put it on the ballot in an off-election year and focused on delivering absentee ballots.

''State Issue 3 got 90,000 fewer votes in favor in 2009 than the Learn and Earn [a plan to put slot machines at horse-racing tracks] captured in 2006. There was no sea change. Fewer voters made the decision for all of Ohio,'' Zanotti said.

On Tuesday, 1,663,149 voters supported the casinos with 1,476,592 opposed, according to unofficial results. This amounts to about 53-47 percent.

Three years ago, the Learn and Earn proposal was defeated by 56-44 percent.

Zanotti is right. 1,753,555 Ohioans voted for Learn and Earn, but more people turned out and 2,286,911 voters said no.

Last year, voters defeated an amendment to create a single casino in southwest Ohio by an even wider margin — 63 to 38 percent — with 2,093,074 voters for the idea and 3,466,574 against.

''We've created a fourth branch of government. This week, we've got the big oops going on,'' Zanotti said.

He said his organization will announce plans next week to combat last Tuesday's vote, but his group also will push to change the initiative petition process so that constitutional amendments can only go before voters in general elections in even-numbered years when there is either a presidential or gubernatorial race.

''Less than 10 percent of the people in Ohio decided for 90 percent last Tuesday. We don't think that is right. We don't think 1.6 million people should control a ballot issue,'' Zanotti said.

Blessing is also unhappy with the initiative petition process, but he wants to take a stab at a second constitutional amendment through the legislature that is different than Zanotti's approach.

He said millionaires and rich companies like Gilbert and Penn National should not be able to craft self-serving amendments that help a limited number of people.

''We need to do something. The Ohio Constitution right now is silent regarding what can or cannot be included in an initiative petition,'' Blessing said.

The state's founding fathers never conceived of a time when two or four people with a bunch of money could mount a campaign to put language in the constitution to specifically protect their business interests, Blessing said.

 

Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or dwillard@thebeaconjournal.com.




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Slovensko
Canton, OH

Posted 06:46 PM, 11/07/2009

Shut ' em down. . .


Born in the rust belt
canton, OH

Posted 06:54 PM, 11/07/2009

Where's the 1000's of jobs these mobsters promised?


Matt-
akron, OH

Posted 07:25 PM, 11/07/2009

Waa Waa Waa
Get over it the public has spoken
@ Born in the rust belt- hey genius cant you see the jobs are tryin to be being blocked by a couple of people crying they lost


Think
Stow, OH

Posted 07:48 PM, 11/07/2009

The article says: "House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, expressed similar reservations about moving too quickly to potentially undermine the will of the electorate" I do not agree with that line of reasoning. Casino supporters went the the ballot repeatedly until they got a majority vote. I see no reason why casino opponents should not be just as active and repetitious until another there is another no vote.


JUSTANOBSERVER
AKRON, OH

Posted 09:13 PM, 11/07/2009

RUSHED TO GET IT IN - NOW DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY GOT


racerx
Akron, OH

Posted 10:07 AM, 11/08/2009

Just like any other issue that is going to affect the entire state, there are going to be pros and cons. Now that it looks like we are going to have 4 casinos in Ohio, I would really like to see some things happen to ensure that the people of the state do benefit. Policing to make sure that the monies owed the state go to the state will be a huge issue. I do not think that the 34,000 jobs that the casinos are supposed to hire should end up part time, minimum wage jobs. The casinos owners with their endlessly deep pockets should have to pay their employees a fair wage to include benefits. What good is a job if it is only going to pay minimum wage and supply you with no benefits. Health care, paid vacations, 401k, profit sharing etc, all should be part of the employees package so that not only do they get good qualified people, but those people will be able to afford to work there. In the long run it will be advantages to the casino owners to get good qualified personnel and to RETAIN them as well. Lots of work to be done here and I think that this should be part of what they work on.


DS
clinton, oh

Posted 10:34 PM, 11/09/2009

Zanotti says;

For 20 years, we've said no business, not casinos, not toilet-brush manufacturers, no company, should have their business model created at the level of constitutional law. Now Gilbert and Penn National have gone from wannabes to kings,'' Zanotti said.

Where were these politicians when many argued this
exact point?

Now they want an amendment to rewrite what they shouldn't have done in the first place.

And now the Governor is worried about the states racetracks being in more jeopardy of demise due to Casinos.

Wait until local entertainment business begins to fail from casinos promoting their own entertainment.

You couldn't have done worse if you had let Walmart
compete.

Where have these people been for the last six months?

Did they just wake up Wednesday morning and say,
"What have we done"

The State put this measure to a vote.Hundreds warned them it was a bad deal. They ignored it

The people voted

Now live with it!!!


Tovak
Cuyahoga Falls, oh

Posted 11:34 PM, 11/09/2009

@DS

You wrote an opinion on October 31st stating words being used here today
I remember reading it. Kind of prophetic dont you think? Here is the link

http://www.ohio.com/news/willard/68055567.html


Danielle

Posted 03:07 PM, 11/11/2009

I wish people would have really thought about the 34,000 jobs that were created by this bill. Does that include the new bankruptcy attorneys? What about new police officers to police the crime around the casinos?

And where are people going to get the money to gamble in these casinos? It is not like the state suddenly built walls so people can no longer drive to Indiana, Michigan, or West Virginia. People in Ohio certainly do not have a lot of extra money to go gamble away, but somehow, we are going to spend enough money to support for new casinos?

Hopefully, the gamblers will pay off their credit card bills, delinquent mortgages, and child support before heading to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, and Columbus (or maybe Indiana, Michigan, West Virgina, and Canada).


DS
clinton, oh

Posted 05:02 PM, 11/11/2009

Ohio will be joining the ranks of the twenty percent of States that are failing economically in the United States starting with California.

One fifth of all States are now bankrupt in the United States!!!

Allowing businessmen dictate how and when Casinos will be built was just the State Government throwing up their arms in defeat and an admission they no longer know how to develop economic growth and stability in Ohio,and that
the Federal Government can no longer retain World
economic leadership and help the states produce.

So let the last days be filled with empty promises
and gambling and drawing the remaining money
from the masses the state was not able to take by unpopular taxation or through business development.














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