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By Dennis J. Willard
Beacon Journal Columbus bureau
POSTED: 08:00 p.m. EDT, Jul 07, 2009
COLUMBUS: Gov. Ted Strickland should have embraced the deal — with one caveat — that Senate President Bill Harris handed him today to end the budget stalemate.
More on the caveat in a moment.
Harris, a Republican from Ashland who has made similar suggestions before, took the formal step of providing the governor with details about asking voters to approve slot machines — called Video Lottery Terminals — at seven locations in Ohio.
''I believe that the bridge to reaching a consensus is for you, the Senate and the House to agree to abide by the collective wisdom of those who elected us and to place a ballot issue before the voters this November,'' Harris wrote today in a letter to Strickland.
Harris provided language for a ballot resolution, pointed out flaws in Strickland's original proposal and explained why he believes this is the best course to pursue.
Harris stated that the governor wanted the legislature to approve slot machines at Ohio's seven horse racing tracks.
A committee the Senate president formed to examine the governor's plan discovered some shortcomings, including the fact the horse tracks would be reimbursed their $65 million license fees if other casinos were opened in the state.
Harris also pointed out that the governor's proposal would be dead in the water if voters this fall approve a separate amendment to the Ohio Constitution to expand gambling, a measure casinos are promoting.
''The casino-backed proposal limits all gambling to four specific locations, rendering any legislative enactment of VLTs at horseracing tracks moot should the casino proposal prevail on November 3rd. In that case, the revenue on which you are counting for Ohio schools would evaporate,'' Harris wrote.
He went on to say that a voter-approved constitutional amendment would bring to a halt any threats of lawsuits currently being raised by anti-gambling opponents, who have successfully fought back four attempts since 1990 to bring casinos to the state.
Competitive bidding
Harris also criticizes Strickland's plan for picking winners and losers and creating ''a gambling monopoly for a handful of predetermined property owners.''
''We think that's wrong. A constitutional amendment could be constructed to ensure a fair, open and competitive process for distributing licenses that would get the best deal for the taxpayers of Ohio,'' Harris informed Strickland.
The Harris plan would ask voters to approve slot machines in up to seven locations, not necessarily horse tracks, through a competitive bid process with a minimum license fee of $65 million for a maximum of 10 years.
Strickland budget analysts took into consideration that installing slot machines at horse tracks would not occur overnight, so money from the plan was expected to begin rolling in next May.
To the voters
Harris uses this to his advantage by stating there is time to take the slot machine issue directly to voters.
''Governor, you and I both agree that Ohio needs leadership on this issue. Instead of counting on the ballot failure of outside special interests with deep pockets to determine the fate of education funding, I much prefer that we as elected officials take the reins and craft a bipartisan constitutional amendment that gives the voters of Ohio a voice on this critical issue,'' Harris wrote.
Strickland rejected the overture.
The governor does not believe the budget should be balanced through a ballot referendum, continues to insist he will only sign a two-year budget and disagrees with Harris that passage of the casino issue this fall would prevent slot machines at horse racing tracks.
To prove his point, Strickland points to the casino ballot language that states nothing ''shall restrict or in any way limit lotteries ... or bingo.''
First opportunity
These two leaders can continue to debate the issues with the result being a continuing stalemate, but Harris has given the governor his first break on the issue in weeks.
The governor is not required to sign a resolution for a proposed constitutional amendment, which means this is truly a legislative initiative.
Strickland should end three weeks of bickering and partisan sniping by first acknowledging his proposal to get legislative approval for slots is dead and the only alternative is to go directly to the voters.
Instead of opposing the Harris plan, Strickland should sign the title of ownership over to the Senate president.
And here's the caveat:
It's now the Harris plan, and if it fails, then the Senate president is going to have to explain how to fill a $933 million hole in the primary and secondary education budget since, as Harris twice pointed out, all lottery profits must be spent on schools.
Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or dwillard@thebeaconjournal.com.
COLUMBUS: Gov. Ted Strickland should have embraced the deal — with one caveat — that Senate President Bill Harris handed him today to end the budget stalemate.
More on the caveat in a moment.
Harris, a Republican from Ashland who has made similar suggestions before, took the formal step of providing the governor with details about asking voters to approve slot machines — called Video Lottery Terminals — at seven locations in Ohio.
''I believe that the bridge to reaching a consensus is for you, the Senate and the House to agree to abide by the collective wisdom of those who elected us and to place a ballot issue before the voters this November,'' Harris wrote today in a letter to Strickland.
Harris provided language for a ballot resolution, pointed out flaws in Strickland's original proposal and explained why he believes this is the best course to pursue.
Harris stated that the governor wanted the legislature to approve slot machines at Ohio's seven horse racing tracks.
A committee the Senate president formed to examine the governor's plan discovered some shortcomings, including the fact the horse tracks would be reimbursed their $65 million license fees if other casinos were opened in the state.
Harris also pointed out that the governor's proposal would be dead in the water if voters this fall approve a separate amendment to the Ohio Constitution to expand gambling, a measure casinos are promoting.
''The casino-backed proposal limits all gambling to four specific locations, rendering any legislative enactment of VLTs at horseracing tracks moot should the casino proposal prevail on November 3rd. In that case, the revenue on which you are counting for Ohio schools would evaporate,'' Harris wrote.
He went on to say that a voter-approved constitutional amendment would bring to a halt any threats of lawsuits currently being raised by anti-gambling opponents, who have successfully fought back four attempts since 1990 to bring casinos to the state.
Competitive bidding
Harris also criticizes Strickland's plan for picking winners and losers and creating ''a gambling monopoly for a handful of predetermined property owners.''
''We think that's wrong. A constitutional amendment could be constructed to ensure a fair, open and competitive process for distributing licenses that would get the best deal for the taxpayers of Ohio,'' Harris informed Strickland.
The Harris plan would ask voters to approve slot machines in up to seven locations, not necessarily horse tracks, through a competitive bid process with a minimum license fee of $65 million for a maximum of 10 years.
Strickland budget analysts took into consideration that installing slot machines at horse tracks would not occur overnight, so money from the plan was expected to begin rolling in next May.
To the voters
Harris uses this to his advantage by stating there is time to take the slot machine issue directly to voters.
''Governor, you and I both agree that Ohio needs leadership on this issue. Instead of counting on the ballot failure of outside special interests with deep pockets to determine the fate of education funding, I much prefer that we as elected officials take the reins and craft a bipartisan constitutional amendment that gives the voters of Ohio a voice on this critical issue,'' Harris wrote.
Strickland rejected the overture.
The governor does not believe the budget should be balanced through a ballot referendum, continues to insist he will only sign a two-year budget and disagrees with Harris that passage of the casino issue this fall would prevent slot machines at horse racing tracks.
To prove his point, Strickland points to the casino ballot language that states nothing ''shall restrict or in any way limit lotteries ... or bingo.''
First opportunity
These two leaders can continue to debate the issues with the result being a continuing stalemate, but Harris has given the governor his first break on the issue in weeks.
The governor is not required to sign a resolution for a proposed constitutional amendment, which means this is truly a legislative initiative.
Strickland should end three weeks of bickering and partisan sniping by first acknowledging his proposal to get legislative approval for slots is dead and the only alternative is to go directly to the voters.
Instead of opposing the Harris plan, Strickland should sign the title of ownership over to the Senate president.
And here's the caveat:
It's now the Harris plan, and if it fails, then the Senate president is going to have to explain how to fill a $933 million hole in the primary and secondary education budget since, as Harris twice pointed out, all lottery profits must be spent on schools.
Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or dwillard@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
akron, OH
Posted 07:28 AM, 07/08/2009
Wow, you mean he'll have to explain why he's not going to fund the $900 million that the DEMs added to the budget before it went to the Senate?
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 07:30 AM, 07/08/2009
Yes let us vote NO again and leave gambling out of Ohio. Even PA is now hurting with it's casino income. The bad economy and over inflated state budget can't be cured by slot machines. Cut the people, wages, and benefits of state employees and everything will be fine. They are not needed and gambling is not a cure.
Akron, OH
Posted 07:30 AM, 07/08/2009
Teddyboy, is and has been, in way over his head at the Statehouse. Prettys soon we can change his nickname to flounder, for all of the flip floppin' he's been doin' lately.
Akron, oh
Posted 08:06 AM, 07/08/2009
No VLT's
If you are going to put casinos in this state the only way to do it is to copy Nevada. Let every city large and small decide for themselves the who and where.
Posted 08:18 AM, 07/08/2009
One question keeps coming to mind -- what kind of reaction does Dennis Willard get from those on whom he's reporting in Columbus? His stories and analysis are always seem so well-considered, and harshly honest.
Lots of the criticism dumped on Strickland by posts here (especially those who never did like him) are excessive. As one unemployed Buckeye who's suffering along with far too many others, I want Ohio's economy fixed NOW, but realize it can't happen without a national recovery -- and Ohio's budget woes are echoed in almost every other state right now. Just look at California for the "worst case scenario". Strickland can't wave a magic wand and make all our problems disappear; neither can the General Assembly. Further budget cuts, layoffs, salary & benefit cuts -- ALL these are probably in the state's immediate future. But we cannot expect the SAME level of public service, be it at the state, county, city or school district level, with SHRINKING tax revenues. California voters continue to mandate programs and spending by referendum, but refuse to pay the piper by taxation necessary to fund all these programs. Ohio can't fall into the same trap and create an unbridgable and disastrous budget gap.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:22 AM, 07/08/2009
Let us just keep saying no to gambling, restoration of republican tax cuts and anything else that could possibly fund things like libraries, care for the elderly, preschool kids and everything else that would show us to be a society that provides for all its citizens. After all. Individual greed over all!
Akron, OH
Posted 09:12 AM, 07/08/2009
@kenmorekid
I have to agree with you. It’s amazing when someone needs money, their cuts always hits the area that gets the most attention. It’s just like schools saying, we’ll have to cut buss transportation. Why are libraries being targeted, because it will get the most media attention. I'm waiting for someone in Columbus to say, lets look at ALL the state programs and discontinue the ones that are not being heavily utilized. But no, they would rather cut the areas that they know with get attention and deal them a better hand vs. actually doing what is needed.
akron, oh
Posted 06:59 AM, 07/13/2009
Cut the graft and the corruption and the budget will balance. Get rid of the patronage at all loevels--now or we will not be able to climb out of this mess.
Orrville, Oh
Posted 04:06 PM, 07/14/2009
There is NO reason to believe; that scamming Fathers disqualified for affirmative action with white skin, Union workers, consumers, taxpayers, and Americas grandchildren’s children; fund all stimulus packages, property tax abatement, tax incentives, tax credit, tax refunds, tax exemptions; and fund lottery, casino, and keno losers, aliens, waitresses that pander for life for $2.00 per hour; insubordinate, low-income; defiant of realities demands; volunteers without wages; nonunion parasites willing to work for fewer wages than they can afford life; and righteous; with a faith-based belief; that it’s a sin; to engage in free, fair, and affordable commerce; or get an agreement (union contract); With a corporation, business, or nonprofit, tax-exempt, organization; Agreeing to comply with demands; Of natural law (what Mother Nature, God, or Whatever Power decreed to be the reality of the real world), God, democracy, capitalism, the US Constitution, and free, fair, and affordable commerce; paying with welfare checks, food stamps, housing vouchers, and Medicaid.
Will enable workers, consumers, taxpayers, and America’s grandchildren’s children to fund balancing the budget with money derived from wages or independent business profit!
