Casino battle brewing on multiple fronts

Who is this Zanotti guy? Does he have his head in the sand, or does he own shares of a casino company in one of the surrounding states? It's hard to believe that anyone is truly that ignorant and can't see what's happening. I notice he isn't offering any advice on how to balance the budget. Glad to see the Retail Merchants speaking up.

"It occurred to me that [SOME] Ohioans had already expressed their moral view on gambling by going to other states to do it," Mahaney said.

Many more Ohioans expressed their moral view by voting against casino gambling in Ohio.... four seperate times.

"Zanotti noted that voters in 2006 rejected a ballot measure for slot machines at racetracks. He said nothing in the Ohio Constitution allows the governor to add slot machines to the roster of games sponsored by the Ohio Lottery. Strickland aides have pointed out that nothing in the Constitution forbids it, either."

Zanotti needs to go back to school and study constitutional law. The consitution is not a document that tells people what they CAN do, it tells people what they CANNOT do. Therefore, unless there is an express prohibition against gambling, I say it's legal.

Regardless, we have already voted down both ideas multiple times. These special interests will keep at it until we give in or they run out of money.

Despite the vote of the people (over and over), the gambling forces will keep pushing until the state leaders give in ... and the budget deficit looks like the final push for that.

I THINK THE OHIO ROUNDTABLE NEEDS A NEW PRESIDENT. Yes that is yelling.

I think Ohioans against gaming need to pull their heads out of their butts. I came to Ohio 2.5 yrs. ago from the AZ-NV area. Do these people realize the amount of jobs casinos bring? Not to mention the amount of taxes generated from casinos. Nevada, still to this day, has no personal tax, because of the revenue generated by the casinos. I worked in the casinos for quite a few years, so, I can tell you they pay good wages and offer great benefits, something desperately needed in Ohio right now.

WAKE UP OHIOANS!!!!! Do not let the prehistoric beliefs ruin the potential jobs that would revive Ohios' economy and schools,

I totally support casino in Ohio, look whose going to wheeling race track or Argocy casino in Indiana for gambling, they are all Ohioans.
Those of us who don't like gambling, nobody force them to go to casino.

I'n so tired of the We voted that down in 2006. look ata all the levies put on the ballot election after election. I dont gamble but for that do have at it. Better odds than what we our spending on our elected officials

Cat in the hat and TimH, Do you really think denying gambling in Ohio will keep our residents from gambling? The other states already made that decision for us. We are gambling in their states, and if you got an honest answer from these other states, they would beg you not to allow it in Ohio. They need our tax dollars just as much as we do. Thirty years ago when you had to get on a plane to get to a casino, I would be right with you. Those days are over. Time to get our heads out of the sand. Right now we get the problem gamblers and they get our tax dollars.

SoCal in Ohio wrote:

I think Ohioans against gaming need to pull their heads out of their butts. I came to Ohio 2.5 yrs. ago from the AZ-NV area. Do these people realize the amount of jobs casinos bring? Not to mention the amount of taxes generated from casinos. Nevada, still to this day, has no personal tax, because of the revenue generated by the casinos. I worked in the casinos for quite a few years, so, I can tell you they pay good wages and offer great benefits, something desperately needed in Ohio right now.
WAKE UP OHIOANS!!!!! Do not let the prehistoric beliefs ruin the potential jobs that would revive Ohios' economy and schools,

Gambling also creates more compulsive gamblers. That, in turn, leads to more families struggling financially as people wager money for food, clothing, and shelter in casinos. Then there are the social costs of treating these addicts. Tensions about a family member losing needed money at the tracks or casinos will no doubt lead to more spousal and child abuse too.

Where there's money there's associated crime. Robberies, shylocking (once called loansharking), prostitution, to name a few. Most, if not all the time, criminal activities also bring violence.

If I were to make it possible for someone to ruin their lives by getting hooked on drugs, people would despise me. But if I were to make it possible for them to get hooked on gambling, people would call me Ohio's Saviour, due to the jobs created and tax revenue generated. But they're both still bad for people.

go for it, I don't care if Ohio has gambling or not. All I am saying is a majority of those who voted on the 4 different issues voted NO. I AM concerned that the studies over-estimate the amount of money that will enter State coffers and the politicians just see the "As much as" numbers and think it's a guarantee.

All those conservative tight assed, bible thumping idiots need to just shut the F**K up! if people want to gamble, they are going to gamble - and it this point they will leave Ohio to do it. All the other states benefit from "our" gamblers. WE NEED THE TAX REVENUE - so shut up and let it happen.

Ohio's Governor is great. what we need is for busy bodies like Mr Zanotti to quit trying to tell grown people what they can or cannot do!

Cat in the hat, sorry for the misunderstanding. That said, even the numbers that the opponents claim are good enough for me. I'm not particularly interested in going to a slots parlor, but I'm sick about the clear fact that the other states are collecting taxes from our residents. However many of them are problem gamblers are coming right back to Ohio with their problems. We can't stop it, so we might as well keep the tax dollars at home.

It's about time Ohio got smart and figured out why our surrounding states are not crying the broke blues...they have Ohio's money to spend. Maybe Michigan does not have racetrack slots, but it does have at least 3 new casinos. reason not many tears about GM's bankruptsy.

B Brown wrote:

All those conservative tight assed, bible thumping idiots need to just shut the F**K up! if people want to gamble, they are going to gamble - and it this point they will leave Ohio to do it. All the other states benefit from "our" gamblers. WE NEED THE TAX REVENUE - so shut up and let it happen.

whomsoever shall spew thine foul mouth upon thy fellow man shall not receveith thine bingo prize (B:10G:53)

I don't get why there is so much opposition. I for one would love to see casino's here in Ohio so I and so many others like me wouldn't have drive to WV, IN, and MI to put our money into their states. But, that's what we'll keep on doing as long as Ohio keeps shooting down gambling proposals.

TimH wrote:

Regardless, we have already voted down both ideas multiple times. These special interests will keep at it until we give in or they run out of money.

yeah ok tim, RUN OUT OF MONEY????? LIKE THE FREAKIN STATE HAS????

oh wow I have the michael jackson hand here 4 jacks and 1 queen. I Bet $20.