Ohio: Lessons to be learned

Ahhhh...the Playbook!

Watching the Ohio process in which the Slot Barn Industry wrote flawed legislation that benefited only them and then spent buckets convincing voters to pass a Constitutional Amendment so neatly parallels the Massachusetts process. Well....except in Massachusetts, we let them off cheap.

In Massachusetts, The Industry merely had to convince a small number of the gullible, behind closed doors, on Beacon Hill with their grossly exaggerated revenue and job claims, make a few campaign contributions and who's to disagree?

The Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick, spent $189,000 hard-earned taxpayer dollars having an Industry BENEFITS report prepared to justify his position. The Legislature, likewise, duplicated the phony process.

No where have costs been revealed.

The significant difference, of course, is that in Ohio, this was determined by a Constitutional Amendment by the voters.

In Massachusetts, in spite of all the pretense and charade by the Governor, House Speaker "Racino" DeLeo and Senate President "Cha Ching" Murray, what is approved today, can and will be changed by the next legislature and the next Governor.

When the phony revenues fail to appear, when the undetermined costs mushroom, the legislature addicted to revenues over sound fiscal policy, will expand slot barns - coming to a neighborhood near you!

From: Casino Opposition

After Ohio voters said NO to casino gambling 4 times, $50 million was spent to persuade them otherwise. Who would think their money was wasted?

See also:
Ohio
Ohio

This revealing comment from the article below:

For more than 30 years, the Ohio Roundtable has opposed casino gambling based on the failed economic promises and the inevitable political corruption that historically attends legalized gambling.


Rob Walgate: Casino deal violates Ohio rule of law

Ohio Roundtable
In November 2009, Ohioans passed a constitutional amendment legalizing casino gambling. The state constitution, much like the federal constitution, is a sacred compact of the citizens. It is the controlling authority for law and practice in this state. When the people amend their constitution, it is imperative that all branches of the government abide by this highest ruling authority in the state.

The 2009 casino amendment, which the Ohio Roundtable opposed, was written by the casino industry. The gambling interests advocating passage of the amendment wrote every word, paid millions for their campaign and won an election. The voters approved State Issue 3, which is now the final word on casino gambling in Ohio. Those words can be changed only by the legal process of further amendments.

That language of Issue 3 specifically fails to exempt the casinos from paying the Ohio Commercial Activity Tax on gross revenues. The amendment specifically binds the casinos to pay all taxes levied in general against any other Ohio business. The Commercial Activity Tax clearly fits into this most obvious description.

The governor needs no other language to enforce the CAT on the casinos. They enforced it upon themselves in the construction of their own amendment. The failure to collect the tax would be a violation of the Ohio Constitution and state statutes.

The governor has consistently stated that he is trying to "get a better deal" for Ohio.

Issue 3 is a bad deal for Ohio; however, it is the law. It cannot be changed by backroom deals. If the governor is serious about getting a better deal for Ohio, he should ask the legislature to place an amendment on the ballot to reconstruct Issue 3. He could do this in short order, taking less time and money than all the backroom deals have spent to date.

In addition, any "deal" to place slot machines at Ohio racetracks is a clear violation of the Ohio Revised Code and the Constitution. Such a practice cannot become legal by edict of the governor or any "deal" struck with casino operators. If the governor wants to open racetrack casinos with Vegas-style slot machines, he is required by law to take such a proposal to the voters.

Furthermore, the notion that the governor can issue a "moratorium" on expanding gambling sites by edict is equally legally absurd. By what authority does this governor or any governor suggest he has the right to grant casino operations to some people but not to others? Why are only certain cities being chosen? Why a 10-year moratorium? Why not 20 years or 100 years?

For more than 30 years, the Ohio Roundtable has opposed casino gambling based on the failed economic promises and the inevitable political corruption that historically attends legalized gambling. Sadly, the current actions of the governor and the casino industry are indicative of the grossest form of political corruption: the disregard of the rule of law by those in power.

Only 18 months after the passage of State Issue 3, the governor is caught up in closed-door deal-making with the casino industry. There have been no legislative or public hearings on these deals. Outside consultants have been hired who stand to make millions, pending the outcomes of such deals. The people of Ohio, their Constitution and their representative government are left standing on the curb.

Regardless of the governor's intentions, the rule of law cannot be displaced for any crisis, community or convenience. Every governor swears to uphold and defend the Ohio Constitution. If the governor wants to assist the casino industry, facilitate racetrack casinos and promote more gambling in Ohio, he has every right to do so according to the rule of law. Neither this governor nor any future governor has the right, however, to take the law into his own hands and overrule the Ohio Constitution.

These actions by the governor prove again that casino gambling and good government don't mix.

Rob Walgate is vice president of the Ohio Roundtable, a non-profit, independent public-policy organization.