- Image by Lisa Brewster via Flickr
The Dispatch attempts to break down the terms at the center of the budget debate and accusations of hypocrisy:
When is a slot machine not a slot machine?
When it’s a video lottery terminal? Or when it’s a video racing terminal?
The terminal terminology entered the political debate yesterday when Gov. Ted Strickland accused legislative Republicans of hypocrisy for opposing his plan for slots at racetracks when many of the same lawmakers approved a similar plan in 2007.
Senate President Bill M. Harris, R-Ashland, joined 24 state senators in May 2007 to vote for video racing terminals at the state’s seven racetracks. Eight senators, all Republicans, voted against it. The bill died in the House after Strickland threatened to veto it.
Harris is now the leading critic of Strickland’s plan for video lottery terminals at the same racetracks.
Strickland said yesterday: “I do not see any legitimate distinction between what the Senate has already voted for and what we are asking to get this budget completed ”
Supporters two years ago, including Harris, argued that video racing terminals were not the same as slots. Harris said yesterday that the devices’ skill factor distinguishes them from slot machines.
Call me a partisan hack, but the difference seems pretty clear to me. One involes betting on horse races via a video terminal while on is just hoping for random luck. I don’t want to get into a debate about how much skill goes into betting on horse races, but video racing terminals do not change the nature of the activity going on at a racetrack. Slot machines, or VLTs, clearly do.
You might think this is a pointless debate, but it is pretty clear that bringing in Las Vegas style gambling changes the legal environment surrounding gambling in Ohio. And voters have clearly rejected opening up the state to these kind of changes.
This is really about responsibility. Senate President Bill Harris believes that sneaking in this significant change in the budget is a slap in the face of voters. Since Strickland is the one who changed his mind then he should take responsibility and implement the idea through executive order. This makes it clear that the Governor is responsible for the decision.
As Harris has said [sub. req.]:
“Let’s be clear: The issue that divides us is whether or not the legislature should authorize expanded gambling without a vote of the people.”
You may disagree with his argument but there isn’t hypocrisy involved. If gambling is going to be expanded – not just updated with new technology a la racing terminals – then Strickland should bear the burden of the decision.
But Strickland wants everyone on record as having voted for it. He wants everyone to share the “blame.” I am not a lawyer and don’t know how strong the case is for legislative approval versus executive order, but I have a feeling politics is playing a bigger role than legal concerns. IMO, both sides are being stubborn and seeking to force a favorable outcome from their perspective. Such is politics.
