Image by OZinOH via Flickr
The Dayton Daily News isn’t buying the slots as budget solution:
Gov. Ted Strickland is recklessly, obstinately and selfishly putting Ohio on a horrible course.
He refuses to give up on his plan to help balance the state budget by allowing as many as 17,500 slot machines divided among Ohio’s seven racetracks. He hopes that permitting the so-called video lottery terminals will raise almost $1 billion.
Going with the slots avoids having to cut state programs by that amount or raising taxes.
There is so much wrong with the idea that it’s hard to know where to begin.
They go on to list quite few reasonable reasons why this solution is no solution at all.
And it isn’t partisan ranting or mushy do-goodism (lord knows the editorial boards can offer both on occasion) but just practical reasons why there are bound to be lots of problems down the road based on the rush to implement the idea and the history of other states doing similar things.
But what has to worry Strickland is the last sentence:
This is not the Ted Strickland Ohio elected.
If too many people come to that all too logical conclusion …
