- Image by Jeff Kubina via Flickr
Wow. You have to hand it to Ted Strickland. He has managed to not only flip-flop but also come off even more desperate. The Dispatch has the story:
Gov. Ted Strickland has agreed to support a plan to expand gambling as a way to generate revenue to help fill a $3.2 billion budget hole, sources say.
Strickland, who previously has opposed additional gambling as a way to deal with the state’s budget crisis, has called a 4 p.m. press conference to make a “budget announcement.” The event also is expected to detail the need for severe budget cutbacks, too.
An Ohio State Racing Commission plan would place slots at the seven Ohio racetracks, reaping a quick $175 million in licensing fees. Proponents say 48 percent of ensuing proceeds would go to Ohio schools – $195 million in fiscal 2010 and $310 million in fiscal 2011.
A coalition of bars and restaurants also wants 83,000 machines in their businesses, after local option votes, producing what they say would be $83 million in one-time fees and $50 million in recurring fees, and up to $1.2 billion in revenue for Ohio schools.
Strickland made a lot more sense when he was opposed to using gambling as a way to solve the budget problems:
Asked last month whether he could support such a proposal if it were brought to him as a way to raise additional money, for example, Strickland replied, “I don’t expect it will be brought to be as part of a budget solution, but if it is, I will do everything I can to see that we can craft a budget without it.”
The governor then pointed to an article in Governing magazine detailing how the addition of slot machines in Maryland last fall has not produced the amount of activity or revenue projected.
“They are finding I think what’s likely to be a continuing trend that the promise put forth by gambling interests rarely holds up,” Strickland said. “The amount of money that they promise rarely materialize(s), and so I do not think that Ohio should have expended gambling.”
This is just another lame attempt to “fix” Ohio’s economic problems with smoke and mirrors. It give the illusion of growth with no real growth. It means more people with gambling problems and another funding source that is going to decline over time meaning more budget struggles in the future.
If gambling was a way to help the economy then why don’t the states surrounding Ohio that allow gambling show growth? Why is Michigan worse off than Ohio even though it has actual casinos?
I have a suspicion this is a setup. There will be a battle over gambling and when it doesn’t work, the response will be we have to raise taxes. This is a last ditch effort to avoid tax increases. If Ted Strickland was a leader he would stick to his principles and both oppose increased gambling and hold the line against taxes.
But it appears that Strickland can’t make the tough choices.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=bb63555c-6fdc-4ab7-bf2a-f36087119ec8)
3 pings
Moe Lane » A Gov. Ted Strickland (D, OH) timeline on gambling. says:
June 21, 2009 at 7:28 pm (UTC -4 )
[...] also the Cleveland Leader and Kevin Holtsberry’s Ohio Politics Online: the latter thinks that this is “a last ditch effort to avoid tax increases.” Which [...]
A Gov. Ted Strickland (D, OH) timeline on gambling. - Moe_Lane’s blog - RedState says:
June 21, 2009 at 8:02 pm (UTC -4 )
[...] also the Cleveland Leader and Kevin Holtsberry’s Ohio Politics Online: the latter thinks that this is “a last ditch effort to avoid tax increases.” Which [...]
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment’s server IP (74.52.159.226) doesn’t match the comment’s URL host IP (74.52.159.232) and so is spam.
Gov. Strickland pulls his budget trap - Kevin_Holtsberry’s blog - RedState says:
June 27, 2009 at 8:34 pm (UTC -4 )
[...] have reached the moment I knew was coming. I said it when Strickland pulled his flip-flop on slots: I have a suspicion this is a setup. There will be a battle over gambling and when it doesn’t [...]
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The comment’s server IP (74.52.159.226) doesn’t match the comment’s URL host IP (74.52.159.232) and so is spam.