Yes on Issue 3
For years now the states around Ohio have been sucking up the casino related tourism dollars from Ohio. A recent study by the University of Cincinnati shows a benefit of 34,000 jobs these 4 casinos would bring to Ohio. Unlike past Casino proposals this benefits most areas of the state and 4 cities in particular rather then one developer or one City.
In recent days Progress Ohio and other blogs have been reporting a study that claims that Casinos would actually cost jobs in the communities where they go as they would suck up all the entertainment dollar from other hospitality businesses.
I have seen with my own eyes how ridiculous a theory that is. I have seen towns like Laughlin Nevada thrive in the middle of a desert with dozens of hotels, restaurants and development explode because of the Casino's. Closer to home I have seen the positive effect on Richmond Indiana which has spilled over into the Cincinnati suburbs in Northern Kentucky. Adding tourist dollars to restaurants, night clubs and hotels. I have seen the former steel industry ravaged town of Bethlehem, PA roar to life with the building of a casino, with new hotels, retail stores and restaurants appearing over night.
This isn't theory or conjecture it is reality, it is what has happened. It can happen in Ohio, or we can keep sending all these jobs and tax revenues to our neighboring states.
For those who's opposition to Casino's is Vice related, open your eyes. This state has thousands of gambling institutions in every town. Race Tracks, Bingo Halls, 50/50 drawings, scratch off cards, and Texas Holdem tournaments. The introduction of casinos are not going to create problem gamblers, they do and will always exist. It will however create a pleasant fun entertainment alternative to the vast majority of us who have no such addiction.
For all these reasons and more, I am one progressive urging you to vote yes in Issue 3 in Ohio.
In recent days Progress Ohio and other blogs have been reporting a study that claims that Casinos would actually cost jobs in the communities where they go as they would suck up all the entertainment dollar from other hospitality businesses.
I have seen with my own eyes how ridiculous a theory that is. I have seen towns like Laughlin Nevada thrive in the middle of a desert with dozens of hotels, restaurants and development explode because of the Casino's. Closer to home I have seen the positive effect on Richmond Indiana which has spilled over into the Cincinnati suburbs in Northern Kentucky. Adding tourist dollars to restaurants, night clubs and hotels. I have seen the former steel industry ravaged town of Bethlehem, PA roar to life with the building of a casino, with new hotels, retail stores and restaurants appearing over night.
This isn't theory or conjecture it is reality, it is what has happened. It can happen in Ohio, or we can keep sending all these jobs and tax revenues to our neighboring states.
For those who's opposition to Casino's is Vice related, open your eyes. This state has thousands of gambling institutions in every town. Race Tracks, Bingo Halls, 50/50 drawings, scratch off cards, and Texas Holdem tournaments. The introduction of casinos are not going to create problem gamblers, they do and will always exist. It will however create a pleasant fun entertainment alternative to the vast majority of us who have no such addiction.
For all these reasons and more, I am one progressive urging you to vote yes in Issue 3 in Ohio.
Labels: Casinos, Ohio Issue 3
posted by Joe R at
4:19 PM
3 Comments:
Joe, I agree with you a large part of the time. Not this time.
You may have very good eyes, but I'll believe the peer reviewed research coming from a highly respected college any day over your eyes.
You talk about those who are against Issue 3 due to vice. I'm not against it because I think it's immoral. As an addiction professional I can tell you that lotteries and casino's have all been shown to increase gambling addiction.
I agree that some of these forms of gambling have already been around, but since the research overwhelming shows they bring an increase in addiction, why add more gambling. Actually, I'd like to kill the lottery.
They way local economies showed growth in their economies was because casinos attracted out of town dollars. For years Las Vegas being the prime example. Today, with the plethora of casinos, most dollars come from locals. A dollar spent is just an exchange in that community from one person to another. No growth to the economy.
Guess who has the second highest unemployment in the nation behind Michigan. Nevada. Clark County home to Las Vegas was at 13.1 percent in May of 2009. So much for gambling saving your economy.
Use you eyes to read the study from Hiram College. It makes a lot of sense.
According to the Toledo Blade, the Hiram College study was commissioned by the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association, which is against Issue 3. A rival study from UofC claims that the Hiram study did not do an adequate cost-benefit analysis. So who knows whose numbers are correct?
What we do know is that folks all over Ohio are hurting financially, and offering them a government-sanctioned way to lose money quickly takes food off their table, makes mortgages harder to pay, and diverts money from locally-owned entertainment businesses.
The point of my post is that based on what has clearly occured in other places where casino's have come in the Hiram college study just doesn't pass the common sense test. I do not believe for a minute that casino's bringing entertainment dollars into 4 cities in Ohio will do anything other then increase business at area hotels and restraunts. Entertainment dollars that are leaving the state currently. As far as casino's targeting the poor, have you ever been to a casino, its not exactly the Food Bank crowd there.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home