Leaders near deal on slots Columbus Dispatch Politics

Gov. Ted Strickland and legislative leaders appeared close to a budget agreement last night that would implement a plan to place slot machines at Ohio's seven horseracing tracks without a statewide vote.

[Crabbyman]

Cheers to the politicians for finally coming to an agreement! Finally then are putting an end to all the county workers, state workers, recipients of services, service providers, and even the general public not knowing where Ohio stands.

Good luck to all those likely effected by final budget.

[Julie]

They need to take it a few steps further and add hotels at the race tracks. Make the race track/hotel a destination for people to want to come to.

[Kitkat]

We should impeach the Governour. The people have spoken 4 times. Being a bully and taking away the services that are needed in these tough times. Threathen the people by with holding budget negotiations until the Governour gets what he wants... gambling in the state of OHio. Very bad for our society to use gambling to offset our spending. No one has proposed to address the real problem. The 1 billion dollar over spending in the budget.

Shame Shame on Strickland.

[ceemoi52]

Fire Strickland and the General Assembly!! They have shown that there is no leadership among their decision making nor compassion for the people that elected them to office. All are firmly entrenched in playing politics at the expense of everything and everyone just to posture for the next election.

[Coleman White]

Why not adress the real problem the size of govt.? Why do we need 88 counties? Why do we need 700+ school districts? Move to 24 counties and 50 school districts and end the bloated expenses. Slots like the lottery are additional taxes for the poor, no doubt thtat it will raise short term revenue and then create a new group dependent on welfare.

[Paul]

Kitkat wrote:

We should impeach the Governour. The people have spoken 4 times. Being a bully and taking away the services that are needed in these tough times. Threathen the people by with holding budget negotiations until the Governour gets what he wants... gambling in the state of OHio. Very bad for our society to use gambling to offset our spending. No one has proposed to address the real problem. The 1 billion dollar over spending in the budget.
Shame Shame on Strickland.

Do you really believe Ohioans dont gamble. Lottery, bingo nights, Vegas nights with table games, fruit games at the strip mall, poker tourneys in the Cleveland flats, and of course the racetracks where gambling already is, so whats the difference. How many times have you voted on school levies? A lot more then four times (on gambling that we already have) as they come up every year. This did address the real problem and that is Ohioans leaving the state to play slots. Its money already spent so why not spend it here. I say dont impeach the gov., I say crown him King.

[go for it]

Kitkat wrote:

We should impeach the Governour. The people have spoken 4 times. Being a bully and taking away the services that are needed in these tough times. Threathen the people by with holding budget negotiations until the Governour gets what he wants... gambling in the state of OHio. Very bad for our society to use gambling to offset our spending. No one has proposed to address the real problem. The 1 billion dollar over spending in the budget.
Shame Shame on Strickland.

Kitkat, unfortunately, the people of Ohio are already gambling. If it was 20 years ago and we still had to get on an airplane to Las Vegas to gamble, then no one could dispute your argument. At this point, most gamblers in Ohio are doing it frequently. The problem gamblers are definitely feeding their addictions in the surrounding states. This is must a matter of keeping the tax dollars at home. Hopefully the Governor has made a good deal and this does indeed help the state.

[Some Guy]

Why does canceling future tax cuts=raising taxes? Why would someone still earning good money next year resent not getting another tax cut while services used my most citizens of Ohio are defunded to pay for it?

[Unity]

Kitkat wrote:

We should impeach the Governour. The people have spoken 4 times. Being a bully and taking away the services that are needed in these tough times. Threathen the people by with holding budget negotiations until the Governour gets what he wants... gambling in the state of OHio. Very bad for our society to use gambling to offset our spending. No one has proposed to address the real problem. The 1 billion dollar over spending in the budget.
Shame Shame on Strickland.

KitKat...you're equating VLTs with casino gambling in the state and they are two different things. It kills me to see the commercials on TV advertising for Ohioans to go to Indiana, Michigan, W. Virginia, etc. and spend their money there. They're going to gamble regardless and should keep that money in our state. Plus, the gambling ballot issues were garbage and were thus voted down. Also, you say $1 billion over spending--do you not realize we're in the worst recession since the Great Depression and that's why we're in such a deficit?

[JAR]

Unity wrote:

<quoted text>
KitKat...you're equating VLTs with casino gambling in the state and they are two different things. It kills me to see the commercials on TV advertising for Ohioans to go to Indiana, Michigan, W. Virginia, etc. and spend their money there. They're going to gamble regardless and should keep that money in our state. Plus, the gambling ballot issues were garbage and were thus voted down. Also, you say $1 billion over spending--do you not realize we're in the worst recession since the Great Depression and that's why we're in such a deficit?

I guess the late seventies and early eighties were not as bad as this? Baloney, times have been much worse since the Great Depression. The problem is the citizenry is so soft and spoiled that they must tell you this is the worst it has been since the thirties so you don't feel like such a pansy

[Sandy]

Some Guy wrote:

Why does canceling future tax cuts=raising taxes? Why would someone still earning good money next year resent not getting another tax cut while services used my most citizens of Ohio are defunded to pay for it?

You got it, Some Guy. The current public "leaders" are too afraid to enact that legislation because then they won't get reelected. And the problem is, instead of remembering this debacle, many people WILL reelect these lamebrains for exactly that reason... For those of us who have a clue, it will be the same old next budget go round, only probably worse as there won't be stimulus dollars. Or wait, maybe there will. The Feds will just print some more money....

[Bill Yates]

I’m glad to see the Ohio legislature working together to find some solution to the budget deficit and to help the struggling race tracks, instead of the political infighting the Kentucky legislatures are undertaking.

Good article on Kentucky State Senate President David Williams at: oddsonfavorite.blogspot.com

[KitKat is OBLIVIOUS]

Kitkat wrote:

We should impeach the Governour. The people have spoken 4 times. Being a bully and taking away the services that are needed in these tough times. Threathen the people by with holding budget negotiations until the Governour gets what he wants... gambling in the state of OHio. Very bad for our society to use gambling to offset our spending. No one has proposed to address the real problem. The 1 billion dollar over spending in the budget.
Shame Shame on Strickland.

Wow.. You really know nothing about Ohio or what you're talking about. Ohioans are going to gamble, unfortunately they go out of the state to do so. If we can keep the money in OHIO then it's a no brainer that we should have other forms of gambling within the state. If you do not like gambling then don't go to those types of places, don't associate with the "bad people who gamble", but do not judge and act like you can speak on behalf of Ohio saying that we should impeach the governor for trying to help the budget deficit, bring jobs to Ohio, and help out the struggling racing industry.

[overplayed]

well as usual the republicans came up with nothing to solve the state budget.they wasted two weeks of state money.caved in to slot issue.vote em out when their time comes for reelection.look what people like bush did to the country.

[Sparky]

THE PEOPLE VOTED "NO".

We are now living in a BANANA REPUBLIC both on a national, state and local level. Just another vehicle to get them more money to blow on their ineptitude, special interests and pet projects.

But the reality likely will be that, once people realize that they do nothing but lose money at the slots, they will be an abysmal failure like keno.

And as a sidelight - notice on these message boards that about 90% of the time, the people who "copy and paste" other people's comments in their own posts are usually LIBERALS.

[Mike]

ceemoi52 wrote:

Fire Strickland and the General Assembly!! They have shown that there is no leadership among their decision making nor compassion for the people that elected them to office. All are firmly entrenched in playing politics at the expense of everything and everyone just to posture for the next election.

No one cares what someone in Michigan thinks.

[Mike]

Sparky wrote:

And as a sidelight - notice on these message boards that about 90% of the time, the people who "copy and paste" other people's comments in their own posts are usually LIBERALS.

Please provide proof. How are my views known by cutting and pasting your stupidity?

[Paul]

Sparky wrote:

THE PEOPLE VOTED "NO".
We are now living in a BANANA REPUBLIC both on a national, state and local level. Just another vehicle to get them more money to blow on their ineptitude, special interests and pet projects.
But the reality likely will be that, once people realize that they do nothing but lose money at the slots, they will be an abysmal failure like keno.
And as a sidelight - notice on these message boards that about 90% of the time, the people who "copy and paste" other people's comments in their own posts are usually LIBERALS.

SO WHAT.

[I disagree with Sparky]

I voted the last casino down because the company behind it seemed super shady, plus I think it's a bad idea to amend the Constitution for gambling.

I love that the we may get some gambling in state that will actually support state government!

[No Slots]

Please I need the money from Ohio to keep my taxes low in Penn. Please say no to slots In oHio lets keep the money in the state of Penn