Guest Column: Slot machines, an “immaculate deception”

The year was 1964, the Minnesota Vikings and their stingy defense were battling the San Francisco 49ers in a National Football League showdown. In a dramatic turn of events, Hall of Fame defensive end Jim Marshall ran 66 yards downfield after recovering a fumble from the opposing quarterback. The jubilant player threw the ball into the stands to celebrate what he thought was a touchdown. But after further review, it was discovered that he ran the wrong way! He ran into his own end zone, scoring a safety for the other team!

In another colossal miscue, this one of far-reaching importance, Democrat Governor Ted Strickland and Republican Senate President Bill Harris appeared to have scored big for Ohioans by balancing the state budget, except they made one mistake: they ran the wrong way!

In a “reverse” of his position, the Reverend Strickland used his executive order to authorize casino gambling at Ohio’s horse race tracks. The State Legislature, with Harris’ consent, agreed to support Strickland and redefine the lottery to involve slot machines. They both claim the gambling proposal will generate a guaranteed $933 million to help fill the $3.2 billion budget shortfall.

On the other hand, Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected casino gambling attempts in 1990, 1999, 2006, and 2008. And according to the legislators, the original authors of the 1972 Ohio Lottery referendum, they never intended the lottery to include slot machines.

The Racing Commission admits “No court in Ohio has defined lotteries to include slot machines.” Article 15, Section 6 of the Ohio Constitution prohibits lotteries unless such lotteries are conducted by an agency of the state and the proceeds are allocated to education.

In this “false start,” Strickland is supplying slot machine revenue to the state’s general fund.

And who will oversee these slot machines? The Director of the Ohio Lottery Commission, Mr. Mike Dolan, who this past winter was given a verbal warning for a traffic violation while driving near Mansfield. Innocent enough, until you find out that two days later, one hundred promotional lottery tickets arrived at Mansfield’s Ohio Highway Patrol post, along with a “thank you” note from the Director using government stationary. Dolan was later flagged for what the State Inspector General deemed as improper and unprofessional conduct.”

Despite what Strickland and Harris say about their dislike for gambling, they reneged on their promises to appeal to the voters after last fall’s resounding casino rejection by Ohioans. In the budget process, Ohioans were told that everything was “on the table.” Except for each of the three House plans and the Senate plan that balanced the budget. They were conveniently hidden from view. Strickland and Harris stated they had no other choice but to include slot machines in the budget. Apparently the godfathers of gambling gave our “leaders” an offer they could not refuse.

Nevertheless, with gambling there are no guarantees. If you are keeping stats, according to the Lottery Commission, Strickland’s Keno game is generating only 33% of the projected revenue as Ohioans empty their pockets. Like a compulsive gambler, Strickland now thinks slot machines can fill the void in the state budget that Keno could not.

A closer look shows the gambling industry is failing.

The Associated Press reported that Nevada casinos saw profits in 2008 plummet by 66%. The fact of the matter is, if gambling really is a viable solution, every state would be using it as a revenue generator. As we see with our current leaders, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Predatory gambling, with its social costs is a money vacuum and it takes lives with it.

Despite what Strickland and Harris would have Ohioans believe, the budget victory they stole form the voters is not certain. It if is, chalk up a victory to the mafia, the politicians, addiction services, divorce courts and bankruptcy attorneys.

Make no mistake, a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

Thankfully, the Ohio Roundtable, the Ohio Council of Churches, and the United Methodist denomination have “blown the whistle.” Perhaps it will be a replay of 2002 when Roundtable prevented Governor Bob Taft from trying the same trick in 2002 when it sued Taft and won.

Strickand could just very well “go all the way” to the Ohio Supreme Court. And that is where the Court, just like in 2002, may whistle the play “dead” and tell the Governor to bring his budget plan back-this time, for stepping “out of bounds.”

Benjamin Mutti is Spokesman for the Richland Community Family Coalition

Editor’s note: Mike Dolan stepped down from his state post two days after this article was previously published in the Mansfield News Journal on August 2, 2009  The resignation occurred four months after the Mansfield Highway Patrol incident.