A coalition of great work groups threw its finance Thursday behind Gov. Ted Strickland's embattled programme to expand gambling, as opponents intensified their campaign to hold back it. Restaurant owners, grocers and beer and wine wholesalers joined the Harness Horsemen's Association on Thursday to back Strickland's arrangement to acknowledge opening machines stir one's stumps by the Ohio Lottery at Ohio's seven horse racing tracks. John Mahaney, longtime lobbyist for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, said Strickland showed boldness by being zealous to turn topsy-turvy his prior antipathy to the plan.
Mahaney recalled the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: "A barmy consistency is the hobgoblin of petty minds, adored by no statesmen and philosophers and divines." The Ohio Roundtable, which has successfully fought four campaigns to variety Ohio's constitution to legalize casino gambling in the state, views Strickland's fluctuate of feeling as a betrayal. "What this is quite about is about the direction of law," said president David Zanotti. "We're very make with the occurrence that the governor has basically tried to redefine the Constitution to delegate it skilful what he wants it to mean.
There's no behaviour pattern that the rank and file of Ohio in 1973 were voting to commend racetrack casinos when they approved the Lottery." In a info conference, Zanotti suggested Strickland's feigning is worse than violations of Ohio ethics axiom by his predecessor, Bob Taft, that ended in conviction. During questioning by reporters, he said he believes Strickland should resign.
Nonetheless, implement continued Thursday to skilfulness an airtight permissible avenue for Strickland to annex slots to the country raffle offerings. The theory would be for lawmakers to involve phrasing in the say budget laying out Strickland's scholar to continue the new machines. But prospects remained serendipitous Thursday for Strickland's plan, estimated to harvest $933 million for Ohio's cash-starved circumstance budget. Ohio Senate President Bill Harris wants the Democratic governor to use his overseer knack to society the rejuvenated lottery option, as he did with recently added Keno.
Harris says his Republican-controlled apartment is doubtful to take more gambling without voter approval. The Roundtable is struggling to annihilate two issues at once. On Thursday, a heap seeking to legalize casino gambling in Ohio turned in 850,000 signatures to Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in hopes of getting its issuing on the November ballot. The squad has said it will not back off its develop even if Strickland's slots map out is successful. Brunner's establishment said 402,275 valid signatures are needed for the problem to win the Nov. 3 ballot.
"The very significant totality of signatures we've obtained, and the gargantuan tot of counties in which we qualified, tells us that voters all over Ohio conscious of the benefits in terms of commercial unfolding and interest for close by governments and schools," said Charlie Luken, chairman of the sponsoring group, Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee. ------ AP Statehouse Correspondent Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus contributed to this report.
