Ohio Policy Group: VLT Plan Violates Law
By Tom LaMarra
Updated: Friday, June 17, 2011 10:14 AM
Posted: Friday, June 17, 2011 10:14 AM
The Ohio Roundtable, a public policy organization, said an agreement between Republican Gov. John Kasich and casino developers that includes a provision for racetrack gaming is a “clear violation” of the Ohio Revised Code and state constitution.
The policy group, which generally opposes all forms of casino gambling, issued a statement June 15 soon after Kasich released details of an agreement with Rock Ohio Caesars, which is building full-scale casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland. The agreement allows for the Ohio Lottery Commission to license the state’s seven racetracks for video lottery terminals.
The Ohio Roundtable sued over a similar plan offered by former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, who in 2009 issued a directive for the Ohio Lottery Commission to install VLTs at racetracks. The suit was dropped after the state Supreme Court ruled the VLT plan was subject to a statewide referendum; there never was a vote.
“Such a practice cannot become legal by edict of the governor or any ‘deal’ struck with casino operators,” Ohio Roundtable said in a statement. “If the governor wants to open racetrack casinos with Vegas-style slot machines, he is required by law to take such a proposal to the voters.
“If the governor wants to assist the casino industry, facilitate racetrack casinos, and promote more gambling in Ohio, he has every right to do so according to the rule of law. Neither this governor, nor any future governor, has the right, however, to take the law into his own hands and overrule the constitution of the people of Ohio.”
Despite the opposition, an official with Ohio Roundtable told Columbus Business First the organization hasn’t decided whether it will sue over the Kasich plan.
The agreement with casino developers became necessary after Kasich indicated the 33.5% tax rate the casinos will pay under a 2009 referendum isn’t adequate. The deal with Rock Ohio Caesars keeps the tax rate at 33.5% but calls for the developer to pay an additional $110 million over 10 years.
The racetrack VLT provision in the agreement sets the state tax rate at 33.5% as well. Under Strickland’s directive, the tax would have been 50%.
Kasich is in negotiations with Penn National Gaming Inc., which is building casinos in Columbus and Toledo, for a similar deal. Racetrack VLTs are part of the mix because both Rock Ohio Caesars and PNGI own racetracks in Ohio.
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There was another nut case group using God and morality as their excuse that also did this in Kentucky, when a judge ruled draft regulation for Instant racing was valid. The Family Foundation of Kentucky.
Now we have Ohio’s version, American Policy Roundtable attempting to do the same on Ohio giving the race tracks slots.
The Roundtable was established with the mission of restoring the historic Judeo-Christian principles to American public policy. The Roundtable seeks to fulfill this mission statement by meeting three core objectives:
1) Rekindling the American Spirit — by telling the story of Liberty everyday.
2) Building networks of leaders, who will help others join in the adventure of responsible citizenship.
3) Overcoming evil in civil society by promoting positive alternatives in public policy.
Christ Almighty get a life already and stop interfering with other people lives.
And does this idiotic group know what’s at stake here? Thousands and thousands of jobs connected to the Horse Racing Industry and Agriculture.
Their principles are to go to work 7 days a week and earn a living to provide for their families, paying their bills, taxes and contribute to the States revenue and economy.
They are too busy working from sun up to sun down to stick their noses into everybody else’s lives.
I am fed up with these crazed evangelical fanatics that obviously have way too much time on their hands. They are screwing with everybody’s lives here. Time to put a stop to it once and for good.
You want to preach about God, go to your churches. There are Casinos and there are Race Tracks and nobody is coming to your houses to kidnap you, put a gun to your heads or anybody else’s to go to any gambling establishments. So what exactly is your problem here.
I’m Christian but Thank God I’m not a fanatical one who wants to pound on people’s doors and proclaim to everyone else what I thinks is or is not right. And tell everybody else how they should live. The majority of these bible thumpers are as hypocritical as they come.
Stay home and pray 24/7 whatever. But how dare you interfere with people’s jobs. Is that Gods way?
No it isn’t it is American Policy Roundtable way and personally I don’t give a damn what you think. Race Trackers or Casino goers don’t tell you how to live or where you should or should not go, so mind your own damn businesses and leave others alone. A court should throw the group and whatever their complaint is out the door.
Because there are people in this Horse Racing Industry who are also Christian and have been praying for this for a very long time. In fact their lives depend on this legislation. This is about their jobs. So the hell with these nut case groups who come out of the woodwork like cockroaches because they don’t have a life enough of their own to occupy them.
Stop using God as a basis to wreak havoc in people’s lives when God is so the opposite from this.
People working are responsible citizens and the only thing I can see that’s EVIL here is American Policy Roundtable trying to stop and prevent people from doing exactly that.
I wonder where this President & CEO of this group David P. Zanotti Italian Grandparents & parents went wrong.
My Dad was a WWII vet as well and my Grandparents were also Italian Immigrants. They were Roman Catholic, they didn’t go in the wrong direction and join up with a Cult.
Their ethic was work and were very active in their Church that worshipped Jesus and did as Jesus had warned. Beware of fanatical false prophets who do damage to people.
Obviously Mr. Zanotti was an oddball who had a very weak mind and was brainwashed into joining Church of the Nazarene. A Pentecostal Evangelical nut case whose church didn’t know what direction to go in.
Throughout its history, there have been several groups that separated from the Church of the Nazarene to form new denominations. Among the new denominations formed by those seceding or being expelled from the Church of the Nazarene are: the People’s Mission Church (1912), which had become part of the Church of the Nazarene in 1911, but subsequently became part of the Pilgrim Holiness Church in 1925; the Pentecost Pilgrim Church (1917), which merged with the International Holiness Union to form the Pilgrim Holiness Church in 1922; the Bible Missionary Church (1955), which subsequently split to create the Wesleyan Holiness Association of Churches (1959), and the Nazarene Baptist Church (1960) (later Nazarene Bible Church in 1967); the Holiness Church of the Nazarene (1961) in the Philippines; the Church of the Bible Covenant (1967); the Crusaders Churches of the United States of America (1972); and the Fellowship of Charismatic Nazarenes (1977).
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Lord have mercy no wonder your confused. My Grandparents had went to the same church until they died and their churches faith didn’t split apart into a hundred different directions. Seems you have enough on your plate trying to figure out who you really are and what you do actually believe in.
Until you find out, leave Horse Racing out of your agenda.
Evil is when you do your best destroying people’s jobs and their lives whom have done you no harm. For the good of all.
See a doctor, Please.
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