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Casino petition drive to begin this Friday (tomorrow)


I would call him Crazy Casino Petition Man, but that would be very unlike me – at least unlike me on this blog (as opposed to in the privacy of my home, such as it is). And also not very nice.

So I’ll just say that Dr. Brad Pressman and I have exchanged some e-mails (at his initiation) and it’s been very interesting.

I still support the at least 57 reasons to vote no (against) casinos and have every expectation that I will not be supporting Dr. Pressman’s initiative. You can brush up on those reasons here. However, we’ll see how my time resources are and how much steam this initiative gathers before I decide to examine it as closely as I did Issue 3/Ohio Learn and Earn.

With respect for every Ohioan’s right to make choices for themselves, me included, that I post this press release:

CASINO PETITION DRIVE BEGINS FRIDAY

(Beachwood, Ohio) 1-3-08

The initiative petition drive for the one casino in Ohio will begin statewide on Friday, January 4, 2008. Ohioans will be circulating the petition throughout the state, looking to eventually collect more than the minimum number of signatures (402,225) needed to place the issue on the ballot on November 4, 2008. Signatures must also be collected in a minimum of 44 of the 88 counties in Ohio. The group sponsoring the initiative, MyOhioNow.com plans on collecting signatures from more than 70 counties and collecting far in excess of the minimum number of registered voters needed.
The language of the initiative seeks to create a $600,000,000 casino/resort destination complex that is centrally located in Ohio. The language for the initiative was certified by the Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann on December 20th as “a fair and truthful statement of the measure to be proposed” and was certified on December 21st, by the Ohio Ballot Board, under the leadership of Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, as one issue.
The initiative can be found at the website of MyOhioNow.com.
“This is an exciting time for both MyOhioNow.com and Ohio. We will have a great team of individuals collecting signatures statewide beginning on Friday. This is also an economic opportunity for Ohio residents statewide who want to join our group to collect signatures for the petition. Ohio residents can call our offices to apply to become part of our team and be paid for their effort. We will be collecting signatures until August. We will have offices statewide to help in this effort,” said Rick Lertzman of MyOhioNow.com
“We are confident that this is a plan that will finally make sense for Ohio and will resonate with Ohio voters. We are looking forward to visiting every area of our state to collect signatures for the petition and educating Ohioans about this issue. We need to bring voter awareness in a transparent and open way to demonstrate how this project will positively impact every area in our state. With 1296 regional casinos throughout the United States (not including Nevada or New Jersey), the facts are overwhelmingly in support of how successful this industry has been throughout 37 other states. From being an economic engine that will create nearly 5000 new jobs and approximately $200,000,000 in new state tax revenues, along with being good neighbors and creating the most amazing entertainment complex in the Midwest, we may be the last state to get casino gambling, but we plan on building the best. I envision a beautiful mansion that reflects our Midwestern sensibilities” remarked Dr. Brad Pressman of MyOhioNow.com
Under the initiative, Ohioans would have the opportunity to vote to legalize a $600,000,000 casino/resort destination site that is located off I-71 (at State Route 73) that is centrally located between the Columbus/Cincinnati/Dayton areas in Clinton County.
The MyOhioNow.com plan a guarantees a $600,000,000 destination casino/resort that would employ nearly 5000 Ohioans and generate approximately $200,000,000 in tax revenues that would be divided among the 88 Ohio counties on a per capita basis..

The full text of the initiative and more information about the project is available at www.MyOhioNow.com

For any person interested in joining the MyOhioNow.com petition drive or signing a petition, that office number is 1-800-285-1276.

For More Information on this news release please contact:
Rick Lertzman
Dr. Brad Pressman
MyOhioNow.com
One Chagrin Highlands, 2000 Auburn Drive, Suite 200
Beachwood, Ohio 44122
216.378.7678
info@MyOhioNow.com

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:17 am January 3rd, 2008 in Announcements, Campaigning, Economy, Ohio, Politics 

Comments

5 Responses to “Casino petition drive to begin this Friday (tomorrow)”

  1. 1 Ben on January 3rd, 2008 4:22 pm

    I would assume this will end up like the other potential Ohio casinos….not happening

  2. 2 tom on January 4th, 2008 11:21 am

    You forgot to mention myohionow gives 30% in taxes to 88 counties by per capita, Cuyahoga County get $15 million ayear, lake $7 million and Franklin County $12 million, to use for anything they want! ( schools, seniors, Medicaid, lower property taxes, highways) Morally, its not near schools or churches its in the middle of nowhere. As of Nov 07 in the Columbus Dispatch, the state has a budget shortfall of $118 million, of that $50. Million is Medicaid, we lost 11,500 jobs last year in the state, tax revenues are down. That’s when casinos make sense. They passes in other states when there was a budget shortfall, because no one wants to raise taxes. My Friend works for a Bridge engineering firm in Cleveland (), the state, O-dot just canceled $30 million in work. Which included the new inter belt work in Cleveland, there goes more jobs. Strickland just canceled dental for Medicaid hospital patience’s, and 3% increase in Medicaid payments, how long can he just keep cutting services.
    tom

  3. 3 cecilia wilson on January 6th, 2008 1:59 pm

    it is way pass due,ohio needs a casino yeasterday.when my family i go to other states to go to casinos,we look in the parking lot wow,lots of ohioans given there money to other states.we need it for our kids here in ohio.so lets vote for casinos

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on January 11th, 2008 11:42 pm

    Ben – I am near certain that you are right (that is, correct). ;)

  5. 5 Jill Miller Zimon on January 11th, 2008 11:43 pm

    Cecilia – we need the casinos for our kids? Is there an education hook in this one? Wouldn’t matter to me – I don’t think any benefit of casinos outweighs the negative impacts and I would never say that I’d do it for my kids. Whoa.

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