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Youngstown
Vindicator...
Kasich: Slots
decision will take time
Fri, February 25, 2011
By David Skolnick
VIENNA
Gov. John Kasich said he’s in no rush to legalize slot machines at the
state’s horse racetracks.
Kasich, a Republican, said Thursday that the state wants to hire a
“gambling expert” to review gaming in Ohio, including casinos being
built in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo and the possibility
of slot machines at the state’s seven racetracks.
Penn National Gaming Inc. wants to relocate a harness track from Toledo
to Austintown. The company says it would invest $200 million in the
facility if slots are legalized at tracks.
“We’re not the people who are qualified to deal with people who are in
the gaming business,” Kasich said. “I want someone who is a brilliant
analyst of the gaming business to get hired to come in and help the
people of the state of Ohio.”
Kasich said he supports businesses making money, but “I’m also in favor
of taxpayers getting a fair shake.”
“Gaming is fine,” Kasich said, but added “the economy in the Mahoning
Valley is not going to be built on the back of gaming.”
As for a time frame for a decision on legalizing slots, Kasich said,
“Haste makes waste. I want to make sure we do everything we’re doing
and make sure it’s being done right.”
He told a Vindicator reporter that he won’t “set a time limit” because
he would then be held to that schedule.
State Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Canfield, D-33rd, said it is “shocking”
that Kasich isn’t embracing slots at racetracks as it would stimulate
the state’s economy.
State legislators from the Mahoning Valley are working with Republican
leaders in the General Assembly to get a bill in place to legalize
slots at racetracks.
Kasich spoke to about 500 people Thursday at a hangar at the
Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna. The event was sponsored
by the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
About 700 protesters lined state Route 193 near the airport to protest
a Republican-sponsored bill, which Kasich supports, to end or limit
collective bargaining for public employees.
Kasich said he understands that they’re “hopping mad,” but he supports
the bill because it provides significant financial benefit to the state
and taxpayers.
Chanting “kill the bill,” and “the idiot’s got to go,” meaning Kasich,
the protesters stood on either side of the narrow, two-lane road to
show their anger at the bill, Senate Bill 5.
“This is a direct assault on organized labor and working families,”
said Deborah Bindas, representative for the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees Ohio Council 8.
“I have to thank the governor. He touched the nerve of organized labor
and united us stronger. He’s awoken a sleeping giant.”
Other unions with members who are primarily in the private sector
joined the protest.
“If the bill passes, [Republicans] will come after the private sector,”
said Ted Karapetsas, human resources development director and assistant
to the chairman of the International Union of Electronic, Electrical,
Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers—Communications Workers of
America Local 717.
“Injustice to one is an injustice to all,” added Karen Krolopp, Local
717 president.
“We’re standing and fighting for public workers across America,” said
Gary Steinbeck, subdistrict director of the United Steelworkers of
America District 1. “We’re not going to let someone destroy years of
collective bargaining.”
There were about two dozen supporters of Kasich and the Republicans
pushing the bill.
One of them, Donovan O’Neil, president of the Mahoning County Young
Republicans, said the size of the union crowd was “impressive.
Obviously there are a lot of people concerned about what’s going on.
But we need an honest discussion on what brought us to this point.”
Some of those inside the hangar could hear the protesters outside
during Kasich’s speech.
Kasich said the collective-bargaining proposal is just “one piece of an
overall agenda” to reduce the state’s expenses. When his budget is
unveiled March 15, Kasich said people will see a “restructuring” of
Ohio.
State Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry of Austintown, D-59th, said when Kasich
comes to the Youngstown area, he praises the region.
“Everywhere else he makes Youngstown seem like an undeveloped Third
World country,” Gerberry said.
The chamber event was supposed to take place at Leo’s Ristorante in
Howland.
But because of anticipated protesters, the location was moved at
Kasich’s request.
Several people still had to get past the protesters to get to the
luncheon. Others parked in the airport’s main lot and were bused to the
hangar.
Gerberry said he arrived to the airport hangar about 11:30 a.m. and had
to wait for about 30 minutes — for Kasich’s plane to land — to get
inside.
“Are we here for the pope or the governor?” said Gerberry, who added
that he thought it was ridiculous to change the location and for the
increased security for Kasich’s visit.
Read it at the Vindicator
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