TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Local officials, labor union members, casino developers and other supporters of State Issue 3 gathered today for the first of four rallies scheduled for this week in support of the proposal on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot.
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Andy Douglas served as emcee for the rally at the IBEW Local Union 8 hall. "I'm a supporter of Issue 3," Douglas said. "We need to support this issue to jumpstart our economy and get out of this recession."
Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner called building four casinos "too good of an opportunity for Ohioans to turn down. We need to grasp the opportunity to create 34,000 new jobs and spur future development in our cities." A developing entertainment-oriented waterfront in Toledo would be aided by the presence of a first-class casino, he said.
Matt Cullen, president and chief operating officer of Rock Ventures, which would develop the Cleveland and Cincinnati casinos, said 2,100 construction jobs would be created in northwest Ohio. Local residents would fill a minimum of 90 percent of the jobs in each city, he said.
Former Ohio and United States Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow also lent her support to Issue 3. "I knew that Ohio was losing a lot of money to out-of-state casinos over the years. When I read the amendment, it's got all the right things in it. It's good for Ohio," Withrow said.
Appearing together were Lucas County Republican Party Chairman John Stainbrook and Lucas County Democratic Party Chairman Ron Rothenbuhler, emphasizing the bi-partisan nature of Issue 3. "Let's not let this slip away. Let's vote for jobs for Toledo," Rothenbuhler said.
Eric Schippers, senior vice president for public affairs for Penn National Gaming, which would develop the Toledo and Columbus casinos, said, "We've got eight days to go. It's been a hard-fought campaign. We are committed to Toledo to build this casino," Schippers said.
Similar rallies are planned in Cleveland on Tuesday, Columbus on Wednesday and Cincinnati on Thursday.
Issue 3 - the Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan -is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that authorizes one first-class casino in each of the state's four largest cities (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo). The plan will generate $11 billion in economic impact during construction and the first five years of casino operations. It will create 34,000 new jobs for Ohioans, and will provide an estimated $651 million in tax revenues each year, with the vast majority of the money designated for all of the state's counties, its major cities and every public school district in the state. Annual tax revenues are projected to increase to $772 million by 2017.
Primary backers of the proposal are:
-- Penn National Gaming, Inc., a prominent operator of gaming facilities
and horse racing tracks, including Raceway Park in Toledo; and
-- Dan Gilbert, through his Rock Ventures partnership. Gilbert is majority
owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and operator of Quicken Loans Arena
in downtown Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic Courts, the Lake Erie Monsters,
Veritix and Fathead, as well as Chairman and Founder of Quicken Loans,
which operates a 350-person Internet web center in downtown Cleveland.
Gilbert, who began investing in Ohio in 2005, employs more than 2,500
people throughout the state.
Pd. for by Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, Bill Curlis, Treasurer, 865 Macon Alley, Columbus OH 43206
Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan
