COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 18 - The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) today announced its endorsement of State Issue 3, specifically citing the 34,000 new Ohio jobs the four Ohio casinos would produce, the opportunities that will be available to minority-owned businesses, and the hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue that will go to Ohio's counties, largest cities and school districts.
"After studying the proposed constitutional amendment and meeting with representatives of the prospective casino developers, we reached the conclusion that this proposal offers Ohio benefits it badly needs in this very difficult economic environment - jobs, new tax revenues for local communities and schools, and $1 billion in guaranteed private investment that will help revitalize our major cities," said State Rep. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland), president of the OLBC.
"We also recognize that minorities and minority businesses will have new opportunities as they will have the ability to participate in the construction and operation of the casinos and the workforce they will need once the casinos open their doors," Rep. Williams said.
"We are convinced that Issue 3 truly is the right plan at the right time for Ohio," Rep. Williams said. "Casinos in Ohio will keep $1 billion in our state that currently is leaving the state when our citizens travel to other states to visit casinos. That's Ohio money, and we need to keep it in Ohio."
The OLBC endorsement came as more and more organizations and individuals are coming out in favor of State Issue 3.
Earlier this week, the NAACP chapters in Columbus and Cleveland joined the Cincinnati NAACP chapter in announcing their support. Also announcing support this week was the Ohio Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, representing 5,000 Hispanic-owned businesses throughout the state.
Issue 3 has also been endorsed by (partial list):
-- Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson;
-- Cleveland City Council
-- Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory
-- Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner
-- Cuyahoga County Commissioners Peter Lawson Jones and Tim Hagan;
-- The Hamilton, Butler and Clermont County Commissioners
-- Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce
-- The Greater Cleveland Partnership;
-- Positively Cleveland!;
-- The Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association;
-- The Toledo Police Patrolmen's Association
-- The Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association;
-- The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio;
-- Ohio AFL-CIO;
-- United Auto Workers (UAW) of Ohio
-- Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council;
-- The Cleveland and Toledo convention and visitors' bureaus
-- The Firefighters' local unions in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and
Toledo
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.
CONTACT: Bob Tenenbaum, +1-614-573-1377, +1-614-313-2315 (cell),
btenenbaum@themilenthalgroup.com
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