Look Before You Leap

Jumping off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is illegal. That hardly seems fair given that bungee jumping is so much fun and is legal in other settings. Why shouldn’t the state just set up toll booths and charge a tax to thrill seekers who want to bungee jump off giant bridges? Think of all the money the state could make. The answer is pretty obvious.

Casino proponents work hard to mask the economic downsides of casino gambling displacing dollars in the local economy. They don’t want visitors to go off the Boardwalk in Atlantic City and see the failed promises of economic renewal. They don’t want people taking pictures inside casinos and seeing the rows of senior citizens glued to slot machines throwing away their pensions and social security checks. They don’t count customers because they don’t want the world to see how often the same people appear in their casinos’ lots week after week. They don’t want state government to consider the liability in helping turn citizens into gambling addicts. They just want people to jump into gambling and have a good time on the way down.

The people of Ohio have wisely rejected the false promises of casino gambling three times at the polls. The MyOhioNow proposal may actually be the worst of the proposed casino amendments yet presented to the voters. Below you will find the actual language of the amendment. Please read it carefully and thoughtfully before you vote on November 4th.