Gov. Taft should approve Indian casino for Valley

Gov. Taft should approve Indian casino for Valley
EDITOR:
I am so disappointed with our governor's reluctance to acknowledge the idea for an Indian casino in the Mahoning Valley. This casino represents more than $50 million each year in revenue for the state alone, not including revenue for the county and city as well.
The Ohio Council of Churches says a casino will only prey on the poor. The members of the Casino for Youngstown Committee don't think so. Our intention is only to help the poor by providing good paying jobs and benefits for them and thousands of others. On the other hand, Ohio's participation in a multi-state lottery will create a lot of excitement. However, it will not provide any new jobs and certainly will not create any additional revenue for Ohio. Lottery players will spend less on Ohio lottery games so they can afford to play the multi-state lottery. This will mean practically no net gain. How can the governor predict an additional $41 million in revenue to Ohio from a multi-state lottery?
The Ohio Council of Churches opposes legalized gambling, but more than half the people in the state of Ohio visit casinos or at least play the lottery.
An Indian casino in the Mahoning Valley will snowball into more than 40,000 new jobs -- the initial number of jobs from the casino and all the spin-off jobs from all the businesses that will come to the Valley because of the casino. How's that for revitalization? Gov. Taft, that's $40 million additional in state payroll tax alone.
Our Indian casino will be a complete entertainment center, with two Olympic-size swimming pools, health spas, a luxurious 500 to 1,000 room hotel, fitness center, professional boxing, professional wrestling, the world's finest singers, dancers, musicians and other entertainers, festivals for every nationality in the world, plus much more. How can we ever let this pass us by?
My friends and neighbors, ask Gov. Taft if he will consider this casino for the Mahoning Valley. He can make it a reality.
JOHN BODNARK
Poland
Property owners can't afford more school taxes; legislature must act
EDITOR:
My name is Anthony (Jake) Jacola, I have lived in Austintown, some 50 years now. I was concerned about the recent, school bond issue, that went down by 17 votes.
With permission, I attended the recount and the provisional count. I saw first hand how the election board operates. This was an education in itself.
I am a 76-year-old, combat veteran of World War II who served with Gen. George S. Patton. I was a "half track sergeant" -- radio man and machine gunner.
I have never missed an election since I came home from the Army. I value the right to vote. I have seen people die for this privilege -- the heroes we left over there, under those crosses.
I understand we have 27,650 registered voters in Austintown, and in this past election fewer than 11,000 people voted. This is sad, very sad.
This time, I did not vote for the bond issue because being retired and on a fixed income, I cannot vote to increase my property taxes anymore. I am paying close to $2,000 a year in taxes to live in my own house -- a small ranch.
It is about time the people in Columbus come up with a new way to fund the schools. They were supposed to have some plan this past June; we have nothing so far.
A few years ago, Michigan put on a sales tax and took the load away from the property owner. And it is working. Columbus, get off the property owners backs.
And now I must give credit to all the people at the Mahoning County Board of Elections who treated me with respect, courtesy, and made me feel welcome. I came away well informed on how the system works. So thank you for treating me so kindly and asking me to come back again.
ANTHONY (JAKE) JACOLA
Austintown