MAHONING VALLEY Some state lawmakers want to take a chance on gambling

By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Some state legislators from the region say two statewide gambling initiatives are a royal flush for state programs, particularly education.
Others say they're more like a worthless pair of deuces in a high-stakes poker game. They point to the state lottery as a perfect example of the false financial promises that come with legalized gambling.
The two proposals the Legislature could consider as early as April call for placing video slot machines at the state's seven horse racing tracks and having the state join a multistate, multimillion-dollar lottery game such as Powerball or the Big Game.
Money estimates: Gov. Bob Taft, who supports the multistate lottery, says it could raise $70 million every two years for Ohio school districts. The video slots would add $233 million over the next two years, officials estimate.
State Rep. Kenneth A. Carano of Austintown, D-65th, said many Ohioans who leave the state to gamble would be happy to spend their money closer to home.
"We're looking for a way to bring in more revenue, and I don't believe that type of gambling really affects people who cannot afford it," Carano said. "We're talking about putting them at race tracks. The people are there because they're gambling to begin with."
State Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, said that as long as the state maintains control, he would have no problem with the concept.
"It gives Ohio a chance to compete for money gamblers are spending in other states," he said.
State Rep. Daniel J. Sferra of Warren, D-66th, said if a person does not want to gamble or play a multistate lottery game, he doesn't have to. "It's all a matter of choice like cigarettes, liquor or anything else," he said.
Other legislators are skeptical.
Promises not kept: They say the state was sold on a lottery years ago with the promise that the proceeds would take care of education needs. Some lottery money goes to education, but other state funding was cut, leaving public education no better off than before.
"I find it hard to accept the state's increasing the exposure to vices as a way to fund education," said state Rep. Timothy J. Grendell of Chesterland, R-68th. "What message does it send? The ends shouldn't justify the means."
State Rep. Charles Blasdel of East Liverpool, R-3rd, said he is "lukewarm" on the two gambling proposals.
"They're tying all this to education, and we shouldn't be pinning our educational funding system on something so inconsistent as gambling," he said.
State Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-57th, has no opinion yet on video slots, but he's against a multistate lottery, saying, "It hasn't worked before."
Wait and see: State Sen. Timothy Ryan of Warren, D-32nd, and state Rep. Anthony A. Latell Jr. of Girard, D-67th, say they will wait until after hearing both sides of the issue before making a decision, but both want assurances that the money would be used to help educational programs.
The Rev. Jay Alford, pastor of Highway Tabernacle Church in Austintown, who has been involved locally in defeating other legalized gambling proposals, said he would organize renewed opposition.