Voinovich letter reaches Strickland

GOP nominee Kenneth Blackwell's opposition to gambling is well known.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Republican Sen. George Voinovich helped persuade Ted Strickland, the Democratic nominee for governor, to oppose any proposal to introduce slot machines to Ohio through an issue on the November ballot.
Voinovich, who believes gambling holds a powerful addiction and can be destructive to families, has opposed any expansion beyond current law since a casino issue was on the ballot in 1990.
"Senator Voinovich wrote me a long and, I felt, a very heartfelt letter expressing concerns about the possible expansion of gambling in Ohio," Strickland, a U.S. House member from Lisbon, said Friday. "I went over to his office and we just sat and talked about this issue. ... I don't know if I'm coming at this issue exactly as Senator Voinovich is, but I appreciate his concern. I think he largely is correct in his assessment."
Busy with campaign
Strickland said he would speak out against any gambling issue on the ballot but that he's too busy with his own campaign to focus on its opposition.
Voinovich, who worked with opponents to defeat gambling ballot issues in 1990 and 1996, said he was curious about Strickland's stand on gambling. The two talked 90 minutes about the issue, he said.
"He understands what the threat is to people," Voinovich said. "I just wanted to share with him my concerns."
Voinovich did not do likewise with Kenneth Blackwell, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, but said that's because Blackwell's opposition to gambling is well known.
Similar idea
Track owners and others are trying to agree on a ballot issue that would place slot machines at Ohio's seven racetracks and possibly other locations. About 30 percent of the revenue casinos take in would go toward college scholarships under the proposals.
Strickland likened the idea to the birth of the Ohio Lottery, when backers said the proceeds would significantly reduce public schools' reliance on tax dollars. However, lottery profits pay less that 10 percent of the primary-second education bill.
"I'm a little tired of education being used as the carrot," Strickland said.
Last June, Strickland received a $10,000 campaign contribution from James McKinney, finance director for Beulah Park, a racetrack outside Columbus. Strickland said his opposition to slots at racetracks shows he wasn't influenced by the contribution. A message seeking comment was left with McKinney's office.
Roundtable discussion
Voinovich appeared with Attorney General Jim Petro, Auditor Betty Montgomery and David Zanotti, president of the conservative-leaning Ohio Roundtable, at a news conference to oppose any expansion of gambling in Ohio. The state currently has the Ohio Lottery and allows betting at racetracks and charity-sponsored games.
Strickland said Friday he had been invited to join the news conference, but it conflicted with his schedule.
Blackwell was not invited because of his recent disclosure that he owned stock in International Game Technology, a leading slot-machine maker, Zanotti said. Blackwell has since sold the stock, campaign spokesman Carlo LoParo said.
"It was a very small holding in a portfolio that operates much as a blind trust. He instructed his broker to sell it," LoParo said.
Should a gambling proposal qualify for the ballot, Blackwell will actively campaign against it, LoParo said.
"He will lead the charge," LoParo said.