Ohio AFL-CIO endorses plan for casinos in the state’s largest cities

COLUMBUS — The chairman of the Ohio Jobs & Growth Plan said today the Ohio AFL-CIO’s endorsement of the plan to authorize four casinos in Ohio “is strong confirmation of our belief that this proposed constitutional amendment can help Ohio’s working men and women navigate these treacherous economic times.”

“We appreciate the AFL-CIO’s recognition that our proposal will generate a minimum of $1 billion in private investment in the state, and create 20,000 new jobs for Ohioans that cannot be outsourced,” said Charlie Luken, former congressman and former mayor of Cincinnati, who heads the committee’s efforts.

The Ohio AFL-CIO, which represents 700,000 workers in 40 national unions, announced Tuesday that it has endorsed the proposal.

The Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that authorizes first-class casinos in the state’s four largest cities — Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo.

The plan calls for a minimum of $1 billion in new private investment. It would create 20,000 new jobs for Ohioans, and would provide an estimated $651 million in tax revenues each year for all of the state’s counties, its major cities and every public school district in the state, with projected annual tax revenues rising to $772 million by 2017.