Valley pastors, political leaders take collective stand against state Issue 3

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — Pastors from the Mahoning Valley and the chairmen of the Mahoning County Democratic and Republican parties are calling on voters not to support an issue on Tuesday’s ballot to amend the state constitution to legalize casino gambling in four cities.

The issue “is a bad deal for the Valley and for the good people of this great state,” said Senior Pastor Jonathan Moore of Highway Tabernacle Church in Austintown. He spoke at a press conference called Thursday at the Youngstown Club to voice opposition to Issue 3.

If approved, the proposal would change the Ohio Constitution to permit only four Las Vegas-style gambling casinos to be built — one each in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.

“We feel strongly that state Issue 3 is of such magnitude and potentially so damaging to our area that it requires nothing less than a joint effort that reaches across party, cultural and religious lines for the welfare of our Valley and the future of the state of Ohio,” Moore said.

Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras, who opposes this gambling initiative, said he’s “begging residents” not to vote for this issue.

“This is our political moment to take a stand,” he said.

Betras objects to the Valley’s being excluded from having a casino and that the four cities that would get a casino would receive considerably more money than this area in gambling-tax revenue.

Mahoning Republican Chairman Clarence Smith said, “The Lord has told us today to stand here to say no to this” issue. He later said, “God has sent these people to tell you this is bad.”

Smith said nearby casinos are having financial struggles, and legalizing gambling in Ohio won’t help the state’s economy.

The county Republican and Democratic parties have voted to oppose the state issue.

Supporters of the gambling initiative say the casinos would provide $27 million in tax revenue a year, when the casinos are fully operating. Opponents say those numbers are inflated.

Contacted by The Vindicator on Thursday, Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the Ohio Jobs & Growth Plan, the organization supporting the casino issue, said, “We think it’s a great deal for the state of Ohio, and despite no casino in the Valley, it’s a great deal for the Valley.”

The casinos would create 34,000 jobs, he said.

Bishop C.M. Jenkins of the Grace Evangelistic Temple in Youngstown said he understands that people are in desperate need of jobs, but this is the wrong approach.

A number of pastors at Thursday’s event said they oppose gambling for moral reasons.

But Moore added that the state is getting shortchanged by the owners of the would-be casinos, who will pay $50 million one-time licensing fees to Ohio.

Moore declined to comment when repeatedly asked if he would support the gambling initiative if the licensing fees were increased to $250 million or $500 million.

But Jenkins was clear.

“It’s still a bad idea,” he said.

skolnick@vindy.com