Money is the root of all politics

Reaction to Youngs-town’s not being included in a casino-related constitutional amendment Ohioans will vote on in May was predictable: The Mahoning Valley has been cheated — again.

In fact, that age-old reaction to this region’s missing out on major initiatives received an outsider’s endorsement when Reporter Dennis Willard of the Akron Beacon Journal wrote a column last Sunday headlined, “Casino bid in Rust Belt shot down.” Williard once was The Vindicator’s Columbus correspondence.

Here’s what the column said, in part, about the resolution passed by the Democratic controlled House and Republican controlled Senate to relocate a casino planned for Columbus:

“At the House session, state Rep. Bob Hagan, D-Youngstown, moved to amend the resolution to ask voters to place a casino in his hometown.

“Hagan is one of the more colorful and funny lawmakers in Columbus, but he was deadly serious Wednesday.”

Willard wrote that Hagan delivered a history of the Valley’s economic trials and tribulations since the collapse of the steel industry more than 30 years ago and talked about area residents marveling at Columbus’ exploding growth and development.

“So how did a majority of Hagan’s colleagues respond?” he asked in his piece. “They rudely tabled his amendment, which means they set is aside.”

“Forever.”

Senate snub

In the Senate, Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-Canfield, also failed to get support for the amendment to add Youngstown to the ballot issue.

The measure pertaining to the relocation of the Columbus casino ultimately passed and will be on the statewide ballot in May. If approved by the voters, it will result in the casino being moved from a site in the arena district to an abandoned General Motors plant on the west side.

Last November, voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting casinos at specific sites in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo. Since then, Columbus officials have said they prefer another site. That is why a second vote by Ohioans is necessary.

So, what happened to Youngstown, other than the obvious, which is that the predominantly Democratic Mahoning Valley was unable to win the support of the Democratic controlled House of Representatives?

Saying we were cheated — again — is easy, convenient and short-sighted.

How about this for an explanation: Youngstown’s bid for a casino lacked the one thing that would have made it credible — money.

Had Hagan, Schiavoni or any other member of the Valley legislative delegation been able to show proof that a developer had committed to an initial investment of $250 million for the facility, as required by the November constitutional amendment, no legislator, Democrat or Republican, would have had the political gumption to say no.

The four-casino plan approved by the voters last November is backed by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Penn National Gaming, Inc., a casino operating company based in Pennsylvania.

In addition to $50 million licensing fee for each casino to be paid to the state of Ohio, there is a fixed tax of 33 percent of gross casino revenue that each operator must pay.

In the high-stakes game of politics, money talks. Not having a project on the drawing board is significant when you’re going up against cities that have financial and political muscle.

Helping hand

It’s one thing for the Mahoning Valley to argue that the slow pace of economic recovery makes it incumbent upon the state and federal governments to provide more than a helping hand.

It’s quite another for the region to argue credibly that depriving Youngstown of a casino would deprive the area and the state of a $50 million licensing fee and an investment of more than $200 million when the project is only in the minds of the residents.

Indeed, Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras, who gushed over Beacon Journal reporter Willard’s column, has an obligation to give his Democratic officeholders the weapons to do battle in Columbus.

A $200 million commitment from a developer for a casino in Youngstown would have been a powerful weapon for Hagan, Schiavoni and others.