Getting gambling right

Getting gambling right

Cincinnati Enquirer: A big campaign theme last fall for Republican candidates around the country, including now-Ohio Gov. John Kasich, was that businesses needed “certainty” on taxes and regulations to thrive and grow jobs — a certainty Democrats weren’t providing, they argued.

So it’s tempting to join those criticizing Kasich for creating uncertainty on a key economic issue — rules and taxes under which the four casinos Ohio voters authorized in 2009, including one at Cincinnati’s Broadway Commons, will operate.

But let’s hold on a minute.

Is this really a case of Kasich’s “indecision,” as reports have said, or is it a new governor determined to apply due diligence to a major new venture that will affect Ohio’s bottom line for decades to come?

“We want to do this right. ... This is the last time that the taxpayers of this state are going to have leverage,” Kasich said. He’d use that leverage to explore whether casino operators would be “willing to give us a little more” to help Ohio’s schools and communities.

That doesn’t sound unreasonable — as long as it doesn’t gum up the deal and turn the casinos into low-budget slot parlors.

If it’s going to ensure that Ohio taxpayers get the best long-term buck for the bang, then fine.

But if it’s because Kasich really can’t make up his mind or simply doesn’t like what the people voted for, then he needs to get over it.

Either way, the governor should push to bring certainty to the casino issue. Get them built, operating and benefiting Ohio as soon as possible.