Gambling news from http://www.columbusdispatch.com/
Hoping to puncture the strongest argument for legalized slot machines in Ohio, anti-gambling politicians are leaning on the state Board of Regents to oppose a ballot measure that would fund scholarships with gambling proceeds.
Sen. George V. Voinovich and Gov. Bob Taft are asking the regents to look into the Learn and Earn campaign’s assertion that its November ballot measure would generate $853 million a year for college scholarships.
Voinovich and Taft are attempting to undercut the gambling measure’s central appeal: that it would make college affordable for thousands of high-school graduates who otherwise could not attend.
The regents, who would be responsible for administering the scholarship program, have remained silent on Learn and Earn. It qualified for the Nov. 7 ballot this week, and supporters may spend as much as $20 million promoting it.
The measure would allow 31,500 slot machines at seven horse-racing tracks and two downtown Cleveland casinos. Supporters say it would net $2.8 billion a year, of which $853 million would be earmarked for scholarships.
Voinovich couldn’t be reached for comment yesterday, but sources close to him and the regents confirmed that he has talked to them about opposing Learn and Earn.
Taft has asked the regents to study Learn and Earn and speak out against it if the study shows that the proposal is flawed, said Mark Rickel, a spokesman for the governor.
David P. Zanotti, leader of the Vote No Casinos campaign, said yesterday that he was perplexed by the regents’ silence.
"We’re trying to talk to the Board of Regents and ask them (to take a stand) but so far they’ve been very quiet," Zanotti said. "I’d love to hear what they have to say."
Board of Regents Chairman Edmund J. Adams said that although he has discussed Learn and Earn with Voinovich, he doesn’t think the Republican senator is pressuring the board to take a stand.
He said the issue is not on the agenda for today’s monthly regents meeting. The issue could come up in discussions during the meeting, however, he said.
Adams said he’s asked the regents staff to look at the issue and "give us their thoughts" in the coming weeks. The board meets again Oct. 19.
Learn and Earn has attempted to downplay the regents’ role in administering the scholarship program, saying it would put money in the hands of needy college students without interference from politicians. At the same time, Learn and Earn credits the regents with devising the concept in 2003 of providing a fund for scholarships to be directly awarded to high-school graduates. The 2003 concept died after the Ohio Senate voted down a plan to fund the scholarships, according to the Learn and Earn campaign.
Senate President Bill Harris said yesterday that he opposes subsidizing college educations with gambling proceeds. However, he acknowledged that lawmakers can’t come close to funding a scholarship program on the magnitude of Learn and Earn.
"We don’t have a source of revenue that’s going to generate the hundreds of millions of dollars that Learn and Earn would generate," Harris said. "But by the same token, those are dollars that I think we should keep and not put into slot machines."
Ian James, a Learn and Earn spokesman, said his campaign isn’t soliciting regents’ support because the board would have a relatively limited role in running the scholarship program. While the board sets the requirements for eligibility, the money is constitutionally locked into scholarships and not other uses, James said.
Politicians like Taft and Voinovich, Taft’s predecessor as governor, have failed to come up with methods to bridge the gap in affordability for college students, he said.
"The opponents don’t have any solutions," James said. "They only have complaints."
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