Turner Opposes Casino Gambling

Statement

Turner Opposes Casino Gambling

Over the last 20 years, I have consistently opposed efforts to bring casino gambling to Ohio. I will also oppose current efforts to bring a casino into the Third District. I oppose casinos, not only because they are inconsistent with our community values, but also because I believe they are harmful to communities and to real economic development.

Since 1990, I have actively opposed casino gambling every time it has come on the ballot in Ohio. In 2003, when developers attempted to place a casino in Waynesville, I supported the community leader's successful effort to stop it. The people of Ohio have repeatedly made their decision on casinos and they have rejected them. I also worked to defeat efforts to send taxpayer dollars to rebuild casinos in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina.

Recently, developers have proposed building a casino near the community of Wilmington. Under the terms of the proposed constitutional amendment that provides for the casino, the people of the State of Ohio will decide at the ballot whether or not they want Clinton County to have a casino.

A report published by the General Accounting Office, a nonpartisan government agency that monitors policy and spending, studied the effects of casino gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The report found that casinos bring many problems. For example, many of the jobs provided by the casino are low-paying service jobs. Additionally, bankruptcy rates and gambling addiction rates both saw increases over the national average.

The report also found a substantial increase in the amount of crimes reported in the years immediately following the inclusion of casinos to the region. The state as a whole showed a crime rate nearly half of what Atlantic City showed. Arrests for drug use were nearly five times higher for Atlantic City than they were for the rest of the state. Domestic violence arrest rates also soon exceeded the national average. Casino employees were also arrested for crimes such as money laundering during the duration of the study.

Pastor Kelly McInerney of the Bible Baptist Church in Wilmington helped form the "Our Clinton County Coalition" in opposition to the proposed casino. Pastor McInerney objects to the casino for many reasons, stating "87 other counties shouldn't dictate that we have a casino here in Clinton County. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. We are not a needy area."

Recent successes, like CareSource in Dayton and the Wilmington DHL facility in Clinton County, demonstrate that our area is attractive to investors. We must continue to foster the spirit of innovation and ingenuity that has been a part of our community for over one hundred years. The region can grow without the negative influences casino gambling will introduce.

Although this is not a federal issue to be decided by the United States Congress, this is an important issue to our region. I commend Pastor McInerney and the people of Clinton County for all their hard work and look forward to working with them to build an even stronger economy that is consistent with the community's values.

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