Pondering Pastor

Citizens in Maryland are in for “electioneering” from now until the November elections, and it isn’t related to the Presidential race.  Slots are on the ballot and the rhetoric will become quite tiresome.

The Baltimore Sun reports on May 6, 2008 that Governor O’Malley continues to push hard for slots in the state.  Excerpts from that article:

The New Slots Polls

Posted by Pr. Lee Hudson, director, Lutheran Office on Public Policy/MD

Why are opponents annoyed, but not discouraged by the Post and Sun surveys that seem to show strong support for slots among Marylanders? Mostly because the poll results didn’t tell us anything new.

Two Governors have spent five years using “crisis,” “slots,” and “free money” in the same sentences. It’s hardly surprising that people have trouble with the facts. It’s also a testament to the power campaign cash has to shape public discourse.

Opponents are annoyed that their corresponding lack of money means proponents get free press that also is fact- and debate free. The most annoying thing about the polls isn’t that the results were inconvenient. It’s that confusion is a preferred policy because it works.

Had the polls asked whether Marylanders support slots if they aren’t an alternative to revenues (which is the case) the results would have been different. There is no ground swell for slots except when the State executive skillfully proposes them as revenue.

When the polls actually ask, as the recent ones did, whether support for slots means willingness to accept them into the local community, the answer remains “no.” That question has been the impediment to slots so far. There’s support for slots until the locations are named. Support then turns to controversy. The current Governor has maneuvered around this issue by leaving the site question for another time and another process.

What the polls showed is that Marylanders prefer slots to taxes. We didn’t need a poll to tell us that. That slots aren’t a substitute for taxes hasn’t been brought up. The poll results show that Marylanders like slots more than a sales tax increase. But the one certainty is that there will be a sales tax increase of some kind no matter what else is or isn’t done. That’s because the sales tax will actually raise new revenue, and the largest amount of it. Slots won’t raise any.

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A letter from the Lutheran Office of Public Policy in Maryland

ELCA advocacy in Maryland encourages our churches to become involved in active, public opposition to the proposal to introduce state-sponsored gambling as a public revenue policy. The coalition opposed to this proposal, STOPSLOTS, has designated Saturday, October 20th for a series of state-wide rallies against slots.

There will be four sites around the State for regional opposition. This is important because every part of the state will get slots parlors if the gambling proposal succeeds. Below are location sites and contact information for the rallies.

Please pass this information along to your networks and contact the coordinators for details.

Thank you for your partnership in ELCA advocacy in Maryland

Lee Hudson
LOPP/MD
1) Prince George’s County: Minor Carter will act as coordinator for this event. The location will be the First Baptist Church of Glenarden. I have been told that the capacity there is 4,000 people.

2) Eastern Shore: Melanie Pursel from the Ocean City Maryland Chamber of Commerce will be coordinating. The location is still TBA.

3) Western Maryland: Bill Valentine will be coordinating the effort in the west. He is arranging a location.

4) Baltimore City: I will be handling this event myself. There is a possibility that we may move this event to noon to allow speakers to move from the PG event up to Baltimore. Location is TBA.