There is no time to waste if we want to ensure that the Referendum on Slots does not pass. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ARE VERY STRONGLY AGAINST PASSAGE OF THE REFERENDUM
The proposed legislation is an especially sly and slippery means to bring slots casinos to Maryland for all time. The bill denies any possibility for local governments to have any control whatsoever over whether there will be slots casinos in Maryland. And, if slots are adopted by this legislation, where the slots casinos might be placed are also fully controlled by the legislation.
Thus, the five slots locations could be placed in Anne Arundel County, Cecil County, Worcester County, Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort in Allegany County or, alternatively, in Baltimore City. The citizens of these communities will have no say in this; the citizens and local governments will be cut out of the planning. In past years, legislation provided that the local governments had a voice in the process of whether there should be slots casinos in their jurisdiction and where they should be placed. This bill is so tightly drawn that it is both frightening and very alarming. This is a dangerous path to follow.
The bill has no requirement to educate the citizens of Maryland about what this bill will create and its long-term consequences. It makes no attempt to explain to the citizens the consequences of adopting slots by referendum: that if the referendum passed, it would, for all practical purposes, be impossible to ever eliminate the five slots casinos.
Yet it is essential that the citizens of Maryland understand the consequences if Maryland established five slots casinos around our state without considering the citizens’ concerns. That consequence arises because Maryland only permits referendas via Maryland’s constitutional process. Using Maryland’s Constitution to adopt legalized gambling in Maryland through a vote of uninformed voters is indeed disingenuous.
It remains the position of the League of Women Voters that it is the state’s responsibility to pay for the public education of its citizens, and that the use of gambling proceeds to accomplish this is inappropriate. It is impossible to emphasize too strongly that we want to urge the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee members and the House Ways and Means Committee members to vote NO to this very dangerous proposal.
To learn more about these measures and the League’s positions go to: http://www.lwvmd.org/Member/category/items/legislative-action/advocacy/t...
To find out who your legislator is and contact info go to http://mdelect.net/electedofficials/
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