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Maryland: Slots Referendum

Wed, 11/05/2008 - 13:14

Voters give nod to slots, Franchot pledges to continue fight

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

Ballot Question 2, the controversial slots referendum, passed by huge margins on Tuesday.
 
The controversial measure passed 59 to 41 percent, according to The Baltimore Sun. 
 
But Comptroller Peter Franchot (D-Takoma Park), who was a staunch opponent to Question 2, said he will continue the fight against "lobbyists and the tax loopholes that only benefit the special interests."

There have been 37 comments posted in response to this story.
Mon, 11/03/2008 - 12:40

WTOP: Steele, Cardin against slots

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Baltimore) and former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R-Prince George's County) both told WTOP-FM over the weekend that they were against November's slots referendum.

Cardin described it as a personal decision, acknowledging he will be voting "No" on Ballot Question 2, according to WTOP-FM.
 

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There have been 33 comments posted in response to this story.
Fri, 10/31/2008 - 19:28

Question 2 battle gets personal

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

Pro-slots group For Maryland For Our Future is attacking Comptroller Peter Franchot's (D-Takoma Park) position on slots in a new web ad, criticizing his past support for legalized slot machines.

"Question 2, this year's slots proposal, provides $660 million dollars to fund education," a narrator says in the ad. "In contrast, the Franchot slots bill gave less money to education than Question 2."

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There have been 41 comments posted in response to this story.
Wed, 10/29/2008 - 17:53

MACo: Vote 'yes' on Question 2

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

The board members of the Maryland Association of Counties are urging voters to vote "Yes" on November's slots referendum.

"Taxpayers need to know that without the new revenue from slots, the only other options will be severe service reductions or additional taxes," Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith (D), MACo's president, said in a statement. "Slots aren't the silver bullet to the state structural deficit, but they are an important element in the solution." 

There have been 30 comments posted in response to this story.
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 14:46

Franchot criticizes state Party in a letter to Cryor

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

State Comptroller Peter Franchot (D-Takoma Park) says he's concerned about the national gambling industry's sponsorship of the state Democratic Party's One Week to Victory 2008 Gala fundraiser held Monday at the Baltimore Hilton Hotel.
 
In a letter to Party Chair Michael Cryor, Franchot said he was pleased to attend the event, but was concerned about how indebted the Party leadership was to the national gambling industry.
 

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There have been 29 comments posted in response to this story.
Tue, 10/28/2008 - 09:57

O'Malley: No slots would likely mean more cuts

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

BALTIMORE -- If November's slots referendum doesn't pass, the remaining option is more cuts, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Baltimore).
 
"I don't think there is any political will for going back to revenues, because we've already looked at that," O'Malley told PolitickerMD.com at the state Democratic Party's One Week to Victory 2008 Gala on Monday.
 

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There have been 7 comments posted in response to this story.
Mon, 10/27/2008 - 11:49

Pro-slots group continues fundraising momentum

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

The pro-slots movement continued gaining money momentum last week after its leading advocacy organization outraised its rival anti-slots ballot issue committee by a substantial margin.

Voters will decide in November if the state constitution should be amended to allow up to 15,000 slot machine installations at five different locations across the state.

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There have been 36 comments posted in response to this story.
Thu, 10/23/2008 - 14:13

Faith-based groups bash 'evil' and 'destructive' slots

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

Suicide, divorce and addiction will result from passing November's slots referendum, not a balanced budget, according to Comptroller Peter Franchot (D-Takoma Park).

"$627 million in social costs; 100,000 potential new gambling addicts; 16,000 potential new divorces; 11,000 potential new suicide attempts - these are costs Maryland families can't afford and should not be burdened with, but that's what they'll get with slots," Franchot said in a statement.

There have been 33 comments posted in response to this story.
Wed, 10/22/2008 - 14:48

Maryland Catholic Conference opposes slots

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

The Maryland Catholic Conference, which seeks to advance mutual public-policy and pastoral interests, is encouraging Marylanders to vote "No," on November's controversial slots referendum.

"The Maryland Catholic Conference has opposed legislation establishing slot-machine gambling in Maryland each time it has been introduced and consistent with that position, opposes the slots referendum," said the Conference in a statement.

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There have been 35 comments posted in response to this story.
Wed, 10/22/2008 - 13:59

State Fraternal Order of Police endorses slots

By Danny Reiter, PolitickerMD.com Reporter

The Maryland State Fraternal Order of Police threw its support behind November's controversial slots referendum on Tuesday.

"We need to pass the slots referendum - to invest in Maryland's schools and prevent local cuts that would harm public safety," Rodney Bartlett, the organization's president, said in a statement.

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There have been 31 comments posted in response to this story.