Slots for Tots?
April 30, 2008
Another longtime slots supporter—the Maryland Chamber of Commerce—came out Tuesday to push a yes vote in November’s referendum vote. The chamber, which has backed slots since 2002, argues that slot machines are going to help draw new money for education. That’s the same argument employed by the Maryland Association of Counties and the Maryland State Teachers Association. An MSTA representative joined chamber officials at Tuesday’s news conference.
But right below the surface is a more expansive budget issue.
Slots, if approved, would mostly solve a painful budget bailout that has been in high gear since Gov. Martin O’Malley took office last year. As last year’s special session showed, the business community takes quite a hit when the state has to close big budget gaps. The state raised more than an annual $1 billion in new taxes during that session. Slots would bring in close to that amount by 2013, according to state projections.
“They can cut, which they’re unlikely to do, they can raise taxes on top of [what they’ve done in the past year], or some combination,” said Chamber President and CEO Kathy Snyder.
She said none of these options looks good. And she believes some of those cuts will have to come from education—which the chamber supports as a workforce development tool.
The chamber has an argument that slots will support education spending, because dedicated money from slots will support public schools, but Snyder said she also believes voters will be influenced by the idea that they might have to pay more taxes. After all, it’s not just businesses that pay new taxes. Sales tax affects everybody, for example.
Opponents would argue that the state can solve long-term budget problems with more careful spending.
So what do you think? Should we have slots in Maryland? If so, what’s the best argument for them—money for education, fewer tax increases or something else? If not, what’s the best argument against slots?
ANDY ROSEN, Business Writer
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