On Ohio State Issue 3 (2006)
Oct 12th, 2006 by Brian A. Thomas
On the ballet this November is Issue 3. This issue will provide credit for Ohio educated kids to attend the Ohio colleges and universities. It isn’t fully clear exactly what Ohio colleges and universities will be able to use these credits. For example, would one be able to use it at the school I went to? (Not that one should go there, but that is another thing entirely.) It is also unclear how much time a student can take off and still use the credits. Where will the money come from? Slot machines. Issue 3 opponents make it sound like there will be casino’s opening up. This isn’t true. The slot machines will mostly be at racing tracks, where people are already gambling on the horses. It doesn’t open casino style gambling anywhere in Ohio.
I should point out that I would have no problem with casinos being legal in Ohio. That the state allows gambling in the form of a lottery and horse racing, but not casino style places is hypocritical. Casinos make big money for a state and generate tons of jobs, both are things Ohio needs. Yes, people may become addicted to gambling, but odds are, most of these people gamble already, mostly via the lottery. You have better odds at a casino than a lottery, yet somehow by keeping gambling illegal outside the lottery, we are “protecting them from themselves,” while they spend more and make back less on the lottery than they would at a casino. Oh the hypocrisy. It’s kind of like the hypocrisy of letting people smoke tobacco and drink alcohol, but not use marijuana even though it is safer than either, isn’t addictive like those and has proven medical benefits, not to mention the benefits of its closely related kin hemp, but again I digress.
While I would normally support most casino gambling initiatives, I have to vote No on Issue 3. No matter what Issue 3 opponents tell you, this isn’t casino gambling, this is simply adding slots to horse racing tracks to help save the race tracks. My bigger problem is that there are just too many vague issues left unanswered by the Issue, most of which would be answered by an unelected board that has little to no accountability. If they were to be elected officials and held accountable to Ohio voters and legislators, then we may have something.
Since they (the Board of Regents) are not elected and not accountable to Ohio voters, Vote No on Issue 3.
Another rather big issue is that kids who are home schooled, go to private schools, use distance learning or nearly anything outside of the mainstream public schools will not earn credits. Plus it forces a core curriculum on public schools that is chosen by the unelected, unaccountable Board of Regents.
EDIT: It would seem the Board of Regents, while not elected are appointed by the governor for a term of 9 years without compensation.
Since home schooled, private schooled and other kids outside the mainstream public education don’t qualify, Vote No on Issue 3.
This isn’t about casinos at the main opponents to Issue 3 would have you believe. This is about people who are not elected or accountable to the voters of Ohio controlling so much. This is about denying people who elect not to send their kids to public school the same opportunities afforded by said public school kids.
I work in education and would like some No signs to place locally. Where can I get them. I live in NW OH [rest snipped for privacy concerns]
I am not sure where to get signs. I haven’t seen any No signs oddly enough… I suggest The Facts on Ohio Issue 3 website. Follow the link to the Arguments Against Issue 3 and at the bottom of that page is a contact link that will take you another page that gives you a chance to contact them.
Odd there aren’t more signs out there for a No on Issue 3… It seems the No people don’t have it together as well as they should since this is such an important issue to stop.
Judith - you can e-mail me if you would like signs. I know where to get them, and I can direct you to a pickup location. They’ve passed out about 10,000 signs statewide, and just got a new shipment of another 3,000 yesterday.
e-mail me at: kleinfamily04@gmail.com
Or, visit http://www.ohiolearnandearn.org and request signs there.
Brian - Again, the Vote No group has their priorities in order, but it takes money. The group funding Vote No operates on about $1mil a year. $1mil isn’t nearly enough to run a state-wide campaign. If people want to donate, that can change. The most frustrating thing for them is hearing people say “where are you guys?” and then not offering to help financially. Commercials, signs and literature don’t pay for themselves. If you’d like to help with the effort financially, you can donate at http://www.ohiolearnandearn.org. Thanks!
Judith and Rebecca - I understand your priorities, but I have a different view on Issue 3. I own and run a small horse turnout operation. The majority of the horses arriving at my farm are racehorses. They come here for time off the track and to be left alone and relax for a month or two or three. I have a love for these great athletes but their popularity is degrading fast, and Ohio is close to extinct when you talk about horseracing. I realize the addition of the slots is not the environment we want our children to be raised-in, but the big picture must be taken into consideration. I’m not a gambler, but I have no problem with anybody who wants to gamble. They will gamble here or out of state. Forget about the cover-up part of the issue, which is education scholarships, horses affect our state backbone. The impact of the racing industry doesn’t just affect the state’s seven tracks. It supports turnout farms, grain farmers, feed mills, breeding farms, veterinarians, blacksmiths, tack shops, truck dealers, restaurants and gas stations to name a few.