alina75
12
2012/02/20 10:58
#290568
Manne wrote:
After months of strategic silence on casino gambling, Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker wants to bring a high-end gaming facility to National Harbor.
The Baker administration released plans this week for a billion-dollar resort facility, to include slots and table games, that it thinks could generate $50 million per year in direct revenues to the county, and would not be linked to funding for a proposed new regional hospital in the county.
The mixed-use, waterfront development near Oxon Hill is the ideal location for a casino in the county because it would draw visitors from Virginia and Washington, D.C., as well as guests of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in the development itself, administration officials said.
“National Harbor already is a high-end, destination facility,” said Brad Frome, Baker's deputy chief of staff. “It's got multiple entertainment venues, it's got a convention center that draws visitors from all over the country, probably the world.”
The administration projects the casino would create 5,000 permanent jobs and 1,300 construction jobs.
The Baker administration's plan would require several changes to enabling legislation currently before the General Assembly. State Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Dist. 23) of Bowie introduced a bill this month calling for voters to approve a slots casino in Prince George's and allow table games at casinos throughout the state.
The bill should be amended to collect a 5.5 percent local share from table games, similar to the 5.5 percent collected from slot machines, according to the administration. Peters could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The bill also should make sure there is no tie between the construction of a new hospital and gaming in the county, according to the administration.
Baker hadn't taken a firm position on bringing slots to the county until now. He objected to a ban proposed by County Council members last year, encouraging lawmakers to keep all options on the table until specific proposals had been considered.
An agreement reached last year among the county, state and University of Maryland Medical System to overhaul the struggling Prince George's Hospital System calls for the construction of a new regional medical center, expected to cost about $600 million. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach has suggested slots revenue could be used to fund a new facility.
“We don't want to have the concept to take root that the source for the state's share for the hospital is contingent upon there being gaming in Prince George's,” Frome said.
Under such an adjusted tax structure, Prince George's County could collect about $29 million per year in gaming tax revenue, $5.8 million in property taxes, $1.5 million in income taxes, $2.6 million in hotel taxes and $10.7 million in admissions and amusement taxes, according to the administration.
Of the $29 million, 20 percent would go to county nonprofits, 40 percent to address foreclosure issues in the county and 40 percent to economic development investments.
The administration's proposal has gained support from National Harbor's developer, The Petersen Cos., as well as from Gaylord Entertainment, which runs the nearby hotel and convention center.
Operation of the new casino would be put out to bid, as with other slots facilities in the state, according to the administration
But the plan might not convince those opposed to gaming in the county.
“It's a farce,” said County Councilwoman Mary Lehman (D-Dist. 1) of Laurel, who co-sponsored an unsuccessfully bill to ban slots last year. “This is not the way you build an economy; it's not the way you grow the county's future.”
Council Vice-Chair Eric Olson (D-Dist. 3) of College Park, who led the charge on last year's ban efforts, said the proposal has done nothing to change his personal objections. “I don't think that slots make for good economic development,” he said.
The council as a whole has not taken a position on the proposal, Olson said.
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2012/02/03
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A small, bipartisan group of lawmakers this week introduced legislation, which if passed by a supermajority of legislators would go to voters as a November ballot referendum. The bill would allow up to five casinos to be established at existing racetracks, as well as two additional casinos that would not be located within 60 miles of current tracks. “Opponents of expanded gaming should not deny their fellow citizens the right to vote on this issue,” Beshear, a Democrat, said in his weekly video address. “Kentuckians deserve the chance to have their votes counted in this decision.”
State Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, said he’s already heard from several constituents. Of the 57 calls he received this week regarding the legislation, 53 callers were opposed to either gambling or to putting the matter up to a vote. The other four constituents said they wanted the opportunity to vote.
DeCesare said he hasn’t had an opportunity to review the legislation because it’s currently waiting to be heard in committee, which is expected to happen next week.
DeCesare said he is generally against expanded gaming, but also said there might be a time when the only way to put the issue to rest is by letting voters have their say.
“We’ll see what happens in the Senate,” DeCesare said. “My gut is that even if it gets out of the Senate, it will have a real tough time in the House.”
Three-fifths of House members and three-fifths of Senate members must vote in favor of the bill before the constitutional amendment question can go before the voters.
“We propose to give Kentucky voters the opportunity to allow similar types of expanded gaming in our commonwealth and keep that money inside our borders,” Beshear said.
State Sen. Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green, said he remains firm in his stance against casino gaming. Asked whether seven casinos is too many, Wilson said, “One is too many.”
Beshear said casino gaming would allow “Kentucky entertainment dollars” to remain in Kentucky. He said potential tax revenues are being spent on gaming in surrounding states.
“This money funds their schools, their libraries, their police departments and other improvements,” Beshear said.
Beshear said Kentucky runs the risk of taking steps backward in areas such as education, public protection and job creation if casino gaming fails to be approved.
“The proposed state budget is bleak, thanks to a sagging national economy and slow-to-recover state revenues,” Beshear said. “And until our state generates more revenue, we will always fall behind.”
Wilson said, based on conversations he’s had with lawmakers, that some had been considering voting in favor of the measure, but now seem to be changing their minds. Because of the restrictions on where the casinos can be located, Wilson said some legislators feel the measure would put their home communities out of possibility getting a casino, so they’re not in favor of the bill.