Expanded Gambling Supporters & Opponents Work To Sway Voters
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Players in the campaign to pass or fail expanded gambling in Maryland are stepping up their game.
Political reporter Pat Warren has the latest in what's become the most expensive campaign in state history.
Raising the stakes. Stop Slots Prince George's paints a picture of doom.
"We are embedding social disease on the ground," said Gerron Levi.
Vote Yes supporters fear financial disaster.
"West Virginia will just continue to eat our lunch," Steve Kearney said.
The polls are close and as Election Day gets closer, voters will decide whether to add table games and an additional casino.
"It's going to cost us much more than any dime we'd ever get out of it," said Levi.
Levi of Stop Slots Prince George's says she found 38 jobs posted on a casino website.
"There's honor in all work, OK? There's honor in all work but 17 of the 38 jobs are part-time. These are not livable wage jobs that can sustain a family," Levi said.
Governor Martin O'Malley says if voters fail to approve table games and an additional casino in November, he doesn't expect to take it up again for the remainder of his term in office. Supporters say that would be a big loss for the state.
"One way we will create thousands of jobs--you can't build a casino without creating thousands of jobs. It just does not happen. And the other way, we won't bring in extra dollars for anything, including education in our state," said Kearney.
It all depends on the majority of voters' perspectives, and we'll find that out next month.
A new Baltimore Sun poll shows more than half of voters polled would vote no on expanded gambling.
