At the City Club of Cleveland, Quicken Loans Chairman and Cavalierss owner Dan Gilbert, who hopes to open two of the casinos himself, went head to head with Mayor Jay Williams of Youngstown, an ardent opponent of the measure, and who is supported by the anti-gaming coalition, TruthPAC.
Conversation was often animated, as in this exchange when the Mayor charged the proposal was crafted for the state constitution; only to 'protect' casino owners in the future.
MAYOR JAY WILLIAMS: "There is no way on earth this creates anything other than a monopoly. That's why it's in the state constitution. You can't have legislative action amend the constitution (Gilbert interjects, argues they could repeal this...)
ends: (Williams) it was difficult to get this amendment... Ohioans have shot it down four times."
Gilbert calls the strict language a `protection' for Ohio taxpayers, while also defending charges the state charged too little for gaming licenses, which have sold in PA and NY for up to eight times Ohio's $50 million fee.
But Gilbert did say that should Issue Three lose, he would not stand in the way of another effort to choose casino operators.
DAN GILBERT: "It's a well thought out proposal that we think is going to pass and make sense. If it doesn't, I'm not going to give up on Cleveland and everything else that we're doing here. I'm in it for the long haul."
Issue three is endorsed by labor groups, the state police union, and several big city newspapers - opposed by Senators Brown and Voinovich, religious groups, and casino operators in Michigan and West Virginia.
Rick Jackson, 90.3.}
