THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 30, 1995 TAG: 9501260020
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By NANCY TODD
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
Results in the 1994 general election might well be described as a voters' revolt. Americans evidently saw the midterm election as a chance to voice opinion of the current administration. Their consensus was loud, clear and conservative, with the Republican Party adding 52 new House members, eight new senators and 11 governors. The GOP victory was so decisive that the results seemed as much the product of voting against the Democratic Party as voting for the Republican.
In this anti-administration election, voters were also making decisions on more than 200 propositions on a statewide level, ranging from crime legislation to euthanasia. Citizens in 11 states had the choice to vote on gaming issues and struck down all but four. The conservative shift the nation has taken, and the results of the gaming referenda, should send a clear signal to the gaming industry concerning its future effort to expand gaming opportunities in individual states.
The gaming referenda that passed were relatively conservative propositions. Missouri continued to support its new riverboat gaming by voting for slot machines. New Mexico opted for a new state lottery and video-machine gaming. South Dakota also voted for video machines, and all but 10 South Carolina counties wanted to continue cash payouts for their video poker.
With the exception of Missouri, these states elected Republican governors; South Carolina's win came with the help of the Christian Coalition, and New Mexico's Republican candidate beat the incumbent Democrat.
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Florida, Michigan and the Navajo Reservation voted down casino gambling. The Florida loss was almost 2-to-1, and the Michigan loss notably closer. Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Michigan elected Republican governors; Florida elected a Democratic governor but re-elected a Republican senator and picked up two Republicans in its House delegation.
Minnesota voted against off-track betting; Wyoming went against a measure that would have allowed gambling in the counties that approved it; and Colorado said no to the sanctioning of limited gambling. Minnesota and Wyoming elected Republican governors and Colorado kept its incumbent Democrat, Roy Romer, who ran on a platform of returning to the American Dream and family stability.
In another conservative note, Wyoming had the only proposition concerning abortion in the nation. Voters decided against a proposal by the Unseen Hands Prayer Circle that would have banned abortion except in the case of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
It would be unwise to ignore the effect these Republican advances will have on the gaming industry, in these states as well as others. Although Democrats are slightly more likely to vote for gaming than Republicans, it is not only the numbers that are troubling. Those voters known as the religious right have become very powerful in the Republican Party. It has been estimated that members constitute one-fourth to one-third of the Republican vote. The religious right, led primarily by the Christian Coalition, has become very sophisticated in its political efforts. Its constituents have launched an extremely effective grass-roots campaign to advance their pro-family agenda. It would be hard to overestimate their potential power in this pro-Republican climate. They are extremely well-organized, very well-funded and they work year-round to defeat those candidates and propositions they define as anti-family. They can be counted upon to oppose gaming, and they must be taken seriously.
The results on propositions concerning crime and taxation also indicated interesting trends in statewide voting. With the exception of Wisconsin, whose voters rejected handgun bans, all crime-related propositions were passed. Ten states approved measures such as stiffer sentencing for repeat offenders, appeal limitations in death-penalty cases and the guarantee of victims' rights.
Voters in many states, however, were not at all interested in raising money through further taxation, with only Arizona agreeing to an increase in its cigarette tax.
Proponents of gaming must take heed to the obvious but important things Americans are saying at the state level. People are terribly worried about crime and community safety, and when choosing to expand gaming in any state, the crime issue must be dealt with immediately. Opponents of gaming have always had a very easy job in their effort because they need only suggest that gaming attracts and nurtures criminals; they do not need facts, and tend not to use them in their campaigns.
If the faintest perception linking gaming to crime is established, anti-gaming proponents are halfway there. Propositions passed by votes in this election indicate that gaming proponents will continue to be faced with this issue; they must take the time to educate people with the facts. The revenue and jobs generated by state lotteries, video gaming and casinos can be powerfully attractive; and they are more so to voters who do not want to produce state revenue by paying more taxes.
It does seem, however, that Americans are not in the mood right now to buy very much. They are dissatisfied with national and state administrations, and it is more important now than ever to look at each state individually and to make a careful assessment of its political climate. The change in some states has been so great that they would make questionable candidates for new gaming proposals.
If the proponents will take the time to alleviate some of the fear that surrounds gaming and have the foresight to steer away from the political landmines produced by this election, they probably still will find more than a few states that are willing to take the chance on prosperity. MEMO: Ms. Todd is a political consultant and president of The Todd Company
Inc. of Baton Rouge, La., which specializes in the gaming industry, with
special emphasis on promoting integrity and responsibility among all
parties involved.
by CNB