Reason #31 to VOTE NO on ISSUE 3
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Because Ohio has enough image problems already.
Let's start with the depressing songs about Ohio:
Ohio
My City was Gone
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Burn On
How about the depressing sports' teams of Ohio? We love to loathe them, but really - neither the Browns or the Indians have come through for Cleveland and I can't even remember if the Lumberjacks still exist.
And, wherever comedians and playwrights and scriptwriters seem to be able to work in nasty comments about Cleveland, they do. Remember this summer's Fiji water advertisement fiasco? People who live here make fun of Cleveland, people who used to live here make fun of Cleveland, people who have never lived here make fun of Cleveland. Admit it - you know someone who belongs to all those groups, even if you - like me - rave about Cleveland to everyone as a great place to live (and I do in fact do that).
I fail to see how adding thousands of slot machines will improve our state or city's image, a la Believe in Cleveland, no matter how many different opinions Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson may have about what will help it. And I know I'd be a lot less likely to show my family and friends, especially those with kids, certain parts of town if those slots are there. Those areas will become off-limits as a tourist locale.
But don't listen to me. Solicit opinions on Issue 3/Ohio Learn and Earn from the people mentioned in this Believe in Cleveland promo?.How do they see the placement of thousands of slots in Cleveland furthering the Believe in Cleveland mission?
Previous reasons to vote no on Issue 3:
Reason 32
Reason 33
Reason 34
Reason 35
Reason 36
Reason 37
Reason 38
Reason 39
Reason 40
Reason 41
Reason 42
Reason 43
Reason 44
Reason 45
Reason 46
Reason 47
Reason 48
Reason 49
Reason 50
Reason 51
Reason 52
Reason 53
Reason 54
Reason 55
Reason 56
Reason 57
Vote no on Issue 3.
Let's start with the depressing songs about Ohio:
Ohio
My City was Gone
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Burn On
How about the depressing sports' teams of Ohio? We love to loathe them, but really - neither the Browns or the Indians have come through for Cleveland and I can't even remember if the Lumberjacks still exist.
And, wherever comedians and playwrights and scriptwriters seem to be able to work in nasty comments about Cleveland, they do. Remember this summer's Fiji water advertisement fiasco? People who live here make fun of Cleveland, people who used to live here make fun of Cleveland, people who have never lived here make fun of Cleveland. Admit it - you know someone who belongs to all those groups, even if you - like me - rave about Cleveland to everyone as a great place to live (and I do in fact do that).
I fail to see how adding thousands of slot machines will improve our state or city's image, a la Believe in Cleveland, no matter how many different opinions Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson may have about what will help it. And I know I'd be a lot less likely to show my family and friends, especially those with kids, certain parts of town if those slots are there. Those areas will become off-limits as a tourist locale.
But don't listen to me. Solicit opinions on Issue 3/Ohio Learn and Earn from the people mentioned in this Believe in Cleveland promo?.How do they see the placement of thousands of slots in Cleveland furthering the Believe in Cleveland mission?
Previous reasons to vote no on Issue 3:
Reason 32
Reason 33
Reason 34
Reason 35
Reason 36
Reason 37
Reason 38
Reason 39
Reason 40
Reason 41
Reason 42
Reason 43
Reason 44
Reason 45
Reason 46
Reason 47
Reason 48
Reason 49
Reason 50
Reason 51
Reason 52
Reason 53
Reason 54
Reason 55
Reason 56
Reason 57
Vote no on Issue 3.
JBlog Me
9 Comments:
We can be thankful for the Buckeyes!
I knew someone would add that. Not being an OSU grad or a big college football fan (basketball was the sport of choice to cheer at Georgetown), I felt a little disingenuous pointing out the Buckeyes' success. Thanks.
you can't have 'burn on' without 'cuyahoga'
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/rem/cuyahoga_20115256.html
Thanks, Bonobo. I really appreciate your blog, by the way. That Goodman v. Kreider race certainly has my attention. Thanks for blogging about it (and Charlotte is GORGEOUS).
I'm afraid you're reaching here, Mrs. Zimon:
"Ohio" was about Kent State and Richard Nixon -- put it in Indiana and it's the same song.
"My City Was Gone" -- I know Chrissy Hynde is from Ohio, but urban decay is not unique to Cleveland -- does she even mention Ohio in the lyrics?
"Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" --You really should buy some new records.
"Burn On" -- I've never heard this one, but isn't it trumped by "Cleveland Rocks"? (As a lover of the city, I assume you can name the artist who originally recorded that song . . . can you?)
By the way, your "social costs" argument could just as easily be applied to booze and cigarettes (probably more so), but those two vices somehow didn't make the ballot. The difference? People who have money generally don't play the slots, but they do smoke and drink -- you must know this from experience.
The debate over slots is another example of the higher classes trying to have it both ways, i.e., select an issue which really has no bearing on how they live their lives, then grab a halo for trying to protect the great unwashed from themselves.
If there is a compelling economic argument for defeating the slots (as opposed to other nasty habits), fine. But the anti-slot crowd needs to step down from its pedestal -- they don't belong there.
Is there any literature out there about the social costs of farting?
Anon -
Don't be afraid - you are right. I am reaching. But you know, we are talking 57.
Okay - well, yes Chrissie does mention Ohio - places in Ohio.
Cuyahoga County will have a ton of those slots if Issue 3 passes so Burn On, which is by Randy Newman about the river on fire, definitely fits.
Edmund Fitzgerald is tragedy - certainly a metaphor around these parts.
As for "Ohio" - well, yeah, but it did in fact happen in Ohio. I'm not sure I get your point - it didn't happen anywhere, it happened here, with Ohio National Guardsmen. To me, that's significant.
Interesting what you say about booze and alcohol, since the Plain Dealer has a front page story on how Mayor Frank Jackson of Cleveland has endorsed SmokeFree Ohio's Issue 5, which will in fact ban smoking, yet he supports Issue 3. Go figure. So I think your argument isn't as simple or straightforward as you might suggest.
As for me and my experiences, you tell me who you are, and I'll tell you how I know.
Hmm - this thing about the wealthier people and all and halos? I don't see that because the proponents are uniquely wealthy folks and I for one have no anticipation of placing halos on them. But maybe I'm missing your point. How does Issue 3 have no bearing on the lives of wealthier people? A number of Issue 3 proponents have tried to argue that gamblers come from all walks of life. What exactly are you referring to?
I don't know many of the anti-slot crowd. I've been against gambling for as long as I can remember. However, what I do think of as I read this part of your comment is that it typifies the position of people who refuse to support parity for access and financial support of mental health on the level of physical health. That is an enormous no-no in my book. Likewise, to denigrate social costs because they aren't easily quantifiable is an enormous and fatal mistake to a society.
As for the social costs of farting, I would guess that farting is income, creating gas and all, no? There are some kids books about farting, I think one is called Everybody Farts - oh, no that's Everybody Poops. Would that be something you want to read?
Anonymous, let's consider the economic arguments against gambling, of which I will only scratch the surface. How about this: Dollars spent at casinos are whisked out of the economy unlike other purchases that have notable multiplier effects.
If I buy an item from a store shelf, part of the proceeds leave the store to reorder the depleted inventory. The distributor who receives the order to resupply the store has to also order from the producer of the good in order to resupply the distributor. The producer has to place orders with various vendors to obtain the various components needed to produce the good. The dollars trickle all the way back along the supply chain. Therefore, dollars spent in a store have a multiplier effect on the economy, and the wealth is spread around.
Casinos have an initial fixed cost, but beyond that, money is flowing into the coffers of the casino owners who were already rich in the first place. After all, gamblers, for the most part, leave empty-handed, so there is no inventory to replenish. Many people are parted from their money, while the casino owners are flush with cash. Even with lavish personal consumption, the rich casino owners wouldn't be able to float the economy. Which scenario would stimulate the economy more: one person with $50,000,000, or one million people each with $50? The second scenario will bring a bigger boost to the economy. Gambling redistributes money disproportionately from the masses into the hands of a rich few who will try to shelter the money, since they can't spend it all. They may even shift the money out of the country into an off-shore bank account.
How do accumulated dollars sheltered in off-shore accounts help pump the economy? Answer: They don't.
Casinos are notoriously greedy. They don't share the wealth. Consider the casinos in Vegas. They don't put a clock on the wall. They don't want you to keep track of the time. They greedily want to take your time from you because it takes time to get all the money out of you. So, you feel thirsty after all that time gambling? No problem, the casinos have drinks. Hungry? The casinos have food. Sleepy? The casinos have hotel rooms. Want to shop? Try the casino gift shop. Want another form of entertainment? The casinos have night clubs and live shows for your entertainment. Bottom line? Casinos don't want to share their customers with anyone else. One time while in Detroit visiting relatives over a weekend, members of our party ventured into a restaurant located near the Detroit casinos. They asked the restaurateurs how business had changed since the opening of the casino. It hadn't! They expected a windfall that never arrived! There may have been more people coming to Detroit, but the casinos were not sharing their customers with other businesses, so the wealth was not being spread around.
The greed of the casinos is reflected in the provisions of Issue 3. Only a choice few tycoons will get to benefit from owning a casino. They do not want to allow unrestricted competition. They will have a near monopoly. This is contrary to the spirit of free enterprise upon which the American economy has been built. If we are to allow gambling, then we must open the doors wide to everyone who wishes to compete in the gambling industry. Just as mom and pop can open a restaurant, or a convenience store, or a car wash on any street corner, mom and pop ought to be able to open a casino. It'll never happen.
The economic vision sold by gambling magnates is but a mirage.
Oh, and how does the state government decide who has the privilege of opening a casino? That's another tale of cronyism and corruption that I won't get into here.
Everybody Poops is a classic kids book, I've read it to mine a number of times. Can't wait for the film.
We're talking "57"? I don't get it.
Some of your response is salient, and some of it is, well, poop. I guess that is a natural byproduct of blogging -- educated people crapping all over each other (sorry, couldn't resist).
57 - reasons to vote no. It's what I'm counting down. Tomorrow will be #26. Today was #27.
You want to be crass, be crass. Whatever. I don't assert that everyone should believe or like everything I write, or even think it's worthy of me. I'm glad people have such high expectations.
I also don't know why you think blogging is only being done by educated people. I've seen some pretty uneducated but salient poop on the blogs.
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