O'Malley talks about importance of slots referendum

Gov. Martin O'Malley said today that if a referendum on slot machine gambling fails in November, "it'll be back to the drawing board with a lot of unpopular choices, and I don't think any of us wants to go there."

O'Malley said during an interview on WCBC-AM in Cumberland that the money Maryland would eventually get from slot machines would make up about 25 percent of what's needed to balance the state's budget in coming years.

The rest of the money to handle Maryland's projected deficit comes from about $1.4 billion in tax increases approved last November during a special session and more than $1 billion in budget cuts since O'Malley took office about 16 months ago.

"I think we did a lot of heavy lifting," O'Malley said. "Our hope was to address it in a forthright and honest way right up front, and hopefully the people will do their part and approve the slots referendum."

About half of the more than $500 million a year the state is estimated to gain from slots would go toward paying for education. As he's said before, O'Malley noted that Maryland residents already travel to Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania -- where slots are legal.

"It's not a question of whether people are going to gamble or not," O'Malley said. "It's a question of where they go to do it, and I think people would rather see those dollars be invested in Maryland schools."

The referendum already has picked up endorsements in recent months, including ones from the AFL-CIO, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, the Maryland State Teacher's Association and the Maryland Association of Counties.

Opponents, however, argue that slots won't bring in as much money as has been projected and that expanded gambling will harm communities and the state's economy.

Aaron Meisner, chairman of Stop Slots Maryland, said estimates for how much the state stands to gain "are dangerously optimistic," and he said proponents of slots are neglecting to address social costs associated with gambling.

"The numbers the governor is touting are completely out of line with what anybody who is familiar with the gambling industry agrees is reasonable," Meisner said.

If voters approve, up to 15,000 machines would be allowed at five slots parlors, including one location each in Anne Arundel, Cecil and Worcester counties, one in Baltimore City and one on state property at the Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort near Cumberland.

In addition to slots, O'Malley was asked about what's being done to enable released prisoners to leave Western Maryland, where some residents have complained about a high concentration of former inmates remaining in communities near several large prisons. O'Malley said he would elaborate on measures to address the matter when he visits Hagerstown on Thursday.

"We'll have more to say on that on May 8, but it was a problem and we are putting things in place and, I think, to a large degree have addressed it," O'Malley said.

The governor also talked about his low approval ratings. In March, a poll by Gonzales Research & Marketing Strategies found that 37 percent of voters approve of the job the governor is doing.

O'Malley said he doesn't pay a lot of attention to polls while trying to govern, because it's crucial to make decisions -- even if they are difficult -- without worrying about political popularity. He said he's optimistic people will understand he's doing what he believes is best for Maryland.

"I'm taking the chance ... that people are smart and that they do figure out why the person in elective position is doing what he or she believes is in our best long-term interest as a community," O'Malley said.

O'Malley noted that he pays much more attention to polls during election time.

"That's a different discipline and, yes, polls become intensely important and you watch them," O'Malley said. "But governing is a different responsibility than campaigning ... and I think, you know, you've got to keep them separate -- at least I do."

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