of course he is?

Well, that will sure influence my vote !

Mr Smith right people going to delware and other place to gamble.We need that money right here in Maryland.We need better schools,jobs and other things

"Opponents argue that the law, if passed, would not result in additional spending on education."

It is what the law says. Not one EXTRA dime is going to school funding, only the source will change unless they change this law like they did the entire slot law AFTER the voters had their say.

The funding is no guarantee. The "tens of thousands of jobs" is no guarantee. The ONLY guarantee is that the casino fat cats get tax breaks.

It's a bad deal all the way around for the citizens of Maryland.

If Jim Smith told me the sky was blue, I would check out the window.

As long as MD casinos must abide by the ridiculous state rules regarding comps they won't be as good as out of state casinos. As long as they must pay some of the highest taxes of any other state, they will payout the lowest rate they can on the machines. This low payout will continue to drive business out of state, regardless of whether we get table games or not.

If you believe the ad, Maryland currently takes in $180 million per year from the existing casinos but will take in $200 million more if Question 7 passes. In other words, income for the state from casinos will more than double.

That just doesn't sound right. If you believe that, I will be glad to give you a good price on a bridge over the East River from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

Also, we have no idea what effect an additional casino in P.G. County will have on the other casinos. The one in Perryville has asked to turn slot machines back to the state because it says it has lost business to Maryland Live in Anne Arundel County. The casino in Perryville was supposed to capture the business going to Delaware.

Question 7 is simply a bad deal for Maryland. I will be voting NO.

Of course the table gaming in MD is bad for residents. More specifically - for West VA residents. They won't enjoy "our" revenue any longer. So make no mistake - vote no on Q7 !

All this talk about casino's bringing in more money for schools is rediculios. First of all very little of the money goes to education. It's the same thing they said about the lottery when it started, and our schools are no better off. The big thing here is that why should we have to depend on gambling to support our school system. Isn't that the governments job?

A simple question for all, why is Penn National, owner of the Charlestown, West Virginia casino, spending millions of dollars fighting expanded gambling in Maryland? Oh, they think gambling is bad for Marylanders so we can go to West Virginia to help them. Vote Yes on Question 7.

Penn National also owns the casino in Perryville, as well as the one in Charleatown. And its casino in Charlestown does not want competition in the form of table games. But to get table games, we have to vote for a casino in National Harbor and for a lower take by the state. And look at how much is being spent on the pro Question 7 ads by MGM Entertainment. You know they will make a bundle from Question 7.

If the legislature wants let us vote on table games without National Harbor and without lowering the state's take from gambling, it can let us do so. But meanwhile, vote NO on Question 7..

I'd rather have them built casinos and whatsnot instead of paying more state income taxes.

@Lois Bowers - looks like you should address your frustration towards Teachers Unions. They ask for more and more money from the government (well, taxpayers, cause the govt gets the money from them), and the results are the same if not worse.

Is there anyone else who thinks that Jim Smith is a poor choice for the pro-gambling folks? I don't think he is really that popular or influential and may represent more of a negative where many people are concerned.
Gambling is a scourge that preys on those who can least afford it. It is a sad day when our elected representatives sell this to us at the expense of more pain and suffering for those who lack the judgement to know that gambling is a losing proposition and dead end.

"Hello All. My name is Steve and this is my first meeting of Multiple Account Users Annonymous. I am quite nervous so bear with me. Using multiple identities unfolded upon me like a waking dream during Easter of 1993. My brother who I shan't ever speak with again and I went to Aunt Winnies for the annual easter egg hunt. Being slight of form and quite infirm for my age my robust and hardy brother quickly took the lion's share of the eggs. Boasting rapaciously he would not shut up about his tally in the least. I sulked. I fumed. Then I planned. Later that night I glided my slight form under his bed unbeknownst to him. As soon as I heard him snooze I made the most vile and wicked of all noises utilizing every monster movies I had ever watched. Soon to my delight he squealed in sheer terror and ran from the room. With the door barely hitting the jamb I raced to his closet and ripped open each and every golden plastic egg and hid its contents. When mom and dad arrived like sentinels in the fog I told them it was the monster under the bed that had swiped the candy. Then I came here. I tried, oh in vain how I tried to outsmart, outtech, outwit, outsize, outargue every fool on this blog. I could not do it. I resorted to my past. I created the names of Frank and FIFA and attacked everyone that outsmarted me. That is my confession." Next week is step 2. Penance. I will create a model cop car for Buzz Bueller and place it in his mailbox before Halloween. Caio Kittens

For all my fans!!!!!!
All the other account name nics with the pumped up blogs
You better post, better post, outpost all my names
All the other posts with the trumped up stats
You better blog, better blog, faster than I can type

No pouting.

The fact that our State needs something as damaging as gambling to even begin to make a few ends meet is very telling of the quality of previous leadership. Our State has devolved to this very low point with perceived leaders like Jim Smith at the helm...such dummies..