Question A - Slots at Arundel Mills

One of hottest items on our local ballot this year is Question A. Basically, this is a referendum that, if voted in, will give Anne Arundel County the zoning rights to allow slot machines.

You can hardly drive ten yards anywhere in the county without seeing an advertisement for or against Question A. So, what does it all mean? Let’s break it down…

First off, there’s no denying that it will bring tons of revenue to the area. The ball park estimate is around $400 million per year. In a perfect scenario, much of this money will be used to fund the police and fire departments, schools, etc. And in an even more perfect world, it will keep our taxes down. So far, so good….

Another benefit is that a slots parlor at Arundel Mills will create thousands of new jobs. With today’s ailing job market, any guarantee of employment has to be looked at favorably.

Of course, there are those who oppose slots in Anne Arundel County. They have many reasons. Let’s examine a few.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that “the kids” are thrown into the argument. This is a politician’s version of “the race card”. Opponents say that a slots venue at the mall will be destructive to children. This is a weak argument in my opinion; First off, the slots parlor will be an entirely different building that will set across from the mall. Secondly, you have to be at least 21 years of age to even enter the slots parlor. And, by the way, has anyone ever been to Arundel Mills Mall at night? I think the slots machines should be the least of your worries if your kids are over there!

Other opponents say that the slot machines should be installed at nearby Laurel Racetrack instead. There’s just one problem with this. Laurel can’t get slots! The owners failed to participate in the bidding process so they can’t even be considered. Sorry, Charley……

Personally, I think we should have gotten slots several years ago. When Bob Erhlich ran for Governor, slots were a major focus of his campaign. Once he became Governor, his plan was stopped in it’s tracks by partisan Democrats who didn’t want to see a Republican Governor riding the money train that slots would inevitably provide. Amazingly, many of these same Democrats suddenly had a different vision when their boy, Martin O’Malley, became Governor. Even O’Malley himself thought that gambling was detrimental to families when Erhlich was pushing for slots. But once he decided to run for Governor, O’Malley suddenly thought that the idea of slots should be “examined”. He is a true politician…..

Speaking strictly from a gambling standpoint, I couldn’t care less about slot machines. Other than an occasional game of Keno, I’m not much of a gambler. Call me cheap, but I’m just not willing to risk losing my cash. (However, I did lose quite a bit in the stock market over the years. A story for another day….)

So, where do we go from here? Should we vote against Question A and continue to let neighboring states collect all of the gambling revenue? I went to a casino in Charlestown, West Virginia a couple of years ago and I can tell you, there were countless cars with Maryland tags. Whether here or there, people are going to gamble. So, why shouldn’t Maryland get some of the cake? (Speaking of cake, I hear there will be some nice restaurants at the casino).

With all of this being said, I plan on voting FOR Question A this Tuesday.

Whoever or whatever you chose to vote for is your business. But please, go out and vote. It’s the American thing to do!
KW