Poll shows drop in support for slots

O'Malley's approval rebounds

By LIAM FARRELL, Staff Writer

Capital Gazette Communications

Published 09/09/08

Support for slot machines among Maryland voters still outweighs opposition, but a poll released today shows the gap is shrinking.

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Forty-nine percent of registered, likely voters in the latest survey from Gonzales Research and Market Strategies said they are in favor of the proposal to bring 15,000 slot machines to the state, including to Anne Arundel County; 43 percent are against it.

They will get a chance to vote on the issue in a referendum on November's ballot.

In January, 54 percent were for it and 38 percent were against, with 8 percent undecided in both surveys.

Those numbers essentially show the...

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slots vote - 2008-09-10 16:05:25

Lets not forget that the ballot vote is just plain awful. We don't need to change our state constitution to say we will legalize slot machines only in very specific places...places owned by relatives and friends of Maryland's good ol' boys. Bad bad bad, but business as usual for the Annapolis bafoons.

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Brian N. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Good

Good! - 2008-09-10 14:57:04

There's just no doubt that O'Malley is holding the state ransom for the slots. His timing in taking a $1.6B surplus into a $1.7B "structural" and then real deficit coincided with an economic downturn that exacerbated the problem. At this point he and pro-slot flunkies want to tell us that there's no choice. Well, there is. Start with the pork that he added during his campaign, and work from there. Somewhere along the line Busch and O'Malley's moral high ground slipped away.

Finally, did Fred Puddester really say that adding slots will finally end Maryland's deficits once and for all? Doesn't he realize that in a democrat state that's a challenge that can't go unchallenged?

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John Myers - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

slots/taxes - 2008-09-10 14:25:04

It seems to me that O'Malley is using the slots as a scare tactic...vote for the slots or I will raise your taxes again. O'Malley has not done this state any good since entering office. Everything has went downhill. Why doesn't he and the members of congress take a paycut, reduce their spending? They do not even pay into social security but will collect more than most of see in a lifetime. Let them try to live on $1,000. or less per month. I work very hard for my money and I am tired of giving it to people that do not even get off their butts to try to help themselves. Martin O'Malley= MOM, supporting every "un ablebody" on everybody else's money. I do understand that there are people that need help, but these people that make a career of abusing the system need to be stopped. But why should they get a job when everything is handed to them. Most people have to take a urine test to get a job, so why shouldn't they have to get a urine test to be able to collect welfare? These people are afforded more benefits than the working class people. Gov Erhlich wanted slots but was opposed by the democrats because they like to vote against the republicans. Now O'Malley wants to take credit for it. Enough of the taking from the working class and start cutting people(the abusers) off of the freebees. The best ever bumper sticker: O'Malley O'No!!

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DENISE L. - Dundalk, MD - Karma: Neutral

So slots - 2008-09-10 07:23:57

are very similar to public housing?

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Peter D. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Terrible

Economic Impact of Slots - 2008-09-09 13:59:51

Studies have shown that when you bring slots into a community the net result is that slots cost MORE money than they create. You end up spending more money to deal with loss of productivity from crime and addiction, increase social costs from crime, and increase costs in regards to family troubles. Slots are a lose lose proposition for Maryland.

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R. Black - Churchton, MD - Karma: Neutral

Seems Like - 2008-09-09 13:48:17

more and more people are realizing the negative impact slots would have on our communities! Slots might bring some revenue into the state, however the negative far outweights any positive. I know I don't want slots in my neighborhood and I can bet that even supporters don't want slots in their communities either .......

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Kristina P. - Easton, MD - Karma: Neutral