NORMAN R. STONE

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NORMAN R. STONE, JR. D-6
James Senate Office Building, Room 216
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3587, (301) 858-3587
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3587 (toll free)
e-mail: e-mail: [email protected]
fax: (410) 841-3218, (301) 858-3218

e-mail:

Stone's Station

I have been receiving a lot of calls and emails from constituents asking me my opinion on Question 7, which you are probably aware will be on the ballot in November, and if passed, will authorize the building of a new casino in Prince Georges County, will allow tables games at all casinos in Maryland and will also legalize slot like machines in our veteran organizations. It seems like everywhere I go this issue continues to be on everyone�s mind partly due to the mixed messages they are receiving through the ads in the media. First, I believe that one has to examine where the majority of the ads against Question 7 are coming from and secondly, who stands the most to lose if it is passed! According to the State Board of Elections, the ballot committee financed by Penn National reported that its outlay for the effort to defeat Question 7 has reached $21.6 million with $18 million already being spent. As you probably already know, Penn National owns Charles Town Race Track and Casino in West Virginia. You also are probably aware through reports in the media that Maryland is losing close to a billion dollars a year as a result of the money Marylanders are spending in casinos bordering our state. Therefore. it is understandable that the competition would expend huge amounts of money in an effort to defeat Question 7 since they have the most to lose if Question 7 passes! For me, it is a no-brainer. In order for our state to prosper, we need jobs, jobs, jobs! In spite of some of the opponent�s ads which question where the money will go and how many jobs Question 7 will create, it has been reported that the development of a new resort casino in Maryland and the authorization of table games would create 2,000 new construction jobs, 4,000 permanent jobs at the new resort, 4,400 additional permanent jobs associated with the development and 1,600 new jobs from the introduction of table games at all Maryland casinos. Additionally, passage of Question 7 would mean the creation of 500 jobs right here in Baltimore. To quote Fred Mason, President of State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO, �Question 7 will create 12,000 jobs in Maryland and nothing else on the table does that. In a tough economy, Maryland could use 12,000 new jobs.� For those who doubt that education would benefit from this expansion, since its creation the Education Trust Fund has already received $180.3 million from gaming in Maryland. Through the addition of a new resort casino in Prince George�s County and adding table games like blackjack and poker to existing Maryland casinos, Question 7 would significantly increase the amount of money coming into the Education Trust Fund to help Maryland schools and Maryland children. I hope the information I have provided helps you understand why I wholeheartedly support the passage of Question 7 and the importance its passage means to the citizens in the State of Maryland.