Saturday, September 23, 2006

In a surprise move yesterday, the Ohio State University Board of Trustees
came out in strong opposition to the Learn and Earn issue on November's
ballot that would allow casino and slot gambling in Ohio. "If we are silent
it implies we support it because we could benefit from it," said trustee Les
Wexner, Limited Brands founder. "I think it's very clever -- and bad public
policy." Under the ballot measure, Issue 3, 30 percent of the money raised
from the gambling would be channeled into college scholarships students
would earn while in high school, hence the "Learn and Earn" tag. It would
allow 31,500 slot machines at seven horse-racing tracks and at two downtown
Cleveland casinos. Wexner, one of the more outspoken members of the OSU
board, said he opposes the issue because it gives nine entities a gambling
monopoly. Trustee Robert H. Schottenstein agreed, saying Issue 3 "doesn't
smell right, feel right or seem fair" and sounds too good to be true. "We do
not think this is good for the state of Ohio," said Schottenstein. A number
of Columbus groups have come out against Learn and Earn, including the
Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Columbus
Partnership, an influential group of area business leaders.