Scott Arceneaux is a senior adviser to Marylanders United to Stop Slots, which opposes the ballot proposal. He is a veteran political strategist who managed several campaigns and was state Democratic Party executive director in his native Louisiana before moving to the Washington region in 2005 to lead the gubernatorial bid of former Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan.
How is the campaign going? Has any aspect surprised you?
Our side is passionate about the issue, and I think we are getting ready and fired up for Election Day. ... The fact that pro-slots advocates basically tried to game the system with the ballot language was not a big surprise. That we now see millions of dollars of gambling money coming into this state to try to pass this referendum in the last few weeks is not a surprise. And that they're trying to make this an issue about education and taxes when it's really about gambling is not a surprise.
If you had to pick one reason, why should people vote against the slots proposal?
It's going to be a net revenue loser for the taxpayers because it doesn't take into account any of the costs involved with slots. Slots are not a cost-free form of generating revenue for the state. And that's the dirty little secret that the pro-slots side doesn't really want to talk about.
When you make something that's illegal legal it comes with costs. There's going to be increases in crime and the need for additional police protection. There's going to be increased need for roads, extra fire protection, water infrastructure as well as increases in addiction, personal bankruptcies.
In these hard economic times, wouldn't legalizing slots create a new industry and jobs?
Economic downturns are temporary. Slots are forever. So are we saying that the next economic downturn, we're going to radically expand gambling because we want to try create jobs? Secondly, slots are the most labor-free form of gambling. You don't even have the change ladies anymore walking around casino floors. These are all electronic. They are run on credit cards.
Slots advocates often argue that gambling is already prevalent in society with the lottery and Keno. What do you say to people who say it's condescending or simply wrong to tell people how to spend their money?
