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Tuesday, October 07, 2008

TV Slots

- The pro slots group For Maryland For Our Future is out with the first TV campaign ads for the referendum coming up on Election Day.



The ad is airing in Baltimore. Pretty effective job of highlighting the benefits of slots while making them seem benign; featuring some of the respected groups - teachers, police, and firemen - standing in support, and vilifying the opposition with disputed charges of raising taxes. Note the aggrieved mother and child facing those higher taxes, and the poignant logo at the end with the cute little kids at play, very nice.

The group also sent out an email stating that future ads would correct Comptroller Peter Franchot's "misleading" and "false public statements" about Question 2, and which detailed at some length Franchot's past support of slots while a Montgomery delegate. Franchot vowed to remain above the fray.

"I refuse to get in the gutter with the Annapolis crowd who wants to allow foreign gambling tycoons to spend millions of dollars amending Maryland's Constitution and send your hard-earned money to out-of-state casino executives and other special interests."

4 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Franchot's position is particularly laughable given that:
a) he's a creature of Annapolis, having spent years as a delegate before becoming comptroller;
b) he sponsored legislation that would have allowed more slots than the current proposal; and
c) he's been rolling around in the gutter on this issue pretty much nonstop for the last several months.

Anonymous said...

In addition to the repetitive TV commercials, we here in Baltimore receive at least 2 pieces of mail each day, one for, and one against slots. The billboards have been popping up, and the "VOTE YES for question 2" lawn signs were handed out at the Maryland Million on Saturday. The next month will be a great deal of fun here in Charm City.

Anonymous said...

baloo
If slots passes and Laurel doesn't get them at the track will racing still benefit?
RG

Baloo said...

Yes, the horse racing industry will have a large sum of money added to purses and stallion and breeding programs if the slots bill passes. It may be best if the state gets slots and they keep them away from Laurel Park.