May 31, 2012
Chairman John Morton, III
Maryland Stadium Authority
33 West Camden Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Chairman Morton,
It is my understanding that Governor O’Malley has appointed you as chairman of the 11-member Work Group to Consider Gaming Expansion. I am writing to respectfully ask that the work group give due consideration to Harford County as one of the possible sites for any additional gaming licenses that would be granted in the state.
Furthermore, I ask that the PricewaterhouseCoopers study of the feasibility of gaming expansion that was recently commissioned by the state be directed to thoroughly analyze the economic benefits of locating a new casino in Harford County.
The presence of a casino in Harford County would generate tens of millions of dollars annually in new revenue for the state of Maryland. It would also provide a much needed source of revenue to the county at a time when we are being forced to accept more and more long-term funding obligations and unfunded mandates from the state, such as the shift of teacher pension costs. The latter alone will cost Harford Countians in excess of $10 million per year once fully phased-in, and severely limits our ability to provide additional funds to the Board of Education that it could use to provide pay increases for its teachers and staff.
I would like to see enabling legislation passed by the General Assembly which I would then direct to the people of Harford County for referendum. It would be my intention to use 100% of the local revenue such a facility would provide to fully fund the cost of the teacher pension shift and to make available additional PAYGo money for the construction and renovation of schools. Such a commitment should be part of the referendum. The people of Harford County could then decide if they support it on Election Day.
Although I have never been a strong believer in balancing one’s budget through gaming revenue, the magnitude of the teacher pension shift warrants that we consider all options. This is one of a number of solutions that should be examined to mitigate the impact of this state action on the taxpayers that we serve.
While you may have concerns due to our proximity to the existing casino in Perryville, I feel that having two first rate gaming facilities in the area will make the Upper Chesapeake region a tourism hub, and will allow Maryland to better compete with Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey for regional visitors.
We would appreciate the opportunity to make a presentation to the work group, where we would be able to discuss the advantages of locating a casino in Harford County. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cordially,
David R. Craig
Harford County Executive
DRC/bl
Cc: Governor Martin O’Malley
President of the Senate Thomas V. Miller
Speaker of the House Michael Busch
Members of the Harford County Delegation to the General Assembly
Diluting gaming until every county has its own casino is only going to hurt revenues in MD and drive people to Atlantic City. What would make the Harford casino any different from Perryville? Either way, AC isn’t that far away, I can see a show, hit the beach, enjoy a few comps, play craps, poker, etc, while Maryland just offers to take my money and send me home hungry, sober and suffering from eye strain from staring at the computer screen. Notice the recent radio blitz, where the non-gambling aspects of AC are being pushed to revitalize the tourist traffic due to competition.
With PA, NJ, DE, WV all offering the complete suite of gambling, why should I restrict myself to playing against a computer using a debit card? If I wanted to play online poker I could do that from my couch in my bathrobe, the feel of the chips, the cards and the looks on your opponents’ faces are important.
Really?????? Will you give folks their bonuses back?
I may be wrong but I thought there was resistance from Harford Co. to putting a slots parlor here and that is why it was built in Cecil Co.
I think there was, yes, but based on this data, I don’t think that’d be a problem…
Statewide Referendum
Harford County 2008 For: 74,248 Against: 46,806
Might be a little tighter this time around since there is already one close by, though.
Hardly anyone is going to the one in Cecil County. I believe the previous talks were about having one in Havre de Grace. Where in God’s name does he want it? Anywhere in Harford is too close to the one in Cecil. How about cutting the fat from his staff then he wouldn’t need to resort to something so asinine. I believe the man has truly lost his mind.
“Hardly anyone” might be relative, but it has routinely beat expectations since it opened. It was never going to be a big money facility like most of the other proposed locations.
Which is part of the reason this Craig idea isn’t going to float. Penn National won’t have it.
I had to double check the date on this to be sure it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.
What an unbelievably ludicrous idea.
what an idiot !!!!
pay the bonuses you lame duck birdbrain !!!!
You have to be kidding me. Are we that desperate that more casinos need to be built to fund education? New leadership, please.
Yep, I guess if you would read Burbey and Cerveny and the rants and pleas from the teachers and their union you would see that they are that desperate. If Burbey and Cerveny and the HCEA can’t get behind this full throttle then it really makes me question what their motives actually are.
What is this guy’s damage? Did he get a dose of lead or mercury poisoning? He seems to have pulled almost every position lately out of his butt.
What a great idea…take away the $$$ that would go to all the local businesses by putting up a casino. What educated person would put money into slots anyways? What a joke.
taxing the poor because the repubs don’t want to contribute
Let me try to understand this, Truth. You are saying that Republicans don’t want to contribute through higher taxes, so the poor (which by your statement must be non-Repub, therefore probably Democrats) aren’t smart enough to avoid paying the voluntary tax of casino gambling.
OK, now we know how you feel about the intelligence of the poor and Democrats in general. Nice, real nice.
“I feel that having two first rate gaming facilities in the area will make the Upper Chesapeake region a tourism hub”. Reality check… Southeastern Connecticut has two of the largest casinos in the world and hasn’t exactly been transformed into a tourist mecca.
Umm… why is my comment “awaiting moderation”???
Because you used key words related to betting/gaming.
Every county gets a casino where the locals can play. That’s pretty close to just levying a local tax but on those who don’t have enough sense to avoid it.
Where is he proposing we buld it. Havre de Grace and Aberdeen would be out based on proximity to Perryville. Perhps the good people of Fallston would want it?
In the Edgehood 🙂 How about the Walmart that is going to be vacated in Abingdon? Don’t you live right around the corner? You could walk to it! Seriously… wouldn’t it make sense that it would be near I-95 access? What about 152 & 40? I think HdG is too close to Perryvile but does Balto Co have gaming?
B’more is getting a parlor, not the county.
Sure, because traffic in those places in F#(%ed enough
isn’t**
Well there is an interesting idea mentioned in this that it could be a riverboat casino based out of Havre de Grace. I’ll give that some marks for creativity, but I think it would thrash Hollywood in Perryville, and again, Penn National won’t let that happen.
If you read the article in the Sun it has some comments from Cordish (not unbiased at all) that hold some merit about changing the game on the people who have agreed to do business in MD before they even open the doors, which is a reasonable argument from a business perspective.
At first, I thought this article was a spoof. Why would any reasonable person want a casino in Harford County? Dave C, have you lost your mind? Location of course is the biggest worry…
Until the MD Legislature gets off their asses and approves all table games at our state casinos, these places will barely make a profit. Ask anyone who traveled to Dover Downs when they were only running slots, it was a low class,tacky joint. Slots always were and always will be the “white trash” of the gambling industry.
I think you need to watch your commet about WHITE TRASH.
Why?
You might beat him down?
First of all, the rants of Burbey (although winded) are valid. Craig is just in a panic because he knows the HCEA has him by the balls and he’s going to have to part with $ to pay the contractual steps to the teachers that deserve it! Slots…really? That’s your answer? You are desperate! Dumb idea. Open your surplus, let out the moths…you’re going to have to admit defeat…and you’re not going to gave the money to build Havre Dr Grace a new high school like you promised everyone either.
First of all, the rants of Burbey (although winded) are valid. Craig is just in a panic because he knows the HCEA has him by the balls and he’s going to have to part with $ to pay the contractual steps to the teachers that deserve it! Slots…really? That’s your answer? You are desperate! Dumb idea. Open your surplus, let out the moths…you’re going to have to admit defeat…and you’re not going to have the money to build Havre Dr Grace a new high school like you promised everyone either.
Who cares about Havre Disgrace or Craig? But if Craig is beng fondled as you describe then he really seems to be enjoying it. Let’s wait and see on the rest of it. You might have a big surprise coming.