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Dear my Governor Ted Strickland:
How are you? I hope you and your staffs are doing well. I see all
those budget cuts made many people upset. I recommend you to pray
for protection from Jesus Christ before you meet any crowd, you
never know where the lunatics are, never rely on your own strength
but “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your
paths. –Proverbs 3:6” I am writing about bring Casinos in Ohio’s 4
big cities Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Columbus. This Casino
issue will be on ballot over and over again until it passes it
(according to Hudson Hub 7/26/09 “Casino backers get enough
signatures to go to ballot”) because there’s too much money
involved, human greed will not let go of it. It sounds good to make
$11 billion in 5 years from construction-related activities and
operations, and $850 million a year on taxes from Casinos. Dear my
Governor, you may rejoice over $850 million income, but in order to
profit that much money, someone has to lose at least $10 billion a
year. There will be some wealthy people (business men & women or
investors), some middle class and poor people. How many broken homes
and businesses that $10 billion a year will create. In order to fix
them, we need more than $850 million to provide welfare, childcare,
health care, mental health care…and how can you fix broken homes.
Don’t you see enough of them already? You may say, but people go to
other States to gamble. You are right about that, you cannot stop
them from gambling at other States that’s why we legalized Slot
Machines at Horseracing Tracks to satisfy gamblers. I know a man in
Hudson , he own a small business, and he said he likes to gamble at
Casinos, but going to West Virginia takes over 2 hours from his
house that prevents him from going there often. He said that’s too
inconvenient and too far. But when he heard that Slot Machines at
Horseracing Tracks were approved, he was very happy.Let me share my
experience with you. I used to work at Reserve Inn, a restaurant
with bar in Hudson as a dishwasher for 5 years (2002-2007) as my 2nd
job. While I was working there, on November 2006, issue of banning
smoking in the restaurants and bars came to ballot, I thought about
that issue, there was so many smokers working in that kitchen more
than 10 people, they were waiters, waitresses, bartender, busboys,
cooks, dishwashers, especially my co-dishwasher Jackie smoked, she
was over 80 years old, actually she smoked non-stop, they all smoked
in the kitchen corner continuously except Jackie, she smoked
everywhere, she had cigarette in her mouth all the time, kitchen was
filled with smoke most of the time. But I thought about Reserve
inn’s owner, in those days business was slow, if they ban smoking in
the restaurants and bars that might cause this restaurant to close
down. I saw most drinkers at the bar are smokers also. And I don’t
want to see Jackie to go out in the cold to smoke; she might catch
cold, so I voted “NO” to banning smoking… even though I am not a
smoker I cared about others; my employer and co-worker’s welfare
first. After it passed, I was surprised to see how clean the air
became but I still felt bad that Jackie had to go out in the cold to
smoke because I loved and cared about my employer and my co-workers.
That’s how I learn to love others, one person at a time who is close
to me, and then grace of God opened my heart to love more people…now
I have a heart big enough to love all Ohioans. Dear my Governor, it
is important to truly care about Ohioan gamblers’ welfare because
they are under your care, then God’s grace will open the way for you
to solve many other problems. And same with Video Lottery, Ohio
House and Senate says it will generate $1 billion a year… Gambling
money is evil (greed) money therefore it will never serve others for
good, please learn from Ohio Lottery. Does it serve any purpose you
intended to do in the beginning? NO! Video Lottery will create at
least $10 billion additional problems for Ohioans to deal with. Dear
children of God please listen to Him “In the sweat of your face you
shall eat bread. –Genesis 3:19” He speaks to you, non-gambler &
gambler citizens of Ohio and government of Ohio alike. And Jesus
Christ says “your Father in heaven… sends rain on the just
(non-gamblers: no Casinos, no Video Lottery) and on the unjust
(gamblers: Slot Machines at Horseracing Tracks). For if you love
those who love you (love only non-gamblers and take away all the fun
from gamblers), what reward have you? -Matthew 5:45-46”
God bless you and God bless all Ohioans, and my prayers are with
you.
With Love,
Eunju Gina Smith |
