Union Urges “YES” Vote on New York State Gaming Referendum

New York State residents will be deciding on more than various elected offices when they vote this year on November 5. They will also decide whether they want casino gaming in New York State. The Union believes this is a very important issue and it urges members to vote “YES” on the casino gaming referendum. It will be the first of several questions on this year’s ballot, and if it passes it will have an enormous beneficial impact on New York.

Specifically, the referendum calls for up to seven full casino licenses to be issued by New York State “for the legislated purposes of promoting job growth, increasing aid to schools and permitting local governments to lower property taxes through revenues generated.”

Early polls on the referendum show that it will be a close vote. It is intended that the first casinos would be located upstate.

The fact that the gaming referendum does not call for immediate casino licenses downstate (New York City, Westchester and Long Island) does not mean that downstate residents will not benefit if it passes. That’s because the huge revenue that casino gaming in New York will generate will be directed to two specific purposes throughout the entire state: improving education and lowering property taxes.

There is something else members of our Union should know about the gaming referendum. There are protections in the state law regarding gaming that will make sure that any casino worker would have the unfettered right to join a union including the Hotel Trades Council.

“There are several reasons why we are urging our members and their families to vote “YES” on the New York State casino gaming referendum and all of them are good reasons,” Hotel Trades Council President Peter Ward told the Union’s Executive Board this week.

Ward noted that casino gaming will create thousands of good-paying jobs that will add tens of millions of dollars to the state’s income tax base. In addition, he said, the state will collect a hefty amount of revenue from the casinos and this money will be earmarked directly for education and for the reduction of homeowners’ property taxes, providing big benefits for families in New York.

For many years it has been obvious that a large percentage of the people who visit casinos in New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania come from New York. These New York residents are funneling tens of millions of dollars in revenue into the treasuries of other states. But if voters pass the gaming referendum on November 5, much of that revenue that now goes to neighboring states will stay home in New York. Many also believe that casino gaming will draw more international visitors to New York, and those visitors will no doubt spend time in New York City hotels.

“Let’s face it, New York State is surrounded by states that already have casino gaming,” Ward noted. “If it passes on Election Day, November 5, the New York State gaming referendum has the potential to create tens of thousands of sorely needed good-paying jobs for workers who will have a protected right to join our Union and others if they wish. If it passes, the New York State gaming referendum will earn billions of dollars to improve education throughout New York State and lower the property taxes of millions of homeowners. Casinos will increase tourism, too. These are all reasons why we strongly urge members to vote in favor of the gaming referendum and to encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same.”

It should be noted that ballot questions like the casino gaming referendum are often overlooked by voters. Because of this, unions are joining with education groups and homeowners associations in urging New York State residents to remember to also vote for the casino referendum.

Remember, in addition to the various candidates voters will choose from on November 5 the gaming referendum will also be on the ballot. A “YES” vote on the gaming referendum has the potential to greatly improve education, lower property taxes, increase tourism and provide billions in revenue to New York State that is currently going into the treasuries of neighboring states that already allow casino gaming. The message from our Union is clear: Vote “YES” for casino gaming in New York State.