Learn & Earnest

The Ohio Learn and Earn Committee -- the organization trying to change the state constitution to allow slot machine parlors at two sites in Cleveland and seven horse racing tracks around the state -- issued the following press release Wednesday in response to Cincinnati Council member Leslie Ghiz's lawsuit.

Ghiz has sued in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, claiming the group is using deceptive practices to get people to sign their petitions. The organization needs the signatures of 323,000 registered voters by Aug. 7 to get their issue on state-wide ballots.

Here's the press release:

Columbus—The Ohio Learn and Earn Committee has met the highest standards in its drive to place a constitutional amendment on the November general election ballot, according to the committee’s response to a suit filed against it in Hamilton County by leaders of an effort to authorize a casino in downtown Cincinnati.

The Ohio Learn and Earn proposal would create college scholarships and grants for Ohio school students and would create grants to all Ohio counties for purposes of job development and local capital improvements. Five percent of every high school graduating class in every high school in the state will be eligible for these benefits in 2009 and the scholarships will be available to every child in the state in 12-years.

The amendment provides the funds for these public benefits through an assessment on slot machine gaming to be located at the state’s seven racetracks and in two downtown Cleveland locations.

In the case of Hamilton County and Cincinnati, for example, the contribution to the local government fund is estimated at $23 million each year. Only Cuyahoga County and Cleveland--which would have as many as four slot machine locations--would receive more money than would Hamilton County.

Learn and Earn would tax the gaming proceeds to fund the scholarships and community grants. Petitions authorizing a general election vote on this initiative have been in circulation since early May of this year.

“During the entire petition process, Learn and Earn has followed the most recent and exacting standards enacted by the Legislature and administered by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office,” according to David L. Hopcraft, spokesman for Ohio Learn and Earn.

Hopcraft added: “Our circulators are all Ohio residents, they are employed by our circulating firm and paid an hourly wage. Each circulator is registered with the Secretary of State’s office.”

To date more than 2,500 Ohioans have been employed to circulate Ohio Learn and Earn petitions with as many as 900 people working at any one time. Circulators are paid an average of $11 per hour.

Every petition those employees circulate has the purpose of the proposed ballot issue summarized on it. That printed summary was certified to be a “fair and truthful” description of the proposed amendment by the Ohio Attorney General before the campaign began in May. The complete proposed amendment is also printed on each petition along with the Attorney General’s certification.

In addition, Learn and Earn has also used the World Wide Web to make information available to Ohio voters. Its petitions are posted on its web site for review (http://www.ohiolearnandearn.com/). Further, the Learn and Earn committee has provided for various representatives of the Ohio news media to observe a circulator as the petition circulator works.

In spite of these well publicized efforts, the legal action filed in Hamilton County by Councilwoman Leslie E. Ghiz claims Ohio Learn and Earn is attempting to hide the purpose of its proposed amendment from people asked to sign the document. Ghiz was part of a group that supported the learn and earn concept, but sought to expand the gaming to a downtown Cincinnati location.

A complete copy of the Learn and Earn legal response to the claim will be filed on http://www.ohiolearnandearn.com/ by close of business today.