May 4, 2010 Casino's Ballot Initiative Endorsed by Ohio AFL-CIO Photos by: Veda Rugola

With nearly 250 people in attendance of the kick-off event for Issue 2, the statewide initiative to move the Franklin County Casino from the Arena District to the West Side, Ohio AFL-CIO President Joe Rugola stressed the involvement labor will again have in getting shovels in the ground and Ohioans back to work as nearly 80 percent of labor supported Issue 3 last November to put four casinos in Ohio.

"It's our intention to do everything - focus every energy and resource - to ensure that they do the same thing this spring," Rugola said at a rally at a West Side auto dealership March 16.

Also on hand were Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman, State Representative Ted Celeste (D-Grandview) and Senator Jim Hughes (R-Columbus) to speak of the economic affect the move will have on the West Side of Columbus.

“The resolution represents an incredible effort by the community' to work out an agreement on the move. Penn National officials said the move would allow them to begin construction more quickly," said Celeste.

Union leaders expressed concern that gambling-weary voters could vote against the new ballot measure, Issue 2, out of reflexive opposition to casinos. Before last year, Ohioans had rejected four consecutive gambling measures since 1990. It's also likely that voters will decide the fate of slot machines at horse-racing tracks in November.

"My concern is that a lot of people will vote no because they vote no to anything on gambling," said Mark Drum of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, which backed the 2009 casino measure.