For the next three weeks, one of the most important things the people of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Ohio in general may do is fight Issue 3, which changes the Ohio constitution to give a monopoly on casino gambling to Dan Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and other financial and gambling interests.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has clearly been supportive of Gilbert and his casino interests in Ohio for many years, giving his monopoly constitutional change proposal a high chance of being passed by misinformed Ohioans. The misinformation is the fault of the monopoly mainstream media.

As an excellent example of the misinforming reporting of the Plain Dealer on Issue 3, today they reported "Liberal, conservative groups join forces against Issue 3, which would bring casinos to Ohio", hinting there is intelligent life looking at this issue, with some vocal supporters in Ohio who may make a difference in defeating Issue 3. However, the sold-out monopoly newspaper then concluded Ohio is better off without intelligent life, and turned the story into a puff piece for Issue 3.

First, the Plan Dealer reported "ProgressOhio, a liberal think tank, and Citizens for Community Values, a leading state conservative group, which have often been on opposite sides of political and social issues, have locked arms to fight the casino proposal." The PD reports they are joined by "the Rev. John Edgar, from the United Methodist Church, and John Kindt, a University of Illinois public policy professor and gambling opponent."

Kindt is co-author and editor of the United States International Gambling Report Series, a three-volume collection of reports and research on gambling.

He argued that Issue 3 supporters are strategically talking only about the upside of casinos and ignoring the social costs.

For every dollar the state will collect in taxes on gambling revenues, Ohio will spend $3 to $4 on the negative fallout -- gambling addiction, crime, job losses and bankruptcies, Kindt said.

"You're shrinking your economy when you bring in casinos," he said. "You're actually throwing gasoline on recessionary problems."

Kindt called the FOP's support of Issue 3 "astonishing."

As the purpose of the Plain Dealer article is to trivialize all intelligent inquiry into Issue 3, the article is constructed to then throw water on these fires of enlightenment emerging in our community... as has been the Plan Dealer pattern.

My previous observations of Plan Dealer coverage of Issue 3 found "Cleveland Plain Dealer Reports Either Hiram College or University of Cincinnati Sucks... What About NEO Universities?". Gary Murphy, an Economist at the Case Weatherhead School of Management, posted to REALNEO he was "saying almost the same things as the Hiram study 4 years ago".

On September 26th, the Plain Dealer reported: "Ohio Newspaper Poll showed the casino proposal, known as Issue 3, winning support from 59 percent of respondents".  That poll was by University of Cincinnati, funded by the Cleveland Plain Dealer and other Ohio monopoly newspapaers. There is reason to distrust such poll results.

At the end of the latest Plain Dealer misinfortisement for Casinos, today, is reference to a study by The State of Ohio that the Plain Dealer hopes your mind will remember long after you move to the next story:

Meanwhile, Ohio's Office of Budget and Management and Department of Taxation have completed an economic analysis of Issue 3 that supporters say proves gambling would be good for Ohio.

The state's study estimated the 33 percent tax on revenues could generate about $643 million a year, just slightly off the $651 million projection Issue 3 backers have previously touted.

As Kindt was previously quoted pointing out, "Issue 3 supporters are strategically talking only about the upside of casinos and ignoring the social costs". That is exactly the case with this Ohio analysis. The PD neglects to make this connection for readers, suggesting the opposite is true.

The Plain Dealer ends their article with an unpaid endorsement for Issue 3, based on the flawed Ohio analysis, promoted by a business interest that benefits from passage of Issue 3:

"This (Ohio's Office of Budget and Management and Department of Taxation study) is clearly the most objective study undertaken on the tax and fiscal impacts of Issue 3 since it was conducted by state government rather than by either side of the Issue 3 debate," Charlie Luken, chairman of the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, said in a statement.

The truth is, at least, "For every dollar the state will collect in taxes on gambling revenues, Ohio will spend $3 to $4 on the negative fallout -- gambling addiction, crime, job losses and bankruptcies", as Kindt reports.

I think the harm caused to Ohioans by the mainstream media just by them attempting to force Issue 3 on citizens is far worse than the social cost of gambling on society.

As reported by the Plain Dealer, of their own doings:

"Industries are starting to write their business plans into the constitution," said Brian Rothenberg, of ProgressOhio.