Former state Rep. Ed Casso is all over the TV these days as he promotes Amendment 68, a ballot measure t.
“As a former public school teacher and as a dad, I know first hand how important school finance is,” the Adams County Democrat says in the campaign ad. “Teaching is tough but it’s even tougher with limited resources. Fortunately, help is on the way. It’s Amendment 68.”
Casso, who sponsored legislation for greyhound and horse racing when he served in the legislature, said he’s heard from plenty of his former colleagues — both Republican and Democrat — in the Colorado General Assembly. Most have let him know they don’t support Amendment 68 but Casso doesn’t mind.
“I have always taken pride that my position is one outside of the box, and I have always looked to solve problems instead of make excuses to not do anything,” he said.
Backers of the measure claim the amendment would mean $114 million annually for K-12 education and charter schools statewide by charging casinos a 34 percent fee on gambling proceeds. Opponents worry about the impact on Colorado’s three mountain gambling towns and communities stuck with the impact.
“Not a single one of Colorado’s 178 school districts have come out in support of this scheme,” Michele Ames, spokeswoman for Don’t Turn Racetracks into Casinos, also noted.
“Last year the people of Colorado undeniably rejected a $1 billion dollar tax increase, which was favored by many Democrats,” Casso said, .
“On the other side, I never see a sense of urgency from any Republicans to adequately fund K-12 education. In either case, doing nothing has become the status quo. I firmly believe we need more money in the classroom, especially in our poorer school districts. Amendment 68 is one way to get that revenue that otherwise isn’t there, and I think we need to find other revenue streams, too. I’m against doing nothing, especially when it come to our kids’ educational needs.
If voters statewide approve Amendment 68 on Nov. 4, Arapahoe Park would be allowed to have a casino with 2,500 slot machines and 65 gambling tables. Casinos in Mesa and Pueblo counties also could be built but would first need racetracks that are open for five years before gaming could be introduced.
