Firm wanted only to invest in Maryland
To the editor:
We were appalled to read Howard Stutz's patently biased column on the recent ballot issue in Maryland ("Piles of cash, torrents of tweets and lots of crazy," Nov. 11).
Had we been given the opportunity to reply to Mr. Stutz's allegations prior to him publishing the article, we would have pointed out:
- MGM Resorts International and its allies spent more than $45 million on the campaign in support of Question 7, a figure that exceeded Penn National's spending;
- As per the new campaign finance disclosure requirements, which applied only to this ballot issue, Penn National reported on a 48-hour basis every dime it expended on its campaign. As such, it is easily verifiable that Penn National Gaming spent zero money to support any anti-gaming group. Our message specifically targeted Question 7, which was the result of a deeply flawed legislative process in Maryland;
- Despite the fact that Penn National Gaming was the first company to open a casino in Maryland, and was the only gaming company to fund the gaming expansion effort in 2008, we were painted as simply trying to protect our interests in neighboring West Virginia. The reality is Penn National had proposed to build a $500 million resort casino at our Rosecroft racetrack in Prince George's County, Maryland, long before MGM Resorts International cut its back-room deal with County Executive Rushern Baker, virtually assuring itself a sole-source contract for a casino up the street. Our campaign had nothing to do with West Virginia. We were fighting to invest in Maryland.
- It should be noted, every gaming interest in Maryland except Penn National was promised special tax breaks and incentives in the legislation leading up to the vote. We were never invited to the table; our interests were never considered.
- Penn National is not funding the litigation seeking to overturn the results of the election on constitutional grounds. And attacking Penn National does not change the plain language of the Maryland Constitution requiring a qualified majority of voters on gaming expansion issues; that is for the independent citizens group to pursue and, ultimately, for a court to decide.
While Mr. Stutz suggests Penn National should be "embarrassed" by its actions, quite the opposite is true: We're proud of having fought for our company's interests in Maryland, and would do it again despite the close outcome.
ERIC SCHIPPERS
WYOMISSING, PA.
The writer is Penn National Gaming's senior vice president for public affairs and government relations.
National ID
To the editor:
Glenn Cook's call for a voter ID law (Nov. 11 column) is passé. What the country needs is a national ID law. Given today's advanced computer technology, there is no reason that, over time, every citizen can't have a picture ID card/passport with fully encrypted biometrics and other data stored somewhere.
Today, banks and many other institutions know far more about us than we might ever imagine.
This national ID system would function much like today's global credit card system, with some variation. First and foremost, when the card is swiped it would retrieve and return the citizenship, photo, the age and a signature of the person associated with the card. Biometrics like eye scans, finger and footprints would also be heavily encrypted and stored for further identification on one or more government databases.
Now the paranoid "government invasion of my privacy" types, tax dodgers and others will be coming out of the woodwork on this one.
So what? Isn't it time that we finally begin to understand who is or isn't here legally?
RICHARD RYCHTARIK
LAS VEGAS
Preserving wilderness
To the editor:
I have never read a more dishonest column than Sherman Frederick's "Harry Reid's ongoing war on Nevadans" (Oct. 14). There were many false claims I would like to address.
First, Sen. Reid has been the biggest supporter of mining that Nevada has ever seen. Mining causes damage to our wilderness, and Sen. Reid is doing the responsible thing to ensure some beautiful wilderness is preserved. Mark my words, this bill will pass and will be more beneficial to our state because of Sen. Reid's additions.
Second, I would like to thank Sen. Reid for making sure our children grow up in a Nevada that has clean air and clean water. Only a fool like Mr. Frederick would think this is not beneficial to our state.
Finally, math must not have been Mr. Frederick's best subject because he is just plain wrong on clean energy jobs. Thousands of jobs have been created, and to simply discount the construction jobs as a result of these projects is dishonest and not the same standard to which we hold other infrastructure projects.
While people like Sherman Frederick offer vitriolic words with no solutions, Sen. Reid has fought for Nevada with his actions. If it weren't for Sen. Reid we would have a nuclear waste site 100 miles from Las Vegas. Thank you, Sen. Reid.
GARY BATES
LAS VEGAS
