I would never underestimate the ferocity of people defending their homes and families. Expect a herculean effort to get those signatures. These people are serious, and the strange bedfellows of homeowners and horse racing interests should make for some interesting news.

Voters will have had a couple of years to think about slots and to observe firsthand how the campaign promises have all turned out to be falsehoods. The proponents are going to face an uphill battle and will find that with all of their credibility gone voters may not be interested in giving them the benefit of the doubt one more time.

There is a house in Arundel Mills
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know you're one

149,604 for slots; 103,814 against. A 59-41% split in AA Co. alone, just about the same as the state.

The NIMBY's in the Mall area need to look at what they have. It's not a particularly atrtractive area ( houses jammed together in a haphazard fashion- zero aesthetics); the Mall has brought in a tremendous amount of crime ( read the weekly crime reports on the numbers of thefts, assaults, and robberies in the parking lots); far more mall traffic than any casino will generate( hundreds of stores, resaurants, etc,). The NIMBYs knew what they were buying- sprawing mall next door, lots of mall traffic, crime, etc.- caveat emptor.

Crystal ball of the future of Arundel Mills with its new Slots Warehouse

(1) Crime up (law enforcement costs up)

(2) Residential property values down (property tax revenues down)

(3) Retail stores replaced by Pawn Shops and Check Cashing stores (sales tax revenue down)

(4) Traffic congestion up (infrastructure costs up)

(5) Money spent on gambling instead of shopping or savings (a zero net economic gain at best)

Conclusion: Costs up, tax revenues down and the quality of life in at least one Maryland neighborhood worsened.

Jay - have there been any studies on what the impact has been of the slots parlor in Dover, DE - which went in basically right next to a large mall in a fairly suburban setting? It would seem to me that that would be an imformative case-study for the Arundel Mills project.

I think it is foolhardy and arrogant to assume people will be indifferent to this situation when they realize what has happened. True, people generally are indifferent to things that do not have an immediate impact on them...they assume the gov't will make the right decisions for them and they go about their lives, so you never hear them voice concerns in great numbers when issues like these emerge. That is why the council members should should have relied upon surveys and polls (and the local polls in this case said people did not support slots at the AAM location.) People are now seeing that the gov't has failed them and that will elicit reaction. We see that one person's greed (and the gov't's need for maximized tax revenue) overrode good sense and sensibility. And the voters will see that they were hoodwinked at the last election. Slots were implicitly intended for Laurel racetrack with the referendum vote as all campaigning focused on the ailing horese racing industry, not to expand Arundel Mills Mall. You will never convince me otherwise. Cordish only emerged right after the election with an elaborate plan/design for slots at Arundel Mills Mall - how convenient. Now with this win for Cordish, the County will lose in the long run. I don't expect Cordish to care at all, but I'm disappointed that our County Executive and council members dismissed the risk of impacts that slots will have on the local residential area. It's the combined greed and gov't indifference to residential impacts and morals that will likely incense voters. Don't start dancing yet.

i thought the voters voted
for slots at laurel racetrack??

this smells like dead fish
to me, a developer comes in
and proposes something different,then licences are
rejected, then a vote is
held to uphold slots in a mall...

horse racing in maryland
is dying and will be dead
in two years....

a shame that no one stepped
forward to save horse racing,
the breeders,the grooms,the
jockeys and all the rest...

no wonder so many have
abandoned the state, who
could blame them?????

'

Like Bob M, I thought the AA County location was at Laurel,l but according to the synopsis of the legislation at http://www.marylandthoroughbred.com/slotsLeg_synopsis.htm , the locations are actually:

1. A.A. Co., within 2 miles of MD Rt. 295

2. Cecil Co., within 2 miles of I-95

3. Worcester Co., within 1 mile of Rt. 50 & Rt. 589

4. Allegany Co. - State property located within Rocky Gap State Park

5. Baltimore City, in a non-residential area within ½ mile of MD Rt. 295 on property owned by the City on date of application for VLT operator license

I voted against it then and I would vote against it again. I'm not against slots, I'm against how this entire mess has been handled. Bruce Elliott on WBAL said it best years ago when Gov Ehrlich was still in office: Slots will be passed when the Democrats are in office and can squeeze money out of their donors to get the slots licenses in place.

We rarely shop at Arundel Mills now due to the crowds and parking. I have even less incentive to go there now since there will be more traffic and congestion. I totally agree with Jay's analysis that many people are apathetic and won't vote against this license. If people cared, at least some of the bond issues on the election ballots would be rejected; how often does THAT happen?

Oops, mistake in the link because there is a comma at the end of it. Use this:

http://www.marylandthoroughbred.com/slotsLeg_synopsis.htm

I DID NOT vote for slots. But the time for debate is over. Let's get on with it. I live in Annapolis and I will vigorously work AGAINST any and all referendum efforts.

I live near Laurel Park in AA County and am pro-slots. But I truly don't understand what the big controversy is about. Voters approved slots statewide at specific locations as the posting above indicates, including Arundel Mills, by a wide margin. People near Arundel Mills, according to my neighborhood association, voted FOR slots, admittedly by a narrow margin. Many of the opponents say they were "misled" because "we thought they would be in Laurel." So it sounds like pure NIMBY mentality at work -- put them away from us, even if we voted that we wanted them just down the road. They keep talking about property values going down, crime going up, etc. Have they presented even one study that indicates that has happened in similar areas with similar facilities? (Dover, Charles Town, etc.?)

In response to the comment: "Bruce Elliott on WBAL said it best years ago when Gov Ehrlich was still in office: Slots will be passed when the Democrats are in office and can squeeze money out of their donors to get the slots licenses in place."

If Bruce Elliott's always brilliant analysis is correct then how come Cordish, who I believe is a donor ro the Republican Party, and County Exec Leopold, a Republican, are the key players in bringing slots to AA Mall?

Cordish does not build "slots parlors". They build upscale stand alone gaming and entertainment casinos. See Hardrock Casino & Resort in Hollywood FL or Tampa FL. Stand alone casinos are most successful when there is shopping, restaurants and nightclubs to experience before, during and after gaming. This is proven by the success of the huge retail and entertainment complex know as the Walk in Atlantic City, NJ. Gaming at Arundel Mills is entertainment. I spent over $700.00 for four tickets, food and drinks at the last Ravens game, entertaining out of town guests. I can spend the same $700.00 having dinner, drinks, playing slots and shopping at the Mall. Maybe I or my guests can win a couple bucks at the same time. But that's not the point, it's entertainment. If you only want to gamble to win money, play the lottery or stock market. Gaming at Arundel Mills will be upscale and will be a good thing.

Jay, your logic assumes the intent of the voter in 2008 was slots at the Mall. Cordish and simon hid their true intent until after the referendum.

Diogenes, not everyone purchased their homes knowing what was coming (e.g. a NIMBY)...our home was purchased in 1991 about 1-1/2 mi from AMM; long before the mall was ever built; before Rt 100 was completed, never mind slots being voted. I DID read the legislation and did vote AGAINST it. You might wish to temper your comments and not paint with such a broad stroke next time...

"If Bruce Elliott's always brilliant analysis is correct then how come Cordish, who I believe is a donor ro the Republican Party, and County Exec Leopold, a Republican, are the key players in bringing slots to AA Mall?"

I would do a little more research on our County Exec. Leopold is against slots but approved them because the people of his county voted for them. I know this is almost unheard of in politics but he did what his constituants wanted.

Also don't be so sure that if Cordish did contribute to his campaign it would change his views. Just ask the construction lobyist who were upset when he made permits more difficult to get after they contributed to his campaign.

The bottom line is the people have voted for slots and they are coming. Democracy actually worked in this case. If you live near the mall and don't like it move. If you think it will be to crowded don't shop there.

Currently there is legalized gambling in some form or another in 48 states. Crime is not a problem at all these casinos. And everyone in these other states don't waste all their money gambling. Call me crazy but I think increased security due to a casino will help reduce crime not make it go up.

It's funny to see how the media reinvents history. Slots, which were clearly portrayed as being located at Laurel Park, were endorsed by AA County voters. The Arundel Mills (and Lot J) locations were obviously intentionally hidden by developers and political allies to avoid pre-election controversies. A totally different scenario would now thrust upon AA Co voters. If the homeowners can obtain 18,999 other signatures, don't be surprised to see Arundel Mills overturned by a wide a margin in a Fall referendum by voters who are highly annoyed with the way government has mismanaged slots and who would want to again punish O'Malley & gang at the polls (look it up!).

"The Arundel Mills (and Lot J) locations were obviously intentionally hidden"

Hidden? Only hidden from people who can't read and use a map.

Mr. Cordish ! Don't start the party yet. The citizens around Arundel Mills are working hard are getting together to gather the signatures needed to put and end to your plans. Greed will only get you so far. Why do you need more money- you will not take it with you when you leave this earth.