April 29, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
William Burns, Director of Communications
(410) 269-0642, (301) 261-2858

Maryland Chamber of Commerce Supports Slots Referendum

Baltimore, MD (April 29, 2008) - The Maryland Chamber of Commerce today joined the Maryland State Teachers Association and the Maryland Association of Counties as part of the For Maryland, For Our Future campaign to support passage of the November slots referendum.

“As Maryland’s leading statewide business advocacy organization, the Maryland Chamber supports passage of the slots referendum as a reasonable alternative to tax increases.” Maryland Chamber Chairman Betty Buck, President of Buck Distributing Co., Inc. said. “Maryland cannot afford to keep sending hundreds of millions of dollars out of state. People will spend their money on this type of entertainment – regardless of the outcome of this referendum. It is our view that our state should recapture the millions being spent today in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.”

The Maryland Chamber has actively supported carefully regulated slot machines in limited locations to help fund education since October 2002. The Chamber’s board of directors reaffirmed its position during an April 22 board meeting, when it committed to rallying the business community and mobilizing its members in support of the November slots referendum.

“There is no realistic alternative to replace the revenue slots will generate for the State,” said Maryland Chamber President & CEO Kathleen T. Snyder, CCE. “Recapturing money spent on slots in other states will help provide needed education funding increases and prevent future tax increases.”

The Maryland Chamber supports passage of the referendum because it would:

• Re-capture hundreds of millions of dollars that Marylanders spend out of state, helping to prevent future tax increases.
• Dedicate 48.5% to 51% of total annual gross revenues to the Education Trust Fund.
• Produce, by fiscal year 2013, approximately $660 million in new education funding.
• Prevent further expansion of gaming in Maryland. The so-called “slippery slope” is impossible because the referendum is a Constitutional amendment that prevents any additional expansion of gaming anywhere in Maryland without a future voter-approved referendum.

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit coalition of 860 businesses who employ more than 440,000 people in the state. Its mission is to maximize opportunities for its members and their employees to grow and prosper. For more information about the Chamber, visit its website, www.mdchamber.org or call (410) 269-0642 or (301) 261-2858.

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