Citizens for Ocean Pine Equity Lobbies for Portion of Slots Profit

On January 12th, 2009, a group of well-known Ocean Pines residents is the latest to join the long-list of those lobbying the state representative for changes to Maryland's slots proposal. Roseann Bridgman, the chairwoman of Citizens for Ocean Pine Equity said that they are talking about Ocean Pines getting a portion in the distribution. She added that they feel that they should be included.

The COPE sent letters to Delegates Norman Conway and James Mathias, together with Senator J. Lowell Stolzfus, stating a brand new breakdown of slot machine impact funds that would hand Worcester County fifty-five percent, Ocean City twenty percent, Ocean Pines fifteen percent and Berlin ten percent. Bridge said that Ocean Pines, being closer to the slot machine location than Berlin and Ocean City-which are designated to get ten and twenty percent respectively, of local impact funds, with Worcester County Commissioners handling the remaining seventy percent-should have equal portion to the funding.

Conway said that while suggestions coming from the COPE and Worcester County officials would be carefully considered, it would be pretty difficult to modify the present slots legislation.

Wednesday, 04 February 2009
Cindy Alfonso