YOUNGSTOWN - Former U.S. representative Jim Traficant asked the Mahoning County commissioners to help him pressure the governor to approve an Indian casino in North Jackson.
Traficant told the commissioners Thursday at their weekly meeting that he wanted their strong support and wanted them to make sure Gov. Ted Strickland endorses the project and publicly states he will assist
"I need you to step forward now and say, 'Yeah, we're going to do it and we want it." Traficant yelled.
"We want you to at least step out of the way, and if you can, get them to endorse it before the election. That's why I wanted it done six months ago."
Traficant, the former representative who was released in 2009 after serving seven years in prison for taking bribes, among other convictions, while he was in office, is pushing for the project, which includes a hotel, casino, indoor amusement park and bank. He is promoting the project for the Indigenous Tribal Affiliates of Native America tribe and the Munsee Delaware Indian Nation, which has ties to Ohio.
The plans include building the complex on 20 acres at the corner of Mahoning Avenue and North Bailey Road in North Jackson. That land was sold for $1 to a trustee of both Itana and Munsee Delaware tribes.
The next step is trying to get the land named as an Indian reservation.
Traficant, who is running as an independent candidate for the 17th U.S. Congressional District, said he believes the casino would bring between 1,200 and 1,500 jobs to the area, including about 1,000 permanent jobs.
"We need somebody locally to take charge," Traficant said.
Of the three commissioners, David Ludt said he supported the casino, and John McNally and Anthony Traficanti both said they would need to talk to the North Jackson trustees and residents to gather more information before deciding if they will endorse the project.
They said they would attend North Jackson's trustees meeting Tuesday and then asked Traficant back to the county commissioners meeting the following Thursday to further address the project.
Ludt said he immediately supported the casino project because he wants the volume of jobs the casino could create.
"We need that," Ludt said. "The economy nationwide is bad. People better pick their head out of the sand. If you keep doing the same thing, you're going to get the same results. We better change horses because this country's not doing well."
McNally said he wanted to wait to get more information from the township before endorsing the project.
"I know all three commissioners are happy to push for job creation in the Mahoning Valley, but this might be a bit premature at this time on this particular issue," McNally said.
Traficant may have an even bigger hurdle to overcome, however, the federal government.
According to the Ohio attorney general's office, only federally recognized tribes can apply for federal gaming licenses, and there are no such tribes in the state.
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