Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday that he has rearranged his schedule to come to South Florida this week and
personally campaign against a ballot measure to bring slot machines to seven race tracks and jai-alai
frontons in Miami-Dade and Broward.
The bilingual governor was to start his campaign today with calls to drive-time Spanish-language radio shows.
Bush said he planned to help raise money for the anti-slot effort. Voters go to the polls Tuesday.
''I'm going to get a little more involved, rather than just vote,'' said Bush, who retains a Miami residence.
``I'm going to try to generate some support.''
Bush cast his appearance as a ''little guerrilla effort,'' noting the $3 million the industry has raised to put up television advertising and plant lawn signs pledging that slots will deliver jobs and money for education.
But the appearance of the state's most prominent politician, who remains hugely popular in his second term in office, could give a key public relations boost to the anti-slots campaign, a collection of religious groups, local elected officials and animal rights organizations that say they have not raised enough money to advertise on television.
''This is an uphill struggle,'' Bush said. ``The anti-gambling good government side of the equation doesn't
have an organized effort. But I think we can organize a little guerrilla effort at least to bring up people's level of understanding of what this issue is about. . . . At least we'll make these guys spend a lot more money.''
A spokeswoman for the pro-slots campaign, which today will unveil its own roster of elected officials
supporting the measure, said Bush's opposition is already well known. Bush has consistently rejected pushes to expand gambling within the state.
''It's not really a surprise,'' said spokeswoman Stacey Brenan, refuting Bush's objection that the measure would increase gambling across the state.
''Gambling is already here,'' Brenan said.
``This is a way to provide a new source of funding for education and voters want that.''
Bush, who last month wrote a letter to the Christian Coalition warning that approval of the measure could
open the door to casinos, said he decided to get more actively involved because he's worried about the lasting effect of the measure.
''Normally you like to try to plan these things out and methodically go about implementing a campaign
strategy and crush 'em,'' said the veteran campaigner. ``This is not going to be that way.''