Gov. Jeb Bush and House Speaker Allan Bense hopscotched Miami-Dade and Broward counties Friday in an attempt to defeat next week's slot machine referendum, but admitted their last-minute push was a long shot trying to compete against the millions of the pro-slot campaign.
As they toured the two counties, the politicians were dogged by vocal, pro-slot machine partisans who argued legalized gambling at seven race tracks and jai alai frontons would provided a boost for the economy and tax money for education.
State campaign filings by Yes for Better Schools and Jobs, the main pro-slots campaign committee, showed late Friday it had raised nearly $7 million as of Thursday, principally from the tracks seeking to get the slot machines. Friday was the last day for pro- and anti-slot forces to file their public campaign reports before Tuesday's referendum.
The finances of the major anti-slot machine group in Broward, which calls itself Remember the Lottery, were unavailable Friday. Political consultant Robin Rorapaugh referred questions to political consultant Dan Lewis, who could not be reached for comment despite two messages left on his cell phone.
What few reports there were from anti-slot forces, however, seemed to confirm the overwhelming advantage of the pro-slot forces.
Earlier in the day, the governor admitted his side had been badly outgunned on the money front. Estimating the pro-gambling forces had raised nearly $6 million, he said opponents had only been able to raise "less than 5 percent of that."
Voters in the two counties will decide Tuesday if slot machines should be installed at existing parimutuels. Voters narrowly approved in November amending the state constitution, which allowed next week's referendums.
Earl Bender, the campaign manager for the pro-slot machine Yes for Better Schools and Jobs, said his group feels they remain in the lead.
"My guess is that they might be ahead," the governor said.
Bush and Bense have long opposed any expansion of gambling, but took no action in the under-funded anti-slot machine campaign until this week. Bush said the tactic of jumping into the fray at the end worked to gain free publicity and attention.
"It's been effective to focus on the end," Bush said.
Though he originally planned two days of events, Bush had no scheduled appearances for today and said he would not appear in any television advertisements. His trip was paid for by Floridians for Responsible Spending, which reported raising $318,500 between Feb. 12 and March 3.
The campaign swing began Friday morning in Miami-Dade County with Bush phoning radio talk shows. His first appearance was at a business roundtable meeting at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.
"This will define our community, whether you like it or not. [Slot machines] limits our aspirations and defines us in a way that we should not be happy with,'' said Bush, who is from Miami and says he will move back when his term expires in less than two years.
In another room of the Biltmore, pro-slots forces, including two Miami legislators, were joined by about 60 parimutuel workers, mainly from the Flagler Dog Track.
``The Indian tribe gambling monopoly does not provide even one penny of benefit to our community,'' said state Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami. Before leaving Miami-Dade, Bush, his wife Columba, and state Rep. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, cast no votes on the referendum at an early-voting site at West Miami City Hall.
Traveling to Broward, Bush and Bense met with about 100 business, political, community and church leaders at a downtown Fort Lauderdale bank's auditorium. Significant absences from the anti-slot machine rally indicated many in Broward's leadership support slot machines or are staying out of the campaign.
The rally with the governor and House speaker was attended by only one Broward member of the state Legislature -- state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale.
Noting the Legislature must still decide who gets any taxes raised by the slot machines, Bense warned the Broward group that the money will be shared by all 67 counties in the state. Meanwhile, Broward and Miami-Dade would get all the detrimental effects from the slot machines, said Bense.
Bush called slot machines "a false hope if you believe it will help schools. It's a false hope if you believe it will help economic development."
"That sucking sound you hear is that money crossing the Broward line [on its way to north Florida]," Bush said.
Outside the bank about 40 pro-slot machine activists marched waving signs.
In its filing, Yes for Better Schools and Jobs reported it had raised $6,855,995. The biggest contributors since February were the owners of the Flagler Dog Track ($600,000), Gulfstream Park ($600,000), Hollywood Greyhound Track ($500,000) and the Monroe Development Company in Dania Beach ($1 million), the filing showed.
On the other side, the Christian Coalition of South Florida raised about $36,000, Doug Hurd, the group's chairman, said Friday. The money will be used for anti-slot machine advertising on Miami television stations, brochures in English and Spanish and newspaper advertising, he said.
No Casinos, an anti-slot machine group based in Central Florida, raised about $5,000 from the Florida Baptist Convention, but spent around $8,000 on travel and salaries, according to Paul Seago.
Campaign filings show the Broward Workshop, a business group that has sent out anti-slot mailings, raised $9,250 during the Feb. 12 to March 3 filing period.
Max Osceola of the Seminoles, which in the past funded anti-slot campaigns, reiterated Friday that the tribe would not be spending any money on the current referendum.
If approved by Broward voters Tuesday, Las Vegas-style slot machines will be permitted at Hollywood Greyhound Track, Dania Jai-Alai, Pompano Park and Gulfstream Park. If Miami-Dade voters approve the referendum, slot machines will be allowed at Flagler Dog Track, Miami Jai-Alai and Calder Race Course.
Under federal law, if the referendum passes, the Indian casinos, including the three in South Florida, can upgrade to Las Vegas-type slot machines. Currently, the Indian tribes offer a form of video bingo.
Buddy Nevins can be reached at bnevins@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4571.