three-week survey on the casino gaming issue."

McDermott, who along with fellow Forum leaders expected a 50 percent

negative response rate, said he was surprised to learn that more than 94

percent of Forum members gave the plan the highest possible approval rating.

However, it was not clear Wednesday exactly how many surveys were mailed out

and how many of those returned supported Planet Park.

A member of McDermott's staff said he was out of the office late Wednesday.

The staff member also said she did not know how many Forum members had

participated in the survey.

In his written statement, McDermott credited the positive response of Forum

members to their business acumen.

"Our members understand the difference between throwing money out the window

and investing for future returns," he said. "While they scrutinize all proposed

taxes and judge most either unnecessary or impractical, they view Planet Park