Posted on 01/31/2014 6:15:53 PM PST by ConservativeStatement
A Pennsylvania lawmaker's proposal to gut the Race Horse Development Fund supported by revenue from slot machines generated a strong response from the Pennsylvania Equine Coalition, which represents owners, breeders, and trainers of racehorses in the state.
Republican Rep. Todd Stevens introduced legislation that would shift $250 million a year—almost the entire amount racing and breeding gets from slot machine revenue—to fund education in Pennsylvania. In statements, the lawmaker from southeastern Pennsylvania said horse racing is for the wealthy and elite, and that education should be the priority.
(Excerpt) Read more at bloodhorse.com ...
No, but it looks like he’s in favor of distributing income from people who work around horses to “education.”
I think I’d ditch the fund altogether.
Or else trying to paint dems into a corner where they will have to pick between their rich backers and the teacher’s union.
I’ll be sorry to see horse racing go, but I can see the writing on the wall.
That is the point horse racing no longer attracts large numbers of fans. Race tracks have closed across the country.
The only reason some have survived is that laws are passed to allow slot machines at the tracks racinos is name for this hybrid. The slots draw the people to the track.
Why can’t the horse racing industry survive without heavy tax subsidies?
Horse-racing fan here.
Doesn’t know much about it, does he? Wealthy and elite. First, most fans are not. Second, the bread and butter of racing is everyday owners and trainers. They hope to make it big but rarely do.
This is not Ascot.
But, I’m not big on taxes supporting anything. From that standpoint, fine.
But please stop with the buzzword “education”. Crock of /;::;$))&$/. When are these morons going to learn, ha ha , money does not mean great education?
He’s trying the typical lib meme of “FOR THE CHIIIILLLDREEENNNN”.
Oh, I get it . . . I simply would like horse tracks to be treated as casinos, instead of (politically-connected) casinos trying to put horse tracks out of business.
PA was NEVER a hub of racing. Never. It’s always been bush-league.
It is not disappearing anytime soon, not at the important centers.
I’m in Illinois, and I can tell you with a fair degree of certainty that our government is trying to put the horse racing industry out of business.
I haven’t read the article yet but from the same web site dedicated to horse racing:
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/83148/illinois-horsemen-object-to-stakes-inclusion
Which is funny, because Chicago was one of the top centers. I’d say the last on the list of those circuits that could survive.
Jackson Harness raceway closed in 08. Seems to be the same sort of thing involving slot machines.
Story from 2009
http://blog.mlive.com/bradosphere/2009/10/jackson_harness_raceway_its_st.html
I personally don’t gamble or care for horse racing but don’t care what they do down there as long as I don’t have to pay for it.
I don’t claim to have the ideal answer to the question and it likely is complicated. In a short, probably imperfect answer, the industry is hurting in some corners and is bolstered by casinos on or adjacent to the properties. Some pessimists see it going the way of greyhound racing.
Except Smarty Jones was oh-so-close to winning the Triple Crown.
Our best trainers are packing up and leaving. To where, I don’t know, because I don’t follow horse racing that closely. But it’s what I’m hearing from the handicappers.
Smarty, whom I loved, is a drop in the bucket of the vast history of racing in and of PA. There are more involved in Standardbred trotters than TBs.
Yes, don’t know where. Maybe KY. Closest survivable circuit.
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