Pennsylvania Governor doing the right thing

[GeeMoney]

Take that money and use it wisely.   The greed and corruption in racing is gigantic in this State and the horsepeople refuse to help themselves.   

#shutdownPAracing

[swoodall]

Governor Wolf’s budget proposal would end
horseracing in Pennsylvania, have devastating
impact on agriculture industry

Harrisburg, PA — Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed fiscal year 2021-22 budget — which seeks
to raid $199 million from the Race Horse Development Trust Fund — would result in the end
of horseracing in Pennsylvania, an integral part of the state’s agriculture industry that
supports hundreds of small businesses and 20,000 family-sustaining jobs. The proposed
budget repeats a recommendation the Wolf Administration put forth last year that failed to
gain traction in the legislature.

“It is hard to fathom why the Wolf Administration would once again put forward a
fundamentally flawed proposal that was widely dismissed and failed to gain any meaningful
support last year in the legislature,” said Pete Peterson, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania
Equine Coalition, an organization representing the six Thoroughbred and Standardbred
horsemen and breeder associations in the state. “This proposal would result in the end of
horseracing, which supports 20,000 jobs, delivers an annual $1.6 billion economic impact,
and preserves hundreds of thousands of acres of open space.”

Peterson noted that the effects would be felt well beyond Pennsylvanians who work at a race
track or breed horses. Purse money earned by a horse enables the owner to buy hay and
straw from farmers, feed from local feed mills, as well as pay the horse’s jockey, trainer,
blacksmith, groom, veterinarian, and equine dentist. In addition, countless small businesses
in the manufacturing, retail and construction industries count horsemen and breeders among
their major customers for horse trailers and vehicles, feed equipment, riding tack and other
supplies, the construction or repair of barns and fencing, and more.

“Given the current economic climate, we should be looking for ways to provide support to
struggling working families and small businesses, not threatening their jobs and livelihoods,”
said Peterson. “Eliminating horseracing and breeding would have far-reaching negative
impacts throughout the agriculture industry, Pennsylvania’s leading economic sector, as well
as the broader state economy. Pennsylvanians who work in or rely on the horseracing
industry to support their families already face financial challenges due to the COVID-related
shutdown of race tracks and casinos last year and this proposal will only add to their stress.

“Everyone recognizes that college debt and rising tuition rates are major problems, but you
don’t fix one debt problem by putting an entire sector of the agriculture industry out of
business and thousands of people out of work.”
Beyond the economic ramifications, Peterson noted that the Administration’s proposal to
divert non-tax dollars from the Race Horse Development Trust Fund for purposes other than
what they were intended also faces a significant legal hurdle. In 2017, the General Assembly
passed — and Governor Wolf signed into law — legislation (Act 42) that specifically states the
amounts in the RHDTF “are not funds of the Commonwealth” and that “the Commonwealth
shall not be rightfully entitled” to the RHDTF funds.

The General Assembly and Governor approved that trust fund protection language in order to
spur new long-term investment in Pennsylvania’s racing and breeding industry by providing
increased economic certainty for investors. Now, no more than four years later, the Governor
appears to be suggesting that the Commonwealth reverse its commitment.

“Given the proposal’s far-reaching negative impacts on Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry
and the significant legal issues it faces, we are optimistic that the legislature will again reject
this proposal,” said Peterson. “But by merely floating this idea, the Administration is hurting
working families that are already reeling from the effects of COVID-19. These next few
months are an extremely important time for horse breeders, as customers are deciding right
now whether they want to breed their horses here in Pennsylvania or in other states such as
New York, Virginia, Maryland, or Kentucky. Putting this idea out there — even though it has
little chance of success — will result in real financial harm to our breeding farms here in
Pennsylvania.”

[horses first]

Interesting the PA Gov picks this time to raid money from horse racing while his democrat friends in DC are about to give tax payer dollars away in bundles. I'm not saying the 1,400 shouldn't go out...it should. Same with extended unemployment while we continue to vaccinate. We just passed 900B in which schools received 82B how much was used so far? They are about to receive another 182B. All this money that states will not have to spend on getting schools up and going. However the big price is 360B for states and local. PA is the 5th largest state so however the breakdown works PA can be in for a large windfall of funds so in this case why start raiding areas during a pandemic?

[silent one]

 Pennsylvania is indeed a complete clusterfuck. That is why the Governor ir correct in taking away a handout to whoresmen, and using that money to help actual people. "Given the current economic climate, we should be looking for ways to provide support to struggling working families and small businesses," This is exactly what the Governor is trying to do by removing the unnecessary handout to whoresmen. Kudos to the Governor of Pennsylvania, who is thinking of the people of his state.

     Sincerely, Silent One

     

[Calhoun]

How about reading once in a while instead of shooting your mouth off. That money is non tax dollars. It is not a handout. It would be no different then the Governor taking pension reserves. Maybe you need to stay silent.

I know a little about this.  You are right, it's not "Tax dollars,"  it is "Assessment Dollars" ... you split that hair nicely. 

[Under The STick]

Take that money and use it wisely.   The greed and corruption in racing is gigantic in this State and the horsepeople refuse to help themselves.   

#shutdownPAracing

If you are in harnessing racing in anyway how could you say such a thing?

[chief yogi]

the other way to look at this is this.   the casino $ was divided up by law when they were allowed to open. purses get a small percent of revenue. the state is getting a bigger share. state is never going to give up a nickle of their share yet they want the purse money on top of their own.

[caddy]

the other way to look at this is this.   the casino $ was divided up by law when they were allowed to open. purses get a small percent of revenue. the state is getting a bigger share. state is never going to give up a nickle of their share yet they want the purse money on top of their own.

all the critiques of the way racing is run in PA makes me wonder ? where in the heck is the PA Racing Comm ? They're responsible for oversight.  Shouldn't the PA Comm advise this gov on the benefits to the state as regards employing thousands at a time when work should be cherished not diminished

[Hush Limbaugh II]

Whorse racing has been victimized for a LONG TIME with these PA welfare sucking people just fucking the system. The Governor isn't ending racing in PA, he is stating stand on your own two feet. What has PA whorse racing done to improve its product, NOTHING. Its like a drug addict on a treatment program for 10 years, and nothing changes.  Enough is ENOUGH. 

[TTitans1]

The horsemen have received enough! Fuck them. They took all the welfare from the slots and did nothing to help promote themselves. The more money they made, the more they spent to develop better drugs. They didn`t give a fuck about the gambler which is what the sport was built on. The commissions were even worse hammering the little guys and letting the big stables walk. They are using class 1 narcotics, illegal steroids and blood builders that if you got caught on the street with you would go to prison yet they get it pushed under the table or a fine. Now that the feds are involved, it is going to be over and it should. Be thankful for the gift you have gotten for all these years. Racing was dead if the slots didn`t come along years ago. The general public does not give 1 fuck about racing and know the money can be used better elsewhere. The farmers will get along just fine without horse racing! I spent 35 years in the business and can tell you that it is the most corrupt business with the biggest bunch of assholes in the world. Goodbye!

[Superfecta]

all the critiques of the way racing is run in PA makes me wonder ? where in the heck is the PA Racing Comm ? They're responsible for oversight.  Shouldn't the PA Comm advise this gov on the benefits to the state as regards employing thousands at a time when work should be cherished not diminished

Our Government is on a fast track eliminating jobs instead of creating and each move creates a ripple effect to other businesses that lose out and won't survive. The Keystone pipe line is a perfect example. Thousands out of work and hotels and restaurants will suffer as well. Our gas prices are going way up so millions more will suffer as well.

[Brown jug]

and if he shuts down racing where do the 20,000 people who earn a living  from racing go , oh yeah onto the government payroll, sure that's a good idea, they just get the handout in a different way instead of working for it and helping the overall economy... that by the way is called the multiplier effect...economic s 101

[The Exporter]

and if he shuts down racing where do the 20,000 people who earn a living  from racing go , oh yeah onto the government payroll, sure that's a good idea, they just get the handout in a different way instead of working for it and helping the overall economy... that by the way is called the multiplier effect...economic s 101

Why do you assume if the government cuts the subsidy, all horse people will resort to welfare and never work again? 

[horses first]

The 20k jobs thing was always a floating number take like OH in it's lean years where did the horsemen go, PA. Before that when MI had a product they went to IL and IN. The same with IL they kind of dispersed all over the country to find a home. So if PA racing was  damaged or went bust where are most of those jobs? Around the barns? Do most just work for cash and not on the government tax ledger? You will find your vets move or they move around already. Same with a farrier. Your trainers will pick up and move family and stables. Grooms travel as well. The state employees stand to lose a job only if the tracks leave. Just because purses get cheaper those jobs still need to be filled. So in the end the industry pares down in PA, they lose revenue from the racing and breeding end, and it will have the indirect as farmers use they land for something other then hay. No doubt the state loses but the 20k to unemployment will not be the case.

[LUCPARK]

lots of

BIG GUYS IN PA
WILL LOOK TO RACE AT HOOSIER

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