Deadline looms for Pa. horse racing deal

[Shemp Howard]

Looks like the Pa Horseman are folding like a cheap camera. And to think they gave cash and votes to Wolf.

Ha ha ha........you only live once.



http://media.philly.com/designimages/partnerIcon-Inquirer-2014.jpg
(http://www.philly.com/inquirer)

State lawmakers and Pennsylvania's horseracing industry met again Thursday but failed to reach a deal to keep tracks running statewide, leaving one day before Gov. Wolf said he'll be forced to tracks shut down.

Representatives for both sides will reconvene Friday at noon, said Salvatore M. DeBunda, president of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, which represents trainers and owners at Parx Casino in Bensalem.

In an email, DeBunda confirmed there was "no definitive resolution" but declined to elaborate.


Wolf said last week that the state can no longer afford to continuously bail out the increasingly insolvent state racing fund, which pays for licensing, safety measures and drug testing of horses.

For decades, those administrative costs, which total about $20 million, were covered by revenue from horse betting. But as wagers declined, along with horse racing's popularity, the fund fell short, often forcing the state transfer money from somewhere else in the budget. This year the shortfall is about $10 million, officials said.

Harrisburg's ongoing budget stalemate forced the issue into the open last week because the state lacked money to transfer into the deflated racing fund, the administration said.

The governor's spokesman, Jeff Sheridan, said the industry had to face the "hard truths" and pushed for agreement on a measure sponsored by Sen. Elder Vogel (R., Beaver), which would include the industry bearing $9 million in drug testing costs.

[Tom]

If your can't pay your way, you should be closed.
Why reward failure?

[EMD4ME]

Looks like the Pa Horseman are folding like a cheap camera. And to think they gave cash and votes to Wolf.

Ha ha ha........you only live once.



http://media.philly.com/designimages/partnerIcon-Inquirer-2014.jpg
(http://www.philly.com/inquirer)

State lawmakers and Pennsylvania's horseracing industry met again Thursday but failed to reach a deal to keep tracks running statewide, leaving one day before Gov. Wolf said he'll be forced to tracks shut down.

Representatives for both sides will reconvene Friday at noon, said Salvatore M. DeBunda, president of the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, which represents trainers and owners at Parx Casino in Bensalem.

In an email, DeBunda confirmed there was "no definitive resolution" but declined to elaborate.


Wolf said last week that the state can no longer afford to continuously bail out the increasingly insolvent state racing fund, which pays for licensing, safety measures and drug testing of horses.

For decades, those administrative costs, which total about $20 million, were covered by revenue from horse betting. But as wagers declined, along with horse racing's popularity, the fund fell short, often forcing the state transfer money from somewhere else in the budget. This year the shortfall is about $10 million, officials said.

Harrisburg's ongoing budget stalemate forced the issue into the open last week because the state lacked money to transfer into the deflated racing fund, the administration said.

The governor's spokesman, Jeff Sheridan, said the industry had to face the "hard truths" and pushed for agreement on a measure sponsored by Sen. Elder Vogel (R., Beaver), which would include the industry bearing $9 million in drug testing costs.

Watch, the horsemen will talk the well intentioned politicians :D into increasing the takeout to 53% on 3/4/5 horse bets and 35% on 1-2 horse bets to cover the shortfall :bang: :bang: :bang:

[LottaKash]

Watch, the horsemen will talk the well intentioned politicians :D into increasing the takeout to 53% on 3/4/5 horse bets and 35% on 1-2 horse bets to cover the shortfall :bang: :bang: :bang:

Haha EMD, I wouldn't put that notion past those guys...

I really don't think that they get it....I truly believe that, that is the main reason (high takes) why the PA tracks have lost their way with the public..

I mean after awhile even the least astute player, will finally get it... And, it appears that is what seems to have happened... The players, especially the not so good ones, are/were going broke playing at those venues...

Too bad I always liked PA harness racing, the flats not so much...But in recent times, I no longer play the exotics just grind away via WP wagering...

If I ran another race jurisdiction, and I really cared about the sport, I would take a very close look at what is happening in Pennsylvania these days...

[Donttellmeshowme]

Doesnt all these tracks in PA have casino gambling? And they still cant find money to pay for fees and drug testing? Someone taking the money and putting it in there pockets?

[Thomas Roulston]

But how much money would PA racing save if they abolished the starter's bonuses and simply paid the unplaced horses out of the base purse, as New Jersey, Florida etc. do?

[rastajenk]

I'm just taking a guess here, but this smells like the state government is unwilling to offend one of its core constituents (public union workers) by asking for cutbacks, so they are herding the horsemen into a corner demanding help for their own irresponsibility. I know that Penn has big casino-bloated purses that could probably be skimmed to help the state out, but I don't blame the horsemen if they think it's not their responsibility to help the state meet its employee obligations. A couple years ago I followed a link from here, or Paulick Report maybe, to a Penn racing commission financial report, and I was amazed at all the full-time union jobs that are part-time gigs in many other jurisdictions. Those don't come cheap. I could be wrong, but I don't think this is automatically about greedy owners and cheating trainers and the rest of the usual Penn circus. I think it's more about how the government spends other people's money.

[castaway01]

I'm just taking a guess here, but this smells like the state government is unwilling to offend one of its core constituents (public union workers) by asking for cutbacks, so they are herding the horsemen into a corner demanding help for their own irresponsibility. I know that Penn has big casino-bloated purses that could probably be skimmed to help the state out, but I don't blame the horsemen if they think it's not their responsibility to help the state meet its employee obligations. A couple years ago I followed a link from here, or Paulick Report maybe, to a Penn racing commission financial report, and I was amazed at all the full-time union jobs that are part-time gigs in many other jurisdictions. Those don't come cheap. I could be wrong, but I don't think this is automatically about greedy owners and cheating trainers and the rest of the usual Penn circus. I think it's more about how the government spends other people's money.

I think you're basically right. The tracks fought for years to get slots, and when they finally gave them the right to gamble the state of PA underestimated how much cash would roll in from them. They regret they didn't take a bigger piece of the pie, and now they're trying to squeeze the tracks to balance their own bloated budgets. For politicians, par for the course.

[happy camper]

Silly question, but if they shut down all PA racetracks, would my money be frozen in a telebet account at one of these tracks?

It is a buggy track.

[happy camper]

So I call said buggy track, they know what I'm talking about, and they can't tell me anything. They said they're in the dark and know as much as I do.


Um, ok. I may be stopping there today to get my funds out. F that.

[happy camper]

Because this issue has put me in a bad mood, mostly because of the piss poor response by Pocono Downs, I spoke with the media area from the Department of Agriculture. The nice man said regardless of the decision made, they would have to wait 30 days before said action happened.

I don't care what they do in the end.

[Donttellmeshowme]

where will all the trainers go?

[Dr Gonzo]

http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/wolf-administration-extends-horse-racing-shutdown-deadline-one-week/zsJojD---pb3PjUHEIp3pM/

[cj]

http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/wolf-administration-extends-horse-racing-shutdown-deadline-one-week/zsJojD---pb3PjUHEIp3pM/

That was 1-20 to happen.

[Dr Gonzo]

where will all the trainers go?

They could always apply for teaching positions at pharmacy schools :)

[therussmeister]

where will all the trainers go?
The same place they're going this winter, just sooner.

[pandy]

I emailed them http://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx#.VjQvYberSM8

and told them that the 10% tax they charged ADW's should be reversed. HANA should really get something going where everyone who lives in PA can contact them. I told them that I boycotted PA tracks after the tax went into effect. I also found out that they spent almost $2 million in legals fees when people challenged the constitutionality of the tax. Personally, I think it is unconstitutional, but it's also stupid. Whenever you hurt horseplayers you hurt your bottom line.