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http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Editorial-Another-scandal-another-lesson-3554177.php
Editorial: Another scandal, another lesson
May 12, 2012

… Isaac Harkaway's retirement — forced, by his account — followed by a massive rip-off of bettors by NYRA, makes the latest NYRA scandal seem an avoidable one.

… Mr. Harkaway was an examiner for the state Department of Taxation and Finance, and the last of his kind. His job was monitoring tax law compliance at racetracks. He verified the accuracy of the reported handle, the commissions and payouts to the public.

But cost-cutting brought an end to the job in 2010. And days after that, NYRA started breaking the law.

… Another tax examiner whose job was eliminated before Harkaway's, Michael Napolitano, says that if a state watchdog had still been around, the impropriety would have been spotted. …

… NYRA is an example of a choice. Perhaps nixing just one non-essential patronage job to save a truly useful civil service position, like a racetrack examiner, might have made a difference. …

http://saratogian.com/articles/2012/...b143960158.txt
Horse Racing: Charlie Hayward's legacy more than scandal
By: Michael Veitch May 12, 2012

… As the years of his tenure unfolded, Hayward dealt with enormous financial and political pressures surrounding NYRA. Two major ones involved the fight to secure a franchise extension with the state and the millions of dollars owed NYRA by a collapsing New York City Off-Track Betting system.

… NYRA got its franchise and Hayward's response to the NYCOTB situation resulted in strong business gains at Aqueduct and Belmont.

Taking place in a state that for decades has been hostile to NYRA, those issues tested Hayward's skills to the limit.

Charlie, by the way, was more than capable of delivering his own brand of irritation with state officials.

More than once he angered them with a testy response, or no response at all. …