It's the North vs the South for NJ racing!

[onefast99]

The poll says 44% of voters believe the state shouldn’t abandon the horse racing industry, while 39% believe it should. About 16% were undecided.

As for racetrack gaming machines, 47% support them and 43% do not. The results follow along traditional lines: Voters in South Jersey, where Atlantic City is located, generally oppose racetrack gaming, while voters in North Jersey, where Meadowlands is located, support it.

Revitalization of Atlantic City as a beach and boardwalk resort was supported 69%-25%, but a proposed state takeover of the city’s casino district was shot down 46%-33%, according to the poll.


This was taken from the recent article(8-20) in bloodhorse that discussed the Quinnipiac University poll on horse racing and the re-building of AC as a resort destination. It is apparent that this will be the North vs South when it comes down to where the dollars will end up going. Many in NJ know that Governor Christi is against any casino competition within the state but has yet to be informed that the competition is coming from our neighboring states. The Sands in Bethlehem has again started building a 300 room hotel/convention center which was under way and stopped due to the economy. Aqueduct will soon have a casino, and once that happens I believe the NJ casinos will come to their senses and a Meadowlands casino project will get underway once the NJ voters ok it.

[The_Knight_Sky]

Originally Posted by onefast99

Aqueduct will soon have a casino, and once that happens I believe the NJ casinos will come to their senses and a Meadowlands casino project
will get underway once the NJ voters ok it.

Q: If The Meadowlands area finally gets a casino would you want the Atlantic City folks running it ?


The rats can't be trusted with the cheese.
This scenario you mentioned (if it happens) is at least three years away.

In the interim, NJ racing, both thoroughbreds and harness should figure out a way to strengthen the racing product. Life goes on.

[Kelso]

I wonder why the poll didn't address the option of allowing North Jersey gambling with the bucks going into the state treasury rather than into the pockets of selfish horsemen.

That proposition would be a walk-over, and I expect it to reach a critical mass of support as the state sinks deeper into the red and well before any constitutional amendment (NJ) voting occurs.

[onefast99]

Originally Posted by Kelso

I wonder why the poll didn't address the option of allowing North Jersey gambling with the bucks going into the state treasury rather than into the pockets of selfish horsemen.

That proposition would be a walk-over, and I expect it to reach a critical mass of support as the state sinks deeper into the red and well before any constitutional amendment (NJ) voting occurs.

Should the huge amount of monies made by NJ horse racing over the years and spent on other projects in the state be returned to the "selfish horsemen"? If a casino/racino can benefit everyone there should be no reason why it isn't put forward to a vote by all of the NJ voters.

[lamboguy]

for years and years racetracks and state governments went hand in hand. racetracks were the cash machines to pay for the projects that hirsed the politions friends and family's, plus they got all their friends jobs at the racetracks. the state kept raping the racetracks for years and the tracks got squeezed for every last quarter. now that the states and the fine fellows that run it have added to every racetracks problem's they have decided to abandon the very source that was their slot machine in favor of casino's that are completly non productive. farms and racetracks generate more jobs statewide than casino's do, and in the long run those people with the jobs generate more revenues that the casino's do that run 24 hours a day and that have broken up more family's than kelsey's nuts.
don't get me wrong, if i was a legitamate pollition i wouldn't help the racetracks out either today until they get their acts together. giving away $1million in purses per day is not what i call getting their act together. if racetracks are run right they should be great for the mechanics of running a state and producing jobs.

[onefast99]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

for years and years racetracks and state governments went hand in hand. racetracks were the cash machines to pay for the projects that hirsed the politions friends and family's, plus they got all their friends jobs at the racetracks. the state kept raping the racetracks for years and the tracks got squeezed for every last quarter. now that the states and the fine fellows that run it have added to every racetracks problem's they have decided to abandon the very source that was their slot machine in favor of casino's that are completly non productive. farms and racetracks generate more jobs statewide than casino's do, and in the long run those people with the jobs generate more revenues that the casino's do that run 24 hours a day and that have broken up more family's than kelsey's nuts.
don't get me wrong, if i was a legitamate pollition i wouldn't help the racetracks out either today until they get their acts together. giving away $1million in purses per day is not what i call getting their act together. if racetracks are run right they should be great for the mechanics of running a state and producing jobs.

The $1m a day was not favored by many of the horseman. The Governor put this in front of those who think they are spokesman for the horseman and without a "true" vote the plan was set in place. MP is and always will be a landmark NJ needs to find a way to keep racing alive and hopefully Christi has found the right man to do it.

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by onefast99

The $1m a day was not favored by many of the horseman. The Governor put this in front of those who think they are spokesman for the horseman and without a "true" vote the plan was set in place. MP is and always will be a landmark NJ needs to find a way to keep racing alive and hopefully Christi has found the right man to do it.

Strange that I don't remember any horsemen speaking out opposing it last winter. Maybe because I am getting older that my memory is failing me.

[peakpros]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Strange that I don't remember any horsemen speaking out opposing it last winter. Maybe because I am getting older that my memory is failing me.

Maybe you should come to jersey. The weather is good for restoring memeries and you can pick up a few facts while your here.

Very few horseman were involved in this decision.

It was presented to the horseman with no alternative. If you wanted to race at monmouth this was the meet.

And of course, speak up about it and see how many stalls you get.

[The_Knight_Sky]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Strange that I don't remember any horsemen speaking out opposing it last winter.

This plan wasn't made public until March 9th.
Imagine what Monmouth can do for next year with a bit of tweaking.

http://theknightskyracing.blogspot.c...p-rosy-in.html

$9.48 million in all-sources handle today (August 21st)
The train keeps rolling !

[Kelso]

Originally Posted by onefast99

Should the huge amount of monies made by NJ horse racing over the years and spent on other projects in the state be returned to the "selfish horsemen"?

Of course not. No such "huge amounts" were ever raised (much less donated) by horse interests to the state's taxpayers.

To the contrary, New Jersey taxpayers have been subsidizing Monmouth ever since the selfish horsemen (who re-founded the place back in 1946) decided they didn't want to lose any more money on it and, as well, saw a nifty opportunity to turn a solid profit by selling off the land to developers.

Horsemen, including farmers, have never done any favors for the state. They have done what they've done for the same reason everyone else does whatever they do ... for the personal profit and/or enjoyment it generates for them. The taxes levied on their activities have been no different, in principle or proportion, than those imposed on every other business and private property in the state.

The taxpayers of New Jersey owe horsemen, and horse farmers, nothing. (The reverse cannot be honestly demonstrated.)

Originally Posted by onefast99

If a casino/racino can benefit everyone there should be no reason why it isn't put forward to a vote by all of the NJ voters.

No problem here. Just give the voters the SPECIFIC opportunity to vote whether the state should continue to subsidize the horse industry with casino/racino revenue that could otherwise go into the state treasury ... where ALL CITIZENS might have a chance to benefit from it.

North Jersey gambling, and its profits, are not the birthrights of horsemen or of the horse industry.