The thing about the hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate welfare flowing to horseracing every year is this: the industry doesn’t even try to hide it. Poll a racing exec in any of the subsidy states – which is to say, most of the racing states – and he’ll tell you directly: if we don’t get it, we don’t survive.
After winning a $20 million annual largess from the state last year, New Jersey horsemen are begging for more. A state assembly bill introduced earlier this month aims to allow New Jersey’s three racetracks to offer live poker games to help pad the purses. Enough already, New Jersey. If this patently nonessential business cannot subsist on its product alone (and it can’t), time to cut it loose. There will be more funds available for education, but of more import (at least to us here), no more horses will be made to suffer and die.
I’ve always been and always will be opposed to financial welfare to an unsustainable business especially when it’s at the expense of community essential services.
Now more than ever, in the middle of a pandemic and humanitarian crisis, horse racing shouldn’t receive one dime nor should they be permitted to continue their killing show.
Horse racing stable area personnel are usually transient .
It’s very similar to a traveling circus show so it was only a matter of time before evidence emerged of 15+ jockeys testing positive for Covid-19.
This clearly is a health hazard as they moved to multiple tracks in multiple states probably infecting a whole lot of people.
Death Mar AKA Del Mar has been ordered shut down for 3 days, but should be shut down indefinitely.
A Miami-Dade county Counselor has repeatedly posted that Gulfstream Park has been violating Covid-19 ordinances for months now and even refuses to have their jockey colony tested for Covid-19!
She states: “I’ve never seen a business get such preferential treatment while everybody else is doing their part.”
Many Miami counselors are demanding that The Stronach Group shut down Gulfstream Park but they just keep running and killing with their GOP buddy DeSantis refusing to shut them down – hmmmmm!
Their killing more than racehorses it seems as they are probably directly responsible for spreading this virus resulting in human deaths.
This business is so vile and it needs to shut down.
None of these politicians, Newsom, Como, DeSantis et al, have the guts or the moral integrity to do anything about this debacle. Forget the politicians they are a lost cause.
A very high percentage of families in the u.s. live paycheck to paycheck. Also,even when this PANDEMIC is through, it’s going to be a VERY different reality for this country. A lot of businesses will not be coming back, and more families than ever will need some assistance and re-training. Is giving that money to gambling for losers who have an addiction, really a wise choice?????????……..NO
Bonnie, you bring up an excellent point about gambling addiction. The money that some low-income people receive is from a government grant such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as well as other grants that are intended for bare-bones survival. Basic necessities are usually more expensive than what the public assistance grants will cover in one month such as rent and utilities plus other basic stuff. Some people qualify for food stamps which are NOT issued in paper form anymore but rather in the form of a plastic card; EBT, Electronic Benefits Transfer. Many people on these programs have been known to go out to the local casino to gamble, which is in violation of the laws of these government assistance programs. Gambling is not a basic necessity!
If some form of law enforcement would crack down on these types of violations, there would be some consequences for some of these gambling addicts and, I hope, the casinos that take their money. There needs to be more something (I’m not sure what) to address this issue.
NZ Citizens Against the Government Bailout of horseracing is taking it to the streets they announced today.
Just like here the NZ government has chosen horse racing over their ambulance services!
They voted to give 72.5 million to prop up the dying business of horse racing while St. John’s Ambulance is running a 30 million deficit being forced to cut services in the middle of a pandemic.
This group will be garnering signatures for a petition to put an end to horse racing subsidies.
Many politicians have explicitly stated that horse racing is not financially sustainable BUT it provides jobs so we keep the tracks open.
When will there be just 1 politician who thinks outside the box?
If the tracks were replaced with other business entities it would provide just as many jobs if not more plus bring in revenue instead of handing them more money.
Both the U.S and Canada is facing 10 years of “extreme financial hardship” due to Covid-19 bringing our economy to its knees.
NZ Citizens group will ask their government in the next Parliament session: “Why is horse racing given money over services that saves lives?”
That’s a question we all should be asking including our politicians.
That sounds so absolutely insane! It defies common sense to deny emergency and health services to anyone and subsidize the pro-slaughter, pro-racing, killing of horses instead!!!
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
Vile, disgusting waste of money!