Tonight at 7:00, Education Voters of PA will be hosting a webinar: “Lifting the curtain on cruelty and death in Pennsylvania’s horse racing industry.” I will be speaking and answering questions afterward. Education Voters is committed to ending the $240 million in corporate welfare being funneled to Pennsylvania’s horseracing industry every year (over $3 billion since 2004). The group wants, instead, for that slots money to go where it was intended in the first place: education. As I’ve previously written: Preserving a declining industry, as measured by demand (handle, attendance), that abuses and kills sentient beings as a matter of course, at the expense of schoolchildren (or any student) is not only untenable but morally indefensible.
Please consider tuning in: https://krc-pbpc-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIvc-irqD4iGdap-kOA_EdPF_9WdM_sIFAv.
Thank you for this event and invitation, Patrick!!! I am looking forward to the racing industry being denied the $240 Million in Pennsylvania. It is horrendously sad that so many horses from this state will be sent to slaughter and possibly some will be shipped to different racetracks in different states when the racing participants will “have to sell their houses” as they say. The horses are going to suffer no matter what though, which is sickening.
Patrick..
Work your magic and tell them like it is!!
I registered and will be right there with you (well, in the background). You will shine!!
This is fantastic news!!!!
It’s news like this that gives me some more fuel to keep going after years of fighting this horrific business.
Some days I just want to quit and then I think about the horses: they’re voiceless and defenseless victims.
I will be there – wouldn’t miss it for the world.
This is the beginning and my hope is that we can form a national alliance that stands toe-to-toe with the corrupt “horsemen’s groups” who are in the room demanding their share of casino profits to support them.
Nowhere in that room is taxpayers representation, educational entities and ordinary citizens.
Of course the racehorses are the biggest losers because they have no voice while they kill them.
Horse racing across North America has been holding their “secret bunker” meetings with politicians who are getting political contributions while completely cutting out the people and entities paying for this egregious abuse of taxpayers money and casino profits.
It’s time to STOP THE FUNDING and the shuttering of tracks will sure follow.
Incidentally, the funding was supposed to only be temporary as the “horsemen’s groups” convinced politicians that all this money would help them get back on their feet again and be a profitable business.
Laughable.
The only entities that can’t stand on their own 2 feet are the racehorses who are being crippled and killed daily by this vile business.
From what I have seen on video and read online, the people that are involved in the horse racing business in Pennsylvania act like they think they’re entitled to the money. They act like it was their God-given right to have the taxpayer’s money. They have that attitude. I get the impression that some of them don’t think anyone else is entitled to receive these public funds.
I’ll be there. I think this is the only way to end it.
hello,
ZOOM ONLY?? SERIOUSLY???
WHAT ABOUT YOUR SUPPORTERS WHO CANNOT ACCESS ZOOM??? Are you making alternative provisions for us??? Will the webinar be available on YouTube?? If it will be available, will you provide the YouTube link? Will you at least provide written transcripts? If not, why not?
If you are only utilizing Zoom, you will be ignoring and neglecting those of us who cannot access Zoom – we do not
use smart technology/smart devices – our computers are not equipped with microphones and cameras. Zoom will
not accept or recognize desktops without both cameras and microphones. There is still a very large percentage of us
in the US who do not have/use smart technology which can be used for Zoom virtual presentations. A great many of
us are elderly; among our top list of concerns are very valid and rational personal invasive privacy and personal
security issues.
Our desktops work perfectly for typical YouTube video/audio presentations as well other ‘regular’ internet videos. Even
if it was possible to just “view” ZOOM on my desktop without any audio it essentially would be useless.
It is very disappointing to see that you, too, along with far too many others, continue to blithely assume Zoom
presentations are universally accessible – ZOOM IS NOT 100% ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!
As a long time supporter who always retweets every Horseracing Wrong’s emails, I am very Interested in seeing
what your response will be.
Deborah Efron
Bellevue WA
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It will be live on Facebook and also will be available afterward. I will provide a link. Thank you.
You can join a zoom meeting on your phone.
Thank you, Patrick — This news should be spread throughout the world — the world NEEDS to KNOW the horrors of this depravedly cruel and immoral industry.
I too am so disappointed that I wasn’t able to participate. I tried to download the Zoom app but was not successful. Pity, as I would have had alot to contribute having lived in Pennsylvania, knowing racing personnel and the ugly underbelly of horseracing. Not everyone is “tech-savvy”.
Great meeting.
So many important points made, but 2 stood out for me.
Firstly, Sue pointed out that most politicians and residents simply don’t know about the TIF, Thoroughbred Investment Fund, which is essentially the funding for horse racing in states.
In PA they explained that was 11% of all casino profits in the state translating to millions.
Their graph clearly showed this information and it was great.
Secondly, horse racing claims they are an “agricultural sector” (they do this in Ontario Canada as well) when really they are just a gambling venue that exploits racehorses.
Studies have shown that the agricultural sector will do just fine if horse racing were to shut down since they are already servicing livestock operations.
So education of our politicians and the public is another key factor with the focus on funding.
This killing show and unnecessary gambling venue that requires millions in public money has got to go.
It’s time for states to stop funding this bottomless pit full of suffering and dying.
So happy to have this group on board to help get this goal done: stop the funding.
The demise of horse racing is sure to follow and the racehorses can’t wait any longer.
Gina, thank you for your summary. As far as agriculture goes in connection with horseracing, technically there are individuals who sell a lot of hay to the horse racing industry. These individuals want to keep raking in that $800,000-plus income from selling hay to race horse owners. Well, that was one man saying this in just Pennsylvania.
Another ugly reality about horses and agriculture is the slaughter. Every horse that is “tagged” for legal slaughter must have a United States Department of Agriculture tag/chip. I hate it that horses are subject to slaughter!!!
If it weren’t for the gambling on horses to win, place, show, et cetera, Pari-Mutuel wagering would not be a thing. People could bet on robots IF they outlawed live horseracing.
Profit on a hay field is $100-200 per acre per year. Even at the high end he’s claiming he has 4000 acres. When horse racing almost died in Michigan the hay producers just planted something else and they’re all fine.
Not to mention that hay has been in short supply in recent years due to erratic weather patterns. None of these guys are sitting on stockpiles of hay that they can’t get rid of. Many farmers have also been shipping their hay around the country to areas such as California, that are desperate for hay