It's crunch time in New York

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 2:15 pm

Turn off the lights, the party's over....

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=43605

reese · Postby **reese** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:12 pm

Rokeby Forever wrote:Turn off the lights, they party's over....

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=43605

Good. I'm glad NYRA is sticking to their guns.

The NYS Wagering board is responsible for holding up the VLT's for 5 years.

The corrupt politicians in Albany want to add 49% state politicos to NYRA's board and demand NYRA deliver unattainable performance goals...like on track attendance figures.

NO OTHER track in the county has such absurd restrictions.

The NYS Wagering Board dictates the % of the NYRA handle that is siphoned off directly to the state for who knows what. The remainder of the NYRA handle is left to NYRA to run their business...whether the % is adequate to cover the business of running NYRA is inconsequential to the Albany politicians.

Bruno is the culprit here. His son was payed millions by Magna as a lobbyist for the franchise a few years back. Bruno is getting his pound of flesh.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:50 pm

A short shutdown is a good thing ONLY if it forces resolutions. Otherwise, it's a nightmare for horsemen, owners, riders, employees of the tracks - everyone.

The VLT franchise winner isn't even being discussed....it's all about racing ownership and for how long, simulcasting, whether or not Belmont will have slots, and 100 other issues. How can a party make a bid on slots until it's decided if Belmont will have slots or not? Idiot Spitzer has already factored in slot revenue to his 2008 budget, and at this rate, there won't be any revenue!

Meanwhile, the tracks continue to crumble, the backstretches get worse, nothing is done to maintain the surfaces....and nobody even seems to care. And if nothing is resolved by 2/27, horses have to vacate Aqueduct and Belmont. Where are 2,000 horses supposed to go and train - the moon?

Every politician in Albany should be impeached over this disaster. Spitzer, Bruno, Silver - everyone!

bdw0617 · Postby **bdw0617** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:40 pm

when is the prep for the wood memorial? they would have been better off closing down at the first of the year. we are getting into derby season now, people are going to be coming out to the track, the wood memorial is coming up.

the problem is that it's not news. politicians don't' care because they don't think we care.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 6:59 pm

There will never be a shutdown long enough to let the Wood Memorial go by the wayside, but what until then? It's unbelievable that a $1 Billion industry in NY was discussed only once a week for months in the NY Assembly, and now it's come to this - Spitzer gave a State of the State and didn't even mention racing. Every politician in Albany should be shot at dawn.

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:34 pm

Well, there's a possible deal on the table, but politics in NY is so screwed up, who knows? Tomorrow is doomsday if something isn't reached.

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/nation ... tdown.aspx

TJ · Postby TJ » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:30 am

It's a done deal, NYRA will get the franchise. The franchise will be reduced to a 25 year period, NYRA will reduce it's board members to 25, other BS legal terms and additional monitoring and oversight of NYRA, double talkin etc and blah, blah, blah. The most important aspect, the horseman will get an increased percentage from the VLT revenues increased from the original August agreement. It is expected to be approved by the legislature early this morning and an official statement will come from NYRA this afternoon. Roke, who tipped you to this before it happened?

So get ready to pick your favorite for the Wood Memorial, games on again:>) TJ

Daisy Jal Dastur · Postby **Daisy Jal Dastur** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:47 am

Woohoo!! It's Party time... and the bubbly's on Roke's tab!

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:59 am

This bill doesn't address a lot of issues, but as far as keeping racing open with terms that everyone can live it, I guess they should pass it.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=43626

OK Daisy - bubbly's on me!

TJ · Postby TJ » Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:11 pm

Hi Roke,
Here is the entire text of the legislation concerning the franchise and other issues: Take particular note of this URL, the last 4 strokes...sh=t. That sums up this entire BS political ordeal:>) TJ

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A09998&sh=t

Daisy Jal Dastur · Postby **Daisy Jal Dastur** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:10 pm

And I quote "The legislation, a copy of which was obtained by The Blood-Horse, is part of a package that includes a $105 million bailout by the state of NYRA to help it emerge from its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and NYRA ending its ownership land claims for the three tracks."

Wow, they go from almost shutting down to becoming the 51st state - congrats (I guess!) :lol:

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 1:40 pm

The State now owns the land - I guess Aqueduct will become an expansion of JFK Airport in another year or two...remember when Spitzer was talking about selling the property six months ago?

Here's a reminder of what that sc*mbag was considering:

http://davidmquintana.blogspot.com/2007 ... would.html

reese · Postby **reese** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:06 pm

Spitzer is the worst of all. As the AG of NY, he portrayed himself as "crusader rabbit" battling the evil NYRA. What a hypocrite.

A disingenious phony...and he was the state AG...disgusting.

25 years is not a long time. Think 1983. I shudder to think what will happen in 2033...

PS
Spitzer "still" hasn't caught up with Grasso, the former head of the NYSE who had the NYSE board(illegally) give him 150M, in addition to his regular 100M parachute. What a fraud. Both.

TJ · Postby TJ » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:12 pm

reese wrote:Spitzer is the worst of all. As the AG of NY, he portrayed himself as "crusader rabbit" battling the evil NYRA. What a hypocrite.

A disingenious phony...and he was the state AG...disgusting.

25 years is not a long time. Think 1983. I shudder to think what will happen in 2033...

PS
Spitzer "still" hasn't caught up with Grasso, the former head of the NYSE who had the NYSE board(illegally) give him 150M, in addition to his regular 100M parachute. What a fraud. Both.

Hi Reese,
I don't know about that 25 years is a long time for some of us:>) Besides, Spitzer and Bruno won't be around then, racing in NY is going to flourish over the next few years, watch and see. TJ

Rokeby Forever · Postby **Rokeby Forever** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:52 pm

I don't know how to be politically correct about this, but the people that will be playing the slots will be bringing nickels and dimes to the casino just to load up on the free drinks. When the VLT revenue in a year is peanuts, what do you think is gonna happen?

Show me any guarantee that the VLTs will make all this money as predicted and I'll be the first to write, "Boy, am I an idiot." Until then, I hope the Aqueduct casino has a welfare check cashing window because that's gonna be the crowd that goes. It's in a crap neighborhood and people with money might go once as a novelty, but when they're sitting next to (let's just say someone they don't want to sit next to) at the slots, they won't be going back.

Now, if the track property were sold and upper scale apartments/condos built right next to the casino, the neighborhood will be better and.....think about it.