Do Something To Save Racing. Now.

Published: February 16, 2012 02:52 pm EST

If you are ever going to get on your feet for a horse race, you’d better do it now.

The release of Wednesday's Drummond report included, amongst other comments, the following:

Recommendation 11-11: Review and rationalize the current provincial financial support provided to the horse racing industry so that the industry is more appropriately sustained by the wagering revenues it generates rather than through subsidies or their preferential treatments.

If you don't take action, you share responsibility in the result.

YOU NEED TO GET ON THE PHONE and contact the Minister of Finance, the Premier, your MPP, and members of the opposition. YOU NEED TO SHOW UP AT THE OFFICE OF YOUR MPP AND TELL THEM WHY THE FUTURE OF HORSE RACING IS THE FUTURE OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. In addition to this, you certainly know others that you can forward this link to who will be adversely affected if this change in policy occurs. Have them do the same.

See the following talking points which you can refer to in your correspondence, as well as contacts for some of the appropriate recipients. Be sure to note your personal involvement in the industry and that of your family and community!


1. The idea that the agreement between the Ontario government and the horse racing industry is anything other than a partnership is offensive. At the expense of the racing industry, facilities were improved to accommodate slot parlors on behalf of the government -- slot parlors that are in fact competition for an industry that had developed itself over many decades. The agreement, to this day, pours 75% of all slots revenue into Ontario government coffers, gives 5% to the municipalities where these facilities are located, and allots the remaining 20% to the industry. Industry money maintains jobs while providing a solid base in the rural agricultural economy.

2. 60,000 people are employed by the horse racing industry in Ontario. 60,000 real people... real men and women for whom racing means food on the table and a roof over their heads. Together, we represent the same number of Ontario employees as the province’s entire public sector! A total of $1.5 billion in wages and salaries are sustained annually by total expenditures of the Ontario horse racing and breeding industry.

3. A loss of horse racing revenue is a net loss to Ontarians. The province receives $261 million a year directly from the horse racing industry and its participants... not counting the more than $1 billion which they collect as their share of the slots revenue from parlours at our facilities. The industry as a whole also accounts for $2 billion in annual expenditures... up 67% from 2000.

4. Horse racing industry is the second largest sub-sector of Ontario's agricultural economy with an economic contribution in excess of wheat, eggs, poultry and hogs in 2010.


WHO CAN I WRITE?

Send your message here to your local MPP:
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_current.do

Or here:
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/about/contactus/

Or email Premier Dalton McGuinty directly here:
[email protected]

Or Finance Minister Dwight Duncan here:
[email protected]

You may want to CC Tim Hudak, leader of the opposition, here:
[email protected]

Or Andrea Horwath, leader of Ontario's NDP party, here:
[email protected]


WHAT TO TWEET?

60,000 jobs are attributed to the #OntarioHorseRacing and breeding industry. Retweet, spread the word! http://goo.gl/Cu9xj

Gov't revenues from the #OntarioHorseRacing industry are up 27% in the last decade! Retweet! http://goo.gl/Cu9xj

#OntarioHorseRacing & breeding industry is the 2nd largest subsector of agriculture economy! Retweet! http://goo.gl/Cu9xj

80% of #OntarioHorseRacing's expenditures occur in and support rural communities! Retweet! http://goo.gl/Cu9xj

#OntarioHorseRacing 60,000 jobs, $261 million to provincial government, $138 million to local municipalities. Retweet! http://goo.gl/Cu9xj

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