Ted McMeekin Emerges, Pens Letter

I don't know of anyone that is "choosing" to leave horse racing at this time. Yet another idiot! No wonder he was keeping quiet when nothing but lies and inaccuracies are all that emit from his lips. Nothing but another puppet on one of McGuinty's strings.

Has anyone checked out the profile on Pansy Ho who owns 50% of MGM? Interesting. I wonder who is pulling McGuinty's strings?

http://www.portfolio.com/executives/features/2008/04/14/Profile-of-Casi…

Mr. McMeekin appears to know the difference between a subsidy and revenue sharing agreement much better than his Premier or Finance Minister. He actually acknowledged this in his comments. I'm sure that Dwight or Dalton will be sure to set him straight before he opens his mouth a second time. Aside from this one comment the rest of his views on the unfolding tragedy are simply unbelievable and infuriating!! Once again just another example of Liberal partisan propaganda.

What a disgraceful commentary by our Minister of Agriculture.

"I have met with horsemen, agricultural leaders, track owners, mayors, local councillors, the OLG, my own caucus, individual MPPs, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, Cabinet and others. It is clear from my many contacts that people in the horse-racing community believe the industry will continue in Ontario, albeit with fewer tracks and under a significantly different business model."

This lie is right up there with the best the Liberals have told to date. I am sure there is no one in the racing industry Mr. McMeekin "consulted" who would have expressed confidence that our industry will survive this crisis. I am also sure I could find a representative from each of the groups he refers to who will tell him what the real future is if the government and OLG continue on their path of destruction.

"It is clear that those in the horse-racing industry who want to predict their future must now engage in a process of creating that future."

How insulting!! We have been furiously attempting to engage the government in predicting our future, yet they continue to forge ahead with their lies and ignore the facts. They are the ones who insist there is no rush to address the issue of our future, yet they have given an unreasonable one year deadline with absolutley no understanding of the time frame the industry operates under!

The Liberals have told so many lies they can no longer keep them straight. This indicates to me that they are the ones scrambling while they accuse the industry of being unable to form a unified front. We must keep up the pressure, cracks are starting to form!

The Liberals have officially lost my vote for life. I live in Alberta now but called Ontario home for 30 years. I grew up on a Standardbred farm. I still have some family involved in the business but many are now retired. I am still an avid fan and regular follower of the sport. It is heartbreaking to witness what the Liberals are doing to the industry and all of you good folks back there trying to earn a living doing what you love to do. My family's roots in Ontario horse racing goes back some 70 years. It pains me to think it could all come to an end. After 40 plus years of PC's governing Ontario it has taken only 2 terms of Liberal government since 2003 to cripple the Ontario economy under a skyrocketing deficit. Now faced with few options, they believe part of the solution is to bury a thriving horse racing/breeding industry that is the model and envy of the rest of the world. Afterall it was a PC deal that brought the slots at racetracks partnership in to existence in the firstplace was it not? In defiance I will never set foot in an Ontario casino, I will never again vote Liberal and I will certainly never forgive them for what they are about to do on their so called path to economic recovery. Throwing 7 decades of my family history and the livihoods of future generations under the bus is unforgivable. In a democracy a person should have the choice to enter an industry such as this to earn a living. Governments should be supportive of this by ensuring the opportunity exists to do so. This government is intent on destroying this opportunity for future generations and wiping out 100 years of proud history in favor of American ran casinos to try and fix the mess that they created. Don't let them forget it, I never will.

Hey, Why did you even bother making a comment about transitional funding for the horse racing industry. This was already announced by Mr. Duncan on April 23!!! Hello, what the is this? A revelation!! We're still swinging in the wind!!! You have told us nothing at all and you will continue to tell us nothing in hopes that we'll just go away. Mr McMeekin, you are supposed to be the Agriculture Minister of Ontario and you have absolutely no clue what your government has done to devastate us. You, Mr. Duncan, Mr. McGuinty are a JOKE!! You should be ashamed of yourselves!!! Not only do you destroy us but you give as blind and cruel statements about Transitional Funding when you have NO CLUE !!!!! what you are proposing. You're a disgrace to the agricultural community!!!

A few weeks? If you insist on radically changing the racing industry to the negative you should at least be telling them what their future will look like with the transitional fund and your plans to get rid of the slots at the track program. You have a whole industry basically frozen with indecision because they don't know how bad things are going to be when the shoe drops. Common decency dictates you let these people know how their life is going to change so they may at least make plans based on facts instead of rumors and fear.

Wow.. Has he talked to the management of WEG recently? The largest and best track in Canada says it may not be able to continue if the slot revenue is taken away and the Minister claims people within the racing industry have expressed to him that Ontario racing will continue perhaps at less venues. Lets see, WEG does not survive but Dresden and Clinton etc do.He should be the minister of Dreamworld.

LETS EXTEND THIS PARTICULAR POLITICIANS SHELF LIFE INFORM HIM THE DISTANCE ACROSS THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE IS 27FT.
Start walking Ted and you will walk into history as the man that saved the industry ...................

what a JOKE.....this transitional aid was just lip service in the hopes that we would take the BRIBE and go away..;.NO WAY Liberals You have met your match on this issue...
Agricultural Minister ! who knew the province had one...I thought McMeekin was just sitting on the sidelines waiting hoping no one recognized him or his fat cushy job

That's funny the NDP took credit for the transitional fund ...... Everybody is taking the accolades no one taking the blame.

It's all RHETORIC and CYA (Cover Your A--). "I did this" and "I did that" - trying to impress his supporters that "I did everything I could." Really?? Did you VOTE AGAINST THE BUDGET? Liars!

I can guarantee you that the "one time transitional fund" is NOT where tax paying members of our province want their contributions allocated; are you guys well? No wonder a poitician's shelf life is so short; I can think of other reasons too (pay, pension, benefits).

LIBERAL POLITICIANS and CONSERVATIVE citizens mix very well.

I spoke to Minister McMeekin on 3 different occasions and each time I was told that our fight wasn't with him it was with Minister Duncan. I was under the impression as Minister of Agriculture he was the voice for the agriculture sector and to stand up for us. Transitition funding is for people employed in an industry not for self employed people of which the racing industry has many. Sustainability is the word all of the racing industry would like to hear.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, then to speak and remove all doubt.
- Abraham Lincoln

The Liberal government's action and inaction has done little for the Province of Ontario. They are willing to sacrifice 60,000 jobs, a successful partnership and thriving industry because they value foreign investment in a waterfront casino OVER the hard working everyday Ontarian. I would have thought government valued it's people more, considering we are the ones who put them there.

I wasn't even aware we had an agriculture minister given his silence on the subject and the general disdain liberals have for rural Ontario. No matter though, retirement and the big pension will soon be on the way- just not for the rest of us that actually try to 'earn' a living. Keep on floating Ted, all agriculture sectors especially horse racing appreciates it.

Glen, you nailed it! This minister is a disaster, like the rest of them... wait.... of course he is, he's a Liberal! Silly me.

This bunch of spinners keeps hollering for some one to co-operate with them, but they won't listen to anyone, which makes co-operation impossible. How sad for all the people in this province.

'It is clear from my many contacts that people in the horse-racing community believe the industry will continue in Ontario, albeit with fewer tracks and under a significantly different business model.'
Who's he been talking to !

'On a broader scope, I have continued to lobby the finance minister to agree to put in place a “transition fund” to assist some of those who may chose to leave the horse-racing industry. Minister Dwight Duncan has considered my request and on April 23 announced a commitment to establish a one-time transition fund'

Does that include the broodmares in foal, present foals, yearlings and 2 y/o that are now worth a fraction of what they cost ? How about the racing infrastructure, training centers, equipment, broodmare farms...what's a race horse going to be worth next year ?

I am so relieved to hear he has been so busy meeting with the industry which explains why he hasn't had time to answer my emails.So... Mr. Minister of Agriculture-have you considered how much hay and grain will now not be required or how many tractors and farm implements will not be purchased or how many agriculture related employees (not just those in horse racing) will become unemployed or how many acres of prime agricultural land will lay dormant after breeding farms go bankrupt.Don't we already produce enough soybeans and sunflowers?Do you not know how to stand up for agriculture in this province? Please wake up and smell the roses while there are still a few to smell.

Just more B.S. from these incompetent politicians. How much is the so called transition money going to amount to and how is this going to help the breeders and investors who operate on a three to five year business plan. This is just one more embarrassing example of a gov't that just doesn't get it. Destroying a viable industry that employs as many people as we do..... makes no sense. I'm amazed that it took this long for our Minister of Agriculture to react, given the fact that he was elected and then appointed to represent the interests of rural Ontario. Shame on you!!!

Dear Mr McMeekin If your audience is the uninformed masses who believe that every dollar that your incompetent government doesnt suck out of an industry is seen as support than keep shovelling your horse manure. You will go down as the Agricultural minister who didnt know which end of the horse to feed. I was very dissapointed with your apparent silence on this subject but having read this blurb I realize that you appeared much more informed when you said nothing. Everyone in this industry must continue to go to the press and keep telling the story because embarassing this government appears to be our only chance. Mr McMeekin have you asked Mr Duncan or Godfrey if there is any room in the bingo hall business or casino business for some of your cronies. I would think that by taking all the heat as the agricultural minister the least they could do is spread rhe payola to a few of your supporters instead of keeping it all for their buddies.

More ammo for this industry. Talk about putting your foot in your mouth.

McMeekin said:

"The fund will help the industry adjust to the loss of ""REVENUE SHARING" from the Slots at Racetrack Program, which will end March 31, 2013"

Duncan said:

"The end of the horseracing "SUBSIDY" will save $345-million.

On one hand, you have one of them saying its a revenue sharing agreement and on the other hand, you have one over and over, saying its a subsidy. Lets get one of the MPPS to bring this up in the Legislature and hear the pair of them try to spin this.

Gary Blackburn