Another industry lost.Moving farther from a " Have Province " to a " Need Province "

Has anyone really realized what a Financial Bomb this is to the Horsepeople. What happens to these grass roots employees when the horses aren't here anymore. No Unemployment Insurance for these folks. Most people in the Horseracing Industry are there for the love of it,not for the lofty finacial rewards it might bring. They don't enjoy the luxury of accumulated sick days or hefty pension plans or multiple dividend producing portfolios to fall back on. No many may have little left except Welfare. What a sad plight for people who have worked at a job they enjoy, only to be tempted into a false sense of security when with great applomb our Provincial Government annonced a Great Partnership with the Horsepeople of Ontario in 1998 bringing Slot Parlors to Ontario Racetracks. This was to be a helping hand to Ontarios Agriculture Industry. Today according to our Great Liberal Government we are a drag. We are taking money away from Healthcare ( they need more money there so we can have another E-Health debacle so cleverly managed by the Liberals or more useless Helicopters for ORANGE so cleverly managed by the Liberals) Another subtle little point the Liberals like about this dropping of jobs is that it won't show up as a negative job factor because these folks won't show up on the unemployment count because they can't file for UIC .
It wasn't two years ago I spoke to Jeff Leal the MPP for Peterborough and how supportive he was of the great committment the Liberals had to the Ontario Sire Stakes programme and how he as a member of the Rural Caucus was fully behind the slot programme as it was a great boost to the Agriculture sector. I wonder what his comments might be today?
I am not in the horseracing business anymore, never really was, it was just a hobby for me and the love for horses that our family has enjoyed However I do have 3 kids that have chosen this as a career path and this kind of treachery by our elected officials is unacceptable. I have been a voter in Ontario for more than 50 years and during that time the Liberals have gotten by far the greatest number of my votes, but never again. When a Government has no more concern for the folks in our grassroot industry than this then they don't deserve to Govern We all need to stand up now and ask the Honourable Oppositions, both the Conservatives and the NDP to band together and throw these cronnies out on their collective ears and maybe the ORC will be in the bathwater too.

Frank Lester

Thank you for the update Mr. O'Donnell. It is nice to see the associations working together. Working with the municipalities that this programs helps on so many levels also shows how far this program reaches and why it should not be terminated. We know you will and are doing the best for all horsepeople involved.

Make the magic happen

Greg Parke

Robin MorleyPhillip Dawson, you are bang on. With Tim Hudak's support, this dire situation is starting to look more positive. We are all aware that the only way to change our situatiion is through the political process. Therefore, the onus is on all of us to get out and do whatever needs to be done to support those MPP's who are sympathetic to our cause and to pressure them to keep their commitment to our industry. I understand that the general public is being kept aware of our plight through our Horsemens' Associations and I applaud them for their efforts on our behalf. We will certainly need them down the road.

So refreshing to see that Andrea Horwath (NDP leader) and Tim Hudak (Tory leader)have publicly come out and support the Horse people in the battle against the Liberals.
I have been waiting for this the whole time since Day One.

Here is something that the Horse people can do in the next election. Assist the Tory or NDP people running in the next election. There is always room for your kids or younger family members to put up signs, knock on every door of high-rises, etc.

Once the election is declared, contact your would -be member and tell them you have a 16 year old son who can assist with signs, or an 18 year old daughter who can accompany the would-be MPP to hit the apartment buildings with brochures.Also, flyers could be given out at each race track by your relatives.

I can't ask the adult Horse people to do any of this as they will be rigging up their horses to race. (Come to think of it, the adult kids could hand out the flyers at the tracks.)Five relatives, wives, etc. handing out 1000 flyers in the confines of Flamboro can help BIG TIME !!!.)

Also, on election day, the whole family can drive the public to vote all day long.Your would-be members can set it all up for you.Just call them.

And Horse people, once we win vs Fiberals, you will be committed for life to vote Conserative or NDP in any election. These two parties are giving you your life back; you have to return the favor.

The loss of jobs is the most important issue to be sure. 60,000 tax payers.

Also I have not heard the following points being made.

1. Horses are going to go the US creating employment for horsepeople in the States.
2. The industry losses that will be written off against taxes will also be devestating to the province.
3. Finally there are some very rich and influential people in horse racing that probably support and/or contribute to the Liberal party.

Tim Hudak is supporting us now, but I hope he is not making this an issue to trade for his outspoken protests regarding the subways. Maybe if he wins there he will throw us under the bus (metaphorically).

Georg Leber-ICR RACING

Follow-up with Frank Klees:

It’s very good to see Tim Hudak take a stance.
I would like to thank you and Tim for moving forward with your position.
With regards to clarity and context we need to push for answers from
the government. The Ontario Sires Stakes program is regarded as the
best in the world. What is the status of it beyond one calendar year?
Very important to know this as this effects the breeding industry right
now during breeding season. I look forward to you and Tim representing
the Horse Industry with regards to the Ontario Sires Stakes program.

Regards,

Chris Alexander Principal Broker/Owner

Previous email to Frank Klees Feb 24, 2012

Frank,

It was a pleasure to meet with you this morning to discuss the Horse Racing Industry.
I was pleased to find out that yourself and Tim Hudak were at the
table in 1995 working on the Legislation that was enacted in 1998.
As per our conversation we agreed with respect to the legislation.

Currently there is a lot of angst in the Horse Racing Industry,
this has resulted in significant withdrawal in investment by stakeholders.
The stakeholders perceive a higher element of risk in our industry.
For example, there have been cancellations in breeding of broodmares
since the release of “The Drummond Report”.

As per our conversation, please forward this email to Tim Hudak the PC
Leader of your Caucus . I would like you to ask him on behalf of myself
and other Stakeholders in our industry to provide “Clarity” and “Context”
on this Issue. The sooner we know the PC’s position the better for the
people in our industry.

I write to you as a:

Breeder/Owner
Past “Member at Large” HIP Program 2007 – 2009
Entrepreneur and Past Executive of Fortune 100 Companies.

Regards,

Chris Alexander Principal Broker/Owner

I got a call from Ajax LIBERAL MPP Joe Dickson tonight at 7pm. We go back to the 70's, and reminisced about Greenwood, 'Uptown Dougie Brown', the Picov family and Picov Downs. Joe knows what a horseman's life entails - late racers to sleep after midnight, then up before sunrise. He said he worries about a plan that would see the industry harmed - and I gave him lots of stats and success stories and examples of how BIG and STRONG the Industry is locally, if not globally - concrete examples of how crucial it is to Ontario etc.

Though he spoke of how concerned he was ... I challenged him to speak up. I left him a choice that only he can make: "JOE - YOU EITHER FOLLOW YOUR FINANCE MINISTER BLINDLY ... OR YOU DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE OF ONTARIO." I told him that 60,000 horse families will be watching.

BTW - I closed out by joking that he might get my Indefinite Ban from ALL OLG sites (ALL!!) lifted?? ;-)

Oh yeah - one more thing (I said to MPP Dickson) -- THERE COULD BE NO SLOTS WITHOUT RACETRACKS IN 1998 ... SO THE PC's CAME TO US ASKING US TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT SUBSIDIZE HORSE RACING FROM SLOT PROCEEDS ... RATHER, HORSE RACING SUBSIDIZES THE GOVERNMENT FROM SLOT PROCEEDS. (And THAT'S the way I see it - as should anyone that was around when the PC Plan to bring in Slots, Casinos, VLTs WAS SHOT DEAD BY THE CITIZENS OF ONTARIO. Why do we question semantics (subsidize/partner/share) when the whole damned conceptual FOUNDATION is that without racetracks - there would be NO SLOTS in Ontario!!!!!

Blair, you have made a very astute observation here and I think you are right on. Your read on the slot customers liking the convenience and simplicity of playing at the tracks makes all kinds of sense. Lets face it-people play slots because it is simple and they dont feel any pressure when playing at the machines. This is something that has to be considered by the olg hotshots and the govt. Hopefully they are considering it now but if not,we have to get the idea out there. This is a great argument for keeping the slots at tracks and we have to convince them not to destroy horse racing as well

I have been emailing every MPP on the list and newspapers and anyone else I could think of. I am also doing what I can to get the petition signed. I also contacted Bob Rae, who responded back wih he following comment...

Bob Rae:
Ironically it was the NDP government I led which developed the strategy to use the slots to encourage the horse racing industry in Ontario, so it's something I felt at the time made good sense.

Don't believe everything you read, and don't forget to lobby for change - the opposition parties have some influence in a minority parliament. I want to see an active horseracing industry continue, which is why we started the programme.

The Mcguinty government faces a lot of difficult decisions, and my best advice is to keep on fighting for what you believe in. In a minority parliament in Queen's Park a lot of good things can happen. Good luck to you and don't give up hope.

I am hoping this idiotic nonsense stops and we all don't have to worry about our jobs.

Hard to be believe there is a turning tide but maybe something is working. One thing that may be helping is not just the "no casino in my backyard sentiment" , but the Liberals or OLG or whomever their advisors are, may have misread the entire demographic of a slot player that goes to the racetrack to play slots. In most cases it's a totally unique individual that likes the parking convenience, lack of a huge (usually young) crowd, and just general intimidation that can come with the larger casinos. Going to the slots at tracks is usually handy and one doesnt have to negotiate traffic. These people actually LIKE what slots at tracks offer, even if they don't go there to play the ponies. To assume that these people will just automatically go down the road to the casino is probably a big mistake. While some might, there is going to be more attrition in OLG customers than what might have been estimated. Good news: our customers may actually like us. A possible ally in this tough battle.

I have voted Liberal my whole life, I think its time for a change, I never thought I'd be saying this but thank you Tim Hudak

Hudak realizes the OLG proposal has stirred up a fundamental gambling backlash.

In just over a week there has been a huge 22% swing in voter sentiment (Liberals down 12%, Conservatives up 10%).

A Globe and Mail conducted between March 3-5 poll showed Liberal support at 39.9%. Conservative support was at 30%, and NDP support was at 24.7%. The poll was taken after the release of the Drummond report (with all its cost cutting recommendations).

A Toronto Star released conducted on March 13 showed Conservative support at 40%, Liberal support at 28% and the NDP at 23%. This poll was taken after the OLG announcement (with more casinos and more assessable slots).

According to the Star, the issue the root cause of the Liberal dissatisfaction is that 70% of Ontarians don’t want casinos and slots in their backyards.

Everyone in our industry should be doing what they can to exploit this backlash and bring it to the attention of all Conservative and NDP MPP’s. If we can make them realize the Liberals are vulnerable because of the way they are altering the gambling scene, perhaps, the majority (in this minority government), could turn things upside down.

Sites for the polls are listed below:
http://www.thestar.c...inos-poll-finds

http://www.theglobea...article2369910/

It is nice to see other politicains come out in favour of horse racing. I compliment OHRIA and OHHA for their efforts as COSA seems to be standing on the sidelines with no direction and the ORC seem to be invisible.

It is wonderful to see that the other parties in Ontario realize the ramifications of ending this partnership and how it affects rural Ontario.

Why are we as an "organization" not running the Save horse racing movie.WMV on TV and at all slot parlors and OTB's across Canada every five minutes and why is it not funded with the help of all associations, COSA spends $500 every Monday for a fan to gamble and not step up to help fund to put this on TV? With 60000 people at risk of losing their jobs time to step up to the plate, everyone, it may already be too late but I havne't heard the "fat lady sing yet".

Priminister Harper, has he weighed in on this yet? Have we as a group tried to get his ear?

Generally as group we have been very passive as it comes to our jobs, it is time to be heard at any cost as most unions do.

I know it sounds harsh but please print this as there is so much at stake from the owner to the feed supplier and almost seventy people per five horses in between. It is not the time to edit, but the time to fight to save the livlihoods of so many families this touches.

I have to ask, when you look back at all the postings, the industry should have been postured long before it came to this to be able to stop this.

Greg Parke

FINALLY, one of the other party leaders has publicly taken a stand. Monte McNaughton, MPP (Lambton-Kent-Middlesex) has been tasked with gathering all information as it relates to the current horse racing/slots situation and report back to the Conservative caucus. He can be reached at [email protected]. Mr. McNaughton is a big supporter of the horse men and women - tell him your story.

I do hope Mr. Hudak can turn this around. What should help is that he was an MPP and helped set the Racetrack-Slots program up in the first place.

MR. Hudak, the Horse World is waiting to see how strong you can be against the Liberals.
The Horse World people are certainly taking notes as to your ability to turn the tide and let 60,000 Horse related people continue and keep on with their present lives.We do not want CHANGES that the Liberals are trying to stuff down our throats.

I would submit that with all the negative images that the Liberals have shown to the people of Ontario that in the next election, the Horse people will not forget you and your Party if you manage to turn this battle around.

The Horse people and the rest involved (feed stores, Truck dealerships, etc.)would be handing you the key to Queens Park on a silver platter, should you succeed.

FINALLY, WE HEAR SOME SUPPORT FROM TIM HUDAK, and the Provincial Conservative MPPs. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!

Andrea Horvath has already publicly stated in The Toronto Sun, that she and all of her NDP MPPs are ready to vote against the budget to end this McGuinty Dictatorship, & stop McGuinty from kicking 60,000+ more Ontarians to the curb. Because of her public support, we knew that if the budget went through, it would have to be with the support of the Conservatives. What a shame if any member of this Conservative party supported an end to the highly successful Slots at Racetrack Program fought so hard for by the former Provincial Conservative Government of Ontario.

Thank you so much Mr. Hudak, for finally voicing your support, publicly. As you probably know, we already have the support of the OFA, and now OPSEU, both strong organizations. Now hopefully, you will back up your word, with actions, together with Andrea Horvath's NDP MPPs, bring an end to this Liberal Government, before they completely bankrupt this province!

This Liberal Government has shown time and time again, through so many scandals, that they continue to serve their own purpose financially, with no regard to the consequences to the people of Ontario, e.g., ORNGE; E-HEALTH; DRUMMOND REPORT; and now this OLG fiasco. So many Ontarians have stated publicly, that they are ashamed that they voted Liberal in the last election, and will definitely not make that same mistake again.

Let's put an end to this McGuinty led dictatorship once and for all, and get this province back on track to recovery, and prosperity again.