"The men and women who are elected in this community should be giving direction to the unelected people who they've put in jobs to follow their public-policy direction. And, it seems to me that Paul (Godfrey), who I've never had a bad word with, is getting ahead of the elected people in our community, and I think we need to prick their conscience and tell them 'look, [take] charge of this.'"
Dennis Mills, of racingfuture.com, pulled no punches Monday morning (November 19) when he took to the airwaves with host John Oakley on Talk Radio AM640.
Mills took the opportunity to present the platform that he is pushing: 'Farmers and horses first, casinos second.'
"I think that the Liberals in Ontario have their priorities all wrong when it comes to the rural Ontario economy," Mills said. "I've been straight up about this. I believe farmers and horses should be first and casinos should be second. I believe the Premier, while he's still got 40 or 50 days left on the job, should be directing Paul Godfrey, OLG, to park all this hype and focus on casinos and put the file to rest…"
John Oakley Show - Talk Radio AM640 - Monday, November 19
Mills pointed out that there are tens of thousands of people in rural Ontario that are being devastated by the Provincial Government's handling of Ontario horse racing, "while there are literally dozens of lobbyists running around this town pressing municipal people, pressing provincial people, (saying) 'let's all focus on the casino.'"
He added, "I think it is incumbent upon those of us in the city that care about rural Ontario that we keep pressing the nerve of not only Dalton McGuinty, but also Tim Hudak, who has not taken a clear position on this, and Andrea Horwath to say to Paul (Godfrey), 'farmers and horses first, casinos second.'"
Do you really think this is
Do you really think this is not already a done deal?
Below is taken from the government tendering website MERX.
November 21, 2012.
OLG Construction Management Services
PROJECT #: 1213-084
The objective of this Request for Proposal (the “RFP”) is to select a construction management firm to perform the scope of services described herein in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in this RFP (the “Scope of Services”) for the construction of up to two (2) new OLG Greater Toronto Area (GTA) facilities.
If private casino deals haven't already been cut, what is there to bid on? How could I bid on 2 casino sites that haven't yet been approved by the city of Toronto. I thought the private casino operators are designing the new casinos?
This entire OLG modernization plan was always about the destruction of standard bred racing, the elimination of public sector employee pensions and handing millions of tax-payer casino profits to their private sector Liberal supporters.
The Liberal party has placed the final nail in Ontario's coffin by shutting down the government to allow the OLG/Liberals to complete their corrupt casino plan without oversight.
I was once a proud Ontarian, no longer.
Welcome to the 51st United State of America.
Since the RCMP have
Since the RCMP have investigated and charged former Liberal MP Joe Fontana with some rather nasty allegations, maybe they will start looking into the provincial Liberal activities as well. Mr. Godfrey et al should be looking over their shoulders as well.
Thank you Mr. Burgess for
Thank you Mr. Burgess for stating what really needed to be said. "The OLG and Mr. Godfrey had even less entitlement to favour bingo halls over racetracks and to favour Mr. Tanenbaum and his associates over 55,000 horsemen and their families." It would seem that Paul Godfrey's long and close association with Mr. Tanenbaum will benefit Mr. Tanenbaum's bank accounts considerably. It is apparent to me that Godfrey is on a mission to clear the way of any healthy and prospering competitor (horse racing and the SARP) that would hinder this plan and that of the influx of international casinos into Ontario. Just who is Mr. Godfrey really working for?
In reply to Thank you Mr. Burgess for by Lynne Magee
Lynne: I am proud to say
Lynne: I am proud to say ,from day one that I was involved as a VOLUNTEER with the stop the Quarry committee and as of today the Highland Group has announced that the issue is dead...When Godfrey held the press conference to modernize (his words) gaming in Ontario, I knew that ending the slots at racetracks contracts were finished..The government included the privatizing of slot parlors in the spring budget with very little mention of the 25 percent of revenue.It was then I VOULANTEERED to help MARV CHANTLER to put up the 400 signs 55,000 jobs etc. In Jan. The Liberal Party will be electing a new leader at maple leaf gardens in Toronto.Why could the horsemen not organize a protest in front of MLG and then maybe the 33 liberal members in the GTA will get the message? This should gain some press in the Toronto news and cause the new governments to come up with a long term solution for sharing the revenue ,teachers get headlines why don't we?
When was Godfrey elected to
When was Godfrey elected to anything?
All members of the
All members of the standardbred industry in Ontario should be deeply appreciative of Mr.Dennis Mills' persistent and aggressive efforts to expose Mr. Godfrey and Mr. Tanenbaum to the ridicule they deserve.
The Liberal Government had no mandate,even from the voters in the cities,to break long term contracts that it had just negotiated with tracks and horsemen. The OLG and Mr. Godfrey had even less entitlement to favour bingo halls over racetracks and to favour Mr. Tanenbaum and his associates over 55,000 horsemen and their families.
I still find it extremely hard to believe such a travesty of justice favouring so few Liberal Party insiders and their American casino friends could even have been attempted in our Province of Ontario.
However, ultimately common sense and decency will prevail thanks to the efforts of Mr. Mills and the voters of Ontario.
Lets hope Mr Hudak jumps to
Lets hope Mr Hudak jumps to the front of the line at Rideau Carleton on Thursday
Excellent video - there's no
Excellent video - there's no question that some track owners were more concerned about the slots than promoting (and spending funds) on Horse Racing. That needed to be addressed .. but abruptly cancelling SARP was not the way to do it.
Godfry definitely needs to be reined in - its seems he has more power than the Premiere himself.
One of the few excellent suggestions that came out of the OMAFRA panel was to allow sports betting at Race Tracks and share the revenue as a means of offsetting some of the slots revenue that is being taken away. People who bet on Sports are much more akin to horse bettors than are slots players. There is usually some analysis of stats etc. before placing a wager, not unlike analyzing a race program. They could make sports betting available at all the Telewagering locations throughout Ontario as well as at the tracks. It would be a great way to promote Horse Betting with the younger generation who are into sports betting in a big way.
Unfortinately Mr. Godfrey has already shot down that idea, suggesting that sports betting should (at least initialy) be introduced at the privately run Casinos.
In reply to Excellent video - there's no by youngr46
Godfrey been given a clear
Godfrey been given a clear mandate by the Liberals and he's doing the job that was given to him. Nobody to blame here but them. I still say that proroguing the Assembly is to give the OLG time to turn over the slots and gaming to the U.S casinos. When you think about it the state of the economy in Ontario is so bad and the timing could not be worst so why are they pushing this so hard ?
The Liberals have governed for themselves so why should things change and what exactly is in it for them now ?
Very good interview on a
Very good interview on a respected radio show. Exactly what needed to be said. Godfrey is just too far gone on his own mission and running wild.
Mr. Mills also echoes a point that I have been making for some time now. Where is Tim Hudak? This is now just annoying. We have to have help right now and he has no comment.
Dennis Mills is to be applauded today.
Georg Leber-ICR Racing
Well, this is the first
Well, this is the first sensible suggestion I have heard in a long time. However, I suspect that the lobbyst have already got their pitch out there. Mr Godfrey has to go along with the rest of the Liberal gang. Just thinking out loud. Bruce T. Winning In addition Mr Hudak and Mz. Horwath have to make their positions on the agriculture industry including horse racing very clear otherwise neither one will get elected.