The Government of Ontario's plan to cancel the OLG Slots at Racetrack Program will prove costly, the President of the Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association (OHRIA) is warning
.
Ontario's horse racing industry employs over 60,000 Ontarians, supports rural Ontario economies by spending more than $2 billion a year, and generates $1.1 billion per year in slot machine profits for the Government of Ontario.
"We find it deeply irresponsible that the Minister of Finance plans to throw 60,000 Ontarians out of work and add $1.1 billion dollars a year to Ontario's deficit. That is just what he will do if the OLG Slots at Racetrack Program is cancelled," said Sue Leslie, President of OHRIA.
The OLG Slots at Racetrack Program is the most profitable form of gaming for the Province, generating more profit than casinos and lottery tickets combined.
"It makes absolutely no sense for the Government to continue to push less profitable forms of gaming, when over the last 14 years the horse racing industry has proven to be it's best partner. Tearing up that $1.1 billion dollars in profit for the government to chase what will become a highly controversial and less profitable vision, just isn't responsible," added Leslie.
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association has launched value4money.ca to encourage Ontarians to write MPPs in support of the Slots at Racetrack Program.
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]
For Trot Insider's complete coverage regarding the fallout and uproar in response to the Ontario Liberals' Drummond Report, click here.
(with files from OHRIA)
Just watched the press
Just watched the press conference from windsor.Wow do these guys have this whole act rehearsed or what.Cant beleive they were able to keep this whole plan quiet till it was time to start dropping the bombs.Someone had better rally the troops and fast.Godfrey and Duncan are telling the media anything they think will sway public opinion and it seems to be under controlled conditions.There seems to be noone at these press conferences to refute anything they are saying.I am in the maritimes and have been watching this the last month or so.I see a lot of talk about 60 000 jobs being on the line yet only a couple hundred people showing up at rallies.whomever is going to take the lead here had better get everyone together and show the media 60 000 supporters not 600.Notice they seem to be breaking the news to people in small groups at a time I suspect to keep opposition at a mininum.it doesnt look as bad if 200 people at a time are losing their jobs, add them all up and you will be in the thousands.just saying!!anyways guys and girls good luck with the fight we are all pulling for you in the east.
We spent about $500,000 on
We spent about $500,000 on yearlings last fall,another 28,000 in training so far,and about $18,000 in stake payments.Who should I call at Queen's Park to get reimbursed?Or should I have my lawyer make the first call?
On Tuesday's CTV news its
On Tuesday's CTV news its been confirmed that Windsor,Sarnia and Fort Erie are to be closed.It didnt take them long!
There is an announcement wed
There is an announcement wed in windsor. Where and when do we line up trucks and trailers? We need to make some noise. This is wrong.
Enough repetitive bantering
Enough repetitive bantering back and forth. The only message we need to get across to everyone now, is that we mean business here. We believe this is a strong enough reason to bring down this Government. We need to demand that all opposition MPPs vote against this budget, and change to the Slots at Racetracks program. If we don't want to see an end to our Industry, then we need to see an end to this McGuinty Dictatorship!!!
While I appreciate that
While I appreciate that OHRIA has taken the lead on representing horsemen on this, more needs to be done to get our message out into the mainstream media. Take out some newspaper ads in the large urban centres, a few radio spots or a tv ad. Something more aggressive has to be done to inform the public what is going on. The Liberals are counting on the public being misinformed or worse yet uninformed! Even if by some miracle this government is defeated on the budget, if there is another election we need to ensure that this is an election issue!!
I have one suggestion for
I have one suggestion for the OHRIA , take 1% or or 2% of the 2012 and 2013 global purse and build the most important media campain to inform the Ontario Tax Payer. If you want a governement to react you need the population on your side. In Quebec we did not have the money to do it and we lost, so please learn from us.