The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association placed a full-page advertisement in the Toronto Star today (Wednesday) in response to the Ontario budget announced yesterday, highlighting the government's misguided plans for OLG and Ontario's horse racing and breeding industry
. The entire Ontario horse racing and breeding industry and more than 60,000 jobs are in jeopardy based on Minister Duncan's cancellation of the OLG Slots at Racetracks Program.
One proposed deficit reduction measure announced by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan is the cancellation of the successful Slots at Racetrack program. Mr. Duncan says cancelling this program would save taxpayers $345 million each year. However, this is not the case.
"The Slots at Racetrack program may be the best public-private partnership ever entered into by the provincial government," says Sue Leslie, Chair of OHRIA. The program generates $1.1 billion in profit annually for the Province, with revenue used to fund priority programs such as health care and education. If cancelled, the province's debt would only increase.
The horse racing and breeding industry would also be severely impacted. The industry employs 60,000 people and contributes over $2 billion in recurring expenditures annually to the provincial economy as well as $261 million in direct taxes and payments to the Province of Ontario. Add these amounts to the Province's deficit on top of the $1.1 billion of forgone revenue, if the finance minister follows through on his plan to cancel the Slots at Racetracks program.
OHRIA is working with concerned citizens across Ontario to plan rallies at a number of MPP's constituency offices this Friday. The rally schedule is available at this link.
To view the PDF of the OHRIA ad please visit: value4money.ca. The text from the ad is available below.
Dear Members of Provincial Parliament:
Yesterday, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan presented a budget which he characterized as difficult but necessary in order to begin the hard work of reducing the Province’s $16 billion deficit.
One of the proposed deficit reducing measures announced by Mr. Duncan is the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks program. The Minister states that this will save the taxpayers of Ontario $345 million each year. This is not true! The Ontario horse racing and breeding industry receives not one nickel of taxpayer money! It rightfully earns a share of consumer spending generated at its private sector racetracks. In actual fact,CANCELLING THIS PROGRAM WILL ADD HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY TO THE PROVINCE’S DEFICIT.
Here’s why. The Slots at Racetracks program returns a profit to the Province of Ontario of $1.1 billion annually. Cancelling this program will eliminate this proven source of government revenue which funds priority programs such as health care and education. Mr. Duncan explains that this revenue will eventually be replaced by new casinos in new communities. Time will tell. Why cancel a remarkably successful program which generates $1.1 billion in profit annually for the Province of Ontario and destroy the Province’s horse racing and breeding industry and its 60,000 jobs at the same time? There is no logical answer to this question.
The Slots at Racetracks program may be the best public-private partnership ever entered into by the provincial government. In the late nineties, the government wanted to expand gaming and negotiated with the horse racing and breeding industry to put their OLG Slots into the 16 private sector racetracks throughout the province in competition with wagering on horse races. A deal was struck that shared the slot revenue generated at those racetracks 75% to the Province, 20% to the horse racing and breeding industry and 5% to the host municipalities. The Province didn’t have to buy any land or construct a single building. Racetracks agreed to contribute approximately 50% of the capital to develop the slot machine facilities. And, the Province gained immediate access to horse racing customers. To use Don Drummond’s words: talk about Value for Money!
Ontario’s horse racing and breeding industry contributes over $2 billion in recurring expenditures annually to the provincial economy and $261 million in direct taxes on top of the $1.1 billion in profit from the Slots at Racetracks program. The McGuinty government, in a misguided attempt to squeeze even more profit from the slots, has decided to cancel the Slots at Racetracks program, put the entire horse racing and breeding industry and its 60,000 jobs in jeopardy, and has deceitfully misrepresented the contract as a subsidy in an effort to get the public onside. Shameful.
Dwight Duncan says that difficult decisions must be made. PLEASE ASK YOURSELF: Is this a wise decision which will help to address the Province’s deficit or a faulty, wrong-headed, politicized decision that will add hundreds of millions of dollars to the Province’s deficit?
very well stated message to
very well stated message to the people of ontario and our government leaders.it is really a shame that the horsemen/women could not afford to put this on tv about once every half hour or so. it really sends a message! all people must be aware by now that the liberals try fix something that isn't broke and do not try to fix what is broke.upon reading responses over the last couple of weeks the general public is failing to realize that the liberals were put into power from the gta! rural ontario was primarily blue the last election. they need to go after the teachers union,cupe,opseu.etc. to get their support. rural ontario already stands together on this issue. boycott the slots at woodbine and mohawk and see how much attention you get! i'll bet you even get lots of news coverage.i have myself signed petitions for the cause and stand behind everyone involved in the challenges ahead. you have my moral support and keep up the good work!
brad remsik
It was really good to see
It was really good to see the full page announcement from OHRIA in the Star. More people will now hopefully understand. Keep it going.
OHRIA is doing a fantastic
OHRIA is doing a fantastic job for us. This ad states our case very clearly and completely. If we can drive this message home I think we have a good chance. I think Fridays rallies could be very pivotal as well. The Liberal mpp's in these ridings are supposed to be representing their constituants and must be feeling a lot of pressure right now. We need to step up that pressure to the max. They dont want to lose their jobs when this liberal govt gets tossed out.
Mr. Dwight Duncan is running
Mr. Dwight Duncan is running on the premise that the revenue stream will continue if he takes the ten percent that the horse men share of the slot revenue. This may be the case at Woodbine and Mohawk, however if you close the racing portion of racinos this revenue disappears. This guy is not a bean counter (accountant). If he was he sure would not be doing this. Perhaps he could let the provinces portion of the horse bet remain with the horseman and the race track. Oh dear that would be too innovative for this guy, or Don Drummond. The budget did not go far enough, as far as I am concerned. With over one million provincial employees, very well paid there surely is room for more cost cutting. Lets start with MPP's and department heads of the provincial government. Say 10 percent. sincerely Bruce T. Winning
The horse industry only got
The horse industry only got 50% of that 345 Million or 172.5 million the other half went to the track owners (landlords) whom have expenses, municipal taxes, maintenance....Not a wonder we are financially at this point, they don't know how to add and subtract.
If the Liberals build their own casino's they will have these expenses also.
Time to cut through the spinning and see the hard number's of reality.
It is socially unacceptable to increase revenues by increasing LCBO's and casino's. What, Ontarian's are suppose to become gambling alcoholic's to decrease the deficit.