Dennis Mills, a former Liberal MP (Toronto-Danforth), is launching a campaign in support of Ontario's horse-racing industry. Roughly 100 billboards will be popping up around Toronto in protest of the provincial Liberals' decision to scrap the slots-at-racetracks program and bring thousands of Ontarians, according to Mills, “from dignity to poverty.”
News of Mills' movement has come from an article by Beverly Smith in the Sunday, June 17 edition of The Globe & Mail.
The report states that Mills' campaign, which includes a yet-to-be-launched website, will get underway this Friday (June 22). The website will apparently contain clips of horsemen and women discussing their concern about losing their livelihood. The $40,000 campaign has been funded by $10,000 of his own capital.
The purpose of Mills' campaign, which will get underway one day before the $1-million Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack, is to attempt to inform and put pressure on Liberal MPPs regarding the disastrous move their party is making by stepping away from the slots-at-racetracks agreement, which annually leads to $1.1-billion in slots revenue to the province and $261-million in direct tax revenue.
The report has also cited Mills as saying that 'the province is using some unfair tactics to dismantle a large industry with economic reach into rural Ontario.'
“The government has decided that most of the seats that understand this issue … are all rural seats. And they are mostly Conservative seats,” Mills was quoted as saying.
(With files from The Globe & Mail)
It's time for our industry to
It's time for our industry to put our money where our mouth is. If Mr. Mills is ready, willing and able to put $10,000 of his own funds towards a fight to save OUR industry, we need to do likewise and more. Jessica has suggested a one dollar donation to Mr. Mills'campaign from each of the 60,000 people whose jobs will be lost or affected. I would suggest that we reach a little further and give as much as we can or, at very least, $10.00 each. That's little more than a package of cigarettes. Surely, the fight to save OUR horse racing industry is worth that much. This is a chance to educate and change the mindset of urban folk who are ignorant of our real story. Let's take advantage of it and inform the voters in urban areas so that they get more than the inaccurate information that the Liberals are feeding them.
I keep hearing from people
I keep hearing from people that we aren't getting the message out to average Ontarians. They have no idea what's going on in our industry. What Mr. Mills is doing is what needs to be done right NOW. We need to financially support what he's doing, because the liberals aren't going to change their plans without their base expressing displeasure with their plan to eliminate slots at racetracks.How do we get money to him? He actually put up$10,000 of his own money? Anyone who can should send whatever they can to him
Very commendable by Mr.
Very commendable by Mr. Mills.
We don't need transitional money. We need to have the tracks and horsemen run their gaming centers. We(tracks and horsemen)will own/service our own slot machines and give the gov't the 7.5% they will get from bingo centers. We can also partner the municipalites and help designated charities as well. If the gov't wants out; then let us proceed with our own business plan. By the way stop the Pari-mutual tax as well. There is no tax to Bingos. Sorry everyone I digress.
Thank you Mr. Mills we need all the help we can get and it is very much appreciated by all of us.
Chuck Ibey
EXCELLENT idea. Dennis you
EXCELLENT idea. Dennis you ROCK
This is very good news of
This is very good news of course. However, I would hope that many of the billboards that are purchased are or will be located in smaller cities which are closer to racing / rural areas, where thousands of racefans and concerned parties reside and work. Unfortunately,I would guess 97% of citizens in Toronto have zero knowledge / interest / in this issue. Perhaps a million + people here are not fluent enough in english or are without Canadian roots to read ,follow and understand our issue. Cities like Woodstock, Waterloo, Peterborough, Chatham,
etc. would gain more traction.
Well done Mr. Mills I would
Well done Mr. Mills
I would ask that Mr. Mills set up a way to contact him so anyone in this industry can offer their services or make donations to further this campaign on an even larger scale.
I would like to think that this industry could match his $40,000 within 24 hours of receiving this information and really begin to fight back to do whatever can be done to try and right this wrong.
Thank-you Mr. Mills, Here is
Thank-you Mr. Mills, Here is the sad point... why has none of our so called horseman groups done anything like this. Why are we all sitting around waiting for someone to save us. We HAVE TO SAVE OURSELVES noboby will do it for us. Please we need some LEADERSHIP.
Thank you Mr. Mills. On a
Thank you Mr. Mills. On a day it seems our provincial party leaders have let us down, this is welcome news. Based on the vast majority of comments on the Globe and Mail web page, you have a big job ahead of you educating most urban dwellers about the realities of the horse racing industry. It is disappointing to read so many comments accusing race industry participants of being among the 1% wealthiest people in the province among other untruths and misunderstandings. McGuinty and the Liberals have done a real brainwashing job on folks, and at the very least they deserve to know the facts. I would love to see a similar initiative here in Ottawa.
Here's a novel idea. What
Here's a novel idea. What don't each of those 60,000 people who will be affected by this, donate $1 to Mr. Mills campaign. I'm sure we can each spare one dollar, can't we?
HE COULD BE OUR SAVIOUR.
HE COULD BE OUR SAVIOUR. THANK YOU FROM ALL HORSEMAN AND HORSEWOMAN.
the horse racing comunity has
the horse racing comunity has to get the word out everyway we can. The issues must be brought forward to every person in the province on how scrapping the SLR will cost the people of the provine not only in lost jobs but also lost revenue! The SLR has been the most profitable for the OLG and the government.......why would they want to cancel this? They have already brought the province to the brink of financial disaster and now they want to bring the rest of the way down and displace 60000 people out of work and reduce their revenue from the horse industry......I cannot believe that a major News agency has not picked up on the story like CTV or CBC. What can we do as a industry to bring the spot light on this situation, do we need to strike like the students in Quebec? Maybe we need to be a little more vocal and rowdy to bring the attention this issue needs, Can we not get the PCs to jump on board and bring this up in question period at Queens Park? Time is running out people!
One has to wonder who will benifit from the scrapping of the SLR??? lessons from the past has how someones loss is anothers gain, but who? certainly not the people of the province of Ontario or the hard working people in the horse racing community.
Time to get these questions answered before its to late
THANK YOU MR. MILLS!! A
THANK YOU MR. MILLS!! A Pro-active Strong Voice, something that is so desperately needed in this fight for our livelihoods.
Hopefully, there will be an option to financially support Mr. Mills, in appreciation of his vocal and financial support of Horse Racing Ontario.
Its about time we starting
Its about time we starting putting up billboards in toronto.
Good job Mr.Mills.