Kentucky Sen. David Williams responds to Bill Farish
 

Attheraces did such a good job earlier this year explaining the crisis in Kentucky that I thought Derbytrail.com readers who listened to the programs might be interested in seeing what Sen. president David Williams, the roadblock to slots legislation, had to say about Bill Farish's recent editorial on the issue.

Farish's editorial:

Williams' rebuttal:

Thanks for putting up the links Ray. (And the kind compliment.) This morning, I printed them out, as well as your Slots piece, to bring up on the show next week.

Williams seems to live in some alternate universe. Rarely have I seen a politico so disconnected from the realities. It's.. bizarre.

If the quote from trainer Mike Lauer is accurate I am truly disappointed in him. If he feels that way maybe he should stop border-running to slot enhanced tracks.

If he could stop on October 3rd, that would be great :)

What Lauer said is correct, the fact is that we have been 2nd class citizens for a number of years at the CDI tracks yet no politician has raised a finger to help us. Williams is a typical corrupt politician. What else is new?

What will be new is guys like me leaving and taking our horses with us. Maybe it is no big deal if I take my 25 or so horses out of here but I am hardly alone. Look at the Eastern tracks and see all the KY guys who have moved horses there. Watch to see how many regular KY outfits there are left at TP this winter. Williams doesnt give a damn about anything other than filling his own pockets.

Like I have said on this board numerous times...D Williams is from burkesville , ky. Where horse racing is no more mainstream than it would be in Alaska.

He does, it's called Appalachia. Cumberland County has less people living in it than it did in 1860, which is near impossible. There are 36 churches and only 12 gas stations. Who do you think he's trying to please?

The Indiana casino interests that are likely schmearing him..

Mid-Atlantic Base
 

From an standpoint of an owner it just makes too much economic sense to base at say a Philadelphia Park with their increased purses and have the options of shipping to Delaware, Monmouth, Meadowlands, Colonial Downs, and up to New York if you have a really nice horse. The options increase and the purses are competitive.

PSH

i live in south arkansas (i appreciate the condolences) and can relate to what is going on in kentucky. rather than gambling being an issue (which really, is still is) i live in a dry county. so, the revenue that arkansas could be receiving when we go buy our adult beverages goes to louisiana instead. while down there, i also buy groceries (no sales tax on food, unlike in arkansas) as well as lottery tickets (passed, but not yet on sale here). and i promise you, i am far from the only one living in this corner of the state who does so.
williams offers the argument that there isn't much business to be had-i assure him that is patently false. the largest liquor and lottery sales in the states surrounding arkansas are those stores closest to their shared border with arkansas. citizens here want the stuff, as indicated by the fact they travel elsewhere to buy it. the same could be said about your kentucky citiziens.

regardless of the fact that this senator may personally not want expanded gaming, he needs to consider the much larger picture. he's not doing so, which speaks volumes to his abilities to handle a government role. it's not personal, it's business.

And why is it bad for racing that it is comsolidating to business friendly environments? Your 25 horses will be welcomed in NY, perhaps it will be good for your business, perhaps the advent of 6 ot 7 other such trainers in Ny will spur better racing? The gold rush had everyone move to the west when the gold dried up people had to change. While I am sorry that the industry has to consolidate in order for it to carry on, it appears to be a very Darwinian evolution.
As for the politician, all that needs to be said is why is he any different then any other? As for if he is philosophically correct on slots or just a knucklehead who cares the country needs more slots like they need to print more money. Imagine racing for 45 Mdn Spl in Ny without slots..Imagine the purses going to 55k because you and your KY botherhood bring an additional 400 head to the area. maybe allowance racing will return to NY..Wow a card filled with 1,2,3 other than races now that would be healthy.

And how exactly is that good for the state of KY?

I gather you are a very smart person. I recognize you are no dummy so think about it. When KY loses its prized race horse industry or more correctly it is culled to a sustainable size cetain things will develop and grow organically. While a forest fire sux for the things living in the forest, the land revitalizes itself and the ground becomes more fertile. While there is pain in Detriot now that car industry is shrinking certainly people will have to educate themselves in different areas then making cars for 68 bucks an hour. Again it sucks if you worked for the UAW for the last 10 years but this is crappy part of life. Our industry used to bolstered by the pharma companies buying 1 bil in ad specialty products a year.. In one day collectively as an industry they all decided to stop purchasing ad specialty products to promote drugs.. Whoops we where out 30 mil in revenue in one day. While it sucked it has inspired all to reinvent their business. Perhaps I should have asked my local politician to have slots at Freehold and funnel all the ad specialty companies in the state some of the stolen earn??
Horse racing is not any different then any other industry just because live stock is involved. It is subject to the pro and cons of economics and needs to be mindful that is cottage entertainment industry. As such it needs to emerge from these times smaller and healthier and if that means less racing in any one part of the country including KY then so be it. It's ok if you and your bretheren have to practice your trade in a different environment. Horse racing in KY isn't immuned to issues just because it has such a rich history...That was then this is now. You and yours are good horseman you will make a living were you need to. Just like our company will need to find other companies that need our products instead of Pharma's. Change is healthy.. As for how it helps KY maybe today it doesn't but after the fire the ground is more fertile and the people in the state will be better off in jobs that are within sectors of the economy that are more reliable then racing. Or the folks in racing will have jobs in a stronger healthy sport either way its a win win for KY just not immediately. Your get rich quick slot solution isn't in anyones best interest longterm..

Steve had some guy on one day telling us about some wonderful new community in Indiana some where.. New police new roads new this new that, it was fantasy land not that it wasnt real for the time being just that it was built with fools gold. Imagine how hard that town is going to fall when the slot dollars come to an end. You want your livlihood pinned to slots...Come on you are way smarter than that.

Yeah, Penn National didn't seem too concerned that KY/OH would offer competition when they spent $375M on the world's largest gambling flotilla just 5 minutes from CVG and Turfway.

100% accurate, good post 'Zig.

Ask people in Vegas how that has worked out for the last 75 years. It's gone from an outpost in the desert to one of the best places in the country to live with almost 2 million people in the Vegas Valley (regardless of the recent credit crunch brought on by superfluous, unsustainable housing prices.)

Come on Phil a World famous destination location vs. slots in every Tom Dick and Harry part of the USA now.. Vegas is nothing like Yonkers on a Tuesday nite in Feb. You are way smarter then this as well. How is AC fairing? Its an FN GHOST TOWN and all the wonderful result of al those billions of earn that was pumped into the area seems a bit faded.

You ever been to Yonkers on a Tuesday? I have many times, it's busy.

Ever been to Hollywood Indiana on a Tuesday? Place is super busy. And I'm not kidding. Mostly KY and OH plates.

Of course its busy but when Ohio slots come on line the Ohio plates go away and then if the Ky slots come on line the Ky plates go away then the jobs in that pretty place that the KY and Ohio plates made go away. It really is a horrendously poorly constructed solution to racing. And more importantly it doesnt curtail the expansion of racing it encourageous it.

all things being equal, racing would still have culling between who has a good product, and who does not. problem is, there isn't a level field right now. no reason why kentucky can't try to right the ship, even if they're a late entrant into the slots game.
and i certainly don't get why kentucky can't enter the slots game, regardless of how many slots are online in a neighboring state. there is a fair amount of restaurants in a town near here. a new one is being built. he's a late entrant, should he be barred as there are already restaurants? how dare he peel customers away from what already exists...what kind of logic is that?

Freddys argumnet only makes sense from a macro-economic viewpoint in which everything was neatly seperated. It isnt. Horseracing derives it income from gambling. Slots are now part of that economy regardless of what racing does. Racing has taken the view it is better to join them, gain in the short term and possibly be weakened in the long term than to fight them directly and assuredly lose in the short term which means there is no long term. KY is a good example of what happens when you dont embrace the alternate gambling money. And yes racing does deserve that money and the ability to capitilize on that form of gambling because it has long been the only player in that field and has capitulated many times to state govt to stay in business. The states have drawn a disproportionate amount from our revenue streams for decades, it is about time we got paid back. Except in the corrupt world of dirty, under the table money taking politicians like David Williams.

And Freddy, if the horse industry leaves KY there is nothing to come in and replace it. The business climate in this state is not very good and there is a reason that business that flowed South out of anti business states like NY and NJ passed right on by KY.

This is extremely spot-on... my big concern though is once the short term fixes are in place and a pulse is found again, how well is racing positioned for the long term?

Probably poorly because of misguided and usually pretty incompetent leadership but one can always hope.

There is something to come and replace it...... Ball Homes Inc. Subdivisions,gated communities,huge shopping centers next to Keeneland,etc.

There is no one to move into those homes...except maybe Philski

But,developers can buy the land dirt cheap right now and just sit on it,waiting for better times to come. Williams is probably sleeping with lots of these folks,and getting his wallet filled by them,like your rep. from LEX is doing with the Ball homes people.

sure, the developers can buy it and sit on it..and watch it devalue when everyone leaves since the states #1 source of employment would have moved on to greener pastures-and no pun intended there.

Dr. get me out of pain, keep me out of pain, I will be able to work hard while I am out of pain build my business and make some money. I will deal with withdrawing from the pain killers some other day and the damage it has done to me and my business another day. Dr. I know the pain medicine is going to feel so so good and I am ENTITLED to it because I used to be it for state treasurys.

Or

Dr. tells you can't work in a coal mine anymore because the conditions in it will kill you slowly. I suggest you move to NY where you can mine for gold in a gold mine that is stable and will become more stable if you and your mining buddies come there and work smartly and help build it from the ground up. You may not like the weather but the conditions for your long term health are much more favorable.

Don't ask me which one I would take I did a year and a half of rehab when I was 20 years old.. I guess I was young and foolish and lured by the euphoric feeling..lol

As for Ky..In 1987 I started playing Roto Baseball(fantasy) used to have our stats mailed to us each week. Then in like 88 I got this thing called a modem and downloaded stats (it took all night to download 5 pages of data lol) this thing called the internet was invented. It saved the US economy, I had no clue what it was at the time nor did I understand the implications. Also around that time this thing callled a cell phone started to be in vogue we had no clue how many jobs that would create or what it meant to the business world(some people even were able to buy racehorses with their success in the industry). Why won't or can't KY particpate in the next economic revolution? Maybe it will be energy related, maybe it will be related to space, maybe it will be drug related with cures for whatever. The point is we have no clue when or what it will be we just know that through history such economic events spurr growth and mankind. We aren't hoping it will happen we know it will. Ky just needs to be a part of it, and horse racing just needs to worry about it's product the right size and flavor for its patrons.

Why cant KY participate in the next economic revolution? See Clay County residents versus the Census Bureau. Maybe if pot and meth are legalized KY will see a revival (economic kind)

I have to go get ready for the long trek accross our fine state to KY Downs (located in a dry county mind you )

Good luck and good luck getting a drink when you win!!

Why cant KY participate in the next economic revolution? See Clay County residents versus the Census Bureau. Maybe if pot and meth are legalized KY will see a revival (economic kind)
Maybe Pot will become legalized.. You answered your own issue.

Seriously? If the state will not allow VLT's how do you think the bible thumpers will react to legalization of marijuana.

While I respect that you have a strong opinion about VLT's in Kentucky, I do not understand your view that it is OK for this state to lose its most treasured commodity. Kentucky has to find a way to keep competitive with other states with regard to year round racing and I can only see that VLTs will help Ellis/Turfway/KY Downs. CD and Keeneland will always be fine, but as Cannon Shell has stated the fact that trainers and horses will be leaving the state for lengthy time periods during the year due to low purse structures is not acceptable to me.