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Reminders:
The 2nd Summit on Gaming will take place Friday, September 10 at 10 a.m. in Pegasus at the Meadowlands. Be there!!
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FLAWED HANSON REPORT ISN’T THE ONLY BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTUREFLAWED HANSON REPORT ISN’T THE ONLY BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE
By Carol Hodes
hoofbeats.com
July 27, 2010
I would like to think that policy decisions are made for the greater good and with the best of intentions.
I would like to think that, but I am not so naïve to believe that and nothing proved this more than the Hanson Report, the recommendations of the New Jersey Gaming, Sports and Entertainment Advisory Commission, that was released on July 21, 2010 with great fanfare.
Despite the efforts of the racing community to educate the commission members appointed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on the value of horse racing to the state’s economy and the bounty that slots at the Meadowlands could yield the state’s treasury, it turns out that slots and video lottery terminals were never on the table.
All the surveys, studies, scholarly documents and impassioned pleas on behalf of racing were evidently window dressing and never given any serious consideration.
Basically, the Hanson Commission Report argues that the state should get out of the horse racing business. At the same time it promotes the idea that the state should become entangled in the fates of Atlantic City and Xanadu.
This report never provides a comprehensive blueprint for sports, entertainment and gaming for the state, which in theory was its mandate.
Instead, it was pre-occupied with real estate matters – no surprise because the chair of the Commission, Jon Hanson, has made his fortune in real estate. The one-time reclaimed swampland on which the Meadowlands Racetrack sits is clearly too valuable and being coveted for other purposes.
It is a little hard to believe that racing had any sort of fair shake in this report. There is every reason to suspect that one day these same forces that claim slots at the Meadowlands cannot be considered are eyeing the same location for a full-fledged casino but wish to do so without having to share it with the racing industry.
The same casino interests who fear a racino at the Meadowlands have built the competition on the Pennsylvania border that is cannibalizing Atlantic City’s business.
The Hanson Report ignores the value of racing to the state’s economy in the form of thousands of jobs for taxpaying citizens, the existence of tens of thousands of acres devoted to equine agri-business that will be lost and the immeasurable goodwill for the state as the home of the most important racetrack in the standardbred industry.
This same racetrack, the Meadowlands, was, for decades, the cash register that supported the Sports Complex. It paid the mortgage for all three buildings, including the stadium and arena. For several years it threw off income beyond its expenses and debt service, enough to gift the state with $10 million annually.
The racetrack carried on its back not only the debt for the construction at the Complex but also an aquarium, convention centers and other projects.
“The sports authority is paying the consequences for politicians using it for their pet projects,” stated Steve Lonegan, former mayor of Bogota, NJ.
The value of the Meadowlands to the racing industry is immeasurable.
Even now it rates as the preeminent simulcasting facility in the country.
It remains the place where champions prove themselves.
Harness racing in New Jersey deserved better from the Hanson Report which was rife with shortcomings. It is a snapshot of what is worst about politics in this state. It does not necessarily represent the will of the public.
Voices are emerging from the political and business communities along with the racing industry that see the flawed Hanson Report for what it is and know it is not a workable plan for the future of sports, entertainment and gaming in New Jersey.
This was a skirmish in what is likely to be a lengthy battle.
To quote the immeasurably wise Yogi Berra: It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.
-By Carol Hodes
 BE THERE: LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT AT THE MEADOWLANDS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10For several months horsemen and fans have been asking what can they do to save horse racing in New Jersey ...
SCHEDULED SPEAKERS AT GAMING SUMMIT IIList of scheduled speakers at the Gaming Summit at the Meadowlands ...
LUCHENTO'S SUMMIT ON GAMING II STATEMENTStatement delivered by Tom Luchento at the Summit on Gaming II on September 10, 2010 in Pegasus at the Meadowlands Racetrack ...
 NJ RACING FIGHTS FOR ITS FUTURE "We're trying to save this thing," said Thomas Luchento, president of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey. "We're going to get our turn to speak now." ...
FLEX THE MUSCLE INSTALLED AS 4-5 PICK IN $80,000 CHARLES I. SMITH FINALFlex The Muscle has been installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite and will put his three-race winning streak on the line in the $80,000 Charles I. Smith Trot ...
FREEHOLD MOVES QUALIFIERS TO THURSDAYFreehold Raceway announced that it has moved qualifiers to Thursday, September 9 at 9:30 a.m. ...
 BABIC FINALS GO TO JOE DE FINO & MYLUVMYLIFEJoe De Fino by Western Ideal and Myluvmylife by Rocknroll Hanover captured the Lou Babic Finals ...
ONE MORE LAUGH SETS STAKES & TRACK RECORD IN CANE PACEOne More Laugh rolled to a wire-to-wire 1:50.3 stakes and track-record win in Monday’s (September 6, 2010) $300,000 Cane Pace ...
JERSEY'S CIVIL WAR NEEDS COMPROMISEThere is a huge North Jersey-South Jersey war going on, more serious in severity than any past skirmishes ...
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