Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
Is what NYRA asking for considered "state aid"?
|
It doesn't matter what it is called. Yes, NYS is contractually obliged to pay NYRA the racino "continuation" payments (and it's probably also on the hook for NYCOTB), but just because you have a contractual right to something doesn't mean you are going to get it. NYS also has contracts with the government employee unions. The governor just tried to unilaterally impose furloughs in a manner that a federal court judge concluded was in violation of those contracts. So it's not like NYRA is the only party in whom the state may be in default on its obligations.
The simple fact is, that given the tarring that it has endured in recent years, NYRA is not viewed in a particularly sympathetic light by a general public that doesn't think the state should be in the gambling business, especially when they perceive it to be losing money. At a time when hospitals are closing and teachers are being laid off, many people (I'm not one of them) believe that giving money to NYRA is a misplaced priority. Just read the many blogs on the newspaper websites, including the Times-Union and Saratogian, to get a sense of this sentiment. This is why what should be a simple thing to do contractually is proving problematic from a legislative perspective.