M.J.C. slashes purses/stakes

[Zippy Chippy]

Originally Posted by ddthetide

it's politics and legislators. the big city counties control the votes. they want to pass slots for the 2 races track only. the other counties vote against it because they want thier cuts and jobs. cumberland and frostburg in far western md, could desperately use the jobs. i'm sure the eastern shore could use the jobs too. the only OTB west of the 2 tracks is frederick they want slots. so on one can agree on who gets slots and who doesn't. there is to much "if i don't get them you don't either".

Isn't there a way to bypass the legislature by doing a ballot initiative? If the people of Maryland could get a slots proposal on the ballot, wouldn't it take all the "annapolis knuckleheads" out of the equation?

[cmorioles]

Who really cares if Maryland racing crashes and burns? It can only help the industry to eliminate tracks.

[tanner12oz]

the wv table games bill passed sunday....construction has already begun

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by tanner12oz

the wv table games bill passed sunday....construction has already begun

it failed in jefferson county, thats where CT is. was it passed in the mountaineer area?

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by tanner12oz

the wv table games bill passed sunday....construction has already begun

I believe it failed at Charlestown but passed at Wheeling.

--Dunbar

[byalip]

It's got everything to do with Bible thumping and "family values".

I live in MD. Trust me, the knee-jerk reaction is that slots means gambling makes for sinners in the hands of an angry god. This state is run by soccer moms and dads. Period. They are so freaked out by the notion of slots/gambling that they're willing to forego roughly 50% of the revenue slated for education.

Here's the latest accounting by the Baltimore Sun:
Joined by their highest-ranking advocate, Comptroller Peter Franchot, Stop Slots Maryland advocates gathered at an Annapolis-area church yesterday to resume their push to block gambling. Leaders said they were bankrupt and that supporters had scattered, but that they would turn to religious groups across the state, and even Republican lawmakers, for help.

[slotdirt]

They would turn to religious groups, sure, but for the last five years, religious groups have nothing to do with why there aren't slots in Maryland. Former Governor Ehrlich - a Republican - was the world's biggest proponent of slots, and the state legislature refused to go along with any plan that came from the governor.

Religious groups may be a factor now, but they certainly weren't a factor at any point in the last five years.

[-BT-]

Paris Glendenning!

-bt-

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I believe it failed at Charlestown but passed at Wheeling.
--Dunbar

When Wheeling got slots, it turned their horrible greyhound racing facility into one of the best in the country, with the best quality dogs, best trainers, and biggest slot-engorged purses, and now is A rated all the way. Local economy in Wheeling benefitted greatly from that, and is still doing so today.

[ALostTexan]

And the parking lots are full of vehicles with Ohio plates.

Totally disgusted me that we could not get Issue 3 passed in Ohio last year, especially with the amount of money that would have gone to secondary education. I was a huge supporter of the bill there, even had a slot of ATRAB to try to drum up support, but our bill was eventually killed, not as much by the religious supporters but by the notion that "7 wealthy racetracks would only benefit". Those being places like Beulah, Scioto Downs, and River Downs (none of which I would call wealthy tracks).

I wish Maryland all the luck in the world in getting the slot machines at their tracks, as they should have the chance to compete with surrounding states on a level playing field...

ALostTexan

[Danzig]

in the long run, those who are able to get slots will be right back where they started, with everyone fighting for the gambling dollars....getting slots doesn't mean one will succeed, but by the same token, maryland without them is fighting an uphill battle.
louisiana really siphoned off a lot of arkansas breeders when they got slots, oaklawn turned around and got their instant racing machines, which helped...

[ddthetide]

Originally Posted by Zippy Chippy

Isn't there a way to bypass the legislature by doing a ballot initiative? If the people of Maryland could get a slots proposal on the ballot, wouldn't it take all the "annapolis knuckleheads" out of the equation?

it's just not a big enough issue here until it's gone. no one pays any attention to it until there is some type of vote in annapolis. both tracks are in the baltimore county area and most the big horse farms to the northeast of Baltimore county going towards delaware have been sold off and developed. even carrol county and most of southern md farms are gone. the land is worth just sick amounts of money.
i live 1 minute from the old hagerstown track. it's been turned into a recreation area with softball and soccer fields.