NY Times opinion

[blackthroatedwind]

It's really not about being left wing, Chuck, it's just about doing a shoddy job of reporting. The most left wing person I have ever known has been disgusted with their reporting ( and very much favors the WSJ ) for many years.

However, as you said, they aren't looking for a response. They are very simply dramatically misstating facts and butchering the interpretation of this story. This editorial is a woefully incompetent rendering of the situation. However, no NYC paper has made any attempt to understand anything about the current racing situation, and the reporting has reflected that.

One other thing.....by the logic of the author of this article, every bar in NY should also be closed, as surely many more rent dollars are spent there and many more lives are also wasted and ruined by alcohol. Who knew the NY Times was an advocate of bringing back Prohibition. It is, however, good to know.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

It's really not about being left wing, Chuck, it's just about doing a shoddy job of reporting. The most left wing person I have ever known has been disgusted with their reporting ( and very much favors the WSJ ) for many years.

However, as you said, they aren't looking for a response. They are very simply dramatically misstating facts and butchering the interpretation of this story. This editorial is a woefully incompetent rendering of the situation. However, no NYC paper has made any attempt to understand anything about the current racing situation, and the reporting has reflected that.

One other thing.....by the logic of the author of this article, every bar in NY should also be closed, as surely many more rent dollars are spent there and many more lives are also wasted and ruined by alcohol. Who knew the NY Times was an advocate of bringing back Prohibition. It is, however, good to know.

Isn't the morality of gambling argument a little stale in 2007 considering state of our society?

[geeker2]

When you see things like this in print..it always makes me wonder..... if they got this all wrong ...what else are they printing that is wrong...

Maybe Elvis is still alive.....and living in Chuck's barn.

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Isn't the morality of gambling argument a little stale in 2007 considering state of our society?

Well of course.

But, with the lottery doing so much, for so many, it's a wonder gambling ( and really all vices ) aren't promoted even more.

[pick4]

The editorial writers of the Times were not the only ones who fail to fully understand this issue.

The Daily News has their say: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/...int=1&page=all

as does the New York Post:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11162007...ase_118440.htm

[blackthroatedwind]

Compared to the Times piece those responses are pure genius. At least they understand the situation a bit better.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Compared to the Times piece those responses are pure genius. At least they understand the situation a bit better.

Have you ever heard of "Letter to the Editor"? I am guessing this maybe a vehicle for an intelligent response?

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Compared to the Times piece those responses are pure genius. At least they understand the situation a bit better.

And pointed the finger a bit more at Albany- again, because I don't fully understand the situation- that is where the majority of the money goes, correct?

(And Arljim, I too find it pretty hypocritical that states that run lotteries wring their hands about gambling. Or churches that run bingo nights. For that matter, what else is the stock market, really?)

[pick4]

If one good thing could come out of these editorials it would be that OTB situation is addressed once and for all. The Spitzer/NYRA agreement left the status quo in place and it's clearly obvious that is a failed business model.


GenuineRisk: As far as the finger pointing towards Albany, Steve Crist of the DRF explains how NYCOTB lead by political hack Ray (Rudy Giuliani's cousin) Casey made the mistake of agreeing to make extra payments to NYS in exchange for the right to take bets for throughbred races at night.
http://cristblog.drf.com/crist/2007/...ering-our.html

The NYCOTB and the five other statewide OTB's have a 6% surcharge on winning wagers. Yet NYCOTB considers this a surcharge an expense as stated in Matt Hegarty's article two weeks ago: http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do...5&subs=0&arc=1.

[Cannon Shell]

I always about the 'dwindling' interest in a venture where 1 billion dollars a years is bet on it through one outlet. I guess the media is so conditioned to call horseracing a 'dying' sport that they never stop to think about the billions of dollars of revenue derived from this venture. Of course it would take the newspapers to step out of their ivory towers to see that the horse racing business has a whole lot better chance of being in existence in 20 years than the print media business does.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Isn't the morality of gambling argument a little stale in 2007 considering state of our society?

uh yeah, especially when casinos, lotteries and poker are celebrated as mainstays of society.