Williams to Kentucky race industry: "Drop dead."

[VOL JACK]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Nothing is wrong with "these people."

Williams represents an area where the highlight of the decade is a Dollar General store with a grocery inside.

In other words...he's representing morons.

People make the mistake of thinking that all of KY is all wrapped up in Horse Racing... I bet there are not 5 people in Burkesville that can name this years derby winner. I live 45 minutes away from Burkesville. People in the Northern Tn- Southern Ky area are clueless about Horse Racing.
Its light years away from the Lexington-Louisville area where HR is KING.

Williams has no interest in the bill because his district has no interest in the sport..the town is such a crap hole the Dairy Queen couldnt even stay in business.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

People make the mistake of thinking that all of KY is all wrapped up in Horse Racing... I bet there are not 5 people in Burkesville that can name this years derby winner. I live 45 minutes away from Burkesville. People in the Northern Tn- Southern Ky area are clueless about Horse Racing.
Its light years away from the Lexington-Louisville area where HR is KING.

Williams has no interest in the bill because his district has no interest in the sport..the town is such a crap hole the Dairy Queen couldnt even stay in business.

Williams opposition has zero to do with his district or their desires. It has everything to do with political power. Williams as head of the Senate basically controls all of the legislation passed or killed in the state, despite the fact that democrats hold most all of the key positions other than his. He is completely partisan and will do nothing that would help democrats or the Governor. The Governor ran on a platform on which expanded gambling was a primary topic. For Williams to step aside and allow the Governor to not only win this battle but potentially give him the next election if the slots plans works at all is a horrible political move in Williams mind. His "plan" was and is a joke which if anything will harm education funding and wont do a damn thing for the smaller tracks that are suffering. It was floated simply as a diversionary measure so that the Democrats couldn't say that he offered no alternative. Where his district comes into play is that he is virtually invincible there regardless of the amount of damage he is doing to his reputation statewide. He can take the posture he has because he is the most dangerous type of politician, the kind that doesnt have to worry about reelection. The unsaid factor that you wont read about is the amount of money that Williams and his opposition groups have received from the out of state casino companies which have a huge deal to lose if this passes. Almost every poll that has been done shows that the vast majority of citizens of the state either want expanded gambling or are indifferent to it. Virtually no poll shows more than roughly the mid 30's in opposition. Williams doesnt care about any of this. This isn't about the issue, it is about obstructionist politics, plain and simple.

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Williams opposition has zero to do with his district or their desires. It has everything to do with political power. Williams as head of the Senate basically controls all of the legislation passed or killed in the state, despite the fact that democrats hold most all of the key positions other than his. He is completely partisan and will do nothing that would help democrats or the Governor. The Governor ran on a platform on which expanded gambling was a primary topic. For Williams to step aside and allow the Governor to not only win this battle but potentially give him the next election if the slots plans works at all is a horrible political move in Williams mind. His "plan" was and is a joke which if anything will harm education funding and wont do a damn thing for the smaller tracks that are suffering. It was floated simply as a diversionary measure so that the Democrats couldn't say that he offered no alternative. Where his district comes into play is that he is virtually invincible there regardless of the amount of damage he is doing to his reputation statewide. He can take the posture he has because he is the most dangerous type of politician, the kind that doesnt have to worry about reelection. The unsaid factor that you wont read about is the amount of money that Williams and his opposition groups have received from the out of state casino companies which have a huge deal to lose if this passes. Almost every poll that has been done shows that the vast majority of citizens of the state either want expanded gambling or are indifferent to it. Virtually no poll shows more than roughly the mid 30's in opposition. Williams doesnt care about any of this. This isn't about the issue, it is about obstructionist politics, plain and simple.

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

People make the mistake of thinking that all of KY is all wrapped up in Horse Racing... I bet there are not 5 people in Burkesville that can name this years derby winner. I live 45 minutes away from Burkesville. People in the Northern Tn- Southern Ky area are clueless about Horse Racing.
Its light years away from the Lexington-Louisville area where HR is KING.

Williams has no interest in the bill because his district has no interest in the sport..the town is such a crap hole the Dairy Queen couldnt even stay in business.

But give them credit...

Burkesville has a Chinese restaurant.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

People make the mistake of thinking that all of KY is all wrapped up in Horse Racing... I bet there are not 5 people in Burkesville that can name this years derby winner. I live 45 minutes away from Burkesville. People in the Northern Tn- Southern Ky area are clueless about Horse Racing.
Its light years away from the Lexington-Louisville area where HR is KING.

Williams has no interest in the bill because his district has no interest in the sport..the town is such a crap hole the Dairy Queen couldnt even stay in business.

but it's not just the racing part of the product-how much business and industry is affected by the racing industry? what about farmers, vets, farriers, etc, etc? what about the tourism industry which includes hotels, restaurants, etc? what would a dramatic drop in outside income affect in the state? the tax revenue drop would be horrible to contemplate.
take the entire population that would be affected by racing drastically being reduced or disappearing and tell me that the state wouldn't be dramatically altered.

[Pedigree Ann]

Cannon Shell has got it. David Williams is a man of limited horizons and his major goal in the state house is to prove he is a big shot by doing what he is doing - stop a measure that the enemy (the Democrats) wants. He also is playing to the type of Baptist crowd that looks on gambling with abhorrence, which is still a large constituency out in the counties. This is not the first time Williams has pulled this sort of trick; I sort of wish he would get kicked upstairs to the House (where he would be great material for John Stewart and Stephen Colbert) and let the rest of the state government get on with governing.

[philcski]

I love the antigambling Bible beating zealots in Kentucky. "Rep. Danny Ford, R-Mt. Vernon, said he was against it because it was bad for families and it’s unconstitutional." Yeah, OK. If they can't gamble at Churchill Downs or Turfway Park, they'll drive 20 minutes to Horseshoe or Argosy Indiana. The bill is about keeping gambling dollars in-state. Simple as that. I'm so sick of the pathetic attempts to tell us how to spend our money. If I don't gamble with it I'm not spending it on other sh1t, it'll sit in the bank doing nothing. Either take my money in state or I'll spend it in Indiana like I do now.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by philcski

I love the antigambling Bible beating zealots in Kentucky. "Rep. Danny Ford, R-Mt. Vernon, said he was against it because it was bad for families and it’s unconstitutional." Yeah, OK. If they can't gamble at Churchill Downs or Turfway Park, they'll drive 20 minutes to Horseshoe or Argosy Indiana. The bill is about keeping gambling dollars in-state. Simple as that. I'm so sick of the pathetic attempts to tell us how to spend our money. If I don't gamble with it I'm not spending it on other sh1t, it'll sit in the bank doing nothing. Either take my money in state or I'll spend it in Indiana like I do now.

I just don't get this argument.I never will. I think slots can destroy folks lives. You guys wants slots because they will help racing not because slots are good for people lives. It prolongs consolidation and artificially keeps these slept tracks solvent. Mountainer purses are half of what they were because the folks just have less money to lose, soon they will be cut again and then the kill pens will be full of stock on the way to Mexico.

I go to AC 3 times a week its a dungeon now. Soon there will be gambling everywhere and racing will be holding the bag with still too many tracks and to little racing stock. Will be back to square one.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by freddymo

I just don't get this argument.I never will. I think slots can destroy folks lives. You guys wants slots because they will help racing not because slots are good for people lives. It prolongs consolidation and artificially keeps these slept tracks solvent. Mountainer purses are half of what they were because the folks just have less money to lose, soon they will be cut again and then the kill pens will be full of stock on the way to Mexico.

I go to AC 3 times a week its a dungeon now. Soon there will be gambling everywhere and racing will be holding the bag with still too many tracks and to little racing stock. Will be back to square one.

I know what you're saying, and I don't necessarily disagree. My point is that people will gamble regardless of where the slots are- keeping the gambling dollars in the state of Kentucky is what needs to be done. If you go to Horseshoe Indiana on any day, half of the plates are Kentucky if not more, just like back before PA had slots 40% of the plates in AC were Pennsylvania. I'm in Pittsburgh today and Mountaineer is getting waxed because the Meadows has slots, Wheeling Island has improved their facility, and there's a new casino set to open in downtown Pittsburgh in August. There's less people willing to drive the extra 15 minutes to play at a generally dumpy facility. Same thing applies in Kentucky.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by philcski

I know what you're saying, and I don't necessarily disagree. My point is that people will gamble regardless of where the slots are- keeping the gambling dollars in the state of Kentucky is what needs to be done. If you go to Horseshoe Indiana on any day, half of the plates are Kentucky if not more, just like back before PA had slots 40% of the plates in AC were Pennsylvania. I'm in Pittsburgh today and Mountaineer is getting waxed because the Meadows has slots, Wheeling Island has improved their facility, and there's a new casino set to open in downtown Pittsburgh in August. There's less people willing to drive the extra 15 minutes to play at a generally dumpy facility. Same thing applies in Kentucky.

So I guess the horses will be waxed soon enough at Mountainer, then PID then Yonkers.. It's over..People are fighting for 24 month shot in the arm.. It's like a shot of cortisone in your shoulder. It lasts a few months then you still need the surgery