Talk about backing the wrong horse.
In his bid to become Georgia's next agricultural commissioner, Democratic nominee J.B. Powell recently unveiled the first of five proposals he says will boost the state's economy through agriculture.
His first plan? Legalize horse race betting.
That's one idea that shouldn't even make it out of the gate.
Powell envisions as many as 20,000 jobs and an economic impact of $1 billion if Georgians are allowed to play the ponies.
Powell should have his vision checked. If he did, he could get a better look around the country -- where horse racing is suffering along with practically every other sector of the economy.
The economic decline of horse racing is blindingly obvious. Horse sales are plunging. More horse farms are being put up for sale. The number of mares being bred is down. Money bet on horse races, according to the prestigious Jockey Club, is off nationwide by 30 percent.
The New York Times reported earlier this year that the famed Pimlico Race Course, which plays host to the Preakness Stakes, was going through bankruptcy. The New York Racing Association barely came up with the money this year to put on the legendary Belmont Stakes, but has had to cancel several other races this year.
And these are the big players in the horse racing business. Imagine the plight of smaller outfits.
"It's a sign of the times. There's not as many horses in training because owners can't afford to have as many," said Richard Lewis, race director for California's Sonoma County Fair.
Anyone who has owned a horse knows it's not like owning a dog. Horses cost considerable money to stable, groom, feed and train. Owners are having a harder time these days coming up with the money for all that. So more professional stables are shrinking, which means less breeding, which means a shortage of horses to fill out race cards.
All this is fairly common knowledge among horse enthusiasts. Yet Powell still wants to saddle up this nag of an idea about bringing pari-mutuel horse betting to Georgia? This sagging endeavor is his great economic boost?
Not that Powell would actually have much of anything to do with it if he became agriculture commissioner.
State lawmakers have tried in past years to push bills allowing horse-race gambling, most recently this past legislative session, but none of those bills could limp to the finish line. And there's been nothing in any proposed legislation that mentions the Georgia Department of Agriculture having any oversight over racing or betting.
Yet Powell says his "let the voters decide" stance on legalized betting will be a central fixture of his campaign advertising for agriculture commissioner.
He didn't waste time delivering on that promise. On Monday he issued a press release bizarrely accusing his Republican opponent, Gary Black, of failing to lead on a "major agricultural issue."
The bizarre part, of course, is that horse race gambling simply isn't a major agricultural issue. That's like saying screwing in a light bulb is a "major energy issue."
Check with the Georgia Farm Bureau or the Georgia Agribusiness Council. They can give Powell an earful of more serious topics that come ahead of gambling on horses. Ask the average Georgia farmer to write a list of major agricultural issues, and horse race gambling wouldn't even be on it.
If you want to put money on the horses, you can visit one of the 38 other states allowing it.
But horse race gambling as Georgia's economic savior? Don't bet on it.
Yup, it is bizzare for Powell to bring up this idea, but this is classic JB. Ag Com is an elected position where it's hard to find issues to excite the public so JB strays into other matters just as he got involved in all sorts of things (heh, heh) in Richmond County in the past.
However, the positive financial aspects of horse racing can't be denied. Even if the big city horse racing is suffering set backs that doesn't mean it won't work in Georgia. Keep in mind, it's a no lose situation because this will all be done with private money.
Augusta is a prime location to gain one of the tracks that will be built around the state due to our large metropolitan population, horse enthusiasts, training facilities and big money guests in April.
Oh...one more thing....don't let JB get anywhere near the money. The trough always seems to be slanted his way.
Farming is gambling. Maybe that's how JB got this idea. I have a farm (in Aiken County) and bet the weather, pine beetle, market and Red Guard will all be kind to me.
WOW!!! Great research about how this works around the nation! I mean they really did dig into the FACTS about racing.
Funny they didn't seem to want to compare our fair city to the outside world when it came to TEE did they?
Lots of the same style fact and figures pointed to a money loser from day one, lots of experts and FACTS, yet that was ignored and ACES along with the supporters of TEE, all said Augusta is different than every other city.
I can tell you one thing, anyone who says that this will not make money is either a liar, blind, a fool, or all three.
Imagine a Trump Casio on the river and a track nearby?
If gambling is legalized on horse racing it could not result in anything but jobs and money for the State.
Had the lottery not been spent on education, we could have had almost no taxes in this state on anything. Imagine that one!
Oh well, the God Squad will come on with all the usual arguments from their side and that carries much more weight than any practical needs of the people suffering in our State.
After all, a little suffering is good for the soul right?
Leagalize and tax Gambling, Likker on Sundays, and drugs and just see how much we save when we cut back the bloated agencies that oversee the enforcemnet of these laws and the revenues for the taxes.
Brad
Brad
What about the other four...what about the ideas from the party of NO...I forgot they don't have any ideas...they expect different results but the keep offering the same old plans!
NewHere, were you and albertjayson riding in the same car when it hit that tree?
Yeah great research but you failed to mention alot of information....like the fact that NYRA was broke because the state owed them 27 Million or that the State of New York makes 90 MILLION on horse racing a year. Not to bad.
Legalize prostitution. There is certainly a market for it among both Democrats and Republicans politicians (Spitzer, Vitter, Craig, etc.) and the religious (Swaggert, Haggard, etc.).
Excellent post, Brad, and on several counts.
Now is the IDEAL time for Georgia to saddle up and ride Mr. Powell's idea. While other states shop for casinos in a casino glut, we could be several links out front.
First, we should not allow fourflushers to sell us any synthetic tracks (ask Santa Anita). Start with dirt tracks and, second, with simulcast racing. Revenue would pour in faster than corporate welfare.
I suspect the Chronicle has its reasons for opposing this. Might it be because most people actually prefer horse racing to clodhoppers on horses so little you have to put quarters in them?
There's a great example to compare this issue to. The baseball stadium on the river that Ripken Enterprises wants us to fork out millions for. That's a private concern wanting our money.
In contrast, the race tracks with pari-mutuel betting, will all be built with private money. Realize pari-mutuel betting means the bettors are waging against each other. We talk about having something in Augusta to compliment the Masters....well, this is the best idea to come out of the gate in decades. This is no long shot idea, it's practical. This could be the perfect trifecta with The Masters and Aiken Polo.
But one thing I'll do, that's bet on the same horse Racing Commission Chairman JB Powell bets on (yeah, that will come) the same way I'd buy land near the interstate where Sen. Don Cheeks would buy. In both cases you would know something was up.
Lori Davis should jump on this racehorse and ride it to victory. Deke won't go near it the way he rides the cutting saddles and Futurity ponies to keep the voters penned up against the back fence.
Not shooting it down, but we may want to investigate areas comparable to Augusta before jumping out there. A New York comparison is far from equal.
If money and entertainment is the only issue, gambling has merit.
At the same time, there are other aspects that always accompany gambling; increased crime requiring increased LE, inclunding prostitution to a larger degree, suicides, robberies........all to feed the different "drug" that will then be legal. South Carolina cut off the video poker for some reason. What was it? I don't know, just asking.
If this was the answer to budget issues, why aren't more states doing it? The Christians alone can't defeat this, so there must be other reasons. A civil discourse of the pros and cons is warranted.
Follower, I agree with you that we should discuss the proposal. I'll try to answer your questions. Again, we don't put any money down. This is all financed privately. You asked why other states don't do this. 38 of them do. They have simply found ways to blow this source of income over the years on needless spending, I'll bet.
Video poker was a cheap game ran in gas stations. That's like comparing living room poker to Las Vegas. Video poker machines were impossible to tax properly and the players couldn't be controlled. Minors were playing in large numbers. Horse racing is a whole new deal with pageantry and beautiful horses in the sunshine. You wouldn't have to gamble to enjoy a few hours at the track.
I'll bet you lots of betting goes on at the Futurity and Barrel Racing Championships.
That's true, RM. But at least the government is not in on the odds and the take.
Thanks River,
I realize that the AC is just their own opinion, but do you know how other areas are faring? Same size as Augusta, crime stats, revenue, that sort of thing? With the economy as it is and probably will be for the next several years, is this a dying segment?
Don't go through alot of trouble to search. Just asking if you know some of these things off the top of your head. ;)
LL said, "That's true, RM. But at least the government is not in on the odds and the take."
Ahhhhh, then let's do something where the local and state government is getting a cut.
Follower, thanks to you too, but since there are 38 states allowing betting on horse racing now, something like that would be almost impossible to quantify. The economy is down so I assume all those 38 states are hurting, too. I imagine over the years they have found ways to waste the income they receive from the hoseracing industry.
There is no pari-mutuel horseracing in this region. Augusta could draw visitors from all over GA, SC and NC with this. When I was in the Army in Alabama many people would drive a hundred miles to Ebro, Florida to the dog racing tracks. There is a market.
While the betting part may not be related to the Ag Commisioner, the equine industry in itself does. I found an old study that showed an aggregate economic impact to Birmingham of $1.6 billion from racing and the related equine industry.
You can find an “old study” that can support or refute any proposal anyone can name. Augusta has plenty of old studies sitting on the shelves that never came to fruition.
The best thing the government can do in a situation as this is stay out of the way and let the free market work.
I do think this would work, especially with Aiken being right down the road. There are plenty of people that have race horses that would come to the track.
I do not agree with any public finance of the track or operations, but if someone with some land wants to step up and roll the dice, cool.
I say let the degenerate gambler take his money to Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, or North Carolina and gamble it away. Georgia doesn't want his money, even though Hope no longer covers more than a fraction of college tuition, revenues from the lottery are flatlined, and revenues from casino and pari-mutuel gambling could return Hope to Georgia's undereducated students....but, who needs that money anyway.
OK Barry, so Aiken didn't follow up or it just went away. What are you insinuating for us folks that want to understand your coughing. LOL
Just pointing out that my brethren at The Chronicle - most of whom weren't around in '98 - might need to be reminded of some previous comments on the topic that don't seem entirely consistent with today's
piece. I hope they'd do the same for me...
From the article it appears Aiken wanted the pari-mutuel betting on horseraces back then. I also note they didn't want video poker. I pointed out the problems with video poker I described up the page. Horse racing is much different. In all honestly, I haven't seen any negatives presented on this entire thread...except JB is involved.
LL: Unlike Augusta's studies which show (or try to) how much economic impact a project WILL (or might) have, the study I reference was on how much it HAD in Birmingham since racing was already going strong.
I prefer to have casions instead of horse racing.. Casinos on the riverwalk sound great!
I say leave the horses in Aiken, and bring the casinos to Augusta...
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