Don’t worry about the fact that one-quarter of Kentucky’s year-round thoroughbred horse racing dates are evaporating in a single year. Don’t be bothered by a sickening free-fall in the thoroughbred yearling market that saw a 45 % plunge in prices for yearlings at Keeneland in September. According to Jim Waters, the mouthpiece for the Republican Party of Kentucky (also known as the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions), since the corporation that owns Churchill Downs made money, then the fact that the horse industry (both breeding and racing) is leaving Kentucky is nothing to worry about. Because if a corporation is okay because other parts of the company are making money, then losing 100,000 jobs doesn’t matter, right?
Of course not. But that’s what the Republican Party of Kentucky through mouthpiece Jim Waters says, anyway. Jim Waters has closely allied himself with the out-of-state powerhouse casino gambling interests in Indiana and other states that are working to kill the Kentucky horse industry. The fact is, it is Jim Waters, David Williams, Damon Thayer, and the Republican Party of Kentucky that are “beholden to the interests of a small group of shady gambling bosses,” as Waters states in his fictional writing piece below. There are no shady gambling bosses lining up to support the racetracks—they are lining up with Jim Waters, David Williams, Damon Thayer, and the other political leaders who are betraying 100,000 Kentuckians whose jobs are leaving the state.
Recall that earlier in November it was revealed that Damon Thayer was actually being paid 30 pieces of silver to publicize the export of Kentucky horses to a state with expanded slots gaming. Clearly part of what Waters is being paid to do as a paid shill for BIPPS is to deceive the public into thinking there are other voices who question gaming. Is Waters receiving money from any other sources besides BIPPS for this? Is BIPPS being funded by those out of state casino bosses? The bottom of the column states:
Jim Waters is director of policy and communications for the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky’s free-market think tank. Reach him at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com. Read previously published columns at www.bipps.org.
Exactly what are all the monetary reasons for all of the advocates who are fighting so ferociously for these out of state casinos? Is Bluegrass Institute being paid by these out-of-state casino bosses to abandon the long-held and traditional Republican position of advocating for taxes on consumption and sin taxes (which gambling revenue is), and against taxes on the wealthy? If not, what other reason could explain a so-called “think-tank” suddenly abandoning a core Republican value?
I’m sure that’s just coincidence.
Finally, one suggestion: BIPPS’ web page features a field of thoroughbreds on its masthead. Remove the Kentucky horse photos, as those are only serving to rub salt in the wounds of the industry this “industry think tank” is trying to kill. Of course, it is entirely possible that, like the other Republicans, BIPPS is simply showing photos of the horse industry from another state such as Louisiana, in which case, as long as they are willing to correctly identify them as horses from another state, it would be appropriate.
December 8th is the next step in the horse industry’s fight for survival. Jodie Haydon supports the horse industry’s quest for expanded gaming to supplement purses for Kentucky’s horses, and supports the 100,000 Kentuckians employed by it.
The field of 12 Kentucky thoroughbreds were discussing ways they could improve purses and entertaining ways to draw more race track patrons,,,Then, Hogwash, a favorite said,” How bout we get them slot machines? They will save our industry cause people will just swarm to see us if they can concentrate on slots !!! Plus, we’ll show em publicans !!”
Bob,
Thanks for including links to previous columns. That way, you and & your readers can discover that we have pointed to better solutions to helping the thoroughbred industry than gambling.
For a fair and balanced view here, you should have included the part of my column where we talk about the research showing that for Ohio’s new plan to work, “half the gamblers must come from out of state.”
I also notice you conveniently leave out of your discussion that all the money being spent by the industry could be used to beef up purses, which is what industry officials say is their biggest impediment in competing with other states.
Jim,
You’re welcome. I look forward to hearing your response to the column and the specific questions raised, specifically: Who is funding your attack on behalf of the out of state casinos? Are you being paid by those casinos? If not, who is paying you (who is bankrolling BIPPS)? It seems odd for such a shadowy organization to be abandoning traditional Republican positions on taxes.
Also, are you now changing your position from what you wrote in the linked article? Because in your comment, you seem to be changing your position and now seem to be admitting what you just denied.
In the article, you deny that Kentucky’s signature industry (which you inexplicably put in quotes, as if to further demean the thoroughbred industry) is hurting, based on the success of a single parent corporation. Do you deny that 25 percent of the racing dates are disappearing this year? Do you deny that the Keeneland September Yearling Sales dropped 45 % in their gross in a single year? Do you deny that the purse structure (as opposed to the profits of the parent corporation) at Churchill Downs and all Kentucky tracks is causing racehorses and breeding stock to leave Kentucky in droves?
Why are you and Mr. Williams telling 100,000 Kentuckians that their jobs aren’t worth saving, and instead fighting tooth and nail to protect the economic interests of these out of state casinos?
You have “pointed to better solutions to help the thoroughbred industry than gambling.” Really? Because you may not be aware, Mr. Waters, but horse racing has always included gambling as a critical component. You may want to talk to Damon Thayer, who is representing breeding interests for money who are sending their horses to Louisiana. You may not be aware that Louisiana is taking Kentucky horses because its purses are supplemented by expanded gaming.
You may also want to learn about something known as fair and competitive marketplaces, Mr. Waters. Because that is all that Kentuckians want. There are people in both political parties that are simply asking for that most cherished of Republican principles to be respected. All Kentucky horse people want is a fair chance to compete on a level playing field, and to not be hobbled by sinister out of state casino interests who are underwriting the attacks on our signature industry.
Finally, you seem to take issue with the other side (the horse industry) doing the exact same thing that is being done by the casino interests who your column protects. All the money being spent by those casino interests could be used to reinvest in those casinos. Are you suggesting that the First Amendment does not apply to Kentuckians? Are you suggesting that Kentuckians whose positions differ from those of you, Mr. Williams and the casinos should not support and advocate for policy changes? Surely you aren’t. And surely you realize that the profits of a parent company are completely separated from what profits are being generated from and available for reinvesting in the racing purses. Under the corporation’s Business Interest Rule, the board of directors would be appropriately sued and removed if they took profits earned and simply donated them to a charity instead of applying them to the bottom line. I hope such a fundamental aspect of corporate responsibility is something familiar to a Republican-aligned “think tank”. Our industry is dying, Mr. Waters. And Republicans and Democrats alike recognized the fig leaf alternative proposal this summer to “help” was only cover to help the out of state casinos finish the industry off.
I do look forward to hearing of substantive helpful proposals from whoever is behind BIPPS.
Once upon a time … or so starts most fairy tales. In this case – not so!
Once upon a time, the dream of Americans was industry, thrift, education for the offspring, and each successive generation would out-perform its parents with respect to (wrt) wealth, social placement and Maslow’s Hierarchy. And then came ‘gaming’.
It’s not gambling … sounds too much like gamboling! That’s for another story about life in THIS United States. Gaming is now the “Great American Dream”. Hit the lottery and Maslow’s Hierarchy becomes irrelevant. Hit the lottery and all one’s dreams are realized. Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! Hit the lottery! This may seem childishly redundant to you, but it’s merely the distillation of all the advertising on TV & radio, in newspapers & magazines. They even advertise in discardables like used mdse shoppers.
State-run lotteries are, in the simplest analysis, old-fashion Mafia-run numbers gambling. It couldn’t be controlled with legislation or policing – so it was usurped. The advertising of “more than just something for almost nothing” is narcotic for under-employed, unemployed, marginally employed, un-educated, under-educated and marginally educated. They see the commercials on TV for furniture, autos, pickups, resorts, cruises & ballgames juxtposed with ‘the Lottery’. Well what else are they going to think? They are suffering from depressed wage rates due to illegals; there’s no money left over to save. It’s easier to spend the $2.00 on a lottery ticket than save it at 1%. It’s a conspiracy, but that’s another story.
The reality here is that republican’t policy is to destroy; regardless of the social or cultural value of the custom, government, industry or enterprise under attack. The target du jour is the equine industry. The strength of BIPPS is in the exploitable ignorance of the public; its weakness is the tenacity of thinkers with a venue to distribute. Their perception of Darwinism is that it applies to social, cultural and financial millieu, but not geophysical or biological sciences.