[I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Pardon my monthlong break.]
The Senate State and Local Government Committee passed Senate Bill 151 today, a measure that would allow casino gambling in Kentucky. The revised version of the bill allows up to five casinos at horse tracks and as many as two others, and that only the legislature can authorize as many as seven casinos-none guaranteed for horse racing tracks. The bill passed 7-4 and now goes to the full Senate.
I grew up working on a 110-acre thoroughbred horse farm in Bourbon County. Over the decades, that family farm raised a Hall of Fame filly who won the Kentucky Oaks, and also raised a two-year-old champion filly, an Epsom Derby winner, and scores of stakes horses. Buyers would come from South America, Japan, Europe, Africa and Asia to bid on the yearlings each year at the Keeneland September Sales. Some years had good sales, some not so good, but it evened out into a way to make a living—not a way to get rich. Boarders sent their broodmares to the farm. Some came from Missouri, some from New York, many from Florida, and from probably 15 other states over the years.
In 2009, a Florida farm that had sent seasonal boarders to that farm for decades instead sent all of those horses to Indiana. The vans from Ocala drove right past the bluegrass location of the crown jewels of thoroughbred breeding, and kept going until they got to Indiana. Indiana created a breeders incentive program supplemented by casino gaming. The purses in Indiana were twice those available on the southern side of the Ohio River.
Anyone who is so ignorant as to blithely suggest that there is some predestined special trait to Kentucky soil that dictates its breeding industry will always dominate doesn’t even begin to understand the threat. In the 1970s, Kentucky was the center of the standardbred (trotting and pacing) horse breeding industry. States such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey pumped up their purses and their breeders programs. By the 1980s, it was all over. Today, the standardbred breeding industry in Kentucky is for most purposes non-existent. And the remaining jobs, careers and farms in the thoroughbred industry have already started disappearing.
That fantastically successful farm in Bourbon County closed down last year. While it is not accurate to say it was solely because of Indiana, it is fair to say that was an extremely substantial factor in the shuttering of a family operation that had flourished for forty years.
There are fiscal arguments as well, but the most powerful argument is that the signature industry and former number one farm crop for our state deserves a fair chance to compete with other states. The revenue arguments support passing the amendment as well. Even if the gaming “only” brings in a few hundred million a year to the state, to a commonwealth that is undergoing amputation of state government functions, such money is desperately needed. And the unholy alliance of Kentucky Senate President and Indiana casino gambler David Williams and his out of state allies who seek to protect their markets are laughing their heads off, knowing that any negatives associated with gaming are already occurring as Kentuckians drive out of state to gamble, and knowing that Kentuckians are being tricked into paying for Indiana’s racing program, Indiana’s schools, roads, and state government.
Please call senators today, and please let them know how very much this matters to Kentuckians. To say it is important is an understatement. A lot of good Kentucky farms are already gone. Do something to protect those that remain. Call 1-800-372-7181.
From an email blast from Governor Steve Beshear:
The time has come to Let the People Vote on expanded gaming! I am excited to tell you that after almost two decades of discussion and debate on the issue of expanded gaming, today a State Senate committee passed a constitutional amendment that will finally let the people of Kentucky vote on whether or not they want expanded gaming in Kentucky.
For me, it’s simple – Kentuckians are spending hundreds of millions of dollars at casinos in our neighboring states, and I think it’s time we keep that money right here in Kentucky for our schools, our children, our roads, and our citizens.
This legislation could be voted by the full Senate as early as tomorrow. If you think it’s time that the people of Kentucky decide, please call your senator and tell them to vote Yes on Senate Bill 151, the constitutional amendment that will FINALLY let the people vote on expanded gaming.
You can reach your senator by calling 502-564-8100 or 1-800-372-7181. If you are unsure who your senator is, please click here to find out.
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Your glorious crook lawyer Governor did a heck of a job, Bobbie.
First, he’s your boss, Bubba. Just because he tried to help horsemen doesn’t make him a crook, either. And for you to be celebrating the people who’ve had their farms and careers ended like this is pretty disgraceful. I expected you’d at least respect the need to protect our farmers.
He needs to do two things: call a special session, and offer David Williams a spot in the witness protection program if Williams is that much afraid of the casino interests.
My boss??? What the hell are you talking about? Here’s a thought..why don’t the horse farms quit being led by the nose by casino fat cats and just tell the people what they need dollar wise to equalize purses and breeder incentives ? Just because Beshear got bought by casinos doesn’t mean the horse farms have to go down with that corrupt, rotten ship. Beshear is a fraud, my friend, a corrupt, fat cat shyster …..IMHO, of course.
PS Julian Carroll voted no. Do you think he would change his mind in special session? Do you really think Casino Stevie can find 7 more Senate votes in special session? Give it up, dude…you bet the wrong horse.
So you want a socialized business model where the government hands out money, instead of a level playing field? No, of course not. You just want to deny what has worked in other states. You just want to see other Kentuckians fail because you have failed. That’s a pretty pathetic model for a life, Bubba.
David Williams and Alice Forgy Kerr frequent Indiana casinos, then do their bidding, and then talk about how immoral casinos are? You suggest Beshear is corrupt when he has steadfastly said we need to save the horse business for the past four years, while you ignore the rotting stench from Williams and Kerr.
And if you are really that unhappy with your life that you want to pull other Kentuckians down with you, support this bill. Maybe someone in the horse business could even find a job for you. World needs hot walkers too.
Do you have any proof that Alice Forgy Kerr goes to the out-of-state casinos?
For the AssHat calling himself Bob Hill -
For the record, until convicted, the governor isn’t a crook. Contrary to your demented values the former TWO republican governors are crooks. Your unwarranted familiarity is condescending and an insult. Insult is the only arrow in your quiver. I use quiver intentionally since my only image of you is cowering in the corner as you QUIVER in fear — of justice and social, gender and financial equity among all residents of the Commonweal and the United States.
It is my opinion that Bob is incorrect in his assessment that you don’t want socialized costing and privatized profit. To have the public pickup the expenses and reserve the profits for the few well-connected owners is just exactly how crooked politicians like wet-wili, the-fuged-forgys [both], demon-damon and their mentor mitchmcconnell ‘think’ and operate. The last thing republi-can’ts need is a level playing field. Why do you think we refer to you-all-guys as tea-beggars? Cheeze, you guys are really dense! Failure of all except the very few annointed fundamentalists is your goal.
If you could actually attach the governor to a criminal act you wouldn’t be running your mouth faster than you can think. All of us who have known the governor since college daze know lawyers have unsavory clients. Duh-uh! That he wasn’t indicted is indicative that he maintained a bar association recognized relationship with his clients. All businesswomen and businessmen, lawyers, engineers and public employees in Hopkins County have relationships with coal; so what? The only politicians bought and sold by enterprise in this tale of misanthropic adventure by republi-can’ts are your own wursheped republi-can’ts. Having the facts wrong is more than just being incorrect in their distribution and inaccurate in their application. Accussing Democrats of illegal behavior is transferrence, an attachment of one’s own behavior to another class of persons or group without cause or evidence. Transferrence is used when there is no probable cause for legitimate action, either legally or journalisticly. Or if I must use 4-letter words for your benefit … only when the ref’s back is turned.
In as much as you would be guilty of perjury should you swear any of what you’ve written to be true in a court or in front of a grand jury – buzz-off freaqueazoid!
Bob’s-A$$ -
No meds except some stuff to counter the Agent Orange – jealous are you, having been a draft-dodger? It’s not willis; it’s wet-wili ’cause he crosses the Ohio river to get his paychex from Indiana & Ohio casinos and spend it in their casinos. The Fugate Pastor and his congrgant Forgy, her brother and Tayer are a clutch of clowns. If they were to enter the contest stuffing people into small cars, they would ‘feel’ like winners even though they can’t figure out how to get more than one in the car.
Only republi-can’ts politic illegally. I used to follow my old man around western Kentucky while he collected baksheesh for nunn-better the crook from glasgow. I even confirmed thast he made some rounds paying off for the approbate from glasgow.
Remember fecal-form – I used to be a republican and helped bury some of the bodies. Ewe should have been one of’em, huh-maybe?
Anti-Lib, I don’t have proof. In 2010, a friend of a friend said they saw her there. If Kerr says she has never been there, I can’t contradict it. But this person was adamant that she was there.
I’d like to hear what she says about it. If she says she hasn’t been there, I’d still give her the benefit of a doubt, despite her despicable lies recently about the horse industry.
Nice deletion, Bob. In 1998 I had a friend who told me that you used to dress like a woman and date Bimbeau aka Ole Scout. If you say it’s not true I’ll be glad to give you the benefit of the doubt.
Jeez, so you’re a homophobe too. I’d have never guessed that.
Although I did go to a costume party as a Freudian slip back in the 1990s, but that’s another story…
I’ll wait for her to say whether she’s a casino-goer. That’s a fair question, given how passionately she has defended their markets.
And what’s beyond debate is that she can’t even be bothered to show up and attend and vote in Frankfort. Oh, unless she has a chance to speak against the horse industry. Then she will drive the grueling twenty miles and bother to actually appear for her constituents in Indiana.
Oh, and I’ve got reversion rights. I was a career employee since 1993, and even survived the hit lists of merit employees that your boy Fletcher got indicted over. I’m a career employee. Doesn’t that just fry your circuits? Republicans would like to just trash the merit system, but there’s this pesky judicial system that kept them from doing it.
Nice try, Bobbie. Again, nice deletion. See ya around. BTW Beshear won, so why bother with this site..is your sweet non-merit gig that tenuous?
One more time, Bobs…I’d prefer for you to keep the sick bestiality references inside your own unfortunate mind. They’re not going to be here. I edited out your most recent one. If you can do that, fine. I welcome opposing views, but not gutter stuff. I’d prefer to not just spam your IP address because that will cut off all your comments. And who knows? You may actually have one or two that make a point from time to time. Stranger things have happened.
Well Bob, it’s nice to know someone thinks I get out on dates.