This pretty much describes the situation here in Michigan with our Thoroughbred Industry and Horse Racing in general. Horse racing was suffering enough then furthering our troubles our beloved Governor puts another anchor around our necks in the form of stripping us of our governing body, Agriculture.
And placing us under a four member panel that is called a Board, The Michigan Gaming Control Board whose only focus has been Casino’s. To me and all involved this was absurd. Already in trouble, we knew then with this action from Lansing it was just a matter of time. Pinnacle Race Course was originally allotted a total of 84 race dates for 2010. The MGCB knocked that down to 31 days, to 8 then 3.
Can you imagine 3 DAYS. As if this was actually a reality for us that Pinnacle would open then close all in one week. It was a joke. About as much as this Governor and this State is here.
State after State after State have giving their support to Horse Racing. Kentucky and It’s Governor bent over backward to do anything the could to assist in Horse Racing’s survival there.
Their House and Senate finally came through though not after many years of disagreement. But in the end it did come through.
What has our legislators done to preserve this Industry here that has contributed and generated literally Millions upon Millions of dollars over the course of 77 years? Long before the Lottery and Casino’s came into the picture here, it was Horse Racing that supported this State with Revenue through history. The House and Senate sat on their brains for how long before they decided to finally allow simulcasting here in 1996? And how much of this money since 1996 has this 3.5% simulcast tax generated? Michigan was almost the last State of all the States that had Horse racing Tracks to finally realize that simulcasting would help bring in more Revenue. Michigan was last on the list. And now they love it so much they refuse to part with a dime of this money that Horse Racing generates.
And where and who benefits from this money? Where does this money go and what does it support?
Where is this $10 Million she talks about?
So how does one justify lying and making statement that Horse Racing isn’t self supported? When we generate that 3.5% Tax money, but just not allowed to use one dime of it for the very Industry that indeed generates it. This summer Pinnacle Race Course has gotten bludgeoned with articles questioning its land deal. Ed Boike has done his best to accomplish deceiving Huron Township into believing some how they were getting cheated. Yet it was Huron Township itself that goofed on not sending out Tax bills to Pinnacle for 08 & 09. Pinnacle Race Course has a lot of people running scared, that about the size of things.
For ten years Hazel Park and Northville Downs rejoiced after they Bulldozed Michigan’s only Thoroughbred track. Figuring with us being as far west of the State it could get in Muskegon somehow we were not so much a threat to their businesses. Which is a joke. They themselves were their own worst enemy. The health dept. shut down operations with the food service at H.P. numerous times. And Northville downs was shut down by the ORC many times for unsafe track conditions. To the point of also shutting the doors completely until they fixed their crumbling track surface. The ORC determined it was the only way they could make NVD comply. If they were unwilling to rectify the fact that their track needed a new surface, then the ORC told them no Live Racing – No Simulcasting. The track surface was then replaced. Yet the Thoroughbreds were far far away. THEN WE CAME BACK. And with us came not only the crying but the wailing began. Then it was announced that a parcel of land was sold to the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Than the wailing went into complete and utter fear. Sovereign Land would mean no Proposal of any kind could stop the building of another Casino. Sovereign Land precipitates all. Then from out of the woodwork the cockroaches came. Boike, Crain’s Detroit, some small time blog site Michigan Capitol Confidential of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy had writers all pound and pound and pound that exact same thing that was actually written from Ed Bioke’s play book. Which has to raise many questions of really who is all behind this group. A bigger entourage no doubt made up by mostly Detroit Casino people. And of course the Harness Track Owners. Now all crying FOUL.
Even Loel Robert Gnadt of the 8th District has now gotten in a shot at Pinnacle.
Yet he does the same thing as the others who have written about this Race Track. They acknowledge the contradictions of this State. They just don’t realize their own in arguing whatever points they’re attempting to make. In the article he notes:
As an example, he points to Pinnacle Race Course in Huron Township. It was given tax breaks to open, and then the state cut the funding for inspectors at the horse-racing track, ultimately cutting racing days. Yet goes on to say:
The goal, he said, is to cut red tape and create an environment in which businesses will want to operate in Michigan without special offers to some.
If elected, the biggest hurdle he will face is helping to get the state’s budget under control, Gnadt said.
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Well Mr. Gnadt what does this really define here? So Pinnacle was in fact given some kind of break? Yet the State turns around and CUTS FUNDING for Inspectors. As in The Office of Racing Commissioner, as you state ultimately cutting racing days. So what the hell was our BREAK THEN?
These people talk in circles not making any sense. In one respect they are attacking Pinnacle Race Course yet at the same time do acknowledge one second the State was supposedly helping us, the next they had the carving knives out to cut our throats. I can’t see this as a Break of any Sort. I call it Mental Instability resulting in the total confinement and heartbreak of getting an Industry’s hopes up then doing your best to crush them. Some Break.
Since August we have had Bill Shea of Crain’s Detroit repeating himself over and over about this land deal, to Tom Gantert of Michigan Capitol Confidential ( that gets posted on a right-wing Republican web site Mackinac Center for Public Policy) doing the same. This guy had me laughing as if I was reading a comical screen play. Parts 1,2, 4 all repeated exactly. Yet again in part 3 also acknowledges that the State is Schizophrenic on Horse Racing. The state of Michigan and Wayne County gave Pinnacle so-called tax breaks but states,
Yet state legislators and state government roadblocks were damaging the very project they were pumping millions of dollars of incentives into, leading to what one expert called a “schizophrenic behavior.”
Well if that’s the case and point why the Bashing of Pinnacle? He seems to have some sort of mental disorder with Michigan Economic Development Corp. because they for one came to their senses and realized Horse Racing has got a raw deal here in Michigan. Well I say about time somebody realizes it. Our Legislators here certainly don’t seem to realize the impact of killing Horse Racing off and how direly imperative it is that we need immediate action to survive here.
Seems Boike, Crain’s Detroit, Mackinac Center for Public Policy and now some guy named Gnadt have lived in a cave for the last three years. Hey guys, Wall Street collapsed did you hear? One financial institution after the other crashed and burned and the entire country went into a tail spin. Crushing anybody and everybody in its path including Pinnacle Race Course, when Comerica said we’re pulling out. So that is Pinnacle’s failure?
Oh my they lied, unfinished track. Jobs quota not filled. Well boys while Wall Street was getting bailed out to the tune of $700 Billion from then President Bush. Funny I didn’t hear to many Right Wing Hypocrites saying NO. I put Wall Street Bailout in Michigan Capitol Confidential search bar and only came up with these. And this is a prime example of that hypocrisy. Republican Senator Squawks at Stimulus Spending.
Not until President Obama took office did you start to hear these Republicans complain.
All I know is that I have heard enough on Pinnacle Race Course and it’s Land Deal. But to say Pinnacle Race Course Failed on Promises. The State of Michigan gave the movie Industry a 42% Tax Break to come here also with promised jobs, that has cost Michigan $152 Million dollars. Horse Racing already has 42,000 jobs connected to it through its Agriculture program. But they gave us nothing. So give it a break. Pinnacle should have been Wall Street.
These same people who have written about Pinnacle are about as Hypocritical as Republican Richard Shelby who supported Bush’s wall Street Bailout yet screamed and yelled at the top of his lungs about Bailing out the Motor City.
No boys you can write and write and write Pinnacle Race Course this, and Pinnacle Race Course that. And I say where have you been the last three years?
You’re the kind of people who didn’t mind all this, so you buried it as if it’s all in the past. But it’s that past that prevented Pinnacle from being completed. Thus promises were virtually impossible to keep.
Well this again pretty much describes Pinnacle Race Course now as it has been for the average citizen here in America since 2008. We know who you would run for, don’t we?
My God Huron Township, WAKE UP.
Ed Boike doesn’t care about you. There is a whole City and State wide conspiracy here on this one particular Race Track.
Key Word, just ONE. The Thoroughbred one. The only one that the Detroit Casino’s and the Harness Tracks Fear. The one that sold some land to an Indian Tribe and they fear what could be built that would take some of their business away. But then that would be an exceptionally good thing for you.
And if you can’t see that, you are BLIND.
We didn’t get a BREAK. We got Blind Sided. Please know the difference.
Later today at 1:30pm we go before the Michigan Gaming Control Board. And we don’t want to hear there’s no funding, thus they can only give us 3 Race Dates. We Generate Millions through our Simulcast Tax and it’s about time we get to use this money we Generate for Michigan. We are SELF SUPPORTING. If Michigan will just stop stealing the money WE WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR.
It’s also about time our Legislators get up off their asses and do something to help us like, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, W. Virginia, Louisiana, California and so many other States have to help save an Industry that has through history helped to Generate Millions of money to its States. HORSE RACING.
The entire Country and all the States that have Horse Racing Tracks seem to understand that Horse Racing alone cannot compete with the Casino’s. Thus they have compensated those Tracks with other forms of Gaming understanding that it doesn’t just help the Race Tracks, but also brings in a ton more of much needed revenue for the State.
Jerry Campbell knows he owes the HBPA the world, but you know what. Michigan owes the Horse Racing Industry here even that much more. Other Tracks and their owners are hurting in other States as well. But their State’s seem to do what they can to help them. Here they make excuses and lie about things, to rid their own responsibility’s
Michigan lags behind other States in so many realms. And it is costing them. Try joining the 21st Century for a change.
Michigan Needs Thoroughbred Horse Racing. Let the Tradition Continue.
Longshot's Blog 
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