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Monday, May 24, 2010

The New Boss

Now officially running for Governor of New York, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo released an exhaustive 252 page New NY Agenda: A Plan For Action. In it, the man considered to be the most likely next elected governor of the state, divulges his positions, in sometimes excruciating detail according to the NY Times, on issues such as ethics laws, campaign finance, "pay to play," jobs and workforce training, assistance for small businesses, corporate tax loopholes, redistricting, succession, the state pension fund, caps on state spending and property taxes, Medicaid, citizen empowerment, standardized elections, highway infrastructure, economic development, minority and women-owned businesses, high speed rail service, clean energy, farmers, marriage equality, reproductive rights, housing discrimination, hate crimes, immigrants, guns, and domestic violence.

But when I performed document searches for topics such as "aqueduct," "racino," "VLT," "gambling," "horse,", "OTB," "betting," "NYRA," "takeout," "handle," "lottery," "horsemen," "breeders," "Saratoga"....I got the same No matches were found. Oh yeah, I did actually find New York State Racing and Wagering Board....in a footnote, listing various boards and agencies, to a section regarding how there are too many of them.

We've never heard the Attorney General discuss any of the issues surrounding the industry....OK, up to now, we hadn't heard a thing from Cuomo about any of the issues he'll face in the likely event he takes office. But I certainly get the feeling that Cuomo doesn't have much more of an interest in the subject than his immediate predecessors did. And that he would very much prefer that all of the matters - NYRA, Aqueduct, OTB - that are very much on other peoples' minds and agendas nowadays as they all seem to converge towards an uncertain climax, have already been taken care of, one way or another, by January 1.

5 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Where do you search ? I found a "Search" box for the Report and it said "Search coming soon."

Alan Mann said...

I had to download it first, open it with Adobe Reader, and then use its search function.

jk said...

The current Boss says not to worry about NYRA.....


Racing help vowed
Governor says loan for NYRA to permit Saratoga season, other venue, still viable

By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau
First published in print: Sunday, May 23, 2010
ALBANY -- Gov. David Paterson, who met with a small groups of lawmakers Saturday to his talk about budgeting, said he intends to unveil a loan plan to bolster the New York Racing Association in the next few days.

"I would ask NYRA and the supporters of thoroughbred racing around the state to just take a deep breath for couple days and I'm going to come out with a plan I think will help," Paterson said following a luncheon meeting at the Executive Mansion with four Assembly Democrats.

Anonymous said...

I don't ever recall seeing Daddy Mario at Saratoga, even on Travers Day. Maybe for the Belmont Stakes. I know, I know, "the sins of the father...." Here's hopin' racing can break out of the mold of playing the role of political football. Just if and how that may happen is of concern to the entire NY racing industry.

My impression, formed over the years, is that Republicans are generally more friendly to NY racing than Dems, the latter viewing racing mainly as a tax generator instead of a state wide private sector industry generating numerous economic benefits. Alan will feel free to disagree with this observation, I am sure.

Gov Paterson, to his credit, his other faults notwithstanding, seems to have an interest in racing. Alas, soon he will be gone. /S/greenmtnpunter

El Angelo said...

I would agree that the GOP is probably more pro-racing than the Dems, but I'd guess that's because the districts where farms and Saratoga are located are GOP-dominated (Belmont too, actually), whereas the NYC Dems probably don't care at all.