Archived Letter – 407

Re: Not Really At Risk? Dear Editor, This is in response to Mr. Gold’s diatribe about the Horse Racing Industry. I am not involved in horse racing but do enjoy watching these beautiful animals run. You say “$415 million Ontario taxpayer dollars went to racing” and then say “the money comes from slot revenues”. Which is it? Slot revenues are not taxpayer dollars. You say “this money is equal to a significant portion of our current deficit”. Our deficit is $15 billion. That equals to 1/30th of the deficit. 2/3rd’s of our deficit is the interest payments on the debt your party created. Now that is a sum of money. This money is being referred to as a subsidy. How much does OLG pay the raceway for its space for the slots? That would be ZERO. OLG pays for its utilities and common area costs meaning OLG is a tenant. So now “subsidy”just might be called “rent. Concerning job losses, the number of 21.900 direct jobs vs. 60,000 direct and indirect jobs by the industry. Did you conveniently forget the spinoff jobs – farmers who sell hay, stable hands, mechanics who fix equipment, grocery store employees, etc. that will be out of work. It is a shame you didn’t attend the meeting at the Aboyne Museum to get some real research data about this industry from the people who work in it. Your party constantly uses the phrase “to maintain funding levels for health care and education”. Too bad you couldn’t use the $190 million spent on the cancelled plant in Mississauga or what the cost of the cancelled plant in Oakville will be on “health care and education:. Now, that is definitely “WASTED TAXPAYER DOLLARS”. Frank Savoie Fergus

Frank Savoie