Time For Players To Start Manning Up

[Mall]

Actually, man up is an exaggeration, given that what I\'m asking everyone who reads this post to do will take less than two minutes of not particularly strenuous effort.

As almost everyone presumably knows by now, legislation has been introduced which would eliminate one of the fundamentally unfair tax burdens placed on horseplayers, namely the requirement that unlike other gamblers, horseplayers have 25% in federal taxes withheld on tickets of $5k or more on bets with odds of 300-1 or more. If there\'s any reason a horseplayer want to keep the current system in place, I\'ve yet to hear it.

That\'s why I was shocked today to see the total number of horseplayers who have contacted their Representative to support this legislation. The only possible explanations I can think of for why the number isn\'t much higher are two:

(1) Players are under the false impression that only members of the Horseplayers\' Coalition are being asked to and can participate. Nothing could be further from the truth. As much as the Coalition would love to have you join, everyone can and should follow the steps outlined below to contact his or her Representative.

(2) Players are not clear on exactly what they need to do, and as a result don\'t realize how little time and effort is involved. An email has already been written and all you need to do is click on the following link from the NTRA site: http://www.capwiz.com/ntra/issues/alert/?alertid=11739961 Type in your name, address, and zip, click \"send\" and Capwiz does the rest.

The introduction of this important legislation is only the first step in a long process, and its chances of actually becoming law depend in large part on whether and to what extent those who are in favor of passage make their support known. For literally decades I\'ve been hearing horseplayers complain that they don\'t have a seat at the table where the decisions that impact them directly are made. On this issue at least, each of you is being offered a seat, and I can only hope everyone understands that for this and future issues, it\'s important that as many players as possible take advantage of the opportunity to let their voice be heard.

[trackjohn]

Mall:

  Very good post...I had sent my response (using capwiz) 3-4 weeks ago...received an actual signed letter from the NTRA thanking me for taking the time in sending my email!

  Folks everyone who reads this forum has seen the bitching about the take-out, the antiquated IRS rules, etc... Here at least is one opportunity where our collective voices might be heard...In the end it may or may not make a difference but shame on all of us if we don\'t at least try.

Trackjohn

[twoshoes]

Thanks Mall - did my part, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

[Mall]

I appreciate the support and kind words, but there\'s really no need to thank me.

I received a number of emails this morning indicating that the link in my original post doesn\'t work, which wasn\'t a complete surprise, since although I use the same copy and paste method I\'m assuming everyone else is using, it sure seems like I can never get any link to work right, which is why I\'m adding the following explanation for those who had a problem:  

If you go to the NTRA homepage, on the right hand side you’ll see two links, one to “Withholding Bill” and another one to “Horseplayers’ Coalition.” If you click on the “Withholding Bill” link, you’ll go directly to the spot where you enter your name and address to send the email to your Representative. Alternatively, if you click on the \"Horseplayers’ Coalition\" link, you’ll see three additional links---(1)“Contact Your Congressman” (2) “Help Support Withholding Legislation” and (3) “Alert Help Support Withholding Legislation”. If you click on any one of those three, you’ll also end up where you need to be to send the email to your Representative.

Finally, this is probably as good a time as any to explain why I indicated that the response of players on this legislation could have an impact on \"future issues.\" Although I can\'t find it now, I\'m pretty sure I read a TGJB post here on drug testing a short time ago essentially indicating that something was in the works and that players should expect an announcement from the NTRA on the subject fairly soon. While I don\'t mean to speak for TGJB, what he was presumably referring to was the \"NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance\" which, among other items, is intended to cover---more comprehensively than ever before---medication and testing. (http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2008/September/12/NTRA-working-on-implementation-plan-for-reforms.aspx)

It is anticipated that players will play a critical role in just about every aspect of the reforms, including but not limited to their implementation. I fully expect that in light of all of the previous initiatives, panels, and committees on this subject, many players will be skeptical that this latest effort actually represents the kind of fundamental changes the industry needs. While that\'s perfectly understandable, and was my first reaction as well, fwiw I left the 9/12 meeting referenced in the article convinced of two things: (1) all of the usually warring factions in the industry finally \"get it\" and are for once united in their resolve to make fundamental changes on drug testing and other important matters a reality as soon as possible; and (2) given what he has already been able to accomplish in a very short time period, Alex Waldrop is exactly the kind of \"won\'t take no for an answer\" guy who won\'t rest until the proposed reforms are both implemented and working.

My bottom line message, I suppose, is to keep an open mind and stay tuned for the finalized plan which will be unveiled in mid-October, and don\'t be surprised if you\'re again asked for your help.

[Themig]

Sent my letter in(very easy to do) during the spa meet after hearing S.Crist talking about it and then sending others to his BLOG on the DRF site. Have heard back twice and though it is going to take a giant effort for horseplayer\'s fortunes to turn, this at least allows us to be heard. Mig

[jbelfior]

Who was the genius who actually signed the bill into law in the first place?


I\'m guessing it was a Democrat.



Good Luck,
Joe B.

[TGJB]

I\'m going to add my two cents to what Mall said. Anyone who doesn\'t do this is a) an idiot who doesn\'t realize he would only be helping himself, and b) has lost all right to bitch about anything else that is wrong in this game, since all you have to do is literally lift a finger.

If I was running a racetrack and saw that players were too apathetic to even do this, which is in their own interest, I certainly wouldn\'t take them seriously when they made noise about other issues like drugs and takeout. So go to the &%*$ing link and do it. I\'m embarrassed that I forgot all about it until today.

Mall-- I haven\'t seen any reporting about the 9/12 meeting, have you? If not, do you want to do some here?

[vired]

I just did this and it is very easy. Thanks. Should this be sent to forums such as the rx.com and pace advantage.com? I\'m to stubid about computers to know how but there are some players there. Just a thought. TGJG you guys do a graet job keep up the good work!

[Mall]

They deliberately did not invite reporters to the meeting,and with the exception of identifying the general areas which would be part of the initiative, asked the attendees to keep what they read and heard confidential. However, Waldrop did hold a press conference afterwards, and in addition to the piece in the Tbred Times which is linked above, B-H also ran a general story.(http://www.bloodhorse.com/article/47057/ntra-hopes-to-fast-track-safety-plan.htm)

I have a hunch that as of Monday, at least some of what happened and is planned will no longer be confidential, as I understand that a similar presentation to the one I heard will be made at the Red Rock Sunday at the annual Marketing Summit.

However, I did not understand that the comments of David Wilmont regarding a regulation which is close to being adopted in Canada to be confidential, and they might give people some idea of what kind of meeting it was. Much has been written here and elsewhere about how trainers, many of whom are repeat offenders, have used stays and other techniques to make a mockery of the regulatory system, not to mention the dilemma players face when, on a Friday, they\'re trying to handicap the horses of a trainer who got one or more positives on Thursday.

I did not know this, but the way our friendly neighbors to the north plan on dealing with the situation is to require, as a matter of regulation (as opposed to a track \"house rule\") that, as a condition of license, all trainers and owners agree in advance that in the event of a drug positive, they accept a suspension which starts on the day of the positive, and doesn\'t end until the matter is finally resolved one way or another. In addition to completely reversing the current incentive to drag matters out as long as possible, Wilmot also believes that such a regulation will put a lot more pressure on owners to stay away from drug trainers. The case Wilmot made for finding a way to have the same regulation adopted in every racing jurisdiction in the U.S. was very convincing, at least to me.

Finally, I too enjoyed the pics and have to believe that if you figured out how to use a digital camera and post photos on the internet, there\'s hope for me yet.

[TGJB]

Yeah, right. Byk took the photos, Paul posted them for me.

I like the Canadian idea a lot. In fact, the tracks have the right not only to toss barns but throw a trainer out and deny entries without having to clear it with anyone, and with the trainer having no legal recourse. The tracks just don\'t do it. (This was confirmed in a conversation with the head of a racing board and the CEO of a major racing concern).

Those links didn\'t come out as links. Get someone to help you, like I did.

Guy-- \"A six year old kid could do it\".

W.C. Fields-- \"Good. Find me a six year old kid\".

Something like that.

[dehere]

Here are the links Mel was referring to.

The Thoroughbred Times article.

The Bloodhorse Article.

[covelj70]

what\'s interesting is that I got a message back from the Representative saying that I would be hearing from him shortly on the issue. The message is obviously electronically generated but I wonder if there will be any follow up?

[NoCarolinaTony]

Mall

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Glad to see it was that easy.

NC Tony

[ronwar]

Thanks! It couldn\'t have been easier.

[SoCalMan2]

NoCarolinaTony Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mall
>
> Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Glad to
> see it was that easy.
>
> NC Tony


Agreed, big thanks to Mall not only for bringing this to our attention but also for all the behind-the-scenes efforts he puts in for the benefit of we horseplayers.

Now the following may be getting overly ambitious, but what if we try a little more mass political activism?  I know that people have tried to show a horseplayer \"mass\" by collusive betting action or inaction, but for a variety of reasons I think that does not work.

I was thinking about something different -- like -- when any of us go to the track or the betting parlor, we wear a little bullseye target on ourselves.  These can easily be made from paper and simply safety-pinned on.  

If anybody asks, we can say we are the last unprotected endangered species -- an American horseplayer -- and we were already walking around with the target on ourselves anyway even if it was not obvious.  It is true, after all -- we are a dying breed.  The jokes about pin the tail on the donkey that the target will bring could be turned around to -- yeah, that is right, we are a pinata and we are sick of it.

The absurd withholding law is simply one example.  The insane NY politics that Crist has written about is another. The inability of the sport to regulate itself even remotely is another.  

If this could catch on, maybe we could hand out bulls eyes at Santa Anita to people going into the Breeders Cup.  If it catches on, maybe we could even get some press coverage.  When mainstream people see the absurdity of horseplayers getting discriminatory treatment as compared, for example, to slot players maybe eventually horseplayers will seem sympathetic in the public\'s eye.

Anyway, this may be stupid, but we need to try things.