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Atlanta Forward

11/30: Horse racing good bet for Ga.?

6:33 pm November 29, 2011, by AJC Opinion

Moderated by Rick Badie

State Rep. Harry Geisinger has proposed a constitutional amendment that would legalize pari-mutuel wagering on horse races. Below, he explains how HR186 would disallow gambling and still generate millions of dollars for our state.

Ray Newman, an executive for the Georgia Baptist Convention, offers a counterpoint.

What do you think?

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15 comments Add your comment

Jack

November 29th, 2011
7:17 pm

Put horse racing on a state-wide ballot and let the voters decide.

Liz

November 29th, 2011
7:32 pm

Instead of piecemeal approach to suit a couple of high rollers with horses, why doesn’t the state just outright come out with a long range plan for gambling in Georgia? Let’s stop picking the winners and losers, behind closed doors, Governor!!! EVERYONE knows what is going on, let’s just make this a little bit more fair (honest).

Taylor

November 29th, 2011
10:54 pm

logic says gambling, casinos, horse racing, Sunday liquor sales will assist generating revenue, creating jobs, solve economic woes… read the handwriting on the wall.

more logic, reason and intellect along with more vice is only going to create more crisis, heartache, pain, misery across the board. we better prepare for more of the same if we want to play that game.

then more items on the table to consider as viable revenue raising solutions will include legalization of dope, prostitution etc… what optimism that will create

figuratively speaking, the Bible belt has gotten so fat, lazy, out of shape that we can’t keep our pants on anymore. not much concern for getting caught with our pants down, many find that reasonable, fashionable and acceptable. the only thing to help us is to diet from logic, reason and intellect. God alone and belief in the Word.

BOB

November 30th, 2011
7:18 am

peta goes to court to stop what they consider animal cruelty every time the circus comes to town, what will they do when they see a jockey beating a horse with a leather whip?

Veteran of a Thousand Psychic Wars

November 30th, 2011
11:21 am

The only thing horse racing has provided us is the knowledge that if we hit an animal, it will run.

The Reverend Baby Doctor Bedpan

November 30th, 2011
11:22 am

The only thing horse racing has provided us is the knowledge that if we hit an animal, it will run.

bart

November 30th, 2011
11:41 am

I agree, Jack. After all, this is a democracy. It may or may not pass, but at least the voters will have had a say. The right wing Christian bunch is never for allowing democracy, however. They want to maintain their theocracy and tell the rest of us what to do. We know from the Sunday liquor sales that a vast majority of the state seems to want to move into the 21st century.

Flash

November 30th, 2011
12:23 pm

Yes it is legal it not not selling drugs

Sean

November 30th, 2011
12:46 pm

Aren’t we a little late to the horse race? I am from Louisville and attend the Kentucky Derby every year.

TAYLOR – I see Baptists, Catholics and people of all religions at the races. So, what does God have to do with horse racing? unless you are referring to them praying for a win.

K.Conway

November 30th, 2011
12:55 pm

HORSE RACING JUST BRINGS IN MORE MOBSTERS TO ATLANTA! THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WILL ENJOY THE INCOME!

K Conway

November 30th, 2011
12:58 pm

Horse racing will only bring more mobsters to Atlanta! The revenue will olny go to the mobsters and elected officials!

KJ

November 30th, 2011
1:18 pm

Conway, you might want to extricate yourself from the 1960s and join the rest of us in the 21st century.

It’ll probably get shot down before it gets to a vote, just like the Indian casino (aided by a generous donation from the lotto lobby, of course)

Karen

November 30th, 2011
1:44 pm

Without slots to prop up purses, horse racing will not prosper in this state. Just ask the other states that have horse racing. Horse tracks are no longer self-sustaining. Georgia missed the boat on this decades ago.

Ben The Independent

November 30th, 2011
1:46 pm

Horse racing would be an asset to the Atlanta region just as the Hope program has proved to be a great advantage to Georgia college students. By the way, I’m a Baptist so don’t make a blanket negative statement about those bad Baptists.

Fanquisha

November 30th, 2011
11:56 pm

Better than horse racing: parimutuel bum fights. Downtown has no shortage of vagrants to be the combatants, the winners probably wouldn’t expect much, maybe a pint of muscatel, and they could pay-per-view the bouts from the Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter which is conveniently located across the street from a hospital.