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Democratic candidate for ag commissioner puts his money on the ponies

1:57 pm September 9, 2010, by jgalloway

Pari-mutuel betting just reared its head in the race for state agriculture commissioner. This from Walter Jones of Morris News Service:

Georgia could add as many as 20,000 jobs and an economic impact of $1 billion by legalizing betting on horse racing, according to one major-party statewide candidate who threw his support for it today.

J.B. Powell, the Democratic nominee for agriculture commissioner, brought reporters to an Atlanta-area horse farm to make his announcement. He said it is the first of five proposals he will unveil to boost the state’s economy through agriculture.

Not only do the funds for building the $200-million tracks, the farms and training facilities come from private capital rather than taxpayers, the state’s HOPE Scholarship program would also take in a share of the betting proceeds as a new source of revenue, Powell said.

“They’ll see that it doesn’t cost the state anything,” he said of hesitant legislators. “It’s time that we find a new revenue source.”

Powell, who faces Republican Gary Black and Libertarian Kevin Cherry on the November ballot, said his support of giving voters a say on legalized betting will be a central feature in his campaign advertising.

Earlier this year, state Rep. Henry Geisinger (R-Roswell) introduced HR 1177 — the number was no accident. The measure would have pari-mutuel betting up for a statewide referendum this November. It did not get out of the gate.

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23 comments Add your comment

Jon

September 9th, 2010
2:19 pm

Not going anywhere. Still too many people in the state that believe gambling is the tool of the devil and that (big) government should keep it outlawed.

green green

September 9th, 2010
2:28 pm

Eh … I’m not sure horse-betting is a growing industry. I’d have to see a study on other states’ betting before I could say. Seems like it would be diminishing returns: if one state has horse betting, fine; if two more join, then three have to split the pot. If it’s in all 50 states, what good is it? TBD.

keith

September 9th, 2010
2:51 pm

Love this Idea from Powell.

Appalachian

September 9th, 2010
2:56 pm

It’s time for some fresh ideas. Kudos to Mr. Powell.

Matt D.

September 9th, 2010
3:02 pm

They need to situate the horse track in close proximity to our casinos, but far enough away from the dog tracks so people won’t get confused.

Waldo

September 9th, 2010
3:44 pm

Horse tracks in Alabama and elsewhere across our country are constantly pestering their legislatures to allow expanded gambling at their tracks because they say horse racing alone is unprofitable. The lottery already has constitutional authority to do “any form of machine gambling” and certainly does not need to share proceeds with Mr. Powell’s campaign donors who want to expand gambling in Georgia. Further, Mr. Powell’s proposal would require the voters of Georgia to pass a constitutional amendment.

Double Zero Eight

September 9th, 2010
4:06 pm

It won’t happen! It will never even be put to a vote…… the legislators would be afraid it might pass. The state would be better
off with casinos in my opinion. A few years ago, someone was considering
putting a casino in Carroll County. It got shot down very quickly! Per
my recollection, it was to be run by Native Americans, similar to Harrah’s in North Carolina.

General Sherman

September 9th, 2010
4:22 pm

Your response Mister Black! Good call Mister Powell,back to you Loran.

Sandy Springs

September 9th, 2010
5:08 pm

It is about time we see a bold idea from someone running for office as I haven’t seen any real ideas from any of the folks running in Georgia from either party. I didn’t even know there was an Ag race, but will follow this race and Powell to learn more.

I remember going to horse races as a young boy. This is something that families can do together and I don’t know why anyone is confusing this with casinos.

Diehard

September 9th, 2010
5:09 pm

Old JB is betting the farm and its all BS

David A. Staples

September 9th, 2010
5:11 pm

I’d love to see parimutuel betting legalized in Georgia. People would actually be able to *legally* bet at the Atlanta Steeplechase every year.

UGA man

September 9th, 2010
5:13 pm

Look, he’s making a case to give voters the option of whether they want pari-mutuel betting, and pointing out that if they did, it’d be a boon to Georgia agriculture. What’s not to like? Mr. Powell is at least being creative and innovative in his ideas to stimulate the agricultural economy, whereas Mr. Black, a lobbyist for Big Agriculture, is just going to watch out for those that have been paying his salary for the past 20 years!!

Albert

September 9th, 2010
6:34 pm

Gary Black will be the next ag commissioner.

Horse Racing Advocate

September 9th, 2010
7:42 pm

Horse racing is legal in 38 states across the United States

Eight states receive revenues of a billion dollars or more

Metro Atlanta has the 3rd highest level of horse ownership of all metropolitan ares in the United States (behind Ocala, FL and Lexington, KY).

For every horse that races, four jobs are created from trainers to stable hands to veterinarians.

Almost all the horses and trainers (and jobs!) pass through Georgia between Florida and the Eastern U.S. without any economic benefit to Georgia

Thus, Georgia is well positioned to receive a big economic impact from horse racing and it is about time we joined the rest of the U.S. in bringing horse racing and the corresponding jobs and economic benefits to Georgia.

Admittedly I am a fan of horse racing, but I am also a voter who wants our politicians to lead and to do things that make Georgia better and I am glad Mr. Powell is standing up for something that will make a difference.

Queen Nerfballteedi

September 9th, 2010
7:46 pm

Decriminalize all drugs. Legalize prostitution and gambling. Tax it. Take a look at Amsterdam, where the violent crime rate is a fraction of what we have in the United States. Horse Racing is a good start I guess…

Being sensible

September 9th, 2010
10:10 pm

Didn’t we hear this same thing from Zell Miller before HE was elected? I think this is a great idea – much more fun to watch horses than those lottery machines.

Not educated beyond my intelligence

September 9th, 2010
10:14 pm

It will never pass the Georgia Legislature because it makes to much sense…

Dirty Dawg

September 10th, 2010
3:47 am

I’m sorry Mr. Powell, but the ‘Sport of Kings and High-rolling Republicans’ as a campaign strategy is a loser. Not that many folks interesting in it, particularly after Birmingham had such a a high-profile failure fifteen or twenty years ago. Further, as was pointed out above, small tracks all over the map are having to add other types of machine/video slots because the ponies don’t pay for themselves.

It’s not that it’s a bad idea, it’s just that by itself it’s just not enough to make a dent in anything.

LaLaLa

September 10th, 2010
8:15 am

The money that comes from having race tracks in Kentucky is in thoroughbred breeding and sales, not the tracks so much. Check out the prices at the Keeneland Yearling Sale and the cost of championship breeding “material.” The horse owners generate jobs from their lifestyle as well as their businesses – besides those who work on the farms (maintaining and managing pastures, fencing, etc.) and in the barns (grooms, farriers, exercise boys and girls, etc.), there are track workers providing services for parimutual betting, food and beverage service, track grooming and maintenance, and some professionals – veterinarians, consulting agronomists for the pastures, track officials, as well as those who serve the luxury lifestyle at “horse people” parties – caterers, musicians, etc. – that are held periodically. Luxury lifestyle also generates its own level of philanthropy and charity events, as publicity for the society of horse people.

That said, Georgians are pretty good at hosting a tailgate party, but the wealthy people who are in the skyboxes at a UGA game are not exactly the same type as the horsey set in Kentucky. I grew up in Kentucky, outside of Lexington, and lived in Athens, GA for 15 years, and the comparison is pretty stark – mint juleps and strawberries and cream are not exactly beer and barbeque. The ownership of horses in Georgia is not thoroughbred ownership, and so many have been abandoned along the roads in the last few years that it is questionable to say Georgia is a “horse state.”

Why not start something really new, like a Fancy Cat Show and breeding industry? Most vets train in small animal medicine (cats, dogs, hamsters), and lots more people in GA have cats than have horses.

Jon Lester

September 10th, 2010
9:17 am

I wish everyone who thinks this is a good idea would have turned out to vote for Thurbert Baker in the primary.

Base

September 10th, 2010
9:50 am

Nutty!

rightofcenter

September 10th, 2010
5:40 pm

I don’t care what ideas my state senator J. B. Powell throws on the table – he is still an idiot. However, thanks to his stupidity, I am guaranteed a Republican state senator this election to take his place – so he does have that going for him.

Joan Brown

September 13th, 2010
4:59 pm

I like J. B. Powell’s ideas on increasing revenues in the State in order that we might have lower
property taxes. Horse Racing would be a step in the right direction and it would greatly increase
jobs in the Horse Industry from cleaning stalls to riding race horses. I think it would be better to
do away with the Lottery and change to Horse Racing which would make life much more exciting
than picking a few numbers on a piece of paper and never win. I went to one race in my life at
Louisville and picked a winner. Lots more fun than scratching a bunch of numbers. Mr. Powell
has the same idea as Mr. Darwin Carter who advocated horse racing.
picked the winner