Miller says the state should consider running the Preakness
Gadi Dechter reports the latest from the sage of the Senate: Mike Miller this morning floated the idea that, if the owners of Pimlico try to sell the track and move the Preakness out of state, Maryland should resurrect the idea of building a supertrack in Baltimore and run the race itself.
Nuts, you say, that the state would consider shelling out big bucks to build a horse track at a time when it's talking about cutting education and furloughing employees? Maybe so. But consider the following:
1. It's generally believed that government can't run a business as well as the private sector. If the excpetion proves the rule, the exception in this case may be called "Magna."
2. A supertrack site near the stadiums would mean that, in this case at least, there would be slots near the track.
3. A track might actually make money if it were only open for the Preakness and not any other day of the year.
4. The people now running the Preakness are already doing their best to suck the fun out of it, what with the ban on bringing booze to the infield.
5. The race is already overrun with politicians as it is, so what's the difference?
Comments
Ah, what an idea. Give it to the same incompetent people who set up the slots boondoggle.
Thats the ticket!
Posted by: AnotherWatcher | March 17, 2009 3:57 PM
Doesn't the state already have a resort in Western Maryland with no business?
Posted by: jay | March 17, 2009 4:01 PM
"3. A track might actually make money if it were only open for the Preakness and not any other day of the year."
Your kidding right? Do you know what the property tax is in the city? How will that get paid with only one race?
Posted by: AnotherWatcher | March 17, 2009 4:40 PM
I was mostly kidding with this post in general, but government-owned buildings don't pay property tax anyway, so that wouldn't be a problem.
Posted by: Andy Green | March 17, 2009 4:49 PM
anotherwatcher...hahaha...maybe his name should be can'tgetajobsoallidoispostonthisblog.
Posted by: hahahahaha | March 17, 2009 8:18 PM
What a load of crap!!! Was this the idea all along?? If these jackasses would of passed slots when Ehrlich was in office the tracks would not be in this trouble. So let them fail- spen my tax money on buying a racetrack and have the state run it and the slots they put there.... GREAT - That would put them in control of all the money from slots and horses all bought and paid for by our tax dollars!! Thanks MIKE MILLER, but no thanks! Put it to a vote and lets see how many Maryland residents want there tax mony to buy a racetrack- we wont see a dime from!!
Dont want it!!!! No way no how!
Posted by: kayleemackenzie | March 18, 2009 10:32 AM
Ahh.. you are right.. that was the idea all along. Check out the City's web site or google "Park Heights Master Plan" there is a whole development concept for the Pimlico Track should it *gasp* close. It was written several years ago. SOOOO if the track is purchased by the state and a new one built near the Harbor for Preakness slots etc.. THENN the state would sell off Pimlico to develpers and develop it similiar to the Garden State Race Track..keep in mind that the Baltimore slot site was "under bid" in terms of the number of slots.....so they are going to need to sweeten the pot to get it up to the desired limit and for the city to justify the $36M ground lease to offset property taxes in the City. A new track may be the appropriate sweetener. The study indicated that several thousand homes and a mil or so sq. ft. of office or retail could be built there... yes I know todays market sux but maybe not tomorrows
Posted by: Baltimorean | March 18, 2009 1:46 PM
Baltimorean, "Park Heights Master Plan" VERY interesting, thanks.
Here is a quote from The Shoe.
"We must break with some patterns of the past and present,
We must think more creatively, act more strategically, and spend more deliberately."
SPEND more deliberately
Posted by: Fed up | March 19, 2009 12:17 PM