Greyhound racing is a mistake in Iowa and Arizona
Greyhound racing is a mistake.
You betcha.
This week, former Iowa State Senator Bill Dieleman joined the effort to end live greyhound racing there. I wish Arizona had a legislator who thought greyhound racing was a mistake and had the courage enough to speak out.
In a video statement, Dieleman explains how in 1983 he and others were trying to defeat a pari-mutuel racing proposal. Convinced that adding dog racing to the bill would keep horse racing out of Iowa, Dieleman added a dog racing amendment.
On the video, he urges his former colleagues to correct the mistake of greyhound racing saying that Iowa can put the dollars currently used to prop up the faltering dog racing industry to better use. The report further notes that purse supplements benefit few with more than 50% of the moneys going to 20 recipients and about 42% going to out-of-state operations.
The same can be said for Arizona. Did you know that in 2009, six percent of the breeders of 612 winning greyhounds earned $223,112 in breeders awards? The Arizona Department of Racing promotes and encourages the breeding of greyhounds which is stupid. That’s $365 per dog. Is that more than Arizona pays per student?
But back to Iowa…redirecting the funds away from dog racing to the state is equivalent to:
* Approximately 200 teachers in Iowa public schools, or
* An additional 100 state troopers, or
* Nearly 200 state social workers could be hired to assist needy Iowans; or
* More than 180 correctional workers to keep Iowa facilities safe.
That seems like a no brainer.
Did you know that the Arizona Department of Racing is primarily financed by the General Fund? In 2009, Tucson Greyhound Park earned $4.1+ million from live racing and $9+ million from simulcast betting. Yet, they didn’t pay any pari-mutuel taxes to the state on these earnings. This is not a new event. They have not paid pari-mutuel taxes for at least a dozen years…for much more profitable years. What other business doesn’t have to pay taxes? They do pay for some licensing. One of the licensing is to prove that your race dog is Arizona bred. Breeders pay the state a whopping $3 per dog (adobe acrobat required/PDF).
And don’t even get me started about the hardship tax credit Tucson Greyhound Park receives or else I’ll vomit my breakfast across the room.
Arizona legislators should redirect funds away from propping up a faltering industry that is more about the wagering than greyhound welfare and redirect funds and salaries paid to state veterinarians (who already have flourishing private practices) and from a handful of others.
What about taking the General Fund money that props up the Arizona Department of Racing and instead:
* Open the rest areas on the weekends
* Keep our state parks open longer
* Boost tourism
I wish Arizona had a Bill Dieleman, someone with a clear voice, reputable conscience and the courage to speak out. Go Bill!
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