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* Former Gov. Jim Edgar appears in a new radio ad on behalf of slots at tracks. It’s been running on the Illinois Radio Network and several dozen Downstate stations since Thanksgiving, according to the person behind the ads. Rate it…
It’s highly doubtful, by the way, that we’ll see any progress on gaming today, or tomorrow, if the session lasts goes long (the governor’s office is predicting an adjournment today).
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 11:52 am
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Four thumbs up ….most compelling message ever
Should put the bill over the top…except there are about 4 “yes” votes not here this week….so to quote Ernie Banks “wait til next year.”
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 12:02 pm
Jim Edgar doesn’t support slot at the race track because he owns race horses. Edgar and his father in law have been involved with race horses for years. So its all about JIM.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-
07-13/sports/0507130179_1_standardbr
ed-jim-edgar-horse
Comment by Bob Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 12:07 pm
I can dig this spot. Edgar has always been supportive of downstate agriculture interests. He’s from downstate and understands the importance of agribusiness. Too bad Quinn doesn’t seem to care about anything other than Chicago. By the way, I’ve heard that even Edgar can’t afford to race his horses in Illinois anymore since the purses have gotten so terrible.
Comment by Cam McAndrews Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 12:13 pm
Funny how Edgar was so anti-gaming as a Governor, but loves it now as a lobbyist with a vested interest.
Comment by Newsclown Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 12:32 pm
I give it 5 out of 10. It wasn’t that compelling. They did a nice job going after the jobs angle, but it just didn’t catch my attention… even though I clicked on a button to hear it, as opposed to people who will hear it scanning through radio commercials.
Maybe should have gone after the fact that Illinois needs additional revenue to ensure the tax increase sunsets on schedule, allowing gaming at gaming facilities will help the State’s budget.
Comment by Ahoy Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 12:57 pm
–By the way, I’ve heard that even Edgar can’t afford to race his horses in Illinois anymore since the purses have gotten so terrible. –
I doubt that you have to take up a collection for anyone who owns race horses, plural. Those ponies aren’t cheap.
The casinos are on TV and radio constantly. When’s the last time you saw or heard a spot for the tracks? It’s entertainment, folks, got to advertise.
There is a billboard up right now at my train station for the Arlington Million. That ran on August 8. The message is getting less compelling every day.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 12:59 pm
Slots at horse race tracks supports agriculture…..that is a bit of a stretch.
Exactly who is supposed to buy off on this add?
I see this ad as having zero impact.
Comment by Justice Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 1:06 pm
Um, does he mean horse racing supports 30,000 jobs? I don’t see how it could create that many.
BTW, I have no problem with slots at the tracks. I have no problem with slots at museums. There’s always someone in a group who doesn’t want to go to the Art Institute. If they could stand in the lobby and play the slots while the rest of their group looked at paintings, I’d call that a win/win.
Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 2:17 pm
If he’d have done a couple of ads like this for Bill Brady, we wouldn’t be dealing with 3-county Quinn anymore.
Comment by Jechislo Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 3:04 pm
@Cheryl44 - It takes a lot of people to care for a horse. Vets, grooms, grain farmers, hay farmers blacksmiths. Many of those farmers grow crops only for horseracing. Horses eat a LOT of food and need bedding. Plus there are all of the track jobs that depend on horseracing, like race judges, announcers, facility maintenance workers, bar and restaurant workers. That doesn’t even take into account the trainers, breeders and drivers/jockeys.
In many ways, it is similar to all of the jobs that are affected by the NBA strike. In its heyday, the IL racing board put the jobs number at 40,000 people in horseracing. If you get the chance to ever check out a county fair, talk to some of the horsemen there. Here is a youtube video that explains a lot of the jobs. http://youtu.be/naJBvrfnf9A
Comment by Cam McAndrews Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 3:48 pm
Cam, I get that, I just don’t like his phrasing. We have racing, those jobs are here. It’s not as if moving slots to the tracks means there would be 30,000 *new* jobs, right?
Comment by Cheryl44 Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 5:21 pm
Sorry this story is as old as the hills,
Edgar always an opponent of gaming and
always a shill for horse racing. Sorry
but it’s all about him.
Comment by mokenavince Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 6:00 pm
Illinois, late 1890s: “Oh, Governor Altgeld! We’ve been working on canals here in Illinois for 50 years, and we’d love to stay. Just think of all the jobs that canals provide: we need people to comb our mules, to caulk our canal boats, to spokeshave our poles. It seems like people these days just don’t want to travel or ship goods by canal any more! It’s a beautiful and traditional way of transit that’s ingrained in our culture here in Illinois. We have a two part plan to keep this important industry and its jobs in Illinois. First, there’s a small tax that we’d like to put on those dirty, smelly railroads, which we’ll use to support traditional canalboating here in Illinois. Second, we’d like to legalize prostitution on canal boats. It’s well known that canal boatsmen are rough men, hard-drinking men, men who like excitement. We see this as a win-win for both the State and the canalboating industry.”
Comment by lincoln's beard Tuesday, Nov 29, 11 @ 11:35 pm
I never understood why Edgar was so revered nationally by the horss racing community. He was even in the winners circle for the Kentucky Derby Trophy Presentation.
Thorobred racing Harness racing took a huge plunge under the Edgar administration and went from near the top, spiraling downward.
I am curious if that comment is true about Edgar now being a paid lobbyist.
For those of you who are not racing fans, our best owners, trainers and drivers have left the state in droves and Chicago is no better than a 3rd rate horse racing community.
There is a lot of truth to the number of agricultural jobs that are involved and that racing funded 4H and other valuable agricultural programs in Illinois not to mention the county and state fairs.
Comment by Avy Wednesday, Nov 30, 11 @ 12:04 am
Curious what is the social cost of expanding gaming? Nobody can argue that gaming doesn’t hurt disadvantaged people. Don’t the slots directly benefit the 1%, while taking advantage of the 99%?
Comment by Allen Skillicorn Wednesday, Nov 30, 11 @ 7:13 am
Horse racing should suceed or fail on it’s own merit just like other businesses. Both of the Indiana racinos have filed for bankruptcy and have not been saved by the slot machines.
Comment by Ruby Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 3:06 pm
===Both of the Indiana racinos have filed for bankruptcy===
As I’ve explained before, they both borrowed heavily during the great crash.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Dec 1, 11 @ 3:09 pm