NYRA’S FAILURE TO COMPLY?
As if the struggling racing association needed any more bad news, NYRA now faces hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for pollution violations, the worst being dumping horse manure from Belmont Park racetrack into Jamaica Bay. They have also racked up nine other violations at Belmont, two at Saratoga Race Course and three at Aqueduct for compliance issues. Each violation carries a maximum fine of $37,500 a day.
"Waste manure and bedding materials were observed overflowing from the concrete pits," the NY state inspector reported. Pretty hard to defend such a gross pollution violation.
On a somewhat related note, we are still waiting on Governor Paterson to lead on the issue of slots. I wrote here a couple weeks ago that this could be a great opportunity to see leadership out of the much maligned governor. Due to his inaction, I’m starting to see why Paterson has an approval rating lower than Nancy Pelosi’s.
Click here for the Albany Times-Union story
Then come back to the Paulick Report and let us know what you think.
Tags: Albany Times-Union, aqueduct, belmont park, bradford cummings, david paterson, Jamaica Bay, nancy pelosi, nyra, Paulick Report, Saratoga Race Course
January 18th, 2010 at 10:14 am
This is obviously just more of the same bullying that New York State mastered decades ago. The NYRA has been the subject of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly audits since its inception in 1954 just because of the nature of its business, and it has been under the magnifying glass of media attention — as well as New York governmental agencies — for the past several years due to its financial difficulties. For New York to make this kind of fuss at this time is nothing more than ugly politics… nothing new. Unless, that is, New York really wants to end NYRA, end horseracing in the state of New York, and convert the racetrack properties to which it now holds title for theoretically more lucrative properties, such as hotels, casinos, housing and the like.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:06 am
Very good point,cpostparade. This maybe why, the 3 governors that have had this ball in their court for slots at the Big A for years, are holding or have held out. Costing the state a million dollars a day. As if, I would stay at a hotel on a former racetrack, but I would not put anything past ANY politician when it comes to their own greed or non-concern for the people they represent. They couldn’t tell the truth on their mother’s graves.
NYRA has also, been slightly conceited in the past, to the NY fans thinking they were better than the racing public. Written letters go unanswered, verbal questions are rudely answered and they have never been open for suggestions. When a problem arises they turn their heads and walk away or start a confrontation. I guess this is why they are NOT on the top of the fan or racing list in this country. Keeneland definietly deserves this recognition.
They both have some major atttitude changes, but the politicians, in general, are the ones ruining New York State.
January 18th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Question: Just why in the hell has any racing entity been allowed to illegally dump????
Hmmm…becuase the state and county involved are so much paid off, excuse making trolls???? And in an effort to pretend or feign vigilence, they now become concerned about manure???
What a bunch of jerk-offs….with no pleasure.
And illegal dumping is just an issue in NY exclusive to racing? Get real.
January 18th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
That would be toxic manure. Any bodies tossed with it?
January 18th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
CAFO violations (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), particularly at racetracks around the country, are creating plenty of havoc. All the “stuff” in the storm water runoff referenced in the NYRA violations is supposed to be channeled into the sanitary sepitc system with all the human generated waste, then processed at sewerage treatment facilities. Correcting this problem of horse “waste” in storm drains and diverting into the sewers is possible just extetremely expensive and very disruptive to a racetrack’s backside.
The NYRA is not getting singled out and picked on, just do a little research on what’s happening at other racetracks on the east coast to understand the size of the racing industry’s problem with CAFO compliance. The circumstances surrounding these violations have been known to all interested parties (NYRA, NY State, and State and Federal Environmental Agencies) for quite some time, clearly prior to the NYRA’s new racing franchise award in February 2008. The executed Franchise Agreement between NY Stae and the NYRA says in Article II FRANCHISE TERMS, Section 2.2 Performance Standards. (e) CAFO. “New NYRA shall comply with the requirements of State Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation nutrient management plan and shall remediate and notify the Franchise Oversight Board of any violation of such plan as soon as practicable.”
Performance standard breeches are cause for racing franchise revocation, so this is a serious matter, and not just politics and bickering as usual between the State and the NYRA.. Look for similar tugs of war between environmental agencies and racing operators at a racetrack near you soon.
January 19th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
I suspect the decision makers in Albany have had it to to their ears of NYRA and its antics. They will expect senior management changes and the Trustees will give them Charlie Hayward and Steve Dunkers heads.
These two clowns need to go.
January 19th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
It’s a bit odd how easy unbound criticism of NYRA issues flows among this racing-oriented website’s readers, while they are all surely familiar with state politics’ dismal relationships with horseracing and breeding in general across the country, and with New York’s horseracing and breeding issues in particular… especially during the New York state OTB debacle’s roar of incompetence that is currently in the news.
January 19th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Why odd the appearance of criticism? NYRA has been given more chances to prove itself than it really has deserved. People and legislators have a right to question what appears to be a permanently flawed organization. if the new NYRA were worthy of our industry’s collective sympathy, I bet many would help lead the charge. So far, nothing to be proud of or promote.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:35 am
The major error with New NYRA is that it essentially is Old NYRA in disguise. Old NYRA got control of the Board of Trustees and a 25 year franchise from Spitzer even though he had said they were a criminal organization. Consequently we have essentially the same old (Old NYRA) incompetent management in place at New NYRA. What has changed? Basically nothing.
Old NYRA cheated and stole and it was rewarded with a new 25 year franchise. Why 25 years? Did Spitzer’s obvious flaws play a part in this? Lets be honest most people think and will utter quietly that NYRA must have had the goods on Spitzer and he capitulated, in other words blackmail. NYRA has not changed and will continue to have this cloud of Mafia tactics hang over it for as long as it exists. So far the Mafia has won. How much longer will this continue?
January 20th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Al, Mary T. and JJ: You three are astute observors of the game, I can tell. I also think you are New Yorkers because of both your enthusiasm and your unbridled skepticism.
Though I think positively about your comments, I also think you should try to remember NYRA’s unstinting support of Thoroughbred horseracing as a sport and a business since its beginning in 1954 — that’s nearly 56 years of good service. Please remember its opposition to repeated Albany gestures of business and sporting supression (i.e. the constant state objection to reduced pari-mutuel take, the state’s insistence upon the New York OTB system that is run in competition with the tracks, and the repeated grab of Aqueduct parking-lot acreage over the years to name but three instances).
Yes, it is easier to compartmentalize the characters in this New York drama, but I think NYRA’s greatest shortcomings are its size and clout in the game itself; Albany’s rest in bully politics, trumped up charges, and graft and corruption. In the case of NYRA “problems,” Albany is reliably the bad guy time and again, though that honest explanation always dies quickly.
January 21st, 2010 at 12:01 pm
cpostparade, yes I am a New Yorker and a lover of our sport. I was a supporter of NYRA and supported its franchise renewal, basically because I felt it should be given another go. However I have become disillusioned with them since because I see no vision there. It always seems to be someone’s else’s fault. If this were a private company the management would have been tossed out already. I want to see NYRA make wholesale changes with management who can create hope and vision and actually get things done. What are the NYRA Trustees doing to justify their positions? Maybe they overruled Hayward on the DiNapoli issues when there was a 180 and if so they need to exercise their power and do more of this.
January 21st, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Just a quick response, Mary T: (1) I am sorry you feel disenfranchised — Albany rhetoric is designed to develop this response against NYRA. (2) Since the NYRA franchise was renewed, and actually since several years before that to a lesser extent, Albany has packed the NYRA board with eleven politically appointed trustees — these added trustees are equally voiced in NYRA decisions, decisions with which you disagree. (3) I have no idea if the trustees overruled Mr. Hayward’s decision to challenge Mr. DiNapoli’s unlawful demand for a state audit of the new NYRA, but if they did, that would be an unfortunate, political influence of state inclusion upon the NYRA board of trustees. (4) NYRA’s lack of providing “hope” and “vision” does not result from lack of trying. (5) I think your impression that NYRA alleges their problems are caused by someone else’s fault is tacit agreement with their position: New York State has tied NYRA’s hands to such a degree that New York State laws conflict in many cases of horseracing confusion. When NYRA throws its hands up in frustration, there is a very real reason.
January 21st, 2010 at 10:30 pm
I don’t profess to know the inside story of why NYRA originally resisted the audit and changed its corporate mind, but my money would be on Charlie Hayward being the good guy here. From what I’ve seen at NYRA, the less sensible positions that the organization has taken tend to come either from above — the trustees — or from below — the people just below Charlie in the hierarchy.
I’ve often criticized NYRA, and probably will continue to do so, but I think we should try to put the responsibility for mistakes on those who actually made them, if we can figure out who that is.