May 9 Truck & Trailer Rally

Truck and Trailer Rally: 1 pm at the Augusta civic center. To travel to the statehouse where there will be a rally and press conference on the steps of the Capitol Building at ~ 2:45

THIS WEDNESDAY – MAY 9, 2007

Meet at 1:00, Move out at 1:30-1:45 and parade through Augusta down past the Statehouse.

Anyone who wants to (which hopefully will be all concerned) may park at Department of Labor Parking Lot just past Statehouse, on State Street, on the left.

There will be a press conference at 2:15 on front steps of the Statehouse.

Meet legislators inside the Statehouse from 3:30 on (or whenever the press conference ends).

PLEASE GIVE REACH OUT RIGHT AWAY TO ANY HORSEMEN WHO ARE PARTICULARLY LIKELY TO ATTEND, BUT OF COURSE ALL ARE WELCOME. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.

We’re having 20 2x6 foot banners made up that read in green print on white background: Leave the Harness Racing Money Alone, Don’t Break the Promise to Harness Racing, Don’t Stifle Harness Racing, The Racino Law is working - Leave it Alone.

The MHHA will provide a $100 fuel voucher for each truck and trailer participating in the rally!!!!!!!

E mail your legislator!

Fellow Horsemen and Women;

We met today at Scarborough Downs to discuss what is happening in Augusta. To make a long, long story short the Appropriations Committee has targeted Racino funds and intends to use them to help cover their budget shortfall. Make no mistake about they have the legal power to do it even though the law dedicated these funds to us. To make matters worse this is going to happen very, very fast.

We need every horsemen to get on the phone and the computer. Contact your family and friends and any one you do business with and have them do the same. Our best chance is to change the mind set of this Committee. Otherwise we stand to loose everything (what little it is) that we have gained and all the promise of the future.

What can you, your friends, family and business associates do?

Go to the Maine.gov website. This web is also available at the MEharness.com website.

Find your state Senator and your State Representative. Call them at home and at work and email them. Let them know you don’t want any of our funds lost.

Today several horseman approached me and said they were willing to call but did not know what to say.

Above anything you should say what is in your heart. But if it helps to have a few ideas to consider and put into your own words to use, here are some ideas:

The Harness Industry is Horsemen and Women with families, horses that eat grain and hay that support open spaces, 26 Agricultural Fairs where we take our kids to see livestock, exhibits and to be educated about nature and entertained, Commercial and Fair Racetracks where we race and OTB’s that support live racing and Fairs.

Harness Racing supports open spaces through the growing of feed and pasture for our horses, mares and foals. A farm with 10 mares, 10 foals and 10 yearlings can consume almost 10,000 bales of hay in a year.

Harness Racing is NOT thriving we’re just surviving and mostly due to the belief that things will get better with the complete facility. We still race for less than any state in New England-that don’ have slots and for 1/3 to 1/4 of what they race for in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The people of Maine voted to support Harness racing in 2003. The legislature voted overwhelmingly to support the Industry in LD1820. Please do not subvert the will of the people and the legislative process just because our funds are easy to get.

The People Voted

They wanted to help Harness Racing.

No money was given to the general fund in Q2- and we have already taken a bit hit to fund the Government.

Respect their Will.

Help us survive.