Judge Gearin has possibly dealt a death blow to the Racing industry in Minnesota. The tracks are private businesses that support a $2 billion a year industry in the state. The only service the government supplies to the industry is the Minnesota Racing Commission which is entirely funded by the tracks. There is no state money involved. By closing the tracks because it is not a core service, she has failed to recognise that the money to run the MRC has already been paid in advance. The...

I would like to point out to Mr. Green that money that was appropiated earlier for road construction and transit will not be available to those projects as there will be no one at the capitol to cut the checks. This is what is happening to Canterbury. The money that goes to the state to oversee the tracks is already paid. Because the MRC has been ruled non-essential, there is no one to disperse that money to the state employees at the track. Thus, it is effectively "Shut Down!"

Paul Brandon (#30)

I am amazed that you are under the impression that the tracks are a "heavily subsized" segment of the economy. The tracks receive NO money in any form from the state or any special favors unless you can call the licenses, which they pay for, a special favor. The MRC, that regulates the tracks, is funded entirely by the tracks with money put into escrow ahead of the time period they work. In other words, they are paid up front. Canterbury is a private corporation...

When the fees and monies have already been paid for the 2 racetracks for all state services, it does not seem logical that the tracks must close and put thousands out of work. The state will also lose income from the cardclubs and parimutuels. This is a death nell for the racing industry as the only time of the year the tracks are open looks to be at the same time as this upcoming shutdown. The horses are going to leave for the states that are racing now so as not to miss racing. They...