The PeaceCow Field Journal

**This was my off the cuff (from the heart) response on the Courier-Journal's Point Taken blog to a detractor's charge that I was not "savvy". As it turns out this perfectly summarizes my philosophy, and why I would not be a good political candidate--at least in the conventional sense.
-------------

Me? Savvy? I have no idea--I hate labels and do not live my life with them in mind. I am probably not at all savvy in the sense of political gamesmanship. As I just said I do not let "public opinion" influence what I see as truth, as what will best benefit our greater public interest, long term. Thus, I will always choose speaking and standing for truth before I help encourage my country, my people from charging over the cliff, be that an illegal, immoral and counterproductive war or the continuation of a philosophy that lets the wolves guard our henhouse, that protects the wealth of the few at the expense of the many.

The following speech was presented to the Central Kentuckians for SINGLE PAYER Universal Healthcare reform Forum, Saturday, August 29, at the historic Kentucky Theater....


A. GOOD MORNING! It’s a beautiful day to talk about healthcare reform!! I am excited, FOR I know we will have MEANINGFUL Healthcare reform! Americans proven over and over that when we follow the truth, and act with justice we stand united and come together for our greater good—AND WE WILL DO IT AGAIN!


You know, on the way over I met a man who suffered a serious heart attack and they took him to the nearest hospital over to St. Joe and they fixed him up good. The nun from the billing dept came up and asked how he was going to pay.
“Do you have insurance?” “NO,” he said in a raspy voice.
“Well, do you have any money?” “No, no money at all.”
“What about family?”
“Ah, all I got is this old spinster sister of mine who is a nun.”“SIR! I’ll have you know, we nuns are not spinsters! Nuns are married to GOD!”
His face lit up as he said, “GREAT! In that case send the bill to my brother-in-law!”


B. I am going to share with you FOUR BIG TRUTHS:

1) THAT SINGLE PAYER universal HEALTHCARE is the MOST economical, most effective and fairest system possible. Everybody in, nobody out, no pre-existing conditions, no terminations, no exclusions, denials, rationing, or bankruptcies, quality health care for all!

2) THAT SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE is a CONSTITUTIONAL imperative, that is, our federal government has an AFFIRMATIVE DUTY to act on our behalf;

3) THAT SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE is a MORAL IMPERATIVE

4) THAT CONTRARY TO THE ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA, OUR GOVERNMENT IS GOOD, and has for our 230 year history has helped make America the finest country on the planet.

C. The FIRST TRUTH---- SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL, EFFECTIVE AND FAIREST SYSTEM.


1) YOU just saw the terrific film, Sick around the World, and you saw how good other’s systems are compared to ours—THEY ALL have UNIVERSAL, NON-PROFIT health care system, and many have Single Payer. THE REASON Single Payer works is that it is SO MUCH MORE EFFICIENT it will make every dollar we currently spend go nearly TWICE as far.

Essentially SINGLE PAYER replaces the more than 1300 for-profit private insurance companies with ONE BIG INSURANCE POOL, ONE BIG PLAN that is owned and operated by…..US, the people of the United States of America, and JUST LIKE MEDICARE, along with Social Security, the most successful and endearing government program, WE THE PEOPLE will administer this non-profit UNIVERSAL PLAN. PUBLICLY financed with our tax dollars and PRIVATELY delivered by our current medical system. MEDICARE FOR ALL.

2) HOW IS THIS MORE ECONOMICAL? Right now we have 1300 for profit HEALTH INSURERS whose primary mission is to MAXIMIZE PROFIT AND MINIMIZE CARE.

**NOW LET ME GET THIS OUT THERE right away—the PEOPLE in the private insurance industries, including the CEO’s are not bad people, many are community leaders, compassionate and generous people. It is not them, but THE SYSTEM that is bad. They are just doing their job, which is to maximize profits…

At any rate, our CURRENT SYSTEM allows the private insurance companies to make many billions each year by PUTTING PROFITS OVER PEOPLE—BY basically denying care & by denying coverage to those most in need, cherry picking the healthiest clients, then being tight fisted on what they cover even with them. Their profits have risen nearly 5 times since 1999, well over $15 billion per year, the top 10 CEO’s average $14 million per year salaries..

All these private insurance companies have huge overhead. They spend about 22% of their revenues on administration, marketing and profits—HUGE profits, not to mention the money they spend to grease the politicians’ palms!! THEN there are the additional costs to the DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS, the providers of care, for they must deal with all the bureaucratic red tape of all the different insurance companies.

SO IN TOTAL, this needless overhead consumes about ONE THIRD—33% --of every dollar we spend on health care.

With SINGLE PAYER we can save more than $350 BILLION a year on this wasted paperwork, enough to provide coverage to everybody without paying more than we are now.

TO REPEAT: IN TOTAL ABOUT 33% OF EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND GOES TO WASTED ADMINISTRATIVE FEES and corporate profits and bonuses. By contrast MEDICARE’s administrative costs are AROUND 4%!!

ONE BIG POOL, ONE BIG PLAN, owned and operated by…US, you, me the taxpayer!! EVERYBODY IN, NOBODY OUT. A HIGHLY EFFICIENT MEDICARE FOR ALL!

3) HOW IS S/P THE FAIREST, MOST EFFECTIVE REFORM? We currently spend twice what other developed countries spend per capita but get much less quality and quantity. The very unfairness of putting profit over people is why every other advanced country—all of whom have higher rankings than the US—have gone to a UNIVERSAL H/C and most have a SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM.

4) HOW DOES IT WORK? Every employee/worker will pay around 3% of their salary AND employers will pay around 4.5% PLUS there will be a slight tax rise for the wealthiest among us.

5) HOW DO WE GET CARE? You simply go to the doctor of your choice DR/PATIENT RELATIONSHIP PROTECTED. THERE WILL BE NO DENIALS FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS, you cannot lose your insurance if you get seriously ill OR lose your job, YOU CAN NOT GO BANKRUPT from medical bills—AND—BONUS—it will cover everything—ALL DR visits—NO CO-PAYS, DEDUCTABLES, limits or exclusions AND it includes all DENTAL, EYES, even nursing homes.

6) WILL STOP rationing and death squads! NOW we have a system where the for-profit private insurers are DENYIN’, DENYIN’ DENYIN’ AND PEOPLE ARE DYIN’, DYIN’, DYIN’!


7) ALSO, SINGLE PAYER will RESCUE the American free enterprise system.

Without health care reform, small businesses will pay nearly $2.4 trillion dollars over the next ten years in health care costs for their workers, 178,000 small business jobs will be lost by 2018 as a result of health care costs, 11. The Economic Impact of Healthcare Reform on Small Business, Small Business Majority, June 2009.


Right now small businesses have a disadvantage compared to large companies. As an employer I can tell you that nothing was more gutwrenching then when one of our employees or their child got sick and they could not afford health insurance. Especially a single mom, no way to pay $12,000/year! It lowered morale, made others sick, hurt productivity. And now over 30% of small businesses offer no plan. WITH single payer, all companies big and small are on a level playing field. And for BIG companies their costs will be lower and they will be more competitive with foreign companies.

8) Finally, SINGLE PAYER will be a boom to our economy! MANY new jobs in health care will be created. More schools to train MORE doctors, more nurses and tech and support. Those working in HMOS in lower and middle position will get two years of unemployment, MONEY for re-training and opportunities to join the expanded MEDICARE administration.


SECOND TRUTH—SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE IS A CONSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVE

1) THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, history’s most respected and enduring political document, practically screams for A SINGLE PAYER healthcare system! The pre-amble to the Constitution is its spirit, it lists the reasons why our founders set off on their bold experiment of self-government, and the reasons for creating the CONSTITUTION and new country. Here is what it says:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, ]promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

TO PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE! Nothing today can better promote the general welfare than Single Payer Universal healthcare my friends!


THIRD, SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE IS A MORAL IMPERATIVE:

Now when I speak of a morality here I refer to a greater moral purpose that exists beyond any and all religion. We all have different paths, but I truly believe they diverge at the point of heartfelt human compassion. And that is what I am talking about. So when I mention God, that is my own personal insertion and is not necessarily representative of all who have an equal sense of morality but follow a different path.
.
1) There is no question but that God AND the highest callings of MORALITY would have us—the RICHEST NATION ON EARTH—FIND A WAY, to provide health care for all, before another private health insurer, an unnecessary MIDDLE MAN, makes another billion dollars in profit.
2) WE have heard over and over: “to bear each others’ burdens, that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, to love one another as you love yourself, that as you do to the LEAST of these you do unto me.”

3) It is fundamentally immoral to make human health, a matter of human life and death, a slave to profits! We KNOW this, we KNOW this in our hearts. This is NOT difficult. It’s so simple a caveman would know it, and CERTAINLY a child.

4) We must live up to Alexis De Tocqueville’s observation about America in his book, Democracy in America:

"America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good America will cease to be great."

Is there any doubt that a health care delivery system that puts PROFITS over PEOPLE is contrary to being a good and moral nation? It is therefore a moral imperative to adopt a Single Payer Universal, everybody, in nobody out healthcare reform.

FOURTH TRUTH, GOVERNMENT IS GOOD!

1) CONTRARY TO THE ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA, our government for over 230 years has been the backbone, the glue, the enabler of the wealthiest, freest, and fairest nation in the history of the world.

2) HOW DARE them lie about the proven quality and effectiveness of our government!

3) From DAY ONE in America our strong UNITED federal government has overseen the building of our nation’s infrastructure, created the world’s most esteemed system of justice; Social Security, Medicare, public education, Mail delivery—through rain, snow, sleet or gloom of night!, The MILITARY, the coinage of money, our beautiful national parks, scientific and medical research, the space program, FOOD AND DRUG safety, consumer protection, interstate highways, product safety, workplace regs and child labor laws, etc, etc,

4) When naysayers ask Does government work?

a. WHO provides a first class military that’s successfully provided for Common Defense? THE GOVT.
b. When you get up and turn on the radio or cable tv—OUR GOVT!
c. WHO INSURES that when you eat your breakfast without worry the food is safe—GOVT
d. WHO INSURES that when you drive in a safe car, down I-75—THE GOVT.
e. WHO INSURES tht if you breathe clean air and drink clean water—THE GOVT
f. WHO INSURES that take drugs that are safe, do what supposed to—THE GOVT!
g. When you mail a letter in snowstorm and it arr. Next day—GOVT!
h. If you get a Medicare check/soc. Sec/unemploy----THE GOVT
i. Student loans, food stamps—OR corp bailout, subsidy—GOVT
j. Visit a beautiful national park—THE GOVT
k. WHO INSURES Vaccination and protection from diseases—THE GOVT
l. WHO INSURES THAT YOU Feel safe about having money in the bank—THE GOVT.
m. Had a baby, or need to miss work to give care—GOVT.
n. WHO SEES that you have Workplace safety regs, child labor laws—THE GOVT.
o. Contract and commercial transactions protected—THE GOVT.
p. WHO PROVIDES Justice, law and order, fire protection, disaster response—GOVT
q. WHO OVERSEES Safe products, informative labeling, truth in advertising—THE GOVT
r. If you got a good free public education—THE GOVT.

5) THROUGH THESE AND MANY, MANY more ways does the government help create the environment, the atmosphere which enables us to FULLY PURSUE life, liberty and happiness. Govt helps form the COCOON out of which the FRUITS OF INDIVIDUAL freedom can flourish, be it in commerce, science the arts or whatever. GOVT is a BOON to commerce and creativity, NOT A BARRIER.

6) Often we lose sight of the big picture and need a new set of eyes to see reality. For America this new set of eyes can often come from immigrants. My grandfather loved his new country, he EASILY saw that his opportunity to create a business, serve customers, grow a family were only possible through a strong, compassionate, citizen-oriented GOVERNMENT.
The GOVT came in and saved his business after the FLOODS in Eastern Ky— SBA loans. The GOVT helped insure his kids got an education.
His govt created laws of commerce and treated all equally, and on and on.

7) My grandfather UNDERSTOOD so much that America would and could not be America without its Government. He loved it so much he said “Taxes are the CHEAPEST RENT I could pay to live in the GREATEST COUNTRY in the world.” He named three sons after presidents—Woodrow Wilson, my dad, uncle Warren Harding, and Herbert Hoover, who was born on election day, 1928. It was a close election and they had to wait three days to name him. If Al Smith would have won he’d have been uncle Al Smith!

8) THE BOTTOME LINE: GOVT is the enabler of this beautiful inter-connected quilt we call America. And GOVT. therefore has AFFIRM. DUTY TO insure affordable, quality H/C for all like in other countries.

9) SO HOW DARE they lie about the Government of the United States of America. NOW the people falling for the lies are good people. But they are misled. And who can fault them—who has time…..

10) So we must engage others with love—LISTEN, acknowledge truth, but CORRECT mis-statements, point to all that govt has done FOR OVER 230 YEARS.

11) BUT----JUST WHY IS THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY SPREADING THE LIES AND PROPAGANDA that government is bad, even worse—EVIL? BECAUSE THEY ARE REAPING BILLIONS AND BILLIONS in profits, and HUGE salaries and bonuses in the current system that they PAY for. They are spending $1.4 MILLION per day lobbying Congress, and millions more on the deceitful propaganda in order to keep their profits, profits made at our expense.

12) Worse, they are corrupting our democracy, paying off politicians who act on THEIR behalf instead of OURS. * WHEN WILL THEY ACT FOR US, FOR THE PEOPLE, AND NOT FOR THE BIG MONEY special interests?? ****

13) The KEY TEST of any policy matter is WILL IT BEST BENEFIT THE LONG TERM GREATER PUBLIC INTEREST?? But too often politicians do what benefits them or the hand that is feeding them, keeps them in power and then when they leave a lot go to that industry for big bucks.

14) So, HERE IS WHAT TO DO! Call your congressperson and Senator. Write letters to the editors. Find people you TRUST will put the PEOPLE FIRST, make candidates COMMIT TO SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE and to following the KEY TEST—what will best benefit the LONG TERM greater public int.

15) Personally, I have no ulterior motive except that which best promotes our long term greater welfare. I have from the time of my youth, been trained by uncles and parents that noble political service means doing what is right for THE PEOPLE. I have long been interested in public policy and always strove to promote that which is best for the LONG TERM GREATER GOOD. I study the truth, the facts, what works elsewhere, what is just, moral and effective and that is why I am so passionate about SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE. IT IS NOT ONLY GOING TO BEST BENEFIT US IN THE LONG TERM, but it will help us RIGHT NOW! PEOPLE NEED IT NOW, BUSINESSES NEED IT NOW, AMERICA NEEDS IT NOW!

CONCLUSION
The true test for any nation, especially one that claims so righteously to be “under God” is how it treats its poorest citizens, those meet disaster, AND how they treat their elderly—can they have an old age in which they will find security and care.

To our great credit we went a long ways for the elderly with Medicare. And now it is time for us to complete that equation.

SINGLE PAYER UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE is ECONOMICAL, IT IS MORAL, IT IS CONSTITUTIONAL it is doable and it is TIME!

YOU + ME = WE and WE can do it!

THANK YOU!


Richard Frank Dawahare 8/29/09

Stripped of all emotion, political gamesmanship, ulterior motives and special vested interests what remains are these facts on the slots/expanded gambling issue.

First, good people gamble. In fact those who gamble slots machines include some of the finest people I know. Grannies gamble for goodness sake, so there is nothing inherently evil about people who make this choice. But that is not the point.

Second, some Kentuckians do gamble away their money in out of state casinos. About 16% of Kentuckians have done so, that’s it, 16%. Yet our venturing gamblers have neither hurt Kentucky nor, more importantly, have they helped casino states. For the fact is that casino state budgets are busted, and have historically been more stressed than Kentucky’s. They have waited in vain for the financial salvation slots were supposed to bring, even before the current recession. In fact, most states have seen their budgetary situation worsen with the advent of expanded gambling. But that is not the point.

Third, the fate of the horse industry may or may not be as dire as those with a vested interest in expanded gambling allege. With fear-based emotional appeals they have been allowed to frame the issue in a way most to their liking. Regardless, there are many funding alternatives should such be necessary. Slots are the worst option for they will usher in far more damage to our overall welfare than the short term infusion of cash to a select few. But that is not the point.

Fourth, pro-gambling legislators, including some of our top leaders, truly want what is best for Kentucky. They are sincere in their belief that it will solve much of our financial needs, that it will save the horse industry, help our schools and lower our taxes. Yet not only are their forecasts wildly inaccurate (35% of a billion is $350 million, not the $700 plus million being tossed around) but they are shortsighted. Gambling’s costs will outweigh its revenues at least three to one over the long term, which is why gambling states’ budgets are such a wreck, see above. But that is not the point.

Fifth, a court will eventually rule that a Constitutional amendment is necessary in order to expand gambling to slots, vlt’s or any other type of electronic or casino gambling. The voters, in approving the 1988 Constitutional amendment allowing the lottery, intended to permit only the traditional scratch off and online lottery games then in existence. This traditional lottery, and only this, is what the state promoted to us before our vote. In no way whatsoever did we vote to approve additional gambling beyond that limited exception, nor did the legislature intend for us to. We would, therefore, have to amend the Constitution once again in order to allow for expanded gambling.

But why would we want to? It is an absolute certainty that the unchecked spread of gambling will destroy our nation, economically and socially. I guarantee this eventuality with every last ounce of intellectual credibility that I may be fortunate enough to possess.

I can see the future for I have studied the past. This is the point.

In the late 1800’s we Americans saw our communities being destroyed by the lotteries (then the only widespread form of gambling) which is why not only Kentucky but every state changed their constitutions to prohibit gambling’s ugly head from ever rearing itself again. Today’s electronic gambling explodes that harm exponentially, which is why slots are called the “crack cocaine of gambling.” It may take a few more years, but eventually this same harm will be so noticeable that we will once again demand a return to sanity and a prohibition of the most lethal form of gambling.

It is only a matter of time before Americans finally connect the dots between community decline and casino style gambling. Overnight gambling will be seen as the pariah it truly is and the process of tearing it apart will take hold. This is the point.

Why should Kentucky not, for once, get ahead of the curve and lead? Why should Kentucky not follow the tried and true ways of building long term vitality instead of the illusion that we can get something for nothing? Why should Kentucky not resist contemporary society’s worst habit, the all too common quest for immediate gratification and short term gain that inevitably leads to long term pain?

Why must we let our leaders use gambling to slough off our problems on our most vulnerable citizens? Why must they continue to evade responsibility for tackling our real problem, which is an antiquated tax system?

We must stand tall and not allow ourselves to get sucked in by the propaganda, the doomsayers and the politicians, who are well meaning, but all too willing to take the easy buck rather than seek long term solutions. Just because other states have lost their minds is no excuse for us to lose ours.

The facts are clear: casino style gambling has worsened states’ budgets, hurt economies, destroyed lives, and thereby lowered our overall well being. Kentucky must do something it has rarely done since the first pioneers crossed the Cumberlands: lead.

Richard Frank Dawahare 7/30/09

Health care is a right in 21st century America! One of the most gut wrenching experiences as an employer was to see an employee or one of their children come down with an illness yet be unable to afford a doctor. I found it utterly incredible that in this country of such great riches and high moral bearing that many of its citizens could not afford even minor treatment.

Most small businesses simply cannot afford to provide health care to their employees, and increasingly even large companies are shifting more of the burden on them. Uninsured workers who fall ill lower a company’s productivity and endanger others by spreading their untreated disease. Even worse, this inability to get health care has a very depressive effect on total company morale. In essence unaffordable health care threatens our free enterprise system and the human capital so necessary to its survival.

This is intolerable and we must not let it continue. While America has wonderful medical capabilities our nearly 48 million of our citizens are unable to access them. In fact, America is the only developed country that does not provide comprehensive care to all of its citizens. This is why the World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th in health care, just behind Slovenia, but ahead of Costa Rica.

While those who can afford it get very good care, there is a wide gap between the top and bottom in America. By contrast those in the lowest income group in countries with universal health care get care that is equal to that of our highest group. And they enjoy this level of care while spending half as much per person as do we.

This is because our current for-profit private health insurance system is riddled with inefficiencies. Administrative costs, profits, sales and marketing combine to take nearly 50% of our health care dollar before it even reaches health care providers.

The National Health Insurance Bill, HR 676, provides the solution we seek. HR 676 is a single payer health insurance system that will create huge cost-saving efficiencies by funneling routine administrative functions through one body instead of the complex quilt of for profit private insurers. Hundreds of such companies—each with their own forms and reimbursement procedures—create a multi-billion dollar expense for hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Add to that the insurers’ own overhead, huge executive salaries (the heads of the top five firms made $73 million in 2007) and profits—remember, the prime duty of any business is to make profits— and we can understand how the current system wastes over $400 billion. 15%-25% of each dollar we spend comes right off the top for health insurers who make all that money largely by scheming how NOT to insure people. By comparison, Medicare takes less than 3% for overhead.

The single payer National Health Insurance feature of HR 676 will eliminate this incredible waste, as inhumane as it is inefficient. Such streamlining is a hallmark of successful best business practice. Our best college MBA programs teach it, and the best run companies do it all the time. The American taxpayer should do so as well.

HR 676 essentially expands Medicare, along with Social Security America’s most revered program, so that it covers everybody and everything including prescription drugs, dental care, and nursing home care for less than we currently spend. Never more would there be expensive co-pays, deductibles or exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Never again will any American be forced into bankruptcy because of health care debt. Never again will American businesses be unduly burdened by the anchor of sick but untreated employees.

Best of all we retain the freedom of choice and our doctors will make the health care decisions, not corporate executives whose top priority is profit maximization by service minimization.

Those working in the insurance industry will have new opportunities. Some will take on similar roles in the expanded Medicare system. Others will take advantage of retraining programs and educational opportunities for truly productive pursuits, using our skills to enhance life, instead of figuring out ways to profit by denying life-saving services to those most needing it.

Contrary to critics propagandistic claims HR 676 is NOT socialism. The single payer feature simply takes the collection and distribution of payments away from the private insurers—who are profit, not patient, oriented—while leaving the medical system itself completely alone and intact. This will save billions of dollars each year by eliminating the hundreds of complicated and redundant HMO payment plans foisted upon our doctors and hospitals, thus freeing up their time accomplish their core purpose of providing superior health care services to their patients.

The new National Health Insurance plan, HR 676, will save our free enterprise system both by insuring the health of its workers, and by freeing business to do what it does best, namely the innovation and delivery of goods and services, while allowing the federal government to fulfill its constitutional duty to act on behalf of our greater welfare.

Finally, by passing HR 676 America can reclaim moral leadership in human rights and fulfill our founding purpose to promote “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” which is not possible without good health.

Universal health care is humane, it is economical, it is doable and it is time. Call your Congressperson and ask them to support HR 676.

Richard Frank Dawahare 7/8/09

The rise of "fanaticide," i.e., extremist violence, is but a symptom of the more serious issue facing our world today: too much fear and hate, too little faith and love. We've allowed our hard-held truths to slam our minds shut to the point we permit, even welcome, the most vile attacks on "the other."

What once was unspeakable vulgarity is now acceptable in arena for the battle of ideas. Those who believe differently than radio shock jocks are ruthlessly demonized as worthless pieces of humanity.

Even worse, radio and TV give these attackers a patina of credibility they do not deserve, for the public assumption is that they would not be allowed to say such things on the air waves -- our air waves -- unless it were true.

Locally, think of WHAS, a proud Kentuckiana institution for many a decade. When the same mega-tower-of-power 50,000-watt blowtorch that carries the Crusade for Children also features prime-time piranha Michael Savage, an air of credibility is automatically attached to his hate-filled propaganda that he should never have.

Where have you gone, Mr. Milton Metz, our nation turns its lonely ears to you.

Such contempt enters our consciousness, festers in our hearts, spews through our mouths and e-mails and eventually finds physical expression by those without a moral compass.

The cure is up to us. First, we must realize that just as we truly believe in the righteousness of our causes, those with contrary views feel the same. We must therefore embrace the paradox of inconsistent truths and allow space for the other even as we take our stand. This demands a faith in the ultimate authority of a higher power that most of us profess and a serenity to accept that the process, the way we treat each other, is as important as the cause, if not more so.

Second, we must love, and I mean love as a verb. Intentionally and with concentrated effort, work hard at being the best person you know your higher self to be, each and every day. Yes, be more diplomatic, tame the impulse to lash out, refrain from sexist or racist jokes. Focus on trying to understand the other and always wish them well, secure in your faith that taking the high road will lead to eventual reconciliation.

In short, we should be the person we'd want our children to be.

"100,000 jobs and $4 billon." The slots promoters have been throwing these numbers around so often and so loudly that Kentuckians now know them by heart. These are the total number of jobs and money that they say will be lost if we are not scared enough to give in and support casinos in Kentucky.

But nothing good ever resulted from actions made out of fear, especially fear based on exaggeration. First, if they really want to stick to those numbers they will be admitting, absolutely admitting, that Kentucky's horse industry has grown exponentially since 2002, about the time that other states' racinos began.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority's 2004-2005 Biennial Report states: "According to a 2002 study by the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, the horse industry generates over 31,800 jobs and had a total economic impact estimated at $1.77 billion."Therefore, according to the pro-casino camp, Kentucky has actually managed to triple the number of jobs and more than double the economic impact of our signature industry despite the arrival of racino competition in other states.

Of course, the more likely scenario is that they grossly exaggerated the real state of the industry as part of their propaganda campaign to rile emotional fervor for casinos to a fever pitch.

Now, I don't deny that our horse industry needs assistance. I am sure most Kentuckians would want to help Kentucky's breeding and racing industries, which is a policy matter for the legislature to decide. Once decided in the affirmative, the issue becomes one of funding, of how best to support them.

Casino-style gambling options like VLTs are but one option, and by far the worst for the long run. First, to pursue this poverty-inducing enterprise now, in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, is a gross failure of vision and leadership.

Second, they amount to a voluntary tax, one paid disproportionately by the poor. Long term, they will destroy economies around the country, just as the main gambling activity, lotteries, did in the late 1800s.

If the state needs more money to fund breeder and racing incentives, the legislature need only do so through the traditional tried-and-true methods that best preserve our long-term welfare.

Tax reform that makes Kentucky's tax system more progressive would help. Perhaps adding a small sales tax, say 3 percent, to out-of-state buyers at Kentucky's world-leading horse sales would bring in much needed revenue without hurting the industry (currently we get nothing).

The point is that we must look coolly, objectively and accurately at the totality of issues surrounding our whole economy, a major part of which includes the horse industry. Only then can we assure ourselves of ideal solutions that will lead to the best overall long-term outcome.

For want of a slot machine Kentucky’s horse industry will be lost. Or so the gamblers would have us believe. Yes, the horse industry is vital to Kentucky. Yes we should nurture it. But never must we let emotional fervor and exaggerated, unsubstantiated claims mis-direct us to a non-solution that will not only harm our long term welfare, but that will also destroy the thoroughbred industry itself.

First, let’s examine the claims of those who want to add slot machines (or VLT’s) to Kentucky’s tracks. Essentially they say that Kentucky’s horse industry is in crisis because Turfway, Ellis Park and now Churchill have had to cut racing days, an event caused not by a historic recession and economic downturn but by owners taking their horses to states that allow their tracks to have slots (racinos) which in turn enables them to offer higher purses.

Yet the fact is that tracks all over the country are cutting race dates, even in racino states. In 2008 the total number of races declined 2.2%, including West Virginia which had 256 fewer races, a 6% drop, and Louisiana with 143 less, a 4% drop. Kentucky held up quite well, only down 2%. Nationally, pari-mutuel handle dropped 7.3%.

This year tracks continue to cut dates, specifically citing the economic downturn as the reason. Historic Del Mar is going to 5 days a week, first time since 1947, and according to its president, Joe Harper, it has nothing to do with the absence of slots and everything to do with the economy: “There’s a pinch on everyone due to the economy, there’s a pinch on the number of racehorses available in the state.”

Kentucky’s world-leading breeding industry is not threatened in the least. In fact Kentucky increased its share of mares bred from 36% in 2006 to 41% in 2008. The next closest was Florida at 10%. All racino states except Pennsylvania (2%) and Indiana (1%) lost ground. Kentucky-breds earned more than $436 million, an increase of 1.5% from 2007 and Kentucky-breds increased their share of the total purse money earned in 2008 to 36%.

In any case higher purses do not guarantee increased attendance or wagering. Maryland subsidized higher purses from 1998 to 2000 by 25% yet live wagering actually decreased. And in both West Virginia and Delaware live wagering and attendance remained stagnant despite tripling purse sizes following the introduction of slot machines. Each state spent a staggering $100 million and got basically nothing in return.

These facts thoroughly contradict the frantic over-the-top claims of the casino interests trying so desperately to get their foot in our door. If our signature industry is truly threatened to the point of extinction then we should unite in developing a list of options properly addressed to the root causes of the problem, none of which will include slots.

The fact is that slots at the tracks will eventually kill the thoroughbred industry. Slots hook gamblers who will rush in droves for that option over horse racing. For this reason casino style gambling is a long term mortal threat to racing. Leading economic experts Dr. John Warren Kindt and Dr. Earl Grinols have for many years warned of this danger. And the Congressional National Gambling Impact Study Commission specifically directed states to refrain from putting slots at the tracks.

The racing industry must instead creatively improve and market its product to attract new customers, while also working with casino opponents to staunch its cancer-like spread. Tim Capps, a University of Louisville professor in the College of Business equine program said that racing has “has been very insider-ish…It has been run more for itself than it has for its fans. I think one thing racing has to do is make participation in our sport easier for the fan, because the fan has not come first in our industry for a long time.”
Richard Shapiro, the Chairman of the California Horse Racing Board agrees. “I really question whether we are a sport anymore. We have taken the entertainment away and pushed it just as gambling. We need to invent very simple wagers…and package racing better. If we do that and present it to the right people we have the opportunity to receive more revenues.”
In any case Kentucky would have to first amend its Constitution before any such expansion of gambling could occur as both the legislative history behind the lottery amendment and an opinion of then Attorney General Ben Chandler show.

Still, I understand the plight of Ellis Park. Indiana’s casinos have over the past 12 years caused a permanent 35% drop in their revenues and their slot-supported racing is another blow. Yet surely there are other ways to help Ellis than to dirty our state with a proven long term societal killer of casino style gambling.

And that is exactly what slots, VLT’S, and casinos are, a long term killer. History has proven that gains are short-lived. In just a few years the economic costs to pre-existing, traditional businesses and social costs will become unbearable and states will see gambling for what it is and ban it yet again. This is what happened in the late 1800’s when states around the nation, including Kentucky, put in their Constitutions prohibitions that would make it nearly impossible for future generations to repeat their mistake.

Kentucky need not follow. We are a pioneer state—we lead. Kentucky should lead in repelling the spread of casino-style gambling. We should lead in exposing the truth about the harm it causes. We should lead in showing how healthy and vibrant our community, our economy our foundation can be by focusing on time honored fundamentals—just as we have with Education reform.

Above all we must not fall for horse tales, old or new.


Richard Frank Dawahare 5/14/09

SOURCES:
These are my sources for the statistics and quotes: I got all the stats from Equibase on the Jockey Club's site: http://jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp under which are the figures for: 1) number of races -- http://jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp?section=6 2) Gross purses-- http://jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp?section=7 3) Pari-mutuel handle-- http://jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp?section=8 4) Distribution of Stallions and Mares bred-- http://jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp?section=3 5) Distribution of registered Foal Crop by state-- http://jockeyclub.com/factbook.asp?section=4 I GOT the information about Maryland, West Va. and Delaware performance after the introduction of slots from THIS researchpaper by Jeffrey Hooke, Chairman of the Maryland Tax Education Foundation -- http://www.marylandtaxeducation.org/horserace.pdf 6) The quotes I got from this article by Liz Mullen in Business First, Louisville--

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2008/05/05/story1.html?t=printable

7) The reference to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission directive against slots at the tracks
is here, at SECTION 3-12 http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ngisc/reports/fullrpt.html