2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorBUCCI GETS 3 YEARS 5 MONTHSDan Bucci, the veteran and well-known formergeneral manager of Lincoln Downs, or Lincoln Parkas it now is known, was sentenced to three yearsand five months in a federal prison Friday for conspiracyinvolving bribery. In sentencing Bucci andNigel Potter, CEO of Wembley PLC, the track’sformer owners, U.S. District Judge Mary Lisi saidit was clear to her “that Mr. Bucci was the instigatorof these offenses,” and she gave Potter threeyears and fined Wembley PLC $1.5 million. Thecrime was conspiring to bribe the speaker of theRhode Island House, John Harwood, by funneling$4 million to him through his law partner DanMcKinnon, attorney for Lincoln Downs. The bribewas never paid, and Harwood and McKinnon werenot charged, but a paper trail through faxes in 2000and 2001 indicated the idea was to bribe Harwoodinto blocking a Narragansett Indian Nation bid tobuild a competing casino, and at the same timeadd 1,000 more slots to Lincoln Downs. Wembleyno longer owns the track, having sold it in July.ANOTHER CRIME DOES NOT PAYIn another “crime does not pay” narrative, alady named Christina Goodenow discoveredgood luck can be obliterated totally by bad judgment.Ms. Goodenow, 38, of White City, Oregon,bought a state scratch-it ticket and won$1 million. She is not likely to receive themoney, however, and is sitting in jail withoutbail on charges of theft, forgery, identify theft,credit card fraud, possession of methamphetamine,computer crime and a parole violation.It seems that Ms. Goodenow bought the winningticket with a stolen credit card -- actuallythat of her mother-in-law, who died more thana year ago -- and police began tracking her lastWednesday. She picked up a first installmentof $33,500 of the $1 million, and thecops, who found the meth in her house,can’t find the money.Oct. 31, 2005ILL WINDS BLOW SOME GOODThat’s if you’re a casino operator on the Gulf coast.They were devastated, of course, by Katrina, butit appears they will be bailed out of some of theiragony by being allowed to move onshore in Mississippiand Louisiana. Mississippi already hasset the process in motion by approving 15 acreson Back Bay Boulevard in Jackson for constructionof a new Golden Gulf Casino. The ill windturned out to be followed by sunny clouds for oneChristopher A. Ferrara of Baton Rouge, LA, whoowns the property on which Golden Gulf will build,and he will be the builder as well, with financialpartners. He already has environmental and citypermits to begin construction.CLOSED DOORS IN CONGRESS?Nah. Couldn’t be. Someone must be mistaken.On the other hand, the charge is beingmade by two congressmen, Republicans EdWhitfield of Kentucky and John Sweeney ofNew York, prime movers in the horse antislaughterbill passed recently in the House attheir instigation. The pair now say a lastminute change in the language, making it ambiguousand confusing, was done behind closeddoors. It appeared that the NationalCattleman’s Beef Association may have beenbehind the doors, since their newsletter reportsthat the new language will allow horseslaughter plants in Texas and Illinois to payAgriculture Department inspectors to checkhorse meat for sale. The original bill intendedto cut off horse slaughter by withdrawing fundsfor federal inspection, without which it cannotbe sold. Whitfield says, “We had four differentlawyers look at this (new) language, andwe’ve come up with four different answers.”Even Agriculture Department lawyers admittedthe provision was vague. Sweeney said,“Someone made the decision to change 100years of congressional precedent withoutdebate.”