HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA Executive Newsletter

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorThursday, October 14, 2010IS HE GOV AND MAYOR NOW?The forces of Governor Chris Christie ofNew Jersey took over broad powers ofadministration in Atlantic City yesterday,including the ability to fire city managers,restructure the city budget, and rejectcontracts with unions, according to thePressofAtlanticCity.com. The agreementoutlines 22 specific provisions of the LocalGovernment Supervision Act that thestate could invoke to overhaul city finances,the news service said. The purpose ofthe state’s move was to save the sinkingcity from a $9.5 million operating deficit.The takeover followed a finding Tuesdayby a Superior Court judge, ValerieArmstrong, that the city had committed“a gross failure” to abide by state budgetlaws. Under the agreement the statecould appoint or dismiss non-unionizedemployees, direct all aspects of tax assessment,and liquidate or restructure citydebt, according to the Press news service.The state characterized the takeover asassistance, and called it “a very positivedevelopment...a very friendly level of assistance.”LAW OK, NOW TO ENFORCE ITThe Ohio Supreme Court, in a unanimousdecision, said this week that the state’slawmakers were within their rights imposinga $10 payout limit three years agoon so-called games of skill that look likeand sound like slot machines. The legislaturesaid at the time it passed the bill thatthere were 50,000 such games in operationaround the state. There is no currentestimate, but the games continued sincethe law was passed and the state attorneygeneral, Richard Cordray, acknowledgedfollowing this week’s court decision thatthe ruling is not likely to eliminate the machines.The court test had been broughtby a Columbus cafe owner who operateddozens of new Sweepstakes machines inhis cafe, which was closed at the end ofJune after legal battles with local authorities,according to the Columbus Dispatch.The State Supreme Court decision reversedthat of an appeals court, and heldthat the prize limit does not violate theequal protection clauses of the federal andstate constitutions. The attorney generalsaid he thought the court ruling correct.That takes care of that problem. As forthe Meadowlands, that issue appears toremain in negotiation in Trenton, but asreported here yesterday the track’s horsemenwere assured by their president, TomLuchento, that there would be a harnessracing meeting of 100 days ormore in 2011.NEW HALL OF FAMERS NAMEDLongtime harness racing official WalterRussell and former trainer-driver JimSimpson, now head of Hanover ShoeFarms, have been named to the sport’sHall of Fame in Goshen. Announcer GarySeibel and the late publicist Joe Hartmannjoin the Communicators list.