news: Horse-racing insider fights against tribal gambling deal (Calif)

[Mousey]

Horse-racing insider fights against tribal gambling deal
JIM MILLER



December 14, 2007 9:28 AM

Scripps Howard News Service

Must credit Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A real-estate investment manager near San Francisco has become a driving force behind efforts to overturn gambling agreements between the state and four Southern California tribes.

Terrence E. Fancher, a relative newcomer to the state's horse-racing industry, has steered more than $4.3 million to the campaign opposing the deals, known as compacts. Fancher largely bankrolled the summer signature-gathering effort that qualified referendum measures targeting the compacts for the Feb. 5 ballot.

If voters approve the compacts, the tribes could add up to 17,000 slot machines to their casinos in return for millions in revenue-sharing payments to the state. But Fancher, who leads an investment firm that owns the Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park race tracks, views the coming vote as a make-or-break statement on the future of California horse racing, associates said.

''After taking part in and observing many failed discussions surrounding these compacts ... he believes the only course left is to try to have these compacts sent back to the Legislature for renegotiation that includes fair consideration for horse racing,'' said Joe Lang, a lobbyist for Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park.



The tribes with compacts targeted by the ballot measures are fighting back. Since opponents began collecting signatures in August, the four tribes have pumped $34.5 million into the pro-compact campaign, aired frequent television ads and secured the support of many of the state's major political players.

Roger Salazar, a spokesman for ...

[lots0]

The Native Casinos will win this battle...

They have more money to buy more politicians and thats all it takes.

Funny thing is that in all this wrangling between the Horse Tracks and Native Casinos and the bought and paid for politicians...

No one is talking about protecting the players by having any oversight of the Native Gambling (like Horse Racing has). Surprise Surprise...

IMO the politicians in California should be tared, feathered and run out of the state on a rail for not protecting the people of their state.

[peteyweestro]

'm from so cal and i agree with lotso