Casino costing jobs, killing horse racing

To the Editor:

We are writing on behalf of our family and many others who are involved in harness racing, including those who make their living through harness racing indirectly in the state of Maine. It is our hope to give you a better appreciation for our industry, our livelihood. We would like you to understand that our future is at stake undoubtedly, and the impact if it were to be taken away.

Our families have been involved in harness racing since the 1950s. Our fathers each ran their own stables and our mothers helped out as well, while raising their families. We grew up around horses - can’t imagine life without them. Our children in turn have grown up with horses in their lives. We have brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces working in the harness racing industry both in Maine and out of state. Our children hope to one day work in Maine training horses, as a veterinarian, and possibly as a racing official. As you can see this is very important to us. It’s our life, our heritage.

Some of the many businesses that harness racing helps support are the feed stores, our local farmers that grow, harvest, sell and deliver their hay. And remember, these farmers, as others, are patrons of feed stores, hardware stores, farm equipment businesses, coffee shops and gas stations just to start. We have all of the harness track employees from accounting to janitorial to security personnel along with food service businesses, paddock employees, state racing officials, blacksmiths, veterinarians and manure removal companies. The list continues; restaurants, sandwich shops, post offices, laundromats, accountants, insurance agents, garages. Summer and fall bring all of our deep-rooted fairs, requiring employment of hundreds and hundreds of workers. These workers help to sustain other businesses in Maine as well. So you see, we are an industry that is far reaching to the thoughtful eye, we do contribute to many lives - surely much more than mentioned here.

If this venture with Oxford Casino were to be terminated for whatever the reason, Black Bear Entertainment, LLC and associates would be able to carry on, more than likely, without serious repercussion. Lives would continue and probably a new project would be on the horizon. Not so for most of us in the harness racing industry. This is it. If the worst case scenario should arise, some stables would be forced out of business. Now these horsemen would have to look elsewhere for employment in Maine. This a difficult challenge in Maine‘s current job market. Others would move out of state to make their living. Bangor, offering roughly 52 days of live racing, combined with racing at the fairs does not provide enough race dates to sustain all of the stables currently in Maine. Once many of the stables disperse, the domino effect begins. Farmers, feed stores, blacksmiths, veterinarians, harness track workers, and other local businesses feel the effect.

We’re not pushing the panic button, our eyes are open to reality. We believe both venues can exist together if Black Bear Entertainment/Oxford Casino chooses so. We in Maine harness racing have been looking forward to this racino in southern Maine since 2003. We respectfully implore you to work with racinos for the betterment of Maine’s future. It is about jobs as Black Bear Entertainment has stated. Please don’t extinguish our livelihood, our hopes to promote only yours. Thank you for your time.

Donna and Todd DuBois

Biddeford