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| Indianapolis Star December 13, 2004 Senator Bob Jackman, Letter to the Indianapolis Star As The Star mentioned in its Nov. 30 article, "Slot-machine pitch to get fresh legs in legislature," my Senate district includes Indiana Downs horse track in Shelbyville. My district also includes hundreds of farms, horse-training and breeding operations and industry-related businesses. The people operating these businesses have a story to tell, and their voices often are lost amid those of pro-gaming and anti-gaming groups. Their stories are the reason I so fervently support the horse industry, particularly the small horse-breeders. Their entire livelihood depends on the survival of the horse-racing industry. Indiana's economy relies heavily on the success of agriculture, including the horse industry. Sadly, that economic effect has been in decline because of shrinking purses at the state's horse tracks. The prize money available for racing has plummeted on a race-by-race basis, and owners and breeders have been forced to endure losses or move. When that happens, local economic development, commerce and employment all suffer. A 2002 Purdue University study indicates this industry has a $2.6 billion economic impact on the state. Horse racing and ancillary businesses generate nearly $500 million of that impact, including more than 6,662 jobs in the state. This $500 million is a direct result of the $23 million subsidy from riverboat taxes that was mentioned in your article. In fact, every dollar submitted from the riverboat taxes results in a $17 economic return. I was chairman of the legislative summer study committee that endorsed the proposal you cited in your story. In the course of our meetings, we heard extensive testimony on the condition of the horse industry and its prospects for the future. We heard from horse owners, breeders, trainers, drivers, grooms, farmers, veterinarians, farriers, feed manufacturers, builders and trailer manufacturers, all of whom are affected by horse racing. Make no mistake, the loss of even one Indiana horse sends ripples through the Hoosier economy. The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association estimates that an average single horse-boarding bill is $8,000 a year. Presuming our costs are equivalent, if the state loses 1,000 horses, that $8 million is no longer churning through Indiana's economy. Strengthening the Indiana horse industry will not pull the state out of economic doldrums strictly on its own. But no state in the throes of a budget deficit can afford to cripple a $2.6 billion industry. Indiana has an opportunity to empower a homegrown industry, protect an important sector of agribusiness, generate much-needed state and local tax revenue, and keep Indiana dollars right here, where they belong. We should take a long look at the proposal to put 5,000 pull-tab machines at four locations in the state. Far beyond the two racetracks featured in The Star, the benefits will extend to every corner of Indiana. Jackman is a state senator from Milroy. 
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