Protecting One of the 12th District's Most Important Industries


If you've been reading the news, or if you've tried to get your driver's license renewed this week, or if you had planned a trip to Atlantic City, you know by now that our state government has been shut down as a result of the fact that Governor Corzine and both houses of the Legislature are still hammering out a budget upon which all parties can agree.

My staff and I have spent many hours in Trenton this week, and in fact at this moment I am in a caucus meeting, so I am not personally posting this message. New Jersey residents are understandably angry about the situation in which we find ourselves, but let me assure all of you that everyone involved in this process is working extremely hard to get it resolved.

In light of the shut-down, Senator Karcher and I have become very concerned about the welfare of Monmouth Park and Freehold Raceway, both of which are currently closed because state employees must be on hand to monitor operations in order for racing to continue. Under current law, those employees are not designated as "essential."

Yesterday, the Senator and I introduced legislation that would change that.

For anyone who is not a fan of racing or in some way involved in the industry, you might be unaware of just how significant it is to New Jersey in general, and the 12th District particularly. Horse racing is in the top 30 businesses in the state. About 30,000 people's livelihoods depend on its survival. In the state, there are 81,000 acres of open space currently utilized in some way that is connected to horse racing. If the industry were to fail, many of those acres would likely fall to development.

It's unacceptable that this business should grind to a halt because of the budget situation in Trenton. We must ensure that this does not happen again. I know this is particularly important to constituents living in Millstone, Colts Neck, and Oceanport, so I will do my best to make sure this legislation makes its way through the legislative process quickly.