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2009-04-09 Home Front: Politix

Maryland governor wants to seize Preakness Stakes

The Maryland General Assembly is expected to pass easily a bill that would allow ~~Democrat~~ Gov. Martin O'Malley to seize the rights to horse racing's Preakness Stakes and the racetrack on which it is run by using eminent domain.

Mr. O'Malley introduced the emergency legislation Wednesday in response to rumors that the race, the second leg of the fabled Triple Crown, may be moved to another state by its owner, Toronto-based Magna Entertainment Corp., which filed for bankruptcy last month.

"This is a very bold step," said state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., Prince George's Democrat, who said there was widespread support for the action in the Senate. "It's a move that the state needs to make to make sure the Preakness stays in Maryland."

The bill, which will be debated in the General Assembly on Thursday, would subject all rights and racing events that are associated with the Preakness Stakes - including its trophy, the Woodlawn Vase - to a state takeover.

It also would allow the state to purchase or exercise eminent domain over Magna's Maryland properties: Laurel Park Racetrack, the Bowie Race Course Training Center and Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch, Anne Arundel Democrat, said the House also would likely approve the measure, but that it was not in the state's interest to run the Preakness or the tracks in the long term.

"We just want to see the Preakness stay in Maryland. That's something the assembly agrees with," he said.

Under eminent domain, the government is empowered to seize private property in the public interest and offer fair compensation to property owners. But the practice has provoked controversy in recent years, with many property rights advocates seeing it as an abuse of government power.

Posted by Seafarious 2009-04-09 00:00|| || Front Page|| [12 views ] Top

#1 This oughta work. /s

Posted by tipover 2009-04-09 02:33|| 2009-04-09 02:33|| Front Page Top

#2 A word of wisdom for the Gov.

Don't mess with the mob.

Posted by BrerRabbit 2009-04-09 05:15|| 2009-04-09 05:15|| Front Page Top

#3 ...The problem here - which the Gov and his enablers seem to have overlooked - is that:

A)Magna is based in FREAKING TORONTO CANADA, and therefore there isn't much besides seizing their MD property that will make a difference.
B)The Preakness is intellectual property. Magna owns the rights to it, and they can take it anywhere they want. MD can seize every racecourse in the state, and all that means is Magna will hold it in NY or DE, or any other state that will be more than willing to take the race and the millions of dollars it brings in.

Proof once again that today's politicians would rather own and destroy than share and help.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2009-04-09 06:23|| 2009-04-09 06:23|| Front Page Top

#4 You folk are just showing your political bias.

Why I'm sure if you read the Constitution, the Federalist Papers etc, you'll see that horse racing is one of the main functions of any government

Posted by john frum 2009-04-09 07:54|| 2009-04-09 07:54|| Front Page Top

#5 Ditto John! The Preakness is just too big to ~~fail~~ move away. I'll ask anyway, but I suppose there's really no chance a good Irish Catholic like Governor O'Malley would want to.....seize the District also?

Posted by Besoeker 2009-04-09 08:41|| 2009-04-09 08:41|| Front Page Top

#6 The govt of Maryland is like King Midas, but in Bizarro Land: everything they touch turns to sh*t.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2009-04-09 11:01|| 2009-04-09 11:01|| Front Page Top

#7 Business climate? We don' need no stinking business climate!

Posted by Seafarious 2009-04-09 11:52|| 2009-04-09 11:52|| Front Page Top

#8 Maryland's business is government. And business is booming.

Posted by ed 2009-04-09 12:04|| 2009-04-09 12:04|| Front Page Top

#9 Business don't need a climate - they need marching orders from their betters in gubmint. It worked out so well in all the workers' paradises...

Posted by M. Murcek 2009-04-09 12:05|| 2009-04-09 12:05|| Front Page Top

#10 Maryland's cut of the betting take is how much?...

Posted by mojo 2009-04-09 13:21|| 2009-04-09 13:21|| Front Page Top

#11 If horse racing is that big a piece of Maryland's economy, then Maryland is in deep, deep shit...

Posted by tu3031 2009-04-09 13:40|| 2009-04-09 13:40|| Front Page Top

#12 only one horse can win the Preakness, which is, like sooo unfair to the other horses. The Gubbmint should step in and level the playing field so everyone's a winner

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-04-09 15:22|| 2009-04-09 15:22|| Front Page Top

#13 Why don't the Democrats just cut to the chase and seize everything in sight? That way the government will own everything, there will be no private property, and they can dole stuff out to their patrons.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia">Rambler in Virginia 2009-04-09 20:03|| 2009-04-09 20:03|| Front Page Top

#14 It's time to pony up, plebes.

Posted by mrp 2009-04-09 20:23|| 2009-04-09 20:23|| Front Page Top

#15 Frank! Frank! Frank! whahahhaa@#12.

Posted by Besoeker 2009-04-09 21:13|| 2009-04-09 21:13|| Front Page Top

#16 Government couldn't make a profit in whore hosuing so now they'll try horse racing. Maybe the solution to the drug problem is to let the government take over dealing.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2009-04-09 21:27|| 2009-04-09 21:27|| Front Page Top

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