Budget plan calls for Kentucky guild to receive money for New York jockeys
James M. Odato
Published 10:05 pm, Sunday, March 17, 2013
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N.Y.R.A. president Terry Meyocks speaks at a news conference announcing the post position draw as Funny Cide jockey Jose Santos, right, looks on Wednesday, June 4, 2003 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
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Lawmakers are trying to make sure the budget deal expected to
be completed this week provides for about $2 million a year from
gambling revenues for health insurance coverage for some of New
York's jockeys.
Leaders of the Assembly and Senate want jockeys who regularly ride on New York's thoroughbred tracks to get a cut of the extra purse money generated by video lottery terminal gambling at the flat tracks.
The provision was set up by some last-minute lobbying on behalf of the Lexington, Ky.-based Jockeys' Guild. The guild would get the money to help jockeys afford health coverage for themselves and their families, said Guild representatives.
Lobbyist Brian Meara, whose firm is being paid $2,000 monthly to represent the guild, said he figured the time was right to seek some help for health care costs of people in a dangerous and short-lived occupation since Gov. Andrew Cuomo was already seeking to get a cut of VLT funds to pay for horse safety programs.
"The issue here is there are a handful of jockeys who could afford this themselves," Meara said.
The measure calls for 2.5 percent of the purse fund fueled by VLT revenues to go to the jockeys' health benefit. The horse owners' association opposes the deal, saying it amounts to double-dipping since trainers and owners pay $3 million a year for workers' compensation coverage.
Rick Violette, president of the owners' association, said jockeys are also getting bigger paydays in New York because their cut of purses is rising with additional cash from VLTs. "The jockeys are acting like they don't get anything, when they get a $4 million pay increase because they get 8 percent of gross purses," he said.
Jockeys' Guild General Counsel Thomas Kennedy said the Legislature's plan would make New York on par with several others states that subsidize health insurance costs of riders. (Kentucky is not one of those states.) He said the guild used to help provide the coverage, and that was one of the expenses that sent the organization into bankruptcy in 2007.
Under a $120,000 contract, the guild is run by former New York Racing Association President Terence Meyocks. He left NYRA in 2003 when he was blamed for mismanagement.
Kennedy said only the top jockeys receive the big pay and many need insurance for non-riding injuries and illnesses, which are not covered by workers' compensation. About 75 New York jockeys would benefit from the safety net the Legislature requested.
It would result in $1.3 million in Aqueduct VLT revenues and $309,300 in Finger Lakes VLT revenues going to a dedicated account at the guild for New York riders and the total would be capped at $2 million even if gambling growth exceeds projections.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office said the governor is reviewing the proposal.
Video appeal denied
The state turned down the Times Union's appeal of a denial of the video recording of Medicaid Inspector General James Cox's Nov. 20, 2012, address to all OMIG employees following the newspaper's report about the office's poor performance.
The basis of the rejection was that his communication to workers "was not factual in nature" and needed to contain objective information as opposed to opinions, ideas or advice.
jodato@timesunion.com • 518-454-5083 • @JamesMOdato
Leaders of the Assembly and Senate want jockeys who regularly ride on New York's thoroughbred tracks to get a cut of the extra purse money generated by video lottery terminal gambling at the flat tracks.
The provision was set up by some last-minute lobbying on behalf of the Lexington, Ky.-based Jockeys' Guild. The guild would get the money to help jockeys afford health coverage for themselves and their families, said Guild representatives.
Lobbyist Brian Meara, whose firm is being paid $2,000 monthly to represent the guild, said he figured the time was right to seek some help for health care costs of people in a dangerous and short-lived occupation since Gov. Andrew Cuomo was already seeking to get a cut of VLT funds to pay for horse safety programs.
"The issue here is there are a handful of jockeys who could afford this themselves," Meara said.
The measure calls for 2.5 percent of the purse fund fueled by VLT revenues to go to the jockeys' health benefit. The horse owners' association opposes the deal, saying it amounts to double-dipping since trainers and owners pay $3 million a year for workers' compensation coverage.
Rick Violette, president of the owners' association, said jockeys are also getting bigger paydays in New York because their cut of purses is rising with additional cash from VLTs. "The jockeys are acting like they don't get anything, when they get a $4 million pay increase because they get 8 percent of gross purses," he said.
Jockeys' Guild General Counsel Thomas Kennedy said the Legislature's plan would make New York on par with several others states that subsidize health insurance costs of riders. (Kentucky is not one of those states.) He said the guild used to help provide the coverage, and that was one of the expenses that sent the organization into bankruptcy in 2007.
Under a $120,000 contract, the guild is run by former New York Racing Association President Terence Meyocks. He left NYRA in 2003 when he was blamed for mismanagement.
Kennedy said only the top jockeys receive the big pay and many need insurance for non-riding injuries and illnesses, which are not covered by workers' compensation. About 75 New York jockeys would benefit from the safety net the Legislature requested.
It would result in $1.3 million in Aqueduct VLT revenues and $309,300 in Finger Lakes VLT revenues going to a dedicated account at the guild for New York riders and the total would be capped at $2 million even if gambling growth exceeds projections.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office said the governor is reviewing the proposal.
Video appeal denied
The state turned down the Times Union's appeal of a denial of the video recording of Medicaid Inspector General James Cox's Nov. 20, 2012, address to all OMIG employees following the newspaper's report about the office's poor performance.
The basis of the rejection was that his communication to workers "was not factual in nature" and needed to contain objective information as opposed to opinions, ideas or advice.
jodato@timesunion.com • 518-454-5083 • @JamesMOdato
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