Many people have written recently on the subject of the thoroughbred racing meet at Saratoga. The level of frustration with the state’s inaction regarding racing issues is forefront in many of our minds, with the summer racing meet just months away.

To say I am disappointed and frustrated, as your supervisor, with the state leadership is an understatement. We need action now in order to save what makes Saratoga Springs the most successful community in Upstate New York.

The major issues surrounding the current crisis in horse racing are well reported. We do not have a viable VLT operation at Aqueduct, and it continues to lose approximately $1 million per day to the state’s coffers.

The New York Racing Association is losing operating revenue to run racing in New York, along with losing hundreds of millions of dollars for racetrack capital improvements, which Saratoga Race Course desperately needs in order to maintain its prestige as America’s premier racecourse.

The loss of this revenue puts the future horse racing operations, including Saratoga, at risk.

But there is more to the story than just the inaction and incompetence of our state leaders. Racing provides opportunity for people: My ancestors were horse trainers and jockeys-they saw the beauty of this area, and decided to raise their families here. Without racing, there are many families in this community that would not be here today because of the opportunities the racetrack has provided.

Even today, many trainers, owners and jockeys own homes in the city and pay property taxes to the city yearly.

Racing is responsible for more than 3,000 jobs locally, 35,000 jobs statewide, and creates an economic impact to our area of $211 million annually.

Saratoga County and Saratoga Springs share approximately $800,000 in admissions tax annually, as well as the sales tax generated by visitors to our city each year. Horse farms add to the agricultural character of our community and preserve open space, which will become all the more precious as development pressures from the GlobalFoundries increase. We must not lose any of the benefits that racing brings to our city and county.

The Saratoga County Racing Committee recently passed a resolution, urging the state to stop playing games with the racing industry, and finally show true leadership.

The time for talk is over. Action is what we need, and we need it now. The state cannot lose $1 million per day; NYRA cannot lose operating and capital revenue streams; New York racing cannot lose its prestige, as well as its purse money; we cannot lose a sport that has been tied to this community’s identity since 1863.

Today, one cannot say the name ‘Saratoga Springs’ without someone commenting on how great our community is. Get the VLT deal done honestly and without controversy. Our future depends on it.