Newsday (Nassau Edition) from Hempstead, New York • 73

WjfflVfa'J-'' Vr ti ji vv -i 4if f- 'i Real Estate Profit and Racetrack Loss In the opinion of the Standardbred Owners Association Roosevelt Raceway closed because the management of the track made a decision four years ago at the time they purchased the raceway that the value of the land would return a far greater profit than the operation of a harness-horse racetrack Now if this was a matter of investors putting up their own money to take a calculated business risk the closing might be considered just good business However as your editorial Bet on a Dead Horse Track Let Roosevelt July 27 points out the purchase of the track was entirely funded through Industrial Development Agency bonds issued by the Town of Hempstead Of this total $566 million $5 million was given to the management for operating costs the balance of $515 million for the purchase Management put up little if any cash In their application for these bonds Roosevelt Raceway Associates the present management stated is the intention to successfully operate the Roosevelt Raceway in its existing location and to preserve a traditional source of enjoyment and revenue for the citizens of Hempstead and surrounding A bit of irony is that in their application for funding they stated the applicant is unable to purchase the raceway there is a strong likelihood that the raceway and its surrounding property will be sold and that the racewqy will be tom down to make way for commercial real estate They were supplied with IDA funding to preserve tiie track continue the employment of over a thousand people as well as the additional 2000 people directly and indirectly employed by the owners who race their horses there Also Roosevelt Raceway as the mqjor harness track in New York State was the foundation for the major breeding program The demise of Roosevelt will have severe negative economic impact on this important state industry If one takes an objective business look at the situation it is readily apparent that track management had a far larger profit incentive to mismanage the track than to operate it successfully By consistently and stridently claiming poverty they received over $5 million in New York State tax relief Legislation that would have supplied additional tax relief money was vetoed in June 1987 by Gov Mario Cuomo In vetoing the bill the governor pointed out that this tax relief money was not being used by the track for the purpose intended namely the improvement of track facilities and the marketing of harness-horse racing Our association believes that Roosevelt Raceway can function as a successful harness-horse track Granted the serious mismanagement over the past four years has further increased the many business problems And undoubtedly it will now require incremental investments in the facilities advertising and promotions to regain a profitable fan base It can however be done Prospective buyers have come forth with the intention of continuing racing Others may if they are provided the time needed to properly evaluate the business opportunity and risk One means of securing the time required is through the extension by the Town of Hempstead of the building moratorium now in place If the track is sold for racing purposes which after all was the initial purpose for issuing IDA bonds positive things would be accomplished: The bonds would be retired because they would be paid in full Employment of all people involved in the operation of the track as well as in the care of the horses would continue New York State's harness-horse breeding industry would remain secure Local business would continue to profit by the sale of services and products to the track The state county and Town of Hempstead would continue to receive the taxes generated The quality of life in the Wcstbury area would be preserved and the negative environmental impact of mqjor development avoided Douglas Warren Standardbred Owners Association Westbuiy On Backyard Power Plants Bob Wiemer's column LILCO Generators Still Stir the July 24 seems to be just one more cheap shot from Newsday on behalf of the Long Island Lighting Co By now most Long Islanders know how pro-Shoreham and pro-LILCO your paper is so it comes as no surprise that one of your columnists pushes the LILCOLong Lake generator project in Riverhead Wiemer Btates Island clearly needs new power Really? Where did he get this information? Does Wiemer consider the possibility that Long energy are nothing more than LILCO-induced patterns of over-consumption and waste? What studies did he consult to arrive at his presumption a LILCO report? Wiemer never mentions that Long Lake president Matthew Cordero was a LILCO vice president until last year As for main theme that the North-ville Civic Association and the citizens of River-head suffer from the Not in My Backyard syndrome how would he like the generating plant in his backyard? Rob Goldman Riverhead Consorting With the Enemy The fact that I am not fond of Jane Fonda can hardly be classified as the best-kept secret I recall all too vividly the pictures of a smiling young American actress seated prettily at an antiaircraft gun surrounded by laughing and joking North Vietnamese soldiers These propaganda pictures were shown across the world while the blood of equally young American boys was being spilled in the fields ana jungles of Vietnam Recently a resolution was placed before the Suffolk County I legislature denouncing the actions of Hanoi Jane Fonda and refusing to accept her limit- ed 'apology to the Vietnam War veterans for her foolish actions This resolution was sponsored by Legia Rose Caracappa (C-Selden) and only one legislator voted not to support this resolution Unfortunately that person was my successor in the 14th District Maxine Postal I miss being out of the Suffolk County Legislature but on this one occasion I wish I could have been there to express the opinion of thousands in this county who would have loved to censure Fonda officially for her actions I find no particular fault with those Americans who were in opposition to the conflict in Vietnam Dissenting in the streets of North America during the war by young Americans could be classified as the American Way Dissenting in the streets of North Vietnam however by a young American could be classified as treason Can you imagine the consequences if during WWII Borne young starlet had gone to Berlin at the height of battle and consorted with Hitler and the Nazi storm troopers? Do you recall disgust with the actions of Toyko Rose? Hanoi Jane was and is no better Lou Howard Amityville Words and Deeds Gov Michael Dukakis gave an excellent acceptance speech at the Democratic convention It is obvious he has won thousands of votes but I wonder how many will come from his home state of Massachusetts where he has vetoed the death penalty pardoned first-degree killers and allowed other killers from prison I find this in direct contrast to many of the words he used in his speech He said going to have a Justice Department that understands what the word justice means If you violate the law be prosecuted if you sell arms to the ayatollah expect a pardon from the president of the United I wonder if the loved ones of those brutally murdered really believe view of justice is going to be any different in the White House than it is the State House His actions then will affect the entire nation and not just one state Leatrice Christensen Sag Harbor I am on the road seven days a week and have had many a or seen due to reckless and inattentive driving Most of the time speed is not a mqjor problem but not knowing when 30 mph is too fast or 55 mph is too slow is the cause of accidents Recently I drove more than 2500 miles within 12 days in Germany on the Autobahn The average speed is between 100 and 115 miles per hour and with 26 percent of the traffic in Europe Germany has only 2 percent of the accidents So much for speed being the mqjor cause of accidents If one know how to adjust to the traffic conditions wearing the scat belt will not prevent an accident Margot Gauch Baldwin i 1 8 4 Pro-Palestinian Resolution Newsday demonstrated a dangerous naivete when in a lead editorial Demonstrates the Courage of Conviction 20 it praised the proposed Democratic platform plank that would have called for a Palestinian homeland For the past 40 years there has been a bipartisan American consensus supporting right to exist in peace and security The majority plank that the Democrats approved in Atlanta after open debate maintained that tradition by reaffirming the Camp David accords which balance security needs and Palestinian aspirations as the bans for peace in the Middle East In the current international context the pro-Palestinian substitute would have abandoned this balance and handed a propaganda victory to the Palestine liberation Organization a terrorist organization that seeks the destruction of Israel and a Palestinian state in its place Since Newsday usually shows balance and good judgment on Middle East issues it is all the more unfortunate that you failed to discern the real intent behind the pro-Palestinian resolution David Peirez Great Neck Note: The writer is a member and past president of the Long Island Chapter of the National Board of Governors of the American Jewish Committee Seat Belts Are Limited In response to Frank letter Must tor Driving 23 I must say that I have never seen an accident that was caused by the fact that the driver did not wear his seat belt I agree that children Bhould wear seat belts but a driver who is a menace on the road will not become a better driver if he wears a Beat belt Walter Hudson-Power I would like to comment on the article written about Dick Gregory You Buy a Diet from This Man?" July 24 Gregory states Hudson is loved by everybody but from a sympathetic standpoint of lying in As Walter niece I would like (o say that maybe that is what happened at the time Walter first became known but now a different story People from all over the world are encouraged and inspired by his great willpower in losing over 800 pounds Hundreds of people call him daily through nis hot line to thank him for getting them off drugs drinking and overeating Lottie Whitehead Hempstead Letten should he kept brief and are subject to condensation Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers where available as well as affiliation indicating special interest in a subject Anonymous letters are not printed Write tn letters Editor Newsday Lung Island NY 11717 lf 4ll i i 1 'w h- i h'mv.