Pubdate: Mon, 13 Apr 2009
Source: St. Petersburg Times (FL)
Copyright: 2009 St. Petersburg Times
Contact: http://www.sptimes.com/letters/
Website: http://www.tampabay.com/
Author: Alex Leary, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau

GAMBLING PLANS FOR FLORIDA LIKELY TO GET LEGISLATIVE PUSH TODAY

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida House is poised to pass its gambling
package this afternoon, giving South Florida racinos a tax break in
return for at least $140 million for education.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee, meanwhile, takes up its own
gambling bill, with competing interests pushing amendments to alter or
expand the deal.

The House proposal would reduce Broward and Miami-Dade racinos' tax
rates from 50 percent to 36 percent in return for a minimum of $140
million in revenues dedicated to education.

The deal is less sweet for the state than it seems. The parimutuels
are estimated to generate $133 million next year in cash for the
state. But the bill reduces the annual permit fee the seven tracks pay
to operate slots from $3 million to $2 million apiece, with the lost
$7 million coming from the $140 million.

It also gives expanded games to quarterhorse tracks like Hialeah and
Ocala if they run 40 races. If they reach that mark, the tracks get
poker rooms and higher end thoroughbred races.

House leaders, who have previously said they were against expanding
gambling, say the new games are designed to encourage investment in
the state's thoroughbred industry.

Also today, the parents of a slain Florida State University graduate
will continue their push to strengthen a bill establishing minimum
standards for police using confidential informers.

Law enforcement groups have managed to remove aspects of the bill that
they say would hinder the effectiveness of informers. The bill
sponsors - Rep. Peter Nehr, R-Tarpon Springs, and Sen. Mike Fasano,
R-New Port Richey - have been receptive to those concerns.

But Rachel Hoffman's parents continue to press for the inclusion of
the prohibition of using people in drug treatment, as well as pairing
nonviolent offenders with known violent people and requiring officers
to advise someone he or she has the right to speak to an attorney
before agreeing to participate.

Rachel Hoffman, who went to Countryside High School in Clearwater and
graduated from Florida State University, agreed last April to become a
police informer after officers found marijuana and ecstasy in her
Tallahassee apartment.

The 23-year-old was found dead of gunshots on May 9 after police gave
her $13,000 to buy 1,500 ecstasy pills, cocaine and a gun from
suspected drug dealers. Two men have been arrested.
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