tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21554899.post8125619054510038059..comments2024-03-26T04:26:04.911-07:00Comments on Lost City: OTB Fades AwayBrooks of Sheffieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18297071358029060908noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21554899.post-53835337265978124892010-12-18T00:38:22.591-08:002010-12-18T00:38:22.591-08:00You know why they went out of business? The huge ...You know why they went out of business? The huge pensions, salaries and benefits for the staff.<br /><br />That guy in the article who slipped a $10 bill back as a tip? I understand the gesture, but that window person will probably have a pension that will keep them in decent shape for decades. Look at Mr. Sygurdsson in the article. He’s not the exception. He is the rule.<br /><br />NYC and NY State jobs are the most bloated positions on Earth.<br /><br />Don’t mourn the management of OTB. They won.JakeGouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00133101465071716345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21554899.post-36450578689620592812010-12-15T08:19:12.527-08:002010-12-15T08:19:12.527-08:00Last week there was a story in the papers about th...Last week there was a story in the papers about the upcoming closing which noted that even in the throes of bankruptcy the NYC OTB had hired a new director at the salary of $120,000 per MONTH. Kind of says it all, really.upstate Johnny Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21554899.post-13323449123774658802010-12-14T13:04:36.068-08:002010-12-14T13:04:36.068-08:00I never understood how the city/state could lose m...I never understood how the city/state could lose money running betting parlors anyway. Why would anyone want to subsidize OTB?enodohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138988705153844006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21554899.post-58825103149425473712010-12-14T12:32:30.804-08:002010-12-14T12:32:30.804-08:00I've written about horse racing for many years...I've written about horse racing for many years and have seen some sorry scenes at city OTBs: the GW Bridge Bus Terminal, the Winner's Circle in midtown, the one in Downtown Brooklyn on Livingston. They were never my place, though at times I wanted to pop in and watch a race. I'm sad that convenience will be gone. I'm also sad for those the Times story describes, and it's something I saw at the OTB on Livingston St. Most of the people there don't bet; it's a place for them to hang out and see familiar faces. It's like a low-rung social club. I'm not sure who can fault them for that. And I'm not sure where they'll go next.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00079761580328306487noreply@blogger.com