OTB Saved

Watching the interaction between Albany and Governor David Paterson and City Hall and Mayor Michael Bloomberg over the life or death of the OTB parlors and their 1,500 employees this weekend made us dizzy.
Rather than a race to the wire, or an out-and-out scratch - it was more like watching two kids on a seesaw horse in a playground. Up, down, up down, up down.
Our mayor certainly conducted himself like a schoolyard bully - stating repeatedly that he would close down OTB on Sunday, June 15. “I don’t want to be a pessimist but at the moment our plans are that Sunday will be the last day OTB is open in New York City,” Bloomberg said on Tuesday, June 10.
To enforce his position Bloomberg added, “New York City is not going to lay off one cop, one firefighter or one teacher so that we can support a bookie operation, period, end of story. This Sunday’s the last day.”
Then strangely he turned on his heel and a moment later declared, “If the State wants to take it over, fine, happy to let them do it.”
It was off to the races - on a seesaw horse again.
It seemed that Friday, June 13, was indeed a lucky day for those employed at OTB. Governor David Paterson came forth and declared that the State would keep the operation going. It sure sounded good. OTB had a new name; new legislation was written to enable it to operate as before. Paterson announced that OTB would move out of its pricey digs in Manhattan’s Times Square and move to Aqueduct Race Track, saving $5M a year in rent right out of the gate.
Paterson even named State Senator John Sabini to serve as Chair of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board and run the new State OTB operations.
Then on Saturday, Bloomberg again bully-like, claimed there were still “substantial legal and economic issues” that must be resolved to avoid a shutdown of OTB.
City Hall and Albany spent hours haggling about who keeps the surcharge on bets and pays the bills during the 90 days or so it takes the state to create the new operation.
Finally, the deal is done.
In the clear light of day on Father’s Day, Bloomberg announced the deal like it was a personal win for him. “Although the negotiations went down to the wire, they produced an agreement that truly belongs in the winner’s circle,” Bloomberg said.
The winner’s circle is not a place that Bloomberg has been much lately.
His presidential aspirations went nowhere, he is feeling the pressure of term limits forcing him out of office, his long fight for a congestion pricing plan died a miserable death in Albany, and his plans for a Jets stadium on Manhattan’s west side also crumbled.
This war of words pitted one outgoing leader and one incoming leader. Our kudos go to Governor Paterson for keeping his head and working well with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.