Letter to the Editor: Update on Decoupling

I have been personally committed to fighting the decoupling legislation that is under consideration in Florida and wanted to update you on this effort.

My goal and hope have been to ensure that our voices–as horse owners, horse breeders, horse trainers and horse lovers–are truly heard throughout Tallahassee this legislative session.

The main mission is to unite and strengthen all the different groups–new and old–across the Thoroughbred industry supporting Florida racing and breeding.  While we seek to defeat the decoupling bills, we must protect the industry and its significant impact on Florida's agricultural community.

The Thoroughbred industry provides over 34.000 jobs and makes up over $3.5 billion dollars in Florida's economy. And this is not just a Florida issue. The domino effect will impact racing in every jurisdiction nationwide.

We should all be seeking to keep these jobs and this money in Florida!

I personally engaged in the services of the Gray Robinson P.A, in the hopes that their amazing team of attorneys and government advisors will represent OUR interests in Tallahassee. Gray Robinson's team is also working together with other lobbyists and advisors hired by different organizations within the sport.

I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I've been with the wonderful team at Gray Robinson working with me – for all of us.

The team includes:

Dean Cannon.

President and Chief Executive Director of Gray Robinson firm, former member of the Florida House of Representatives.

George T. Levesque.

Former general counsel to the Florida House of Representatives, former general counsel of the Florida Senate.

Larry Cretul.

Marion County Commissioner, Florida House of Representatives, former Speaker of the House.

Jason L. Unger.

Former Special Counsel to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Joseph R. Salzverg.

Seasoned lobbyist with over a decade of experience in Florida's political arenas.

We are opposing this legislation from multiple perspectives to ensure our story is heard and the Florida legislators know the complex history of the topic and the importance of Thoroughbred racing and breeding to the State of Florida.

This job is not easy, and politics can be complicated. Regardless, horsewomen and horsemen must seek continual improvements now and in the future. We must be strong; we must be united, and we must improve.

We have a moral obligation for the young generation of horsewoman and horseman that have love and passion for the sport, we cannot allow DECOUPLING to extinguish the spirit and soul of those young people while crushing a valuable industry that has supported Florida for over a century.

Thanks for all your encouragement and support and do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions and ideas. I am asking everyone to participate and assist in this effort.

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

CarloVaccarezza@Gmail.com or (561) 714-6019.

Sincerely,

Carlo E. Vaccarezza