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The president of the Puerto Rico Police Members Association expressed his satisfaction upon receiving a copy of the decision made by the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) denying the request made by the interim director of the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission, Juan Carlos Santaella Marchán on behalf of the Camarero Racetrack to authorize an increase in the number of slot machines from 5,000 (which they currently have) to a maximum of 15,000 gaming terminals in the more than 800 horse racing agencies that operate on the island.
“We are happy, this is a huge victory that protects the weak Police Pension Fund. We are pleased with the decision of the (FOMB) to accept the claims that the AMPPR has been denouncing for years about the advantages that the Camarero Racetrack has had in managing a slot machine system without having to pay a single cent to the Treasury Department , benefiting from the operation of some 5,000 slot machines that operate without contributing anything to the weak Police Pension Fund, something that should never have been allowed. The (FOMB)
has done justice to the Police, especially to our colleagues, by issuing a decision that benefits retired Police officers. We understand that refusing to authorize the Gaming Commission’s request to benefit the Camarero Racetrack and authorize some 10,000 new slot machines is a way to restore peace of mind to thousands of retired police officers who depend on the Retirement Fund, since our colleagues do not have the right to a federal social security check,” said José J. Taboada de Jesús, president of the Puerto Rico Police Members Association.
The Police leader said that if the request of the interim director of the Gaming Commission had been authorized, the Hippodrome would have increased to a total of 15 thousand slot machines distributed in the horse racing agencies, all without contributing a single cent to the treasury, much less to the Pension Fund of retired Policemen.
“We congratulate the members of the Fiscal Oversight Board and its executive director Robert F. Mujica for their courage in demanding respect and not allowing the mockery of a private company that intends to continue operating for massive profits without having to contribute anything in the form of taxes or contributions, as thousands of legitimate businesses do in the country. We also have to thank the member of the Fiscal Oversight Board, Puerto Rican Cameron Mackenzie, for his attitude of supporting the efforts and claims of thousands of Puerto Rican Police officers. Both Mr. Robert J. Mujica and Mr. Cameron Mackenzie fought to unmask the strategy of the Camarero Racetrack that intended to eliminate video game machines on the road, whose operation contributes to the Retired Police Pension Fund,” said Taboada de Jesús.
The leader of the uniformed men understands that the message from the Fiscal Oversight Board is clear so that the entire system of government, the executive, the legislative and the judicial, must understand that there cannot be a fiscal or commercial operation that goes unpunished, that does not contribute or does not contribute to the country’s treasury.
“The decision notified in a letter circulated yesterday afternoon (attached with this release) favors us and allows stability to the more than 1,200 operators of the video game machine industry on the road so that the entire framework necessary for the daily increase in the contribution that operators send to the Police Pension Fund can be stabilized. We are pleased to know that the Board concludes in its writing: “ that expanding the number of EGS terminals (slot machines) in OTB locations (Horse Racing Agencies) presents an increase in the “cannibalization of income”, which will result in a decrease in income for the Government of Puerto Rico and the Retirement Fund for Police, which is why the authorization to increase the number of slot machines for the Camarero Racetrack is denied ”, a decision that pleases the Association of Members of the Puerto Rico Police and all the uniformed colleagues and retired or pensioned brothers,” concluded Lieutenant Taboada de Jesús.
