While we’re on the subject of horse racing, Hialeah, Florida (the town, as it turns out, not the racetrack itself) is currently facing the prospect of 250 layoffs during 2010.  Mayor Julio Robaina says the layoffs are in anticipation of a drop in city revenues that could total some $18 million in the next fiscal year. 

The city’s three unions, representing police, firefighters, and city workers, have reacted angrily to the news.  Mario Pico, president of the Hialeah Association of Fire Fighters said, “We have been told we’re fine.  We have a balanced budget.  Our city is perfect … For us, it’s simple: What caused this change? We don’t know what is the true financial situation of the city is.”