Galah do you have a link to the show, it should be compulsory viewing for everyone in our industry. There are so many points in your summary that are as Brodie would say "On the money ".
More and more seems to be the policy but at what cost, as we all know most of our clubs are run and staffed by volunteers if you start throwing in midweek meetings eventually it will catch up. Next time your at a race meeting have a look around and take a peek at your race book then work out the average age of those volunteers, don't take it for granted that they will just appear when the next one retires.
On the money galah, any of you guys actually talked to Kevin or the Clark family? . Go and watch my interviews and feel the passion they have for the game. Unfortunately we are losing the people who are the backbone of our industry one positive is HRNZ are starting to recognize some of them even if it's Mike Love putting my interviews on paper with no recognition of his source.
The starters are doing this because unfortunately it's something they are measured on race starts on time along with the club , yip the club I'm not sure how the club can influence a start from the stand but by default the clubs pay the starter. If you want standing starts that are standing starts give the starter the time to set one unfortunately horse's are horse's not robots.