On the senecas’ buffalo creek casino

The Bruce Jackson article on the proposed Buffalo Casino (“Kerchung! You Lose!” Artvoice v5n3) was a breath of fresh air...In Buffalo, as in the suburbs, the developers have for too many years shamelessly led us down paths that destroy our communities. The Fourth Estate is perhaps our last hope, and, given the lack of courage of our mainstream press, Western New York has to depend primarily on Artvoice for this leadership. Clearly, bravo! And no sleeping!

David Myrow

Amherst

Bruce Jackson’s article hits the nail squarely on the head. I live in the Oneida Indian land claim area about 10 miles from the Oneida’s Turning Stone Casino and was president of the grassroots citizen group Upstate Citizens for Equality, Inc. from 1998 to 2004. We successfully brought a lawsuit against the governor in Peterman v. Pataki to challenge the legality of the Turning Stone’s gaming compact with the state that was never ratified by the state legislature. Notwithstanding that legal victory, the Turning Stone is still operating in violation of both state and federal law. The taxpayers in both Madison and Oneida Counties have had first-hand experience with what Mr. Jackson describes for some 13 years now. He is correct on Indian law, correct on the deleterious effects of casinos on the surrounding communities and correct on his description of an out-of-control governor who would have been impeached if we had a state legislature that was worth a damn. Read and heed, people!

Scott E. Peterman

Canastota

The kerchung that I heard when I read Bruce Jackson’s casino article was the sound of Carl Paladino’s cash hitting the political campaign contribution jackpot. Paladino’s wealthy collective has for years contributed generously to political parties and to the individual campaign treasuries of Governor Pataki, former Mayor Masiello and countless other elected officials, and that has made him a formidable force to be reckoned with in the political arena. It’s a reciprocal arrangement that those you help will be favorably inclined to return the favor in the future, no matter at what expense to the people.

Casino gambling and selling off city land to a sovereign nation, in direct violation of Seneca culture that honors and holds sacred the Family, and in direct violation of federal laws, the Seneca Nation Settlement Act and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, are all symptomatic of the ruinous plague that is our New York State election law, some of the worst election legislation in the entire country, easily circumvented and frustrating to nearly every private citizen brave enough to attempt to participate...

We need tough regulations with strict enforcement if we ever hope to have clean, transparent government. Solid election law that will not deliver automatic victories to incumbents; that will remove the power from the two-party system; limit contributions and distribute public funds equally to candidates for public office; and result in a power shift back to where it belongs, into the hands of the people. A true democracy is government of and by and for the people that relies entirely on citizen participation in all government affairs. It is our duty to vote; run for office ourselves or get involved in the campaigns of our candidate of choice; work with our elected officials; keep ourselves informed; demand open, transparent government; watch over legislation; and help direct how our tax dollars are spent.

Donna Grace

Buffalo

I understand your strong concerns against the Senecas running a casino on sovereign land in downtown Buffalo. I also saw you use four pages of a cover story article in the second largest paper in our region and offer absolutely nothing in the form of a vision for an alternative other than saying, “No casino. Not now. Not ever.”

I recommend to you and others with some bit of “power” to use it wisely, to offer visionary ideas for the future that are reasonable and optimistic. Let us start having referendums, let us put visionary politicians in office...that is what a paper like the Artvoice should be writing about. It should not simply be the anti-Buffalo News; it should offer alternative plans instead of always pointing fingers.

Jeff Parkes

Washington, D.C.

After perusing your January 19th article about the currently-being-built Seneca Nation casino, the following things need asking:

—Where were the people opposing the casino before the Senecas started their work? Could they not have sought to build something that would push Buffalo into the 21st century?

—Why did we not hear anything about other people wanting to tear down the abandoned H-O Oats building to build something else?

—If not a casino, what else would people like to be built where the H-O Oats building once stood?

—If religious groups oppose the casino, then why do some churches hold “bingo nights”? Is that not hypocritical?

On this selfsame casino issue, someone was quoted in the Niagara Falls Reporter to say, “‘Silver bullets’ don’t work; hard work, industriousness, and diligence do.” Why, then, do the people of this area continually vote for people and policies that run counter to this belief (newer and higher taxes, disincentive for business to set up shop in the region, etc.)?

...We are not in the 1800s or the 1900s anymore. This is 2006. Let’s start living and acting like it.

Lloyd A. Marshall, Jr.

Lockport