veterans for peace

In a recent article regarding JROTC (Artvoice v5n4), the writer referred to Veterans For Peace as a “nation-wide anti-war group.” I recommend you investigate the true nature of Veterans For Peace before you marginalize the work we do “nation-wide.” We have projects occurring world-wide, including in Iraq and Vietnam.

While I am not offended by the remark I am concerned that the narrow definition does not do our group justice, something continually an issue for veterans in general.

Daniel Craig, DOM

Santa Fe, New Mexico

casino: future visions

Mayor Byron Brown has announced his appointment for police commisioner. His name is H. McCarthy Gipson and he is a 35-year police veteran. Regarding Buffalo’s current plans to downsize the police force in order to save money, Gipson was quoted as saying that would be a bad move as there is a casino possibly coming to Buffalo and he will need sufficient manpower to deal with that.

In light of that statement, can anyone now doubt the additional costs the proposed casino will bring to Buffalo? In exchange for about $4,000,000 per year, the city of Buffalo not only will not be able to reduce police costs but will need increased police protection. Were this the only increased cost to be associated with the casino, it would be sufficient to raise some concerns. Should we not consider some others? What about road wear due to increased traffic? What about new sewage and other infrastructure costs? What about the effects on neighboring businesses and residents?

What about the loss of the property taxes on the land that the Senecas occupy and will never pay taxes on? What about the unfair competition that the Senecas will present to area restaurants, hotels and other businesses? What about the $160 million to $200 million that will flow through the casino yearly that will never be taxed by the state, county or city? What about the legal costs that will inevitably result as people and businesses in the area are forced to file eminent domain lawsuits as various governments try to seize their land to give to the Senecas?

What about the bad taste this will leave in the mouths of Buffalonians as many people leave and are replaced by the Vegas types and other lowlifes attracted by the glitz and glamour of living in a casino town? What about the prostitutes and drug dealers who will frequent the area as they have done in every other place where casinos have been established? There are so many hookers in Las Vegas that the state of Nevada has had to legalize brothels to keep them all housed in clusters so they can be regulated. Atlantic City is awash in them and more young people are attracted to that lifestyle as they witness the many hookers plying their trade around the casinos.

Ask yourself if the Buffalo casino is a good deal. I don’t think so.

Allen Coniglio

Buffalo

Buffalo has finally woken up and embraced the vice of gambling with the spectacular wrecking ball “groundbreaking” of the new Seneca Creek Casino. Now we need to look ahead and plot our future to ensure our place as a major-league destination city in this 21st century.

However, casinos are already almost passé. Casinos are so very 1990s, almost retro, so very 20th century. Soon every economically backwards, poor, downsized and undereducated Rust Belt city will have their very own casino, and Buffalo will be obsolete all over again.

Buffalo needs to be visionary. We need to be 21st century. We need to be ahead of the curve and outside the box. Therefore I propose a more diverse and cutting-edge entertainment district with the following unique amenities.

Buffalo should have a legalized, regulated Red Light district alongside the gaming tables and slot machines of Seneca Creek. That’s right, the world’s oldest profession right here in the Queen City. No other U.S. city east of the Rockies can boast of such attractions and it would put us in the big leagues internationally with Las Vegas, Amsterdam and Berlin. And much like the gambling industry, which sets up training schools for the wonderful casino jobs, we could set up “courtesan academies” to train our young people for these highly lucrative professions. Perhaps then some of our young college graduates might elect to stay in Buffalo instead of heading for opportunities in Manhattan, Boston and San Francisco.

Another powerful growth engine would be the establishment of hashish and cannibis bars. This benign pastime is already enjoyed secretly by many, and this would certainly be a unique draw for the Seneca gaming district. If we, as a community, have qualms about sanctioning what is now an illegal and underground activity, we could always sell land to a foreign nation, say Iran, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, and simply let them sanction these activities on their very own sovereign Seneca Creek soil. This type of sanguine arrangement is precisely what will allow the Senecas to permit gambling on their land, an activity that is expressly prohibited by our state constitution.

There may be other great ideas as well. Perhaps opiates are a growth industry. Perhaps Buffalo could become a national player in underground semiautomatic assault weapons.

Underage teenage binge drinking always has timeless appeal. These are all untested propositions. The fact is, much like an inner-city, tax-exempt, Seneca Creek Casino, we won’t know unless we try.

Michael Collins

Buffalo