Council Resolution Could Doom Downtown Casino
September 24, 2012
This weekend I was alerted by Joel Rose, Chair of Citizens Against Casino Gambling in Erie County (CACGEC), to a resolution that will be submitted this week to the Community Development Committee of the Buffalo Common Council. The resolution will be submitted by Delaware District Councilman Michael LoCurto, a member of the committee.
The resolution was drafted with the help of Sam Magavern, Co-Director of the Partnership for the Public Good, a Buffalo progressive public-policy organization. The Partnership for the Public Good has been conducting research on the effects of casino gambling in Buffalo since the opening of the "temporary" casino by Seneca Gaming. Last year, it adopted opposition to casino gambling as one of its policy "planks" for 2012, and has been working with CACGEC and Citizens for a Better Buffalo (the entity funding the anti-casino lawsuit) on the public policy implications of casino gambling in Buffalo.
A reading of the resolution, below, makes clear that, if passed, it might be a step toward the eventual closure of the casino.
Despite the casino having been declared illegal by Judge Skretny, Seneca Gaming this summer broke ground on a revised, permanent casino at the edge of the Cobblestone District. The design has been roundly panned, and seems most notable for its smorgasbord of parking options. The quality of the revised plans, and their failure to meet the commitments originally made by the Senecas to the City of Buffalo, are among issues highlighted in the resolution. Another involves money, as the Senecas continue to withhold millions of dollars in promised casino revenue share from the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Salamanca in a dispute with New York State.
The Community Development Committee will meet this Tuesday, September 25, at 1:00 PM, in Council Chambers, to take up the resolution. The members of the committee are Michael J. LoCurto, Joseph Golombek, Jr. (Chair), Darius G. Pridgen, David A. Rivera, and Bonnie E. Russell.
The public is, of course, allowed to attend the committee meeting, and individuals will have the opportunity to speak. Anyone unable to do so can contact members of the committee directly to weigh in with their views.
If you have been following the Buffalo casino saga from the beginning, you know that, in order to develop the site, Seneca Gaming had to secure the closure of Fulton Street by the City of Buffalo. It was by no means a simple deal, with negotiations breaking down with the city administration, and a contentious vote by Common Council. To secure passage, the Senecas made a number of commitments -- most of which they have not kept, as the resolution below details. This isn't the first time the question of the Senecas' performance under the agreement has been raised by Common Council -- In early 2011, they grilled the City attorney for specifics on whether the Senecas were upholding their end of the deal.
Well over a year later, it at least one member of Council seems to feel it's about time for Seneca Gaming to either show its cards or cash in its chips and leave the table.
Resolution text available on link:
http://www.buffalorising.com/2012/09/council-resolution-could-doom-downtown-casino.html
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