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Seneca plan contradicts earlier statements

By Mike Hudson

While they continue to rape the City of Niagara Fall, the Seneca Gaming Authority may now be trying to drive every gas station and convenience store in the city out of business.

A Request for Proposals obtained by the Niagara Falls Reporter (See related story page 3) outlines the construction of a mega cigarette store and gas station in the heart of the city.

The store would rival Smokin’ Joe Anderson’s place on Route 31 in size, and would be built near the former site of Pizza Hut on Niagara St., on land controlled by the Senecas.

Back in 2001, before the casino opened, former tribal chairman Barry Snyder looked horrified when asked about the possibility of opening a reservation smoke shop in downtown Niagara Falls, assuring everyone the Seneca had bigger fish to fry.

Likewise, when former Gov. George Pataki was asked about the scenario, he dismissed it out of hand.
But things haven’t gone as expected, not for the Senecas, not for downtown Niagara Falls, and not for Albany. Continued sniping over collecting sales taxes on reservation smoke shops was exacerbated by a dispute over slot machines at state-controlled video lottery terminals and the Senecas began withholding the payments, which city officials had largely spent years into the future.

Today, the Seneca Gaming Corp. owes the city (with the state as go-between) about $58 million. The city has instituted a hiring freeze, layoffs are likely and Niagara Falls may be facing bankruptcy unless the logjam is broken. The Senecas are withholding about $400 million owed to the state and on Monday, a spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state cannot legally pay municipalities out of slot machine revenues it has not received.  The same spokesman said the Senecas could make a payment directly to Niagara Falls. That hasn’t yet happened. 

State Sen. George Maziarz, ex-Assemblywoman Francine Del Monte, Mayor Paul Dyster, Councilman Charles Walker – were on board in 2000  and 2001, telling residents of the highest-taxed municipality in the country that the casino would be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

We’ve had three governors and two mayors since George Pataki and Irene Elia signed off on the original deal, but the “Trust Albany” theme has undergone a rebirth with two adherents being Councilwoman Kristin Grandinetti and, again, Mayor Dyster.
The Seneca RFP calls for gasoline, tobacco and snack sales, and states plainly that beer and gourmet coffee may likely be a part of the picture.

The economic impact of such an opening would be devastating to Falls residents who work at gas stations, convenience stores, and coffee shops, and a second wave of area business closings – similar to the one that occurred after the casino opened – shuttering bars, restaurants and other entertainment businesses - would certainly take place. 

What’s next? Maybe a mall!

 

 

Niagara Falls Reporter www.niagarafallsreporter.com July 31 , 2012