An East Greenbush resident who I've never met began asking questions of the Board almost immediately after its Casino decision became public as to what research the Board had done to educate itself. The e-mail exchange below indicates that the Board did nothing to educate itself, but drank the Kool-Aid supplied by the Casino developer.
What's scary is the fact that the Board has refused to reconsider its position, even in the face of the presentation of massive amounts of information. I finally got this from a Board member last night: "We were elected to represent the populace of EG. Who do we think we are? We think we're the majority. Accept it, Don." I think I heard Mr. Malone say something similar sometime back.
Vapid patronizing paternalism is exactly what we don't need from the Town Board on any question. We've got a real problem.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Ann Matters <mamatters@verizon.net>
To: (EG Resident)
Sent: Mon, May 5, 2014 5:51 pm
Subject: Re: Website update and Literature review
Good afternoon, (EG Resident).
I found the quote by the Depty. Secty for Gaming and Racing to be interesting. I don't think it's true so I'll check into it further. The Town Board expressed their position on a casino when we voted unanimously (5-0) to support the siting of a casino in EG and to allow for the presentation of proposals. If the state siting board chooses EG, Saratoga Casino and Raceway (i.e. the developer) will build on the (Thompson Hill) property they have already purchased. While there are many differences of opinion about the effect of a casino on a community, it would seem by the wide-spread polling that at least as many people are for it as an entertainment venue as there are against it, and considering the shape of the town, why not have EG benefit from the revenues if a casino could sited as close to us as Albany? There are practical considerations that can't be ignored. The developer will be making presentations to all who are interested. The dates and times will be posted on the website. However, your opposition to the casino has been duly noted.
I found the quote by the Depty. Secty for Gaming and Racing to be interesting. I don't think it's true so I'll check into it further. The Town Board expressed their position on a casino when we voted unanimously (5-0) to support the siting of a casino in EG and to allow for the presentation of proposals. If the state siting board chooses EG, Saratoga Casino and Raceway (i.e. the developer) will build on the (Thompson Hill) property they have already purchased. While there are many differences of opinion about the effect of a casino on a community, it would seem by the wide-spread polling that at least as many people are for it as an entertainment venue as there are against it, and considering the shape of the town, why not have EG benefit from the revenues if a casino could sited as close to us as Albany? There are practical considerations that can't be ignored. The developer will be making presentations to all who are interested. The dates and times will be posted on the website. However, your opposition to the casino has been duly noted.
Mary Ann
(EG Resident) wrote:
Thank you for responding to my email. I sincerely hope any meeting includes a Town Board presentation regarding their position on a casino in East Greenbush. If the meeting is only a presentation by the developer, that would be insufficient information for the public. I would appreciate information on the research that has been reviewed by the town board regarding the effects of casinos on community economics.
I am opposed to a casino in East Greenbush. I have included links to important information reinforcing my position that a casino is a short-sighted source of revenue and will ultimately lead to economic and non-economic consequences that will change the character of our community.
http://www.itep.org/pdf/pb19gamb.pdf
http://www.ctj.org/taxjusticedigest/archive/2012/06/from_atlantic_city_to_cincinna.php#.U2eFKKIf2EVhttp://
www.walkerd.people.cofc.edu/360/AcademicArticles/JHE.pdf
Please note that in a letter to the editor of the Times Union published today:
"Municipalities can demand full disclosure of the backers of a casino and the entire scope of the casino project. They have a veto that cannot be overriden. In short, they have unfettered authority over casino approvals." Bennett Liebman Albany, Deputy secretary for Gaming and Racing.
Please VETO the casino in East Greenbush.
Sincerely,
(EG Resident)
"Municipalities can demand full disclosure of the backers of a casino and the entire scope of the casino project. They have a veto that cannot be overriden. In short, they have unfettered authority over casino approvals." Bennett Liebman Albany, Deputy secretary for Gaming and Racing.
Please VETO the casino in East Greenbush.
Sincerely,
(EG Resident)
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Ann Matters <mamatters@verizon.net>
To: (EG Resident)>; klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: ddimartino <ddimartino@eastgreenbush.org>; pmalone <pmalone@eastgreenbush.org>; smangold <smangold@eastgreenbush.org>; mamatters <mamatters@eastgreenbush.org>; egilbert <egilbert@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Thu, May 1, 2014 6:57 am
Subject: Re: Website update and Literature review
(EG Resident) wrote:
From: Mary Ann Matters <mamatters@verizon.net>
To: (EG Resident)>; klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: ddimartino <ddimartino@eastgreenbush.org>; pmalone <pmalone@eastgreenbush.org>; smangold <smangold@eastgreenbush.org>; mamatters <mamatters@eastgreenbush.org>; egilbert <egilbert@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Thu, May 1, 2014 6:57 am
Subject: Re: Website update and Literature review
Dear (EG Resident),
Please keep your eye on the town's website for dates and times of scheduled presentations about a possible casino siting in East Greenbush. At that time, residents will be afforded the opportunity to ask their questions and voice their concerns.
Thank you.
Mary Ann Matters
Please keep your eye on the town's website for dates and times of scheduled presentations about a possible casino siting in East Greenbush. At that time, residents will be afforded the opportunity to ask their questions and voice their concerns.
Thank you.
Mary Ann Matters
(EG Resident) wrote:
Dear Supervisor Langley and members of the town board,
Again, I urge you to schedule a community meeting or public forum to discuss the proposed Casino in East Greenbush.
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/211629/few-questions-some-anxieties-from-casino-hopefuls/
Again, I urge you to schedule a community meeting or public forum to discuss the proposed Casino in East Greenbush.
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/211629/few-questions-some-anxieties-from-casino-hopefuls/
Sincerely,
(EG Resident)
(EG Resident)
-----Original Message-----
From: (EG Resident)>
To: klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: DDiMartino <DDiMartino@eastgreenbush.org>; pmalone <pmalone@eastgreenbush.org>; smangold <smangold@eastgreenbush.org>; mamatters <mamatters@eastgreenbush.org>; egilbert <egilbert@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Wed, Apr 30, 2014 9:58 am
Subject: Re: Website update and Literature review
From: (EG Resident)>
To: klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: DDiMartino <DDiMartino@eastgreenbush.org>; pmalone <pmalone@eastgreenbush.org>; smangold <smangold@eastgreenbush.org>; mamatters <mamatters@eastgreenbush.org>; egilbert <egilbert@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Wed, Apr 30, 2014 9:58 am
Subject: Re: Website update and Literature review
Dear Supervisor Langley,
I urge you to schedule a community meeting or public forum to
discuss the proposed Casino in East Greenbush. Please do not ignore the
need for the community to receive accurate information from the town
and/or the developer. Please do not wait until the town board meeting
on May 21, 2014
Please recognize that there are 11,234 registered voters in the
town of East Greenbush. The number of voters who participated in the
November 2013 election was only 5,014 (44.6%). Out of that 5,014 only
2,453 people voted YES to Prop 1; there were 2,271 people who voted NO
and 291 people did not answer the question. The difference in votes
between YES and NO is only 183. With this slim margin, I urge you and
the town board to meet with the public specifically to address the
proposed casino and how it will alter the character of the community.
I have not had the opportunity to speak with you so I will let you know that I am opposed to a casino.
My reasons are multiple, and I have done a literature review and have
statistics that would confirm my opposition. I would be happy to share
sources with you and the town board.
Sincerely,
(EG Resident)
-----Original Message-----
From: (EG Resident)
To: klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: DDiMartino <DDiMartino@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Wed, Apr 23, 2014 9:48 am
Subject: Re: Website update and Literature review
From: (EG Resident)
To: klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: DDiMartino <DDiMartino@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Wed, Apr 23, 2014 9:48 am
Subject: Re: Website update and Literature review
Dear Supervisor Langley,
Could you please let me know when the town of East Greenbush will
have a public presentation of the plans for the proposed casino? My
only information is coming from the local media, I would like the town
and/or the developers to provide information.
Thank you,
(EG Resident)
-----Original Message-----
From: (EG Resident)
To: klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: DDiMartino <DDiMartino@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Mon, Apr 21, 2014 1:49 pm
Subject: Website update and Literature review
From: (EG Resident)
To: klangley <klangley@eastgreenbush.org>
Cc: DDiMartino <DDiMartino@eastgreenbush.org>
Sent: Mon, Apr 21, 2014 1:49 pm
Subject: Website update and Literature review
Dear Supervisor Langley,
Could you please give me information on when the Town of East
Greenbush website will be updated with information about the resolution
regarding casino development?
Also, could you please let me know who on the town board has done
research on the effects of casinos on community economics? If possible,
could I receive a list of the research that has informed the town board?
Sincerely,
(EG Resident)
Folks,
ReplyDeleteThe “Supervisor's Report Through 4/25/2014” states “The filing of the application by Saratoga Casino will be followed by a public presentation by the developer on the casino project.”
The application deadline is 6/30/14.
Pete Stenson
The problem Pete, is that the matter is now out of the hands of even the Town Board. That 5-0 vote will go to the Gaming Commission as the position of the entire Town, even though it was done without any research related to the effects on the community or the sentiments of the community related to a site HERE. That's an entirely different question than a generic one about changing the State Constitution to allow gambling. Saratoga Casino is running around the Capital District touting the "support" of the Town of East Greenbush. The Town Board should rescind the resolution that the Casino people are parading around pending a referendum on the question by the citizens of East Greenbush.
ReplyDeleteAs quoted by EG Resident, "Municipalities can demand full disclosure of the backers of a casino and the entire scope of the casino project. They have a veto that cannot be overriden. In short, they have unfettered authority over casino approvals." Bennett Liebman Albany, Deputy secretary for Gaming and Racing. The problem is that our municipality gave its approval without doing its homework. And they have demonstrated no familiarity with the issues associated with the impact of a casino on a community. Simply not conversant with the matter.
I still don't believe the town board even knows what it did. My question is: if the Gaming Commission picks our "trusted" local team to put a casino on Thompson Hill, is there any way to stop it? If the answer is "No" (and it seems like it is) than the town board has sold us all the way down the river without doing any research or letting the public comment. There was a pre-Board meeting six days before the casino item appeared on the agenda and there was no mention of it at that meeting. The item first appeared in public on the day of the actual meeting just after noon. This town board made the most momentous decision in the history of this town with far less than a week's reflection. There was no research, certainly no due diligence and likely almost no thought put into it. They were told what to do and we have the right to know who told them.
ReplyDeleteUnder this scenario a public presentations by the developers doesn't amount to due process, it's the judge reading the sentence to the condemned prisoners.
I see my sarcasm was lost.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in knowing who said "We were elected to represent the populace of EG. Who do we think we are? We think we're the majority. Accept it, Don."
Pete Stenson
Sorry I missed the nuance, Pete. The author of the quote is Councilperson Matters.
DeleteMoney can't buy class. Class is a reflection of high standards. CASINO?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to fathom the hubris of Mary Ann Matters. Was it always there but unnoticed? We sure didn't vote for this type of "reform."
ReplyDeleteLeave MAM alone!. It was Langley who found the only two people in Town who would follow him and asked Rick Matters to dance them around and get them elected. The voters of EG elected MAM and now she is following Langley as promised. She dosn't run for 3 1/2 years. Get focused on Langley, give him the boot in a big way maybe Matters will find her way for the last two years. Right now, Langley is your perp: the man bringing you a mismanaged casino rollout.
DeleteThe ENTIRE Board - and that includes Democrats Malone and Mangold - are responsible for this debacle they have visited on the people of East Greenbush. ALL of them did not do their homework. One could make an argument that there was more "self interest" working on the Dem side.
ReplyDelete@ 8:15, Agreed, but Keith Langley bears the most responsibility.
ReplyDeleteAs Town Supervisor, Mr. Langley is paid $70,000 per year to serve as the only full time member of the Town Board. He is both the Town's CEO AND CFO and he was the person DIRECTLY responsible for putting the generic casino resolution on the Town Board agenda with little advance notice to the general public.
The rest of the Board, including Mary Ann Matters, should have asked more questions, particularly since Board members Mangold and Malone have now been required by Supervisor Langley to file FOIL requests for previously available monthly Town Departmental expenditure reports.
If Mr. Langley hadn't personally fast-tracked theCasino Resolution, it wouldn't have been on the Town Board meeting agenda and it wouldn't have even been considered for a vote.
Mr. Langley failed to exercise due diligence on perhaps the most significant resolution ever considered by any Town Board in the history of East Greenbush. This is either malfeasance or misfeasance, depending upon what Mr. Langley knew and when he knew it.
It's not surprising at all that Mr. "the resolution is the resolution" Langley is uncomfortable answering questions, since he sure has a lot of explaining to do!!
Mary Ann Matters doesn't need to ask any questions. I honestly believe she feels the Supervisor (and his Chairman) have all the answers and shouldn't be questioned about anything. I'm looking forward to seeing how they respond to their constituents at the May 21st Town Board meeting.
DeleteI'm sorry, but the new regime sounds an awful lot like the old one. What we pass, passes.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to a government by the people for the people?
I know there are some people in favor of this casino, but the way this was done by the town board is a prime example of the way government shouldn't run.
I am stunned beyond words at the conduct of Mary Ann Matters after all the complaining she has done about O'Brien, Malone, McCabe and other democrats.
ReplyDeleteShe, and her fellow republicans, are identical in all respects.
She, Langley, DiMartino and Gilbert should be profoundly ashamed of themselves for being such fakes, phonies and frauds.
Keith, you probably never expected to enjoy the support of any democrats. But what is absolutely stunning is how amazingly well you, and your cohorts, have alienated your former supporters.
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU PEOPLE? Are you that dumb, that arrogant, that ill informed, that just plain stupid or...all of the above.
You may be surprised , but many of us are sitting back saying: " I told you so" !
DeleteAnyone who is even remotely associated with Chris Defruscio is guilty of all of what you referred to 4:20pm. They ARE arrogant , ill informed and just plain stupid!
@ 214,
ReplyDeleteAgreed about Chris DeFruscuio. But don't forget that he and his fraudulent SWF campaign were successful in the last election in no small part due to the damaged Democratic party brand. There is cause for hope for a change though. "Many of us" are very encouraged by the recent reform proposals advanced by Councilpersons Mangold and Malone, as evidenced by their introduction of the Four good government resolutions at the last TB meeting. The ones that Supervisor Langley voted against. The more Mangold and Langley can separate themselves from the Langley/DeFruscio/Matters SWF TB Majority the better.
Here's how the casino resolution went down. Dem operative(s) leaned on Langley along with Jimino to do the resolution. (Big self interest with the Dems) Langley and DeFruscio fell for it. So Langley takes the fall for something the Dems wanted and becomes unelectable. And the Dems think they're laughing all the way to the next election.
ReplyDeleteProblem is that they're both corrupt. Both should be unelectable. They're all as dumb as boxes of rocks. We can't live like this any longer.. Do you hear that Malone, Mangold, Matters and DiMartino???
Sword ; are you guessing about this analysis or do you have intimate knowledge?
DeleteI realize people are operating on both sides of the aisle, but it would be helpful to some if they knew you were speaking accurate truth or just supposing a theory.
Dear Sword,
ReplyDeleteYou might be right. I agree this whole process has made Langley unelectable. What do you think Langley and DeFruscio were promised as a result of this deal? It seems as if they were played like a couple of first graders having their lunch money taken from them.
Dear Sword,
ReplyDeleteExcellent analysis!!
But don't forget the County Republican Administration's role in leaning on Langley. They also have very strong ties with the proposed casino developer and also got what they wanted once Langley agreed to put the casino resolution on the Town Board agenda. Once it passed, they didn't really care about Langley's political future. It wouldn't surprise anyone if the county Reps provided some, not so covert, assistance to a current Town Democratic elected official interested in running for Supervisor in the 2015 election.
Bottom line, Langley is toast in 2015 and he doesn't even realize it yet.
I think The Sword is on to something because democrat insiders seem to have important business interests on Thompson Hill and, despite losing the majority, still have their ears closer to the ground on what's about to happen in this town. If the Sword's theory is correct, though, I don't understand why Malone and Mangold didn't vote 'No' on the casino resolution or why they haven't immediately called for a resolution to rescind the 'Yes' vote. Langley is now clearly un-electable but with a 5-0 vote Malone and Mangold may have sealed their fates as well. Because the Sword is right. We can't live like this any longer.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with all of the comments above. I would officially like to admit that the casino developers and all of the county and state politicians were quicker in realizing how inept our town board is before I did. Their manipulation of a weak, corrupt board was well played.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Moreland Commission: "State Sen. John Bonacic’s committee had the second- highest total of unspecified campaign spending after Maziarz’s, according to the Commission documents, reporting over $100,000 in what appear to be credit card payments with “little or no information” about their “underlying purchases.” Bonacic’s treasurer wrote to City & State that the campaign abides “by all the rules of the NYS Board of Elections and all their filings are proper.” This quote can be found at: http://www.cityandstateny.com/2/75/inside-moreland-documents.html#.U3DfkfldWoN
ReplyDeleteJust a reminder that Bonacic was the sponsor of the Gaming Act and according to his bio "He is also Chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Wagering and Gaming. That Committee has oversight of the State’s horse racing industry, as well as casino gaming in New York State."
I just want to know who is the biggest idiot in the room that thought a casino in a residential neighborhood was gonna fly. I mean really it's bad. I mean someone with ties to Thompson Hill had to have something on these guys to propose something so stupid and so fast without approval.
ReplyDelete