Stop Predatory Gambling!!!
See the story in the Troy Record:
http://www.troyrecord.com/lifestyle/20140527/east-greenbush-casino-opponents-to-hold-forum
News Flash.......
Next Thursday, May 29th at the East Greenbush United Methodist Church....6 Gilligan Road.....7:00PM......
Les Bernal, the National Director of the Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation will be here in East Greenbush for an informational seminar to discuss Gambling and the future of our Community.
Come one, Come all.....
http://stoppredatorygambling.org/
I hope the members of the Town Board and the Planning and Zoning Boards are able to attend.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am about to type will be controversial.
ReplyDeleteI fear that businesses like off track betting, sex shops, massage palors and, yes casinos are businesses that tend to attract a caliber of clients that, how can I say this...are less than ideal.
I am sure people will rise up in protest but I also think what I have just typed is a simple, basic reality and somebody as to say it.
I confess to outrageous bias. I am upset at the prospect of a casino in our town.
To Gilbert, Langley, Facco, DeFruscio, Matters, DiMartino...gets your heads out of Jimino's you know what. Ed, you are an absolute joke on the Ethics Board. A sad joke for sure but a total farce.
To Mangold - abstain.
To Malone - be careful. People were on the path to figuring out all these nefarious solar deals around town right when this casino debacle popped up.
And now a brief Fiscal Analysis of why we "need" a casino:
ReplyDeleteAs of last summer we had junk bond status and a $2,000,000 debt. The problems seem to have stemmed in large part from the period 2010-2012. We were having a very hard time getting our Annual Financial Reports to the State and we didn't really know what we had or where we stood. We had previously hired the accounting firm of Toski & Schaefer to prepare audits of our 2010-2012 books, paying $25,000 for the work, but the work was hard and the books were bad, so Resolution 122-2013 authorized a contract for $17,025 with the Wojeski & Co. CPA firm to assist Toski & Schaefer, since Wojeski & Co. had been preparing our State Financial Reports in the past. We had already paid Wojeski a smaller sum of money to help, but now extensive help was needed. Was Toski & Schaefer that bad or were the Town's books that bad? Read on.
That same night the Board approved Resolution 123-2013 authorizing additional payments of $29,000 to Toski & Schaefer to complete their 2010-2012 audits. Since we had already paid them $25,000 for this service we were now up to $54,000 for those three problematic years, with no end in sight. Coupled with the $17,025 just authorized to Wojeski & Co., that brought us up to at least $71,525 paid to two highly regarded accounting firms to try and unravel what happened from 2010-2012.
Even though we still had no 2010-2012 audit results as of the 10/16/13 Town Board meeting, Resolution 158-2013 authorized the Town to submit for proposals to have someone do audits for the next three years, 2013-2015! I'm guessing that Toski & Schaefer won't bid for the contract. That same night it was announced via Resolution 152-2013 that the Town met the criteria to request Fiscal Stress Assistance from the New York State Financial Restructuring Board for Local Governments. We were deemed to be fiscally stressed and thus eligible for up to $5,000,000 in grants and loans through the Local Government Performance and Efficiency Program. All we had to do was provide a certified 2012 audit and agree to implement certain conditions. Simple enough.
At the next meeting, 11/20/13, a member of the public asked (public comment #6) about the results of the 2010-2012 audits we had all been waiting for. The Comptroller responded that Wojeski & Co. should be done by 11/27/13 (a week later), with those results to then be forwarded to Toski & Schaefer for their portion, with final results hoped for by early 2014. After public comment #11 Supervisor Langley responded to a question about the status of last month's NYS Fiscal Stress grant/loan program we were going to apply for. He said we hadn't yet applied because part of the paperwork required an audit report, which still wasn't available.
Ladies and Gentleman, that $71,525 report paid for with your tax dollars will NEVER be available to you because the Supervisor will never allow it be made available, eliminating the possibility of a $5,000,000 NYS grant or loan. Guess where that leaves us? That's correct: squarely in the cross-hairs of Saratoga Casino and Raceway. THAT is why you are fighting to keep a casino out of East Greenbush, THAT is why you have chosen to "LIKE" this page, and THAT is why I hope you continue to spread the word, tell people about us, call the Gaming Commission, and tell them to demand "NO CASINO" in East Greenbush.
Keep spreading your distortions,Donnie. Morons love reading your facts in a pretend world. Amen
ReplyDeleteThis is mentality of what we are up against in this Town, ladies and gentlemen. A citation of facts from the resolutions and minutes of the Town Board meetings is to this bunch "reading for morons in a pretend world." They're going to be removed from power, and they're worried.
DeleteTo Anonymous 9:50 am: Rather than insults, why don't you try refuting the post? Rather than calling people who want information "morons", why don't you try posting something with facts? Rather than calling it a "pretend world", why don't you try giving readers information? That was a pathetic post. What have you contributed to the discussion other than insults?
DeleteThe "Smart Way Forward" has apparently decided to stop the audit process. What sense does that make? In doing so, they've foreclosed the opportunity of aid from the State. AND they have kept the taxpayers from information WE are entitled to. I've got a strong feeling that there is some serious jeopardy for some individuals should the audit process proceed. That's the only reason not to go forward. And the SWF is becoming complicit.
DeleteAnyone on your Town Board who says or insinuates that he or she didn't know what they were voting on at the April 16th Town Board meeting is not telling the truth. Yes, they have argued over access to information, with Ms. Mangold going so far as to publicly submit a FOIL request for financial data, FROM THE DAIS, DURING A BOARD MEETING! (More on the financial side of this story in a separate post.) But eventually they all cooperated in submitting their unanimous resolution approval to the Gaming Commission. The die was cast 5-0 to take your seamless garment: the soul of your Town. Fourteen towns in Region 5 (Eastern Southern Tier) sent their Resolutions of support to the Gaming Commission. Fourteen towns in Region 1 (Catskill/Hudson Valley) did likewise. So far Region 2 (Capital District) has only submitted ONE Resolution of support, and that was from the Town of East Greenbush. Look it up:
ReplyDeletehttp://gaming.ny.gov/gaming/casinos.php
Does this not look like we are being set up? How can we possibly be the only Town from the 8 Counties which make up the Capital District to submit a host resolution of support? Ludicrous! We didn't just vote to get information on the IDEA of a casino, as some Board members have indicated, we actually told the Gaming Commission we WANT a casino! With only 4 days to think about it and no advance notice to the public your Town Board members did this to you! Yes, we now need a site-specific re-vote next month after a show-trial Public Hearing on June 4th, but does anyone honestly think this Board will vote any differently the second time around? This time there will be no excuses about the Board members not knowing what they were voting for. So if there was any shred of doubt in your mind before tonight, get rid of it. We were sold to the State in a manner that is teetering on the very edge of criminality, and we are the victims. Spread the word, say "NO" to a casino, and remember who did this.
The Gaming Commission threw a small wrench in the plans of our Town Board to sell us down the river and act like they didn't know what they were doing. 'No Casino' is exactly right: all five members of our town board decided to support a casino without a single word from the people they represent. Now we'll have the sham public hearing where 80% of the speakers will stand against a casino and Sue Mangold will tell the media it was "50-50" and Keith Langley will say "I'm hearing more from more people who support it."
ReplyDeleteOne thing people who support the casino don't realize is that a casino in the Capital Region is likely going to be a loser. The biggest proposal submitted to the Gaming Commission and the one most likely to be chosen is at Exit 15B on the NYS Thruway. Since it can draw from NYC, NJ and the Woodbury Commons crowd it has a chance to be the most successful casino in the Northeast. Anyone who can reach there will not be coming to a smaller place in the Capital Region. Another major casino development will be placed near Springfield, Massachusetts. Add Turning Stone to the mix and the reality that the Saratoga Racino will still be in business and you have the recipe for a truly disappointing business venture in the Capital Region. There will be a small cachement area and it will be one not noted for its wealth. We're hearing about a $300 million investment in East Greenbush but if this casino is approved it won't even be half that size by the time it's built.
That means we're not going to see all of the benefits promised by the corporate shills from Saratoga Casino and Raceway. They've already admitted they will be accepting out-of-state bids for the construction work so anyone who thinks EG people are getting those jobs is kidding themselves. As for the jobs in the casino, all of the management and upper management jobs will go to trusted Saratoga Casino and Raceway employees who have worked for ten years in the Saratoga operation and will now have an opportunity for advancement. What's left will be $8.50/hour jobs with no benefits, a third of which will be on the graveyard shift.
The supposed $5.4 million tax benefit will be cut in half when the project is approved and then downsized. Add the costs of infrastructure, extra police, new and extremely expensive fire equipment, the increase that will be needed in the Bruen contract and the social costs and the tax benefit will truly be minimal. But we'll get all the problems a casino brings and our quality of life will be destroyed. But hey that's a small price to pay for elected representatives who don't do their due diligence or listen to the people who elected them.
It will be no consolation when people are walking around this town asking "how did we let this happen." But the truth is that we don't have to let this happen. Come hear Les Bernal on Thursday night. Learn all you can, then come to the public hearing and make it truly uncomfortable for our town board. Let them know that a 'Yes' vote in support of a casino is the end of their political careers. Write letters, go to meetings, carry signs, lobby your elected representatives. Save East Greenbush - Sign the Petition!!!!!
Langley, Mangold and Malone - gone a year from this November. Matters and DiMartino - isolated. I'm looking at an election brochure from the 2011 campaign. It says that Keith Langley want's to be elected "to protect our quality of life and restore openness to Town government." Conspiring with "Saratoga Feathers", Jimino, the local Dem money boys and your Rep handlers is NOT the way you do that. Bye, Bye.
DeleteHow can we trust this bunch to protect our interests when they stood idle and "blind" to the illegal final Plat approval in January for the Thompson Way development which Mr. Jenkins has written about? Board, Planning and Zoning had to be in on that one. What could make you think that they aren't in on the casino development thing? Big f-ing scam on the people of the town.
DeleteLet's remember how wrong JimiNO was about Fed Ex? Are we supposed to think she now knows what she is talking about when she mentions the CasiNO? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteI heard Paul Vandenburgh mention today that he has a commitment from "Langley or one of his higher ups" to appear on the show "this week".I'll be listening, for sure. I have a little wager {pun intended) with my spouse over who will be speaking for the Supervisor this time. I have my money on Gilbert and my spouse went with Matters. There are still two longshots available: DiMartino and Meaghan Hart.
ReplyDeleteYou made the money 7:31. Listen to Gilbert this morning.what a joke. Not even elected just appointed. What a joke.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Cuomo is nominated as CREW's Scoundrel of the Month. CREW stands for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics. Google - Andrew Cuomo Scoundrel.
ReplyDeleteThis is who our Town Leaders are following? It figures.
I absolutely love this. And he thinks he will make a successful run for the Presidency down the line? Fuggedaboutit. He will go down as one of the worst governors -- unethical, looking out only for his monied-cronies, and the worst in preserving our environment and natural resources. Just look at all of the beautiful land he wants us to give up for a handful of sleazy casinos.
DeleteIs that the way you prudently run a government? Uh-uh.
Just got the slick piece in the mail from The Casino at East Greenbush touting the alleged tax revenue benefits if its establishment. Just a few comments:
ReplyDeleteThere is no "guarantee" of the revenue stream. This is an untested market and the Northeast is becoming over saturated with casinos. (Ask Saratoga.)
Nobody has crunched any numbers to be able to state that the alleged additional tax revenue won't be swallowed up by necessary expansions to the Town's infrastructure. (Sewer, water, fire, police, etc.)
East Greenbush is an affluent community with a more than adequate tax base. The financial problems which EG faces have been caused by financial mismanagement by Town administrations. This conclusion has been articulated over and over again by various oversight reports. We don't need a casino so that Town administrations can have more cash to mismanage. If they had proved that they were capable of managing, it might be a different story.
From Andrew Cuomo to Keith Langley casinos are a Hail Mary pass thrown by lazy politicians who don't know how to solve government's fiscal problems with hard work, prudent management, efficient governing and a sound financial recovery plan. Cuomo wants to run for national office but NYS' sorry financial situation is an impediment while Keith Langley and his team can't make sense of the fiscal disaster in our town government and can't think of a single way out of the mess short of a desperation move like this. Kathy Jimino deserves honorable mention here too because the bloated county tax bill is clearly beyond her abilities as well.
ReplyDeleteThere are options. Draft a formal plan for financial recovery. Limit the size of government. Make it more efficient. End patronage and nepotism. Perform a rigorous workforce analysis so we see what we really need. Consider a hiring freeze so rather than laying people off you achieve savings by attrition. Consolidate services. Place a cap on overtime. Create a 10 year plan for the maintenance, repair and replacement of town vehicles. Set goals for smaller budgets and lower taxes. Require department heads to submit a budget for next year that's10% lower than this years. I'm not trying to create a list here that's comprehensive but to show that there are options to address our town's fiscal problems without throwing the wobbly Hail Mary Pass called the Casino at East Greenbush.
We're not a community in need, we're a community whose finances have been mismanaged. The current majority inherited this mess but have shown utterly no ability to handle it. The proof of that is while they run around pretending people want this casino, they have shown us no cost benefit analysis, no sense they have any idea what impact a casino will have and what they will need to do to address those issues, and no plan to show us how this "windfall" will be managed for the betterment of the town. Not only are they're hoping money will fall out of the sky, they're hoping it lands in the right places because they currently have no idea what they would do with it if Saratoga Casino & Raceway wasn't lying and it actually materialized..
This morning Ed Gilbert said that his take from the people he has spoken with is that there are more people for the casino than against. Sort of laughable when we all know that the only people he talks to are DeFruscio, Langley, Matters (maybe) Dimartino(maybe) and I guess that's about it.
ReplyDeleteHow 1 sided.....
DeleteI can show you over 200 people in favor of a Casino....
Go to the Elks or American Legion..
And did they ever think about what might happen to BINGO?
DeleteIt would be absolutely amazing if we could run across a local or state politician who remembers going to civics class, let alone passing the exam. We've got a serious problem in New York, and there is a very obvious reason that we don't have the Recall option with regard to politicians. A whole bunch would be out of office.
ReplyDeleteWe should demand that the town provide numbers of people that they have talked to who support a casino. Oh wait, can any of them count without using their fingers?
ReplyDeleteJack Conway April 22, 2014 at 2:09 PM: I haven't made up my mind about a casino although I'm leaning against it.
ReplyDeleteJack Conway May 26, 2014 at 10:44 AM: One thing people who support the casino don't realize is that a casino in the Capital Region is likely going to be a loser.
We're hearing about a $300 million investment in East Greenbush but if this casino is approved it won't even be half that size by the time it's built.
That means we're not going to see all of the benefits promised by the corporate shills from Saratoga Casino and Raceway.
As for the jobs in the casino, all of the management and upper management jobs will go to trusted Saratoga Casino and Raceway employees who have worked for ten years in the Saratoga operation and will now have an opportunity for advancement. What's left will be $8.50/hour jobs with no benefits, a third of which will be on the graveyard shift.
The supposed $5.4 million tax benefit will be cut in half when the project is approved and then downsized
Jack Conway May 27, 2014 at 3:05 PM: From Andrew Cuomo to Keith Langley casinos are a Hail Mary pass thrown by lazy politicians who don't know how to solve government's fiscal problems with hard work, prudent management, efficient governing and a sound financial recovery plan
Me, Today: I'm also against this screwball casino. FN stupid location if I ever have heard of one. But I do get a kick out of how someone goes from barely an opinion to such a know-it-all blowhard in such an incredibly short period of time. Makes me laugh. Carry on with the over-the-top supposition Mr. Conway. I guess we need it, given the bogus hyperbole being spouted by these Casino charlatans.
Dear Booties....Maybe a change in attitude and passion comes from having an open mind and curiosity and willingness to learn. The more one studies about what these parasites do to communities, the more indignation is stimulated. Saratoga Feathers and Rita "Miss Kitty" Cox have come to town and our political establishment bought their snake oil. That makes me mad too. Our political establishment showed no wisdom or curiosity at all. That's what's scary.
DeleteGet Me Some Tall Boots ... - Your criticism of me would carry more weight if you didn't submit a post that's more me than you. Thanks for the publicity. In the politics of this town the fact that I'm pissing people off on the most important issue we've faced means I must be doing something right. My favorite line is how I went from "someone with barely an opinion." I came out of the womb having strong opinions on just about everything and have been a know-it-all blowhard since I was old enough to walk.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon May 27 at 6:12 PM
ReplyDeleteI like your definition of casinos---sleazy.
Sleazy Casinos make SLEAZY TOWNS ergo SLEAZY EAST GREENBUSH.
Thanks, Malone, Mangold and Matters. Let's not forget, JimiNO.
Let's also not forget Keith "the resolution is the resolution" Langley.
ReplyDeleteBoots: thank you VERY MUCH for the "Best of" Jack Conway. It helped remind me of why I admire his posts so much. Thanks also for making the explicit connection to educating oneself and creating a stronger argument, that is always an important reminder.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is, boys and girls, that the Town board and the planning board and the zoning board (names to appear later) knew that this "municipal abortion" was going down in February. The property was bought then. Who spends millions on property and doesn't know that the "fix" is in? We need to start asking questions of the Planning Board. Did they promise something? Do they think they can deliver with the people watching?
ReplyDeleteYes, who spends millions on property without knowing the fix is in??? Just doesn't compute. Somebody is getting paid off. And then there's that Plat approval for a couple of locals without a legal resolution.
DeleteAnd be SURE to read the comments linked below this article. Citizens are smart enough to see through the hype. These are the "planners" numbers and have certain assumptions attached which need to be examined. It's all part of the window dressing.
ReplyDeleteHere's an important story from today's Times Union. It's an excellent example of how Town Board's can behave when they put their brains in gear and analyze a situation.
ReplyDeleteThe link is here, but I have taken the liberty to cut and paste the text:
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Bethlehem-opposes-Exit-23-casino-5511785.php
"BETHLEHEM — The Town Board voted Wednesday against a casino being located near the Thruway's Exit 23 at the town's border with the city of Albany.
"It is the sense of the Town Board of the town of Bethlehem that our community is opposed to the E-23 Casino Proposal, as well as to other casino proposals within the Capital Region," the resolution passed by the board read. "We are concerned with the welfare of the entire community, the impact on citizens, and we question the long-term economic and fiscal benefit of such ventures. And we intend to reach out to other municipalities, including the city of Albany, and neighboring towns and cities, to see if they too would become involved in this public debate."
The board proposed "a regional dialogue" on other ways to develop the economy to serve communities for the long term.
Rochester developer David Flaum has proposed the E-23 casino project.
At Wednesday's Town Board meeting, Supervisor John Clarkson said 22 residents spoke against the casino plan while only one supported it. The area by Route 9W and the Thruway is a key traffic corridor between southern Albany County and the city of Albany, he said.
"We certainly heard a lot more negative than positive," he said. "I have heard from some who are in favor."
Most residents, however, not only didn't want to see a casino built on the town's border with Albany. They opposed locating one anywhere in the Capital Region.
"A lot of people spoke to finding a more positive vision for regional economic development because they doubted the long-term benefit of regional casinos," he said."
Looks to me like Feathers and the Governor conspired to drive the competition out of the Capital District casino race with the way the rules are written in favor of the Racino. Look at how things are developing and then tell us that there was no "fix" in what went down in East Greenbush. They bought the land in February. The Board, Planning and Zoning had to know. So Mr. Gilbert's argument in the Advertiser that the Board had to "rush" to take advantage of an opportunity on April 16th is a total crock. A railroad job, and our politicians went for it. We were betrayed.
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.timesunion.com/lawrencewhite/mayor-says-payments-to-saratoga-racino-kills-casino-plan/1649/
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Racino-payment-kills-site-for-now-5511655.php
It would be nice if our group could link up with the Bethlehem group. There is power in numbers.
ReplyDeleteLet's see....do you think that the next episode in this soap opera will be the developers who have to drop out because of the required Racino payments just might sue the State of NY for creating monopoly conditions for Saratoga Casino and Raceway (Feathers)? I smell collusion and conspiracy. And Andy wants to be Governor again? You just don't do this to people and communities and aspire to high office - or any office for that matter.
ReplyDeleteGadfly,
ReplyDeleteI've verified by my own independent analysis the County, School, Town, Highway, Bruen and Library estimates using 2014 valuation and tax rate data obtained from the East Greenbush Assessor and the Casino's estimated $250,000,000 valuation (see Talks).
Pete Stenson
Pete--is that guaranteed. Is it based on gross or net of which neither can be guaranteed? Will they have to set funds aside to pay themselves for possible Racino losses such as their competitors will have to do, as above in comment, see http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Racino-payment-kills-site-for-now-5511655.php? If they do have to pay themselves by setting aside funds will that come from their gross or net in which case it sevely impacts their revenue and impacts taxes they pay. PLUS, the Saratoga developer told us, at the High School presentation that there were NO casinos looking at the Rensselaer site because it was too small. Clearly he lied and the casino looking at the Rensselaer site was significantly larger than Saratoga so if they lied about that what makes you think they don't lie about everything?
ReplyDeleteThe whole Board--majority and minority should look long and hard at this. They were unanimous with their unscrupulous vote in April. Hopefully they all get educated and ask the right questions this time.
Has the Town's Chief Financial Officer, Supervisor Keith Langley, attested to the accuracy of the Casino's revenue projections?
ReplyDeleteLooks like, from her interview on Channel 9 last night, the Sue Mangold is hanging her hat on the Prop 1 vote. Or shall we say "hiding behind" the Prop 1 vote. Sue, that wasn't a vote for Thompson Hill. It was a different question, and deceptively worded, at that. The business model of a casino is a blight on a community. I hope all the Town Board members get the fact that the kind of opposition they are seeing developed and expressed is not just from the old "back benchers" at the Board meetings. People I've never met were asking last night about how to remove you from office for what you have done. That's a new wrinkle, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteLast night's Save East Greenbush event was noteworthy for at least two reasons. First was the message delivered by Les Bernal who believes that casinos are being inserted into local communities by government in a flawed public policy initiative that promotes inequality and defies the values we cherish as Americans. It is an industry built on loss, suffering and addiction. Most importantly, the myths perpetrated by casino promoters misrepresent the benefits to local communities and mask the social problems so that no one realizes that casinos are an extraction industry that sucks enormous amounts of money OUT of the community where they are located while leaving behind a trail of addiction, foreclosures, bankruptcy, family debt and personal misery.
ReplyDeleteThe second reason last night was noteworthy was for the anger directed at the supervisor and the town board. There were demands for recall and impeachment and several people stated explicitly that our town board should be vacated en masse in the public interest. The most disturbing part of this if you are a local politician is that it wasn't coming from the usual annoyances - me, for example - but from people who have never previously been seen on the local political landscape. A 'Yes' vote on a resolution supporting a casino will likely mean the end of the political career of the person who casts it. We've been out in the neighborhoods and people are really angry at the way this has been handled and that includes some who favor a casino. To decide the most important issue in this town's history without consulting experts or the public or taking the time to make an informed decision is an abdication of responsibility of historical magnitude.
Thanks to Les Bernal for coming here to share his expertise. It was a great night for East Greenbush!!!
That's it, no more Vandenburgh for me. I have listened to him bad-mouth the anti
ReplyDeletecasino group for the last time!
Early this morning he was talking about the HANDFUL of people that showed up at the forum last night. When I finally had enough, I left a message that informed him there were about 200 people in attendance at the forum. A little while later he started calling it a FEW HANDFULS of people.
Funny, I listened to Channel 9 last night, and they reported there were about 200 people at the forum. They managed to get it correct-not Vandenburgh.
If I want to hear the news of the day, I want to hear what REALLY happened, not what Vandenburg wishes happened.
I realize the pro casino people advertise on his station, however, that should not prevent him from giving the "correct news", not his "wish list" of the day.
I am now boycotting Vandenburg. He does not like my group, I do not like his program.
Catherine,
DeleteHe does have a knack for rubbing people wrong, but that is all part of the show. How do you think he gets people to listen? I understand exactly what you are saying it angers me too when he talks down about it, and just last week he was talking us up.
I'm sorry I didn't make it it there till late, but I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout, and have been at every thing this group of people has done. Don't let some fool on a radio get you down, keep your head up!!!
Catherine - Part of my training as an anthropologist was how to note and estimate the number of people at an event. By my count, at 8:00 p.m. last night there were between 190 and 215 people at the event. It's a rough estimate. In Paul Vandenburgh terms there were between 38 and 43 handfuls of people.
ReplyDeleteEssential reading for anyone supporting casino expansion and a casino established in East Greenbush. Seems to me that this report from the New York State Comptroller gives the Town Board cover to say NO to an East Greenbush casino.
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/213678/dinapoli-report-voices-concerns-over-gambling-expansion/
Too bad the Comptroller didn't complete the report prior to last November's vote.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Supervisor Langley will give this Comptroller's Report the same attention he gave to the Comptroller's Report on the Town of East Greenbush's fiscal practices.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous May 30, 2014 at 5:25 pm: The burden of educating oneself before a vote is on the voter. The information on the influential language on Prop 1 was out there, even in the Times Union. So was DiNapoli's opinion on the matter (from November 1, 2013):
ReplyDeletehttp://go.bloomberg.com/political-capital/2013-11-01/ny-comptroller-questions-casino-economic-benefits-social-consequences/
We cannot EVER believe that politicians like Cuomo are going to provide us with information opposing their views. Just as we cannot EVER believe that Casino developers will do it either.
People need to read more and educate themselves, not rely on glossy brochures. NO CASINO.