NIAGARA FALLS, NY - Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster says he been in contact with Governor's Office, and he believes it's not the Governor's objective to shut down three Seneca Casinos.
Albany says the State is owed millions of dollars in casino funds from the Senecas. From his conversation with the Governor's counsel, Dyster says the only objective of the State's
Recently the Governor's Office threatened to terminate the gaming compact between the State and the Senecas if the Senecas don't pay casino funds on from their gaming site in Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Allegany.
The payments are for both 2009 and 2010. Dyster says its unfortunate that the dispute has reached this point. He's hoping the Compact Arbitration process between the State and Seneca Nation brings a mutually acceptable result. Most importantly, Dyster says thousands of casino jobs are safe.
"Yes for the foreseeable future, people's jobs are safe and I believe the casinos are going to continue in operation, and obviously this issue has to be resolved sooner or later."
The Mayor has also been reassured that Governor's office is taking a clear position that it respects Indian Sovereignty and expects to resolve this dispute by negotiations between the two parties.
On Wednesday, Seneca Nation President Barry Snyder issued a statement Wednesday saying: "...he has no idea why the State violated their compact, and no idea why it took Governor Paterson's Office nine months to agree to discuss the State's breach of the Compact terms."
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