Archive for July 28th, 2006
Not only will Tom Suozzi be in West Seneca Wednesday, he will also be a guest on the Sandy Beach Show that afternoon. That is August 2, 2006. This will be Suozzi’s second appearance (I believe) on Sandy’s show. It is an excellent opportunity to hear and question his views on issues unique to Western New York.
For an up close and personal chance to question Mr. Suozzi, a jaunt to West Seneca is required. Thank you Cindy Locklear for hosting Mr. Suozzi.
Legislator Cynthia Locklear to host a
Town Hall Style Meeting
With Candidate for N.Y. State Governor Thomas SuozziErie County Legislator Cynthia E. Locklear is hosting a Town Hall style meeting with Tom Suozzi, who is one of the Democratic Candidates for Governor. Locklear will be introducing him to her Constituents on Wednesday August 2nd at 7:00 pm.
Suozzi will give a speech and layout his platform for Reform in New York State, and will answer questions from residents. The meeting will take place at the Carriagers Social Club, located at 224 Fisher Road, West Seneca.
The meeting is open to and free to everyone that wants to attend. Residents are encouraged to arrive with questions.
Bill Online Easily, Fast & Free with PayPal. No Software Needed. Sign Up Now!
The state of the world is a mess. The mid-east is erupting, led by Israel and those who oppose Israel. Iraq has never come close to the vision of President Bush, in fact, it is deteriorating. Bush and crew are throwing veiled threats at Syria and Iran. North Korea? It kind of landed on the back burner, simmering until GWB has the time to stir the pot some more. Did I mention Taiwan? There are plans to sell Taiwan 116 F-16 specially equipped fighter jets later this year. Meanwhile, China is sitting back laughing, knowing it can pull the economic rug out from under us at the blink of an eye.
To be fair to President Bush, many of our poor foreign policy decisions predate him by nearly a century or more. However, he has done his best to be the best when it comes to interfering in world affairs. I think it is time to take a deep breath, reevaluate our foreign policy and take some advice from the past.
Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. . . . The Nation which indulges toward another habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.
— George Washington, Farewell Address [September 7, 1796]
Netflix Delivers DVDs to your home. NO LATE FEES. Try for FREE!
The attorneys, in the federal lawsuit challenging the land transfer to the Seneca Indians, have filed for a summary judgment. This means that they feel, based on undisputed facts already in evidence and on the clear meaning of the law, the judge has enough information to reach a finding that gambling is not permissible on the Buffalo parcels.
The motion is based on two independent grounds:
(a) The Salamanca Settlement Act of 1990, under which the land was acquired, specifies circumstances under which the land may be made sovereign territory. Those circumstances do not apply to the Buffalo parcels. Therefore, the land is not sovereign territory and gambling is not permissible on it.
(b) Even if the judge were to find that the land is sovereign, it was acquired after 1988. The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act says that lands acquired after 1988 cannot be used for gambling unless they were acquired as settlement of a land claim. The Salamanca Settlement Act did not settle a land claim (a term which has a very specific legal meaning); it settled a potential crisis of massive rent increases arising from the expiration of a 99-year lease. Therefore, the land in question does not satisfy the conditions for the exception, and gambling is not permissible on it.
This has been a hot issue, with many people on both sides. There is a slight majority favoring the casino and a very vocal number of people opposing the project. The opposition is mainly based on the social effects of a casino and the unfair advantage it will have compared to private enterprises, due to the lack of taxation. While there are obvious merits to the many concerns about the affect the casino would have on the City of Buffalo, the legal challenge is based strictly on the legality of the land sale and the ability to permit gambling on the land.
Take 1:08 to watch this.
