Opinion: Reject 'corrupt' casino agreement with Oneida Nation

Cuomo's deal would only entrench the injustice done to taxpayers of New York and empower the Casino Oneidas and their Washington-backers' interests even further. In exchange for 25 percent of certain slots-only revenue (Turning Stone is a full-service casino with a range of highly profitable enterprises), Cuomo would cede 25,000 acres to the Nation, including Phillips' land. The deal would deputize the Nation's security forces as sworn officers and waive the $800 million tax bill.

These concessions by the state are a payoff to secure the Casino Oneidas' political support for the statewide referendum legalizing gambling in terms explicitly spelled out in the agreement Cuomo signed with Halbritter on May 16 in Albany.

If Albany affirms this deal, it only stacks the deck in favor of the well-connected and powerful. Instead, New York taxpayers and traditional Oneidas like Melvin Phillips deserve a fair deal. The legislature should reject this bad deal and demand Halbritter pays his back taxes and play by the rules everyone else does.