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Monday, October 20, 2003

"With five more casinos planned for the state, Gov. George Pataki and his lawyers have promised to negotiate more balanced compacts, resolving tax issues and perhaps even more difficult issues of land claims. A new casino in Buffalo gives the state and the community a rising share of slot machine revenues in return for exclusive gambling rights in the area.

The Legislature has also required Governor Pataki to begin collecting taxes from Native Americans for gasoline and cigarettes sold on the reservations to non-Indians. Such collections will be difficult; the last effort, in 1997, ignited protests, with Indians closing a highway near Syracuse.

If Mr. Pataki's administration can find a better way to collect these taxes, the proceeds should be shared with communities like those around Turning Stone, which need their fair share. Indian tribes should also work with the governor to find a way to defuse this issue by raising their own taxes on these products to achieve "tax parity," if necessary."

Get the Story:
Eleanor Randolph: New York's Native American Casino Contributes, but Not to Tax Rolls (The New York Times 10/18)
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