Opinion: Trade Catskills casino for border security

Friday, November 17, 2006  

"For some reason, guarding the Canadian border does not seem to be a priority to the American public when it comes to the question of Homeland Security. But it is well-documented that guns, drugs, terrorists and illegal immigrants have poured over the border for years.

Yet in the rhetoric and pontification about border security, there is never mention of building walls across that border, and instead attention is drawn to Mexico. But by the end of the month, Gov. George Pataki may be casting a vote against protecting New York State, if he decides to grant the Saint Regis Mohawk tribe rights to construct a casino in Monticello, N.Y. It is a curious decision for a man who has aspirations to run for president in 2008. Many claim that the tribe has abused its powers as a nation, using the argument that the reservation straddles both the U.S. and Canadian borders for illicit purposes. The tribe already owns and operates two casinos Upstate, the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and Mohawk Bingo Palace.

The Monticello proposal has elicited impassioned pleas from local elected officials.

“The claims of the sovereign immunity by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe have prevented both U.S. and New York State authorities from securing this area in Upstate New York, which has made it a very easy access point for drug trafficking,” writes Assemb. Andrew Raia (R-Northport) to Pataki, in a letter dated Oct. 24, of this year, and obtained by the Press. “Drug trafficking activities have been well-documented in this area, and it’s only a matter of time before their reservation serves as the doorway for a terrorist attack.” Pataki’s office did not return calls to the Press.

Raia suggests that no new casino deal should be made with the tribe until U.S. authorities are allowed to patrol the reservation."

Get the Story:
Michael M. Martino Jr.: Pataki Gambling On Our Safety (The Long Island Press 11/16)