Editorial: Reject Cayuga land claim settlement

Monday, June 18, 2007  

"Judging from what residents at public hearings, officials in affected towns and villages, and even a few county legislators have been saying, it seems clear that Cayuga and Seneca county lawmakers should not approve the proposed land claim/land-in-trust settlements with the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York.

Each county is scheduled to vote on the deals next week, basically a month after a surprise settlement proposal was first made public.

The reasons outlined by settlement opponents are valid. This deal gives away far too much to the tribe, it puts municipalities and school districts at considerable risk of losing a fifth of their tax base, and it leverages any returns to the counties on the financial viability of a casino.

We remain in support of the idea of a settlement to mitigate the impact of the inevitable federal decision to take the Cayugas' land into trust. And we remain firm that this deal is not acceptable.

County lawmakers need to reject the program and then ask their attorney working on these talks to start again. Apparently the Cayugas have said there is no room for further negotiation, but we find it hard to believe they would walk away from the table if they knew there was county support for the concept of a deal."

Get the Story:
Editorial: County needs better deal with Cayugas (The Auburn Citizen 6/17)

Cayuga Land Claim Decision:
Cayuga Nation v. New York (June 28, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Indian Nation Fee-to-Trust Land Acquisition Applications in New York State - http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ogc/lands.html

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