Oneidas Target Schumer Over Casino Deal - Politics on the Hudson (blog)

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It’s budget season in New York and the first ad out of the gate is aimed at … Chuck Schumer?!

The Oneida Nation of Indians is out with an advertisement taking Sen. Charles Schumer to task for backing the land deal between the state and the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans in order to build a casino in the Catskill Mountains.

The

deal, which was inked by then-Gov. David Paterson late last year and is still subject to federal approval, is opposed by rival New York-based tribes and racino owners who believe the new casino will negatively impact their business.

State lawmakers have questioned why the agreement to swap several acres of land the Wisconsin-based tribe had claim to for another parcel of land was done without their knowledge or approval.

The tribe’s ad singles out the Aqueduct racetrack in Queens for being one of the facilities that could be harmed by the new casino.

“Something’s really wrong when the profits from this casino go back to Wisconsin,” the ad charges. The spot also claims the agreement was the product of a “shady backroom deals.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was not mentioned in the spot, has not taken a definitive stance on the casino.

The ad is running in downstate media markets and more commercials expected out later next week.

But construction and trades associations groups want the casino built, saying the construction will create thousands of local jobs. The ad can also be viewed here.



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