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New York Lawmakers Approve Casino Pact12 April 2002KINGSTON, New York – As reported by the Daily Freeman: "Ulster County lawmakers took the first official action towards siting a casino on Thursday, approving a last-minute agreement with the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma to pay the county $15 million a year for seven years if the tribe opens a casino in the town of Wawarsing. "…Legislature Chairman Ward Todd, R-Shandaken, and Majority Leader Richard Gerentine, R-Marlboro, both members of the county's Special Committee on Casino Gambling, said the agreement with the Modoc tribe, a federally recognized group, was finalized earlier in the day Thursday. "…Todd said while no specific site is in the contract, the tribe is affiliated with the Western Mohegan tribe, which owns the Tamarack Lodge in Greenfield Park. "Gerentine said state legislation makes no provisions to compensate the county if a casino is sited in Ulster County, and the Modoc representatives had made it clear that they would go straight to the state if the Legislature did not approve the resolution Thursday. "…Eight of nine Legislature Democrats, except for Minority Leader Joan Feldmann, D-Saugerties, voted against the contract. Feldmann is a member of the casino committee, and had a copy of the contract before her, although other Democrats said they had not seen it. "Other objections included a lack of consultation with local government and Legislators from the Wawarsing district; concerns that the first deal on the table may not be the best for the county; and the idea that lawmakers were endorsing gambling with their vote…" |