SENECAS SCREW CITY

Let's face it, the Seneca Nation of Indians has made for one really lousy neighbor.

It's been seven years since the state gave the tribe 50 acres of prime downtown Niagara Falls real estate in return for them dropping their claim on Grand Island. In other words, the fat cats who live on Grand Island can rest easy at night knowing that the city of Niagara Falls, as usual, took the hit for their benefit.

The thinking was that there would be a spinoff, that the surrounding neighborhood would benefit from the new traffic generated, that casino employees would be glad for the luxury of having low-cost housing within walking distance of their jobs and that new businesses would spring up and thrive as a golden age dawned.

What actually happened has been far different. Like the state parks, the casino is a black hole where tourist dollars go to die. Former city landmarks like the Press Box and George's Restaurant are gone, and the business people who remain are hanging on by the skin of their teeth.

Even Pine Avenue has been hard hit, as gamblers prefer to stay in the casino for meals and locals feed the slot machines rather than themselves. The fact that people can smoke at the casino's restaurants and nightclubs, and that the establishments operate without the add-on costs associated with New York state's ridiculous tax burden, serve to further put non-Seneca businesses at a disadvantage.

The residential neighborhood is worse than it ever was. Landlords who were putting money into their properties five years ago in anticipation of a swarm of casino workers looking for places to live are now letting the places go for taxes. The sense of hopelessness and futility is palpable.

Last week the Senecas became successful in throwing the Niagara Aerospace Museum out onto the street by evicting it from its home in the former Carborundum Building, which they acquired from the late Frank Amendola under threat of eminent domain.

According to the Buffalo News, the museum will be moving to Buffalo. Niagara Falls will lose yet another popular tourist attraction, and its residents will have to pay the increased Grand Island Bridge tolls to go and get a look at their own cultural heritage.

And the Senecas? They don't give a damn.

http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/editorial308.html

The STATE screws us by imposing "ridiculous tax burden" on businesses.
The STATE screws businesses by banning smoking in bars and restaurants.
The STATE screws commuters by raising the Grand Island tolls.
The EMPLOYEES screw local home sellers by choosing to live elsewhere
The CITY and COUNTY taxes are screwing local homeowners

Why not also add:
Ontario casinos are "screwing" NY casino business
Ontario parks are "screwing" NYS parks because they are more beautiful and popular
International tourists are "screwing" NFNY in favor of Ontario

...etc

The Senecas aren't screwing NF, they are just getting less screwed than the rest of the Falls.

As far as the Senecas being a good neighbor, as far as I can tell they are just living by the rules agreed to between them and the state.

And, by the way, the author needs to get out more if he thinks Grand Island is the home of "fat cats."

And, by the way, the author needs to get out more if he thinks Grand Island is the home of "fat cats."

Truer words were never spoken!!!

According to the Buffalo News, the museum will be moving to Buffalo. Niagara Falls will lose yet another popular tourist attraction,
Popular??!? Last year it drew an average of only 205 people per day and in it's highest year it drew just 273 per day.

Popular ? LMAO at that one!:laugh:

And the Senecas? They don't give a damn.

Why should they when the local residents and politicians they continually elect don't. City heal thyself.

How can it? I agree that local leadership is a part of the problem, but Buffalo has a lot going against it that is out of the city's hands.

:lol:

The Seneca nation has hardly screwed Niagara Falls USA. That city has been screwing itself with numerous techniques for decades...most recently a shitty mayor who seemed to be a puppet for organized crime. So the tribe takes the old convention center and turns it into a profitable casino, they build a hotel and they enjoy the luxury of doing those things with their own money.

Niagara Falls was willing to take on the idea that the casino...1 business, could save the city, escape the responsibility to themselves and run government correctly. Albany may be the burden of so many of the policy issues we are seeing on this side of the state but the success of a casino can hardly be a guilt-trip the Senecas should have to deal with.

People need to stop expecting the Seneca's to share their wealth, hell can you blame these people for not trusting us? we killed thousands of them and forced them to live on swamp land for years. If they have a chance to make something for themselves and send their children to college and provide jobs...I don't blame them.

Typical WNY feelings, follow, be a victim and complain...and wait.

:ohno:

How can it? I agree that local leadership is a part of the problem, but Buffalo has a lot going against it that is out of the city's hands.

I was referring to NFNY not Buffalo.

Typical WNY feelings, follow, be a victim and complain...and wait.

:ohno:
and repeat the cycle ad infinitum

What boggles my mind is that there is one of the most unique tourist traps in the nation, if not all of North America, and it just sits there rotting. WAKE UP NYS! It's like a war zone. If NF was in any other state, it would be turned into a mecca for shopping, conventions, tourists, etc. Doesn't that make sense? DUH!
I disagree about what the author says about the Senecas. They're giving the city new life, something that the state, and other developers have been sh*tting on for decades.
I don't gamble, and that's not the issue. The issue is that there IS finally something to do in downtown NF. Remember the winter Gardens? I remember going there when I was a kid. Was it the city, state or owner that screwed that? All I'm saying is that the Senecas are actually doing something there. Better than all the broken promises that we've all heard before. They get things done and fast. That's the same take I see it for the Buffalo casino.

The Province of Ontario has built 2 casinos in Niagara Falls, Ontario, (same as the Senecas) , have not built anything else outside of their properties (same as the Senecas), have kept the vast majority of the profits (same as the Senecas) and given very little, monetarily, back to the city (same as the Senecas, although N.F.N.Y. gets a whole lot more than NFO). And yet, Niagara Falls, Ontario has experienced a major building boom of hotels, restaurants and attractions because investors know that if thousands of people are coming to the casinos, chances are that they might want to do other things also. Why this hasn't happened on the N.Y. side, I don't know, but I hardly think it is the fault of the Senecas. Like our side, the casinos are only the catalyst, it is up to others to build on it.

Like Spaulding said - in any other state, and I'll add in any other country - Niagara Falls would be a world-class tourist destination. I've thought and said that before myself many times. Generally I think the US side, while the much more park-like setting is a massive benefit, is downright depressing. Even the state reservation doesn't look like it has experienced any maintenance or construction of any sort since the '50s. I'm almost embarrassed to take out-of-town guests there, but fortunately I think the awe of the falls themselves suppresses that for at least the first time, anyways. I guess we should be thankful that someone had the stroke of genius required to remove that Goddamn expressway from the riverfront. I don't know what it is about prominent water features and expressways (or "parkways" as they like to call them) going hand-in-hand in this state.

Now, granted I don't care for the tackiness of the Canadian side that almost turns the falls themselves into a sideshow. Because of that and the overall depression of the American side, if I'm planning a day trip I'll usually just go to Toronto or something instead.

The Province of Ontario has built 2 casinos in Niagara Falls, Ontario, (same as the Senecas) , have not built anything else outside of their properties (same as the Senecas), have kept the vast majority of the profits (same as the Senecas) and given very little, monetarily, back to the city (same as the Senecas, although N.F.N.Y. gets a whole lot more than NFO). And yet, Niagara Falls, Ontario has experienced a major building boom of hotels, restaurants and attractions because investors know that if thousands of people are coming to the casinos, chances are that they might want to do other things also. Why this hasn't happened on the N.Y. side, I don't know, but I hardly think it is the fault of the Senecas. Like our side, the casinos are only the catalyst, it is up to others to build on it.

Good points, and if you ask anyone visiting the falls, they'll tell you they're staying and spend the most time on the CA side. They come over to the NY side for a couple hours to see the view.

crime rate on the American side is what kills business.

I told my dad I was at the state park a couple years ago and he looked at me like I was crazy...said it used to be nothing but junkies, homosexual activity and muggings all over. It has cleaned up on the park and the city area is getting slightly better...the casino is hardly hurting any effort of that.

its easy to blame the Indians, hell they are not required to answer to politicians like our elected officials are...so the finger gets pointed and another shitbag bunch of fat-cats chew on more pork while nothing is fixed. :ohno:

homosexual activity:lol:

They do say the falls release neutrons? which help you get in the mood.

maybe it was frowned upon in the Queens Dominion, I dunno. :)

even if the senecas WERE screwing anybody in niagra falls, i think its idiotic and hypocritical to condemn them for it.

i mean...

It's not like NY or the country has been advantagous or corteous to them for the past couple hundred years. I don't really think i have to elaborate.

Not the homosexicals!

I think he meant homersexuals. Unless your name is Homer?

I honestly don't get while Niagara Falls, NY has so much potential so became a class destination, like it's cross-border cousin, and doesn't take advantage of the natural surroundings (notably the falls), probably the fact there is only so much money to go towards a state of roughly 20-30 million people, with several large-size metros and one gigantic of monster city and metro, but I think the Senecas Casino was more meant to probably help, and not necessarily hurt the local economy, but NF's got more problems than that. It may not have helped that much, though. It's really a shame the things that have happened to lead to the Niagara Falls, NY decline. I agree though, poorly run city management, rumored high crime, and potential not being realized all contribute to it.

As for the Senecas screwing Buffalo, I don't think it will be that big of a deal, as the city has a good amount going for it and its potential is slowly, but surely, being realized. But we'll have to wait and see.

give it a few more years, NFNY just started getting money from the Senecas (through the State) this year. I've seen some decent progress in downtown NFNY over the last year or two, we'll see if they can clean it up more over the next few years, maybe demolish some houses and renovate others. I'm going to wait a while longer to judge whether the casino has been visibly beneficial.