When he outlined plans for his second term earlier this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated that the Empire State had long flirted and dallied with a potential economic engine — casino gambling.
It should be noted that like countless other politicians, the governor always opts for the softer selling approach, referring to it as “casino gaming.”
The less harsh language puts a kind of entertainment spin on the subject. Anyway it’s described, it is a way the state can generate vital revenues.
The downside of casino gambling that often is downplayed: It tends to take money away from the people who can least afford to lose it; the number of personal bankruptcy filings increase; and there is solid evidence from objective studies that addicted gambling — a byproduct of the casinos — is a key factor in the breakup of many homes and relationships.
All that aside, proponents insist that casinos create jobs — in Niagara Falls, some 2,000 at the Seneca Niagara Casino — and bolster the local economy.
There also is the city’s 6.25 percent share of the state’s 25 percent portion of the slot machine revenues although as the record shows, those funds are usually in arrears for at least two or three years.
Gov. Cuomo now contends it’s time to confront reality. He has asked the lawmakers to amend the state Constitution to legalize casino gambling. In a word, Cuomo argues that since New York is surrounded by “gaming” in neighboring states and Canadian provinces, those places are getting the tourism, the revenue and the good jobs that belong in the Empire State.
The Native Americans have five casinos in this state — three in Western New York — and the state controls nine racinos at racetracks.
It should be interesting to see how serious Cuomo is about pushing the casino issue in 2012, the timeframe he suggested in his State of the State address.
Anyone who witnessed the abortive attempts by the state Legislature to legalize casino gambling more than three decades ago knows the petty politics and the turf battles that traditionally erupt between upstate and downstate factions in Albany.
The debate never fails to bring out the worst of the dysfunctional side of the Legislature.
For the record, Niagara Falls doesn’t need another casino. More than anything else, the Cataract City needs a concerted effort to attract hi-tech industry, more downtown development and a focus on family oriented attractions and services.
Opinion
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EDITORIAL: Cuomo's gamble won't pay off
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