Sullivan ‘comfortable’ with state on gaming

Has problems with peace resolution

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY — Rodney Gaebel’s comfort level with state Indian gambling casino politics was back in the green range last week.

The majority leader had been high up in the red scale earlier this month, when legislators were worried about a “back door” casino deal that the state might launch without the county’s okay.

They were worried that their two $15 million deals, with the St. Regis Mohawks and the Stockbridge Munsees, might get disqualified.

They were arguing about the expense of spending $5,000 a month to hire a lobbying firm to look out for their interests in Albany.

But all that angst was dissolved on February 19, when Gaebel, legislator Greg Goldstein and county attorney Ira Cohen drove up to Albany and spent some quality time with Governor Pataki’s chief guy for Indian deals, Gregory Allen.

Gaebel said he came away from the meeting with an assurance that Albany would not strike any deals without Sullivan’s having a contract in place with the tribe.

And “we’re assured a contact person in Albany,” he said.

“I think now we have a comfort level that we probably don’t need a lobbyist,” Gaebel said.

In other business at their monthly meeting, legislators were not so comfortable endorsing an anti-war resolution provided by members of Sullivan Peace.

Spokesman Richard Riseling argued that the legislature’s position, that it is inappropriate for a municipality to take positions on national foreign policy, was not valid.

“More than 100 others [towns, cities and counties] have already,” he said.

Chair Leni Binder said the resolution “will be part of the record,” of the meeting, but no legislator attempted to move it to the panel’s agenda.