No stimulus for Indian casino at Bridgeville

Stockbridge Munsees had hopes

By FRITZ MAYER

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With thousands of projects being considered for the stimulus bill now in the U.S. Senate, supporters of the Stockbridge Munsee band of Mohicans had hoped that their proposed Sullivan County casino could get a push forward.

The tribe was not asking for any money. Instead, according to Tim McCausland, president and CEO of the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development, they had hopes that language could be inserted into the bill that would allow the tribe to legally open a casino in Bridgeville. The language would have allowed acreage in Bridgeville to be declared Indian Territory.

The tribe has been working on the project for nine years and has all permits and environmental approvals in place. But, it has not gone forward with constructing the facility because Dirk Kempthorne, the former secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) blocked progress on any new off-reservation casinos in January 2008.

It seems, however, that the tribe will not get its wish because the New York congressional delegation has reportedly not jumped on board with the plan.

Congressman Maurice Hinchey said that the stimulus package is not the way to go about trying to move the Indian casinos forward, which would need approval from the new DOI secretary Ken Salazar.

Hinchey said that he would be working with Salazar in the future to focus attention on the casino matter in Sullivan County. Hinchey reiterated his belief that a casino would have a positive effect on the local economy by stimulating jobs and creating growth.

The DOI did not return a call requesting clarification on Salazar’s views on off-reservation casinos.

The Stockbridge Munsees worked out a revenue-sharing agreement with Sullivan County in 2004, under which the tribe would pay $15 million per year to the county and other local governments to mitigate the impact of the casino on the surrounding community.