Blackbear

************************************************** ************
This Message Is Reprinted Under The Fair Use
Doctrine Of International Copyright Law:
_http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html_
(http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html)
************************************************** ************
FROM: THE SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD NEWSPAPER
_http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-3/114319455610
3520.xml&coll=1_
(http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststa...520.xml&coll=1)
Top Cayuga County Legislator: Tax Tribes


Indian issues loom big in annual speech. Auburn mayor focuses on economy.


Friday, March 24, 2006


By Scott Rapp

Staff writer
In his first state of the county address Thursday, Cayuga County Legislature
Chairman George Fearon left little doubt as to where he stands on two
hot-button American Indian issues.
First, Fearon said all American Indian tribes should have to pay property and
sales taxes at their places of business.
Second, he said he opposes any attempt by the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
to open a $400 million casino and resort in the town of Sennett, a path of
economic development that Fearon likened to chasing windmills.

"I'm saying it's not going to happen. Let's go after the real stuff rather
than something that's not going to happen," Fearon, R-Springport, said.
Both of his positions elicited applause from many in the crowd of about 180
people at the county Chamber of Commerce's annual state of the city of Auburn
and county addresses at the Auburn Holiday Inn.
Fearon shared the spotlight with Auburn Mayor Timothy Lattimore, who stressed
the importance of reducing energyÕ7LattimoreÕ costs and taxes to spur local
economic development in his third state of the city address.
"We want to foster expansion within our existing manufacturing sector. We
must continue to work on energy costs, workers' compensation costs, insurance
costs, property taxes and whatever we can do to grow our community," he said,
reading from a prepared text.
Lattimore also updated the city's Connector Road project, highlighted the
city's neighborhood improvement program and touted the planned wastewater
treatment plant incinerator project, which he said will save about $1 million in
yearly energy costs at the plant.
He also encouraged business leaders and elected officials in the audience to
"think regionally" and work as a team in recruiting industry to the county.
"What is good for the city of Auburn is also good for Cayuga County. What is
good for Cayuga County should also be goodÕ7FearonÕ for the city of Auburn.
We must continue to work together," Lattimore said.
American Indian issues continue to burn on the local landscape and played a
prominent theme in Fearon's address. Here are two issues on his radar screen:
Ö Last month, the Seneca-Cayugas appeared in Sennett to unveil their plan to
build a Las Vegas-style casino and resort on Route 34, about four miles north
of Auburn. They have offered to pay millions of dollars to local taxing
entities and the state yearly and would also pay all property and sales taxes.
The Sennett Town Board has yet to formally consider the proposal.
Ö The Cayuga Indian Nation of New York recently applied to put all of its
commercial properties and vacant land in Cayuga and Seneca counties into federal
trust, which would make them tax-free forever. Both counties and the state
oppose the application before the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Both tribes are co-defendants in the Cayuga Indian claim to some 64,000 acres
of ancestral land around the north end of Cayuga Lake. They recently asked
the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a federal appeals court's dismissal of their
claim and $247.9 million judgment last year.
On other issues, Fearon said the county is only months away from hiring its
first county manager, a move he has championed since taking office Jan. 1. He
also said the county needs Auburn Memorial Hospital to be on strong financial
footing to help the city and county draw new businesses and industry into
the area.
"If we want to go out and recruit industry or any other kind of business in
the county, if you don't have a medical facility like Auburn Memorial
Hospital, you would be off the list awful fast," he said.
Scott Rapp can be reached at srapp@syracuse.com or at 253-7316.

__________________
Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.

Blackbear

************************************************** ************
This Message Is Reprinted Under The Fair Use
Doctrine Of International Copyright Law:
_http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html_
(http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html)
************************************************** ************
FROM: THE SYRACUSE POST-STANDARD NEWSPAPER
_http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-3/114319413710
3520.xml&coll=1_
(http://www.syracuse.com/news/poststa...520.xml&coll=1)
Fearon Wants Tribes Taxed
Indian issues loom big in annual speech. Lattimore focuses on economy.

Friday, March 24, 2006
By Scott Rapp
Staff writer
In his first state of the county address Thursday, Cayuga County Legislature
Chairman George Fearon left little doubt as to where he stands on two
hot-button American Indian issues.
First, Fearon said all American Indian tribes should have to pay property and
sales taxes at their places of business.
Second, he said he opposes any attempt by the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
to open a $400 million casino and resort in the town of Sennett, a path of
economic development that Fearon likened to chasing windmills.


(http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/clic...cay/@StoryAd?x) "I'm saying it's not going to happen. Let's go after
the real stuff rather than something that's not going to happen," Fearon,
R-Springport, said.
Both of his positions elicitedÕ7FearonÕ applause from many in the crowd of
about 180 people at the county Chamber of Commerce's annual state of the city
of Auburn and county addresses at the Auburn Holiday Inn.
Fearon shared the spotlight with Auburn Mayor Timothy Lattimore, who stressed
the importance of reducing energy costs and taxes to spur local economic
development in his third state of the city address.
"We want to foster expansion within our existing manufacturing sector. We
must continue to work on energy costs, workers' compensation costs,
insuranceÕ7LattimoreÕ costs, property taxes and whatever we can do to grow our
community," he said, reading from a prepared text.
Lattimore also updated the city's Connector Road project, highlighted the
city's neighborhood improvement program and touted the planned wastewater
treatment plant incinerator project, which he said will save about $1 million in
yearly energy costs at the plant.
He also encouraged business leaders and elected officials in the audience to
"think regionally" and work as a team in recruiting industry to the county.
"What is good for the city of Auburn is also good for Cayuga County. What is
good for Cayuga County should also be good for the city of Auburn. We must
continue to work together," Lattimore said.
American Indian issues continue to burn on the local landscape and played a
prominent theme in Fearon's address. Here are two issues on his radar screen:
Ö Last month, the Seneca-Cayugas appeared in Sennett to unveil their plan to
build a Las Vegas-style casino and resort on Route 34, about four miles north

of Auburn. They have offered to pay millions of dollars to local taxing
entities and the state yearly and would also pay all property and sales taxes.
The Sennett Town Board has yet to formally consider the proposal.
Ö The Cayuga Indian Nation of New York recently applied to put all of its
commercial properties and vacant land in Cayuga and Seneca counties into federal
trust, which would make them tax-free forever. Both counties and the state
oppose the application before the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Both tribes are co-defendants in the Cayuga Indian claim to some 64,000 acres
of ancestral land around the north end of Cayuga Lake.
They recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a federal appeals
court's dismissal of their claim and $247.9 million judgment last year.
On other issues, Fearon said the county is only months away from hiring its
first county manager, a move he has championed since taking office Jan. 1.
He also said the county needs Auburn Memorial Hospital to be on strong
financial footing to help the city and county draw new businesses and industry
into the area.
"If we want to go out and recruit industry or any other kind of business in
the county, if you don't have a medical facility like Auburn Memorial
Hospital, you would be off the list awful fast," he said.
Scott Rapp can be reached at srapp@syracuse.com or at 253-7316.

__________________
Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear... just sing, sing a song.