According to the The Times Herald Record Gov. Eliot Spitzer is close to approving a $600-million Monticello casino, his spokeswoman said. “We are optimistic that there will be something in a number of days,” she said of the governor taking a historic step of approving the St. Regis Mohawk casino at Monticello Gaming and Raceway.
In December, the feds gave environmental approval. Spitzer must concur by letter with those findings for the Mohawks and their partner, Empire Resorts, to go forward.
If Spitzer signs, it would be a hurdle that no other Catskill casino has cleared, paving the way for final approval by the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. Only three times before have governors allowed state land to be taken into trust for an off-reservation casino – none of them were in New York.
“There are negotiations going on and, if I were to characterize them, I would say we are optimistic,” the governor’s spokeswoman said.
“I can tell you that the governor believes that casinos can play a role in economic development. I wouldn’t say it is months out. I would say less than weeks.”
The governor and the Mohawks still have to work out a compact that specifies, among other things, a revenue sharing deal. A spokeswoman for the Mohawks said yesterday the compact will be negotiated later.
“They are embracing this,” State Sen. John Bonacic, R-C-Mount Hope, said yesterday of Spitzer.
“So, I think, from what they have told me, they are going to move quickly on this, and I am glad.”
Other significant hurdles would remain. The Department of Interior must take just less than 30 acres into trust. The feds notified the Mohawks that final approval is not guaranteed.
The casino will also likely face a number of court challenges.
But casino supporters say the governor’s approval would be one of the last big hurdles in the way of a decades-long dream.
“It is another step for jobs and economic development in the town and county,” Thompson Supervisor Tony Cellini said. “I have been waiting 30 years.”
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51 Responses
Yes, your taxes may go down (but don’t count on it), but so will the ruchniyus in the area. It will bring in many undesirables, plus, unfortunately, snare many of the frum olam in the trap. Who has not heard of frima yidden in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, and how many homes have been destroyed because of gambling addiction. Yotzo schoro (minor) behefsedo (major).
Thir is terebil, we must put a stop to this riht now.
In fact casinos attract the upper class! There is an entrance fee to be paid and its mostly those who have enough money to splurge on gambling just for fun. If you will ever enter a casino you will see Arab Sheiks, or Texan Oil Millioniares and other swanky individuals. The low class who dont have enough to feed themselves arent going to splash their last pennies on Russian Roulet.
You are right it WILL be a stumbling block for those who are already addicted and thats unfortunate but the status of the crowd will certainly not diminish because there is a casino more than it will for other reasons.
Nameless, it’s obvious you’ve never been to a casino. While I applaud you for that, you really shouldn’t offer opinions on something that you have no idea about.
Nameless has no clue (as usual…..) what he/she is talking about.
I unfortunalty have been to the Avi-Avos-Hatunah of Las Vegas and Atlantic City for business conventions more then one hundred times.
“Arab Sheiks, or Texan Oil Millionaires and other swanky individuals”
WHAT, in heaven’s name are you talking about?
Please stop with your ridicules comments.
It seems to me that every single news story MUST have comments from “Nameless”.
Get your facts straight before you submit your comments again, since you are starting to look like a joke.
The casinois I’ve seen in Europe ONLY had an upper class crowd. Dont know what kind of vermin you’ve come across in your neck of the woods. Before you JUMP THE GUN start to realize that casinos are NOT only in VEGAS oR ATLANTIC CITY.
The point I wanted to make was that these type of people are NOT gona be the ones to mug you at gun point or break into your deli’s , beat up on the owner and run with thecash! I meant that the area in Monticello might ATTRACT A LESS VIOLENT CROWD.
Joe Schmoe
‘Derech Eretz Kodmoh La Torah’
Try to adress your peers with a little more respect. EVEN if you dont agree with them.
As our sages tell us….
Hamalbin Penei Chaveiro Birabim, Ain Lo chelek Biolom Haboh’.
ps. Dont know what aCasino in the States even looks like…so you were ‘choished biksheirim…another point for you!
Nameless, really, stop while you are not too far behind. Yes, I’ve seen casino’s in Europe as well, and it’s hard to discern the difference in the rabble that they attract there and here. Oh, and Russian Roulette is played with a pistol, not with chips in a casino.
Alter Bachur
lol! Really , I wish for you a shidduch very soon but you’ll have to stop jumping the gun……
Read my post…I said the casinos which I HAVE BEEN TO IN EUROPE only consisted of the upper class. I based my opinion on that ,and as you say because I am not familiar with casinios in America I assumed it was the same.
Re – Russian Roulette..
you got me there…am not familiar and proud of it!
The Monticello Casino is the not the neighborly gathering that I desire for the kids in camp to visit on their days off. Camp Rules must include:: NO NO for the casino.
“In fact casinos attract the upper class! There is an entrance fee to be paid”
There’s an entrance fee in Great Adventure and Disneyland too, and believe me, it ain’t the upper class. Nameless should be renamed Clueless.
Nameless: Amein.
The point I was making is that casinos draw a certain crowd wherever they are. There is absolutely no reason to assume that an upstate NY casino would have any different type of crowd than Atlantic City or Connecticut, even if a few casinos in Europe may.
Alter…
Yes thats a fair assessment. However I’m sure you understand that its logical to assume that gambling would attract a majority of people who have enough money to spill out for the fun of it!
The low life thugs normally resort to stealing or holding people up at gun point. can we agree on that?
No, Nameless, unfortunately we can’t.
Casinos attract the dregs of society. People blow their life savings in casinos on a daily basis. Regular blue-collar working-class people can become addicted gamblers quite easily, and unfortunately we don’t have to look outside of our own communities to see that truth. It’s an addiction, and addictions are illogical by nature. So applying logic to who would or should attend a casino really doesn’t jive with reality.
In addition, I have never seen a casino charge an entrance fee. On the contrary, they make it as easy as possible for people to get in.
I’m also thrilled that you don’t know what Russian Roulette is.
My last two points are this: You should refrain from commenting on something you are (admittedly) unfamiliar with. That’s all.
‘There is an entrance fee for Great Adventure and Disneyland………’
PLEASSSSSEEEEEE……is this for real????
There entrance fees to public toilet as there are to GALA DINNERS!!!!!
KISHKA, come on……
Again, certain places in the South of Spain. There is an entrance fee, you have to show Identification and MUST be dressed in a tie. The regulations in the States I do not know….
For the life of me, I can’t figure out the parallels between certain exclusive places in Southern Spain and Upstate New York. But I think this point has been beaten to death already.
Sorry! I dont mean to come across intimidating but I am just giving you the facts as it is in upscale European resorts. I would love to ‘red you ashidduch’ Alter. You seem so sincere and erhlich!
Nameless, you are hardly intimidating. 🙂
Once again, what in the world do “upscale European resorts” have to do with Upstate New York?
Feel free to have the final word.
you said that youdon think there are casinoswhere there are entrance fees.correct??? so I clarrified that.. Entrance fee of about 50 euros, gotta be over 21 show ID AND be dressed in a tie and jacket. The place is swarming with Texan Millionaires and Arab Sheiks. I admit that i wasnt informed about the regulations in the States but since you say you are aware of the policies in Europe as well, I wanted to set the record staight…thats all!
My two cents. I own a vaction home on Route 17b just 8 miles from Monticello Raceway. 3 Summers ago they put up a huge billboard showing what the new casino will look like. 2 years ago the sign was gone and I was relieved. I hoped that the deal was killed and that was the last we would hear about it. Now it looks like the deal will go through. I fail to understand why people are debating the issue. It is really quite simple. Is this something that will enhance the Ruchnius of the Catskills or Chalilah turn into trife nightmare that will make the Woodbourne of 30 years ago pale by comparision. Please keep in mind, that we leave the city to get away from the Tumah, and now we are going from the frying pan into the fire. The sad joke of a person going to Atlantic City in a $40,000.00 car and coming home on a $200,000.00 bus is only to real.
“I dont mean to come across intimidating”
You don’t. At all. Really.
Entrance fees to Disneyland are about $75 per person. A family of four is about $350. Great Adventure is in the same league; maybe a bit less. That’s not cheap; yet, you’ll find every lowlife there. So even if there was some kind of charge, it wouldn’t limit it to high-rollers. But in fact, there is no entrance fee to casinos in the States. Don’t you get it? The point is to attract common people, not keep them away. You really are clueless about life in the States, so how about you stop yakking about it?
Well yes we agree on that. The standard and quality of life in the STATES is definitly much lower then it is in Europe by all means. So is the education of the youth unfortunatly. Not at all suprising if you say that casinos want to, and apparantly successfully lure all types .
I was just hoping for you that the regulations with regard to casinos in upstate New York would be as strict as they are here in Europe allowing for you to be surrounded by people who are a bit more civilized.
“The standard and quality of life in the STATES is definitly much lower then it is in Europe by all means”
Never having been to Europe, I cannot comment on that. I will say, though: At least we’re not about to be overrun by Muslim fanatics. I count that as a big plus.
Eh….hmmmmm, Kishka:
I meant on a spiritual level…..but all denominations, not just Jews.
I lived in New York for a year and I recall going into some Pizza store somewhere in Bp.
I approached one of the waiters and asked “Can I have some ketchup please’?’
The waiter looked at me in shock(not because I am ugly) and quickly responded ‘PLEASE…??? did you say PLEASE?????….we dont hear that word around here……ok, he was probalby exaggarating but nevertheless!
About 2 years ago, i spoke with an employee from Kutcher’s in monticello. He told me that the hotel was just sold to a major casino chain. I don’t recall the name. The casino was supposed to take full charge of the grounds in 5 years (3 years from now). They will then start development of a full flung casino and resort.
nameless: europe is desolate and a spiritual wasteland. the “civilized” inhabitants took case of that. it has a bloody Jewish history on its hands. the quality of life spiritually and physically is far better in E. Yisroel, with their many Makom Torahs, and more civilized neighbors.
I don’t buy it; I’ve always found your average American to be friendly and nice. And from what I hear, there is far more anti-Semitism in Europe.
Yes, Europe is full of anti-semites, as it has been throughout history. any civilization there is coincidental. they have changed little since the dark ages.
Nameless.
We , the general readership of the yeshiva world, don’t agree with just about anything you say.
Do you post your honest beleifs about issues, or do you just want to get attention? If you just want to get attention thats fine, but please let us know.
In the past i have verified to you and everyone, that you have Kruma Hashkofos based on Gidolim.
How old are you, and waht is your background?
Nameless, or is that Sir/Madam Nameless,
I Love hearing the European lecture us lowly Americans about being civil and refined – after all the europeansmayh not have invented the art of not being civil to ones neighbors, but they certainly raised the bar. How many bloody (literaly bloody – not in the UK sense) expulsions occured—in Europe. How many world wars started—in Europe. How many Yidden were forced to convert or die—in Europe.
so because you think that you have a better “class” of gambler—in Europe, we should just ignore all that history that comes along with it—in Europe. …and don’t start talking about opera and other art forms – and technologies – we saw what the most sophisticated technological society did to our fathers and mothers in Mitzrayim – they put babies in bricks and to our fathers and mothers in Europe where they…
need I say more.
I am reading all these comments and I cannot believe the “discussions” about the quality of the clients of the respective casinos of Europe and the United States. Now we are on to the civilizations of Europe and the United States. Yes, the earth in Europe is soaked with Yiddishe blood from centuries of pogroms and anti-semitism, but I detect a tone of superiority from some of our American writers who are commenting on this issue (which started out as comments on the Monticello casino and has gone far afield). There is somewhat of an “It can’t happen here” mentality. Europe did not become anti-semitic overnight. (To the commentator on Mitzraim, it was also a haven in the beginning). America is a young country, and Boruch Hashem, except for isolated incidents in its history, has been a Medina shel Chesed for us. But let us not forget that we are still in galus. If it says that Tzion will be for us a Pleita, then it means that there is what to run away from, Hashem Yerachaim.
Like only a very few of the ‘commentators,’ I can’t believe the types of comments that are being offered by most of the commentators re the opening of this type of establishment in the Catskills.
What really upsets me, though, is the type of abuse that some are subject to by others for merely expressing their opinion. ‘Nameless’ has “no clue as usual”; he/she “looks like a joke”; he/she “should stop yakking,” and apparently, “we, the general readership of Yeshiva World, don’t agree with just about anything he/she has to say”; he/she “just wants attention,” and has “Krume Hashkafos.”
What has Nameless said or done to deserve such abuse and ridicule? Express his/her opinion?
To the censors of these comments: in my humble opinion, a distinction should be made between commentators who disagree with other commentators – that’s perfectly fine – and commentators who take shots at other commentators for expressing their opinion.
Sheesh!
Chuchem….
Thank you very much but I think I made that point very clear and the only ones who were ridiculed were those who splashed away with theIR INSECURE
BITTER remarks. There are always people who cant handle a challenge. Its a pity actually!
Nameless – you are right “There are always people who cant handle a challenge. Its a pity actually!” another pity is those who can’t handle reality. agree?
TOTALLY…..the reality is that Anti semitism is much higher in Europe as you say and always was!
HOWEVER…. respect for others , KOVOD HABRIYOS is much higher in europe that it is in America. JUST read how comentators lash out at others they may disagree with. Not just on this particular topic, but in other issues. Unneccessary name calling, agressive tempremant and unconstructive sarcasm. I personally am above it all, but nevertheless…
REALITY,,?????
Just a couple of points.
I think Alter Bachur is a fine example of how someone can make a compelling argument without resorting to personal attacks. Thank you AB.
Susshow, it’s really arrogant of you to assume that you represent the general readership of YW and that they agree with your position. How can you possibly know that?
And Nameless, I think you should say what you believe even if nobody else goes along with it. So thank you too.
Rodef….
LOL! Susshow is by no means arrogant….lol. He is constantly saying that the Gedolim think my haskofos are krum….he can never pinpoint WHAT those hashkofos are, not to mention name those particular Gedolim….
Rodef re: your comments – I agree we should all be free with our comments we should speak for ourselves only. Additionally we should try to be nicer to each other – I am quilty with this one at times – if I offended anyone please forgive me – I’ll try to more respectful in future posts
The buttom line is that monticello will likely become a very undesirable area for us. however they will pay top $ for anything in sight. so fear not that your vacation home will be worthless.
hopefully we can all regroup in fallsburg, liberty, etc & create a matzav that monticello will be of our 4 amos.
Friday afternoon traffic can become even more brutal than it currently is.
The European goyim are the biggest uncivilized roitzchem in the universe. The Yidden in America and Europe are no better than one another.
Lets leave anti semitism on the ‘back burner’ for now.
Dont know what you mean by ‘better’. But Europeans are far more respectful to their elders, Goyim and Jews alike than Americans.
btw
Kutchers is still up for sale as of today. so relax casinos arent going all over the catskills
Whew, what alot of talk?
A suggestion may be to spend our vacations and summers in Eretz Yisroel with no stop-over in European countries, and avoid the casino that used to be, and is planning to be rebuilt in Yericho.
“HOWEVER…. respect for others , KOVOD HABRIYOS is much higher in europe that it is in America.”
a) I don’t believe it.
b) Even if it’s true, who cares? I’d rather have an impolite neighbor than one who wants to kill me.
‘I dont believe it’
You say you were never in Europe, so whether you believe it or not is irrelevant….
Your second point is quite valid . Although Bh, in our city, the Muslims are not
really our neighbours….:))))))
Kishke, don’t be naive.
A goy is a goy is a goy.
They don’t like us.
It really doesn’t matter if they happen to be from Mongolia, Zimbabwe or New York. Thankfully we live in a Medina Shel Chessed and it’s not socially acceptable to show your anti-semitism. But don’t assume for a second that it doesn’t exist here. That would be repeating a fatal mistake.
“Kishke, don’t be naive.
A goy is a goy is a goy.”
Are you talking to me or to Clueless? Your comment is more fitting for him.
But as it happens, I disagree with the sentiment. It’s narrow-minded and dumb. As though the goyim of Nazi Germany are like those of America. Ridiculous.
Rodef Shalom Says:
February 5th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Just a couple of points.
I think Alter Bachur is a fine example of how someone can make a compelling argument without resorting to personal attacks. Thank you AB.
———————————————
Rodef Shalom Says:
February 5th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Kishke, don’t be naive.
———————————————-
So R’S – when did your position change against making personal attacks???
Kishke:
I was adressing you because it seemed that you felt that your neighbors in America are great while the ones in Europe today want to kill you. Feel free to disagree, but I think you’re making a bad mistake.
mdlevine:
You gotta be kidding me. Imploring someone not be naive is hardly a personal attack. You’re really nitpicking (no, that’s not a personal attack either).
GAME OVER.
This thread has NO point!