In the early 1800’s the entire area known as Buffalo was called the Buffalo Creek Reservation. It was sold out from under the Seneca in an illegal land scam approved by the U.S. government. So, the Seneca have has a legal claim to all the land in Buffalo for over a century. The U.S. government recognizes that claim, but requires the Seneca to buy the land back. It is a huge mess, and the 1990 Settlement with the Seneca was enter into by both parties to resolve it.

The Seneca originally tried to buy land in Cheektowaga to build their casino on. But civic leaders in Buffalo sued them, because they wanted to force the Seneca to build the Casino in the City of Buffalo, and only in Buffalo.

How much are you willing to jack the Seneca around? How far do you want to go to interfere with treaties between the Seneca and the federal government? Are you proposing that the State of New York secede from the Union?

I think you are just hung up on the fact that the Seneca have patiently worked to get their land back and use it under the legal framwork negotiated for with the government. You really don’t care about gambling, or you would be protesting the lottery outlets in Buffalo. You are a fraud and angry at the Seneca.

I should also remind you that the Seneca are US Citizens. Many of them (in the past and today) fight in the armed forces to keep this country free. They vote, pay taxes, send their kids to public schools, drive on the right side of the road, eat hot dogs on the forth of July, and watch the Superbowl. So why do you hate your own people? Why do you want to treat your own people like they are not Americans? You must be mistaking Buffalo for Germany in the 1930s? You have decided to scapegoat the Seneca for all the ills of society.

Seek counceling Bumble. Get rid of all that hate.

Wouldn’t it be great if Buffalo could open a casino in downtown Toronto?
Just think of the money we could take out of there!
(There is no empirical study of that either).
Does anyone think the People of Toronto would “just let that happen”?

First, it’s gambling, let’s acknowledge it is what it is. Let’s also acknowledge that gambling has been in WNY for decades and we never heard a peep out of the Wendt trustees until the Seneca wanted to buy into the game.

Second, it has never been established that the city has much of an economy, nor that $150 million will come out of it. There is no empirical study of Buffalo and gambling out there. So, drop the scare tactics and boogieman casino talk. Just for the record, there is no boogieman.

Third, Grass-Roots? What? Where did that come from? This type of race bating is why I am coming to the conclusion that PART of the anti-casino lobby is a knee jerk reaction to minority run casinos. Remember, I just say it is PART (and probably a small, subconscious part) of the motivation, but this is a legitimate issue to explore further.

Finally, I’d like to see the Wendt Foundation give as much to the city mission as it did to the Frank Lloyd Right House. Imagine helping homeless people instead of helping an empty house. But, don’t count on the mission being any more crowded than it already is. I believe they run at capacity. Even with a steadily declining city population and no job growth. More to the point, don’t count on the Wendt Foundation to start caring about the poor. That concern ends after the Wendt trustees step over the poor and get into their limos.

A casino in downtown Buffalo is absolutely brilliant!

Of course, there is nothing blocking New York from legalizing gambling. But, that is a separate issue. If you are interested in pursuing the legalization of gambling in NY, contact the Wendt Foundation. They are supportive of gambling as long as it is not in the City of Buffalo. So, the Wendt Foundation would probably back your efforts to legalize gambling everywhere in New York but Buffalo. You should apply for a grant with the Wendt Foundation. They have millions to throw behind lobbying efforts.

The United States Senate can not delegate that authority to the U. S. Secretary of the Interior or the National Indian Gaming Commission.

If New York State had any smarts; it would drop the phoniness of Seneca Casinos and learn from our Canadien neighbors. Ontario takes in all the money from their gambling operations, rather than settling for 1 ½ % (one and one half percent).

And just for the sake of argument; New York State can not give part of the City of Buffalo to the Canadiens, or to the British or to the French for that matter.

4. Wendt’s trustees don’t track their stock portfolio any more than does the average person with money in a retirement account (quick, without looking—how much of your retirement account is invested in pharmaceuticals? what precisely does the bank where you keep deposits do with your cash?)

If the trustees of the Wendt Foundation who earn ~$144K per year for ~140 hours of work are unaware as to where the assets of the $120MM foundation are invested, they have patently vacated their fiduciary responsibilities to the trust and should step down.

As to your query about my investment portfolio, I have no investments in pharmaceutical interests as I advised my financial planner to focus my money on defense and telecom stock while dabbling in foreign currencies, muni bonds, and commodities. I am active in the maintenance of my portfolio as anyone with an ounce of financial expertise should be.

What Bruce asked is (so far) an open-ended question: Where did the line of attack on this institution, which has never before been accused of anything but generosity, originate? Who thought of it?

I know how it originated with me and it had nothing to do with watching a TV report or reading a story. As a journalism student, I was always advised to follow the money in any issue of public interest and that’s what I did. I know where the Seneca money comes from and what their interests are. On the other hand, I know nothing about the money sources for the opposition, the reason for their interest, who was funding, who was receiving money for legal work, and who benefited from $2MM in legal fees.

Any journalist should have asked the very same questions that I asked.

You say it’s innuendo, I say it’s investigation, common sense journalism, and following the money. I don’t buy for a second that the opposition to this casino is based on some “aw shucks” morality of two guys in suspenders and beards. I think there is more to it and I’ll look to see if I’m right. Along the way, we’ll be mocked, ridiculed, and attacked for questioning the motives of an organization that has “never before been accused of anything but generosity”. So what if they haven’t? Does this somehow exempt them from questions? What is the interest in protecting the old money of Buffalo?

Finally, to wrap us into the litany of right wing bloggers who bought into the swiftboat attacks is just as baseless and undignified as Bruce’s original article. It informs the readers here that I am somehow too dumb to see I am being led down the path of ignorance by forces greater than myself. Please. We’re asking questions and investigating something I find to be of interest to the public. Even if it questions something as sacrosanct as the Wendt Foundation and the old power structure of Buffalo.

Why did you choose to organize CACGEC as a program under the Network of Religious Communities rather than any other 501c3 organization? As you certainly are aware, as a faith-based organization, the NRC is not required to file Form 990 with the IRS which opens up several questions as to how your organizational activities are funded.

What is the current 501c3 status of CACGEC with the Department of State in New York and with the Attorney Generals office? According to NY records ( http://tinyurl.com/CACGEC ) CACGEC is listed as being incorporated September 7, 2006 as a domestic not for profit corporation with no registered agent.

Did you file the requisite paperwork for your 501c3 status with the NY Attorney General? If so, when? What is the status for that request? Will you disclose what monies have have been received, used, and disbursed through NRC for your purposes at CACGEC? As it currently stands, unless you have a 501c3 exemption, your monies and disbursements are taxable. Using the charities search engine at the NY Attorney General’s Office, neither CBB nor CACGEC is a tax exempt organization. Even though both organizations filed for non-profit status in New York State in 2006.

I have many more questions about this organization, the Wendt Foundation, CBB, NRC, and the people involved. I am certain that you will be as honest and transparent as necessary to state all facts for the public record. I eagerly await your response.

“Rachel and Michael Jackson have never been paid a cent by the Wendt Foundation for their work on the casino lawsuit;”

Who says? And who do they get paid by if it’s true? Does it even really matter so long as it is clear that your writer, and your paper, is taking an anti-casino stand and the writer’s children are making money by putting the anti-casino case forward in court?

I don’t care one way or the other about casinos. I do have a passing interest in print journalism. The fact that Jackson didn’t disclose this, when there was no other way for the reader to know, is inexcusable.

“Bruce Jackson applied and got a grant from Wendt on behalf of the Market Arcade…”

Enough said.

“Wendt’s trustees don’t track their stock portfolio any more than does the average person with money in a retirement account…”

I can remember when divestiture in South Africa brought down a regime.

“Where did the line of attack on this institution, which has never before been accused of anything but generosity, originate? Who thought of it?”

Wait. So instead of explain what clearly constitutes unethical journalistic behavior, you and Jackson now want to turn the tables and grill the guys who caught you?

You should be ashamed of yourself.

http://buffalopundit.wnymedia.net/blogs/archives/6776