לארקין מאכן קאסינאס אין אראנזש קאנטי

January 21, 2005

Visions of gambling spread to Orange

By Paul Ertelt
Ottaway News Service
peottaway@aol.com

Albany – A Hudson Valley lawmaker hopes to get a little gambling action in Orange County.
In his executive budget, Gov. George Pataki proposed eight new video-lottery terminal parlors to help raise money for education.
Five of the VLT parlors are slated for New York City, but Orange County should get one of the remaining three, said Sen. Bill Larkin, R-C-Cornwall-on-Hudson.
"I don't see nothing wrong with Orange County getting a VLT," said Larkin, who is chairman of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee.
Last year, David Flaum, a Rochester developer and a contributor to Pataki's campaign coffers, proposed a VLT parlor in the Town of Newburgh, near the intersection of the Thruway and Interstate 84.
"I like his location," Larkin said. "It's in my Senate district."
That location would also benefit from easy access to Thruway traffic between Albany and New York City, an advantage that the troubled Mighty M Gaming in Monticello doesn't have, he said.
Pataki hopes to win federal and legislative approval for five Indian-owned casinos in Sullivan County, but a VLT parlor could open sooner because the federal government wouldn't have to sign off on it, Larkin said.
Opening a VLT parlor in Orange County would help identify the region as a gambling destination, giving it a jump on the Poconos, where there are plans for slot machines, Larkin said.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon, D-Manhattan, opposes VLTs in New York City, arguing they would prey on the city's poor, but Larkin said he might be amenable to upstate parlors.


הטקסט שלך כאן

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Orange County wants its own casino input


County Executive Edward Diana calls
for Assembly hearing in Orange County
during testimony at the State Senate
hearing yesterday

The Orange County Legislature yesterday went on record urging the state Assembly to conduct one of its three planned public hearings on casinos in their county. The Senate held a hearing in Monticello yesterday, one of three that house is holding on the subject of five proposed casinos in the Catskills.

Orange County lawmakers would like the Assembly to hear testimony about impacts to their county. Here's Democrat Minority Leader Anthony Marino. ''What we are concerned about is how traffic and the roads and the congestion on our roads in Orange County will be impacted by a lot of the extra vehicle traffic that they are anticipated driving north-northwest into Sullivan County,'' he said.

Legislature Chairman Alan Seidman said the whole casino issue is much ado about nothing. ''Although it passed unanimously, I think it is premature until the environmental impact statements are prepared,'' he said. ''We don't even know the total number of cars; we don't know what the total impact is going to be.''

Orange County legislators are planning their own public comment session on Monday, March 28 in Goshen with a tran of the testimony being transmitted to the Assembly and Senate.

Updated: Friday, March 04, 2005
Group urges lawmakers to consider the impact casinos will have on traffic in Orange County




SUGAR LOAF-The following is the statement that Patricia Gilchrest, president of the Orange County Citizens Foundation, was scheduled to submit at the public hearing March 3 at the public hearing on casino development in Sullivan County:

The Orange County Citizens Foundation has monitored the casino development initiative in Sullivan County for several years. We recognize that casino development could offer economic opportunities for Sullivan County.

We specifically are concerned with the traffic impact these casinos will have on Orange County and respectfully request that our federal and state lawmakers recognize this potential negative impact the casinos will have both on traffic and air quality in much of the mid-Hudson Valley, specifically along NYS Route 17.

As I'm sure you are aware, Route 17 is used in Orange County as both an inter-regional and intra-county roadway. We use 17, not only to get from New York to other states and counties, but from one municipality to another within Orange County. Given the growth that has occurred in Orange County, there has been a significant increase in congestion on this roadway as well as our other roads. With the opening of the casinos we expect that congestion will significantly exacerbate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness for our businesses, and the quality of life for our residents.

Most economic forecasts indicate that Orange County will continue to grow. Our governmental leaders struggle each day to manage this growth and to plan for the future. It is vital to our continued economic viability and quality of life that transportation infrastructure in our region keep pace with our growth.

We ask that our legislators at all levels work with the New York State Department of Transportation to investigate initiatives that will mitigate any negative impacts on Route 17 in Orange County.


As the New York State DOT's master plan advisory panel concluded late last year, New York's transportation network is in trouble. Our state lawmakers must focus on our failing transportation infrastructure now just to manage existing deterioration of our networks. Increasing traffic on a major highway, without identifying ways to mitigate the ensuing congestion would be even more detrimental to our future economic vitality and well-being.

This is but one transportation issue that must be addressed.

(The Orange County Citizens Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that oversees cooperation and dialogue between Orange County residents, businesses and government entities to safeguard the county's historic and cultural heritage, to preserve open space, agriculture, clean air and a serene environment, and to encourage improvement in jobs, transportation, parks and recreation and government.)