Former mayor: Projections “don’t stand up to scrutiny”
Former Rochester, New York Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. (l.), now a member of the No More Casinos Coalition, said he speaks for many in the community who think a Seneca Nation gaming hall would be one too many for the vicinity.
“I don’t think people should be duped into supporting something based on projections that won’t stand up to scrutiny,” Johnson said at a press conference reported by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
The organization says a casino near Rochester would hurt the local economy by luring gamblers away from Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack and Batavia Downs, possibly forcing the racinos out of business.
“People will go there, lose their money and leave,” said Dennis Petrikas, a Henrietta business owner. “It’s not going to make Rochester a destination like Las Vegas or Atlantic City.”
Johnson noted that there are currently around 55 casinos in the region, up from 27 in 2005. “We are not anti-casino, we are just saying there are enough,” he said.
Tribal representatives have met with members of the town board of Henrietta, according to ABC news affiliateWHAM-13, to discuss locating the casino there. That alarms Bob Spring, who teaches at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “It’s just too easy to lose your money that way, and too easy to get into bad habits, especially when there’s something within driving distance,” he said.
“It scares me,” agreed Linda Traynor of Henrietta. “I’ve lived here for over 50 years and this is my hometown.”
Others say it’s a good way to bring in new revenues. “People, they’re going to gamble anyway,” said Tony Hockenberry, also of Henrietta. “Just like the Finger Lakes, they go crazy over there. I think it would be good.”
In August, the Senecas announced that they had hired local developer David Flaum to help pinpoint a casino location near Rochester. Further development would require that the tribe apply for trust land from the federal Department of the Interior.
Meanwhile, the anti-casino group has issued a statement asking Governor Andrew Cuomo to “publicly state that he will not cut a deal with the Seneca to put a fourth casino in Monroe County, or in our vicinity.” The coalition is backed by Delaware North Corporation, which owns Finger Lakes Gaming, as well as Western Regional Off Track Betting.
