By Michael Kaufman

As local government officials throughout our region slobber, beg, and otherwise outdo themselves groveling in hope of landing a casino in their midst, area residents have few objective sources for information. Competition among the various bidders has been an advertising bonanza for local media outlets, which have tended to extol the benefits (even the “indirect benefits” to neighboring communities such as, say, Greenwood Lake and Warwick) and pay little, if any, attention to the potential negative effects. Too bad the developers are not required to include in their advertisements the same sort of warnings required of pharmaceutical companies when advertising their wares. At least a fellow with “low-T” or a flaccid penis, for example, can weigh the pros and cons of seeking a prescription if he listens closely to the staccato recitation of potential side effects at the end of the commercial or reads the fine print below the newspaper ad.

Negative publicity about any of the casino proposals thus far seems mainly to have been generated by the competitors themselves. Witness Orange County’s current legal counsel Langdon Chapman’s hatchet job on his former employer, Ulster County. (Chapman was at his sleazy best again this week as he joined Orange County Executive Steve “Pinocchio” Neuhaus in an ill-advised attempt to smear Judge Elaine Slobod because of her ruling about Valley View. But that’s a whole ‘nother story.)  

Earlier this week Town of Tuxedo officials gave their approval to one of the most odious of the casino proposals—Genting’s plan to erect a Las Vegas style luxury resort casino hotel in Sterling Forest. Genting has outspent the competition in advertising as well as in goodwill gestures designed to generate local popular support. It’s “no strings attached” donation of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Tuxedo public schools was a public relations coup.  

Brushed aside were objections such as those made by James Hall, Executive Director of the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission (PIPC), whose letter to Tuxedo Town Supervisor Mike Rost was posted online by the Tuxedo Park FYI website June 16. Hall said he has “significant concerns regarding this proposal and potential impacts on our park land and critical natural resources we are charged to protect.

“Of most critical concern are the potential impacts on the water resources which were among the primary purposes that Sterling Forest was preserved under the unique partnership of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, the National Park Service, the State of New York, the State of New Jersey and many not for profit organizations. I am specifically concerned about how such a development will obtain its water supply and depose of wastewater and how such actions may impact park property, its water and other significant ecological resources.”

Although the plans include a promise to develop a new exit (15b) off the New York State Thruway, Hall noted that “such a plan would require the acquisition of park property. No one has approached the Commission regarding this issue and the Commission does not support such an acquisition and such a conveyance is not authorized under our Federal Congressional Compact.” (Genting has since responded, saying it is willing to work with all interested parties and will pay for everything so there is no need to worry.)           

“Given the extremely limited information and preliminary nature of the proposal,” Hall continued, “I do not support the proposed plan and likewise feel it is inappropriate and premature for the Town to endorse such a massive project without a better understanding of the associated impacts and whether critical components such as exit 15b are even legally practical considerations underpinning the proposal, not to mention completely unknown impacts of the critical water resources of the area….

“The Commission’s properties are a significant asset of the Town,” concluded Hall, “providing significant tax payment in exchange for few services. I hope that the Town will take these concerns seriously as you make this critical decision regarding community support of the project.”

But last week, consultants hired by the town (with money generously donated by Genting) presented a rosy report citing the many positive impacts they predict will be forthcoming. The “significant tax payment” by the PIPC seems a mere pittance compared to all the goodies promised by Genting, along with some fine print that has yet to be revealed.

For more on the subject, including the full text of Hall’s letter, visit the Tuxedo Park FYI website.

Michael can be reached at michael@zestoforange.com.

 By Michael Kaufman

To the surprise of no one other than the Elders of Chelm (aka County Executive Steve Neuhaus and his cronies) in Goshen, state Supreme Court Justice Elaine Slobod has invalidated the Orange County Legislature’s 12-9 vote to sell the Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation to a private, for-profit company. Apparently they thought Judge Slobod would go along with their decree that in Orange County if you need 14 votes to authorize a transaction and you get only 12, it’s haukay! And they may not be done embarrassing themselves yet:  “We respectfully but strongly disagree with today’s ruling,” said county spokesman Dain (Shmendrik Numskull) Pascocello, who said the county plans to appeal.

It wasn’t a good week all around for the Elders, who learned that another of their foolhardy schemes—the multimillion dollar plan to renovate the Government Center in Goshen—was also in the toilet. The plan had been a compromise of sorts that pleased neither those who wish to preserve the 44-year-old  complex designed by visionary architect Paul Rudolph and those who hate it because they think it looks funny and want to tear it down altogether and put an entirely new building in its place. (The latter would cost a great deal more money so it is ironic that it has been the preferred choice of the same people who have been pushing so hard to sell Valley View supposedly to save taxpayers money.)

So a committee headed by legislator Leigh (Treitel Fool) Benton adopted a plan that involved demolishing part of the structure and replacing the outside walls while leaving the rest of things intact. The Elders went ahead with the plan even after it was revealed that Benton had agreed to take a job with Clark Patterson Lee, the firm that was awarded the contract designs. The investigation that followed determined that Benton had committed no crime and that there was nothing in the legislature’s code of ethics to prohibit this sort of sleazy behavior—but that there should be. Benton took this to mean that he should stay in office and merely recuse himself from voting on future matters pertaining to the project.  This leads to two questions: Why didn’t the other legislators ask him to resign? And why wasn’t the renovation plan he pushed through as committee chair revisited and subjected to closer scrutiny?

Had they done so they might have been spared the embarrassing spectacle that took place last week: Phil Clark, CEO of Clark Patterson Lee, reported that the federal Historic Preservation Office and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have both objected to the renovation plan, especially FEMA. Millions of dollars of federal money that would have been forthcoming to restore the storm-damaged building to its original state may not be coming at all. This leads to two questions for Phil Clark: How could you not know that the structure had landmark preservation status? And did you think Michael (“Heck of a job, Brownie”) was still running the show at FEMA?

Meanwhile, an architect named Gene Kaufman (the “other” Gene Kaufman, not my brother Gene) has offered to buy the government building, restore it to Rudolph’s specifications, and rent out space for artists’ studios. (You can’t make these things up.)

And if you thought things couldn’t get any zanier in our neck of the woods, think again. On Tuesday voters in Kiryas Joel may determine who will be representing the 18th Congressional District after Election Day in November. The district, which encompasses all of Orange and Putnam counties and parts of Westchester and Dutchess, is currently represented by Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney. Maloney and his predecessor, Republican Nan Hayworth, have both filed petitions to run on the Independence Party line in November. This has forced a primary (the sole Independence Party primary in the state) that will take place Tuesday. That leaves little time for such things as publicity, campaigning, voter registration, and such. But those are of little consequence to these two short-on-principle opportunists. (Question for Hayworth: Will you support the Independence Party candidates for statewide office:  Governor Andrew Cuomo and his running mate, Kathy Hochul, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman?)

Chris McKenna, who covers the Kiryas Joel beat for the Times Herald-Record reported in a blog posted Thursday, June 19, that the Independence Party now has some 1,000 registrants in KJ. “High turnout in bloc-voting Kiryas Joel could almost certainly swing a close primary,” notes McKenna. “The question is which candidate the village’s two blocs will support, which may not be known until voting instructions are distributed next week. The larger bloc representing Kiryas Joel’s majority faction backed Hayworth in 2012, while the smaller one supported Maloney.” (As I said, you can’t make these things up.)

Last but not least, the ongoing casino juggernaut continued this week with more bad news for Sullivan County: Foxwoods has withdrawn its bid to build on the old Grossinger’s property (citing the likelihood that a casino will be awarded to one of the Orange County contenders). That leaves only two bids in Sullivan, located on different parts of the old Concord property. Local officials all over Orange County are acting as if a casino in their midst will be the goose that lays golden eggs. They would do well to do a couple of Google searches that include the words “layoffs,” “Foxwoods,” “Mohegan Sun,” and “Connecticut.”

Concerned Citizens Against the Tuxedo Casino report that of the 262 letters received by Rost after he requested public opinion, 174 were opposed and 88 were in favor, a 2:1 ratio. The group has been active in Tuxedo and invites residents of Warwick, Greenwood Lake, and other neighboring communities to join with them. A website is in the works but in the meantime you can reach them at stop.sterling.forest.casino@gmail.com.

Next week: Excerpts from a letter sent by James Hall, director of the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission, to Town of Tuxedo Supervisor Mike Rost, detailing his concerns over Malaysian-based casino behemoth Genting’s plans for a casino in Sterling Forest.

Michael can be reached at michael@zestoforange.com.      

By Michael Kaufman

By the time anyone is finished trying to unravel the seemingly endless tangled web of deceit involved, it seems nearly certain that Orange County will soon be home to a lavish, world-class casino resort hotel.  The only question is where it will be built, and some of the options are frightening. Meanwhile, the folks in Sullivan County, who had high hopes that construction of one—or even two—casinos would revitalize that county’s flagging tourism business, are still scratching their heads like someone who’s been sucker punched and is just starting to wonder what the heck happened.

Ulster County officials, who support a proposal for a casino at the Nevele Hotel site in Ellenville, are still reeling from what they regard as a betrayal by Langdon Chapman, who was legislative attorney for the county in 2012 and 2013. In that role he helped draft at least one resolution adopted by the county legislature in support of the Nevele casino bid. Chapman has been singing a different tune, however, since January when he was appointed Orange County Attorney by County Executive Steve Neuhaus (who knows a thing or two about betrayal of the public trust). Chapman recently told the Woodstock Times there is “not a chance” the Nevele proposal will be successful:  “Look at it from a businessman’s point of view.” This led Ulster’s current legislative attorney, the interestingly named Cappy Weiner, to fire off a letter to Chapman saying his comments were “inappropriate and a violation of your duty to a former client.”  Weiner also insisted that “no further comments be made contrary to the interest of the Ulster County Legislature.”

Chances of the Nevele getting a casino have also been undercut in recent weeks by a sensational report in the May 1 edition of Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post that Michael Treanor, head of the Nevele investors’ group, had been accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting his sister. (The report would have been even more sensational if the alleged assault had not occurred in 2008 and the lawsuit had not been settled in 2009.) Treanor told the Woodstock Times he believes Chapman is responsible for leaking the sex abuse allegations to the Post because of Treanor’s longtime opposition to Orange County being considered as a potential site for casinos. Chapman denies he was the source. (Personally, I wouldn’t buy a used car from either Treanor or Chapman.)

Chapman has long had a close working relationship with the power-wielding (and constantly sending self-serving junk mail about himself) Republican State Senator John Bonacic, whose district includes all or parts of Delaware, Sullivan, Orange, and Ulster Counties. Bonacic had been an outspoken supporter of Sullivan County as a casino site but his more recent statements on the subject have been equivocal.

Chapman is also a partner in the Warwick-based law practice headed by Bonacic’s son Scott and Robert Krahulik, who was recently forced to resign from his post as chair of the Orange County Republican Committee because of some alleged Weiner-like (Anthony not Cappy) internet behavior.  And Chapman plays a major role in determining who gets to run for office on the Independence Party line in the Hudson Valley (another topic that warrants further discussion). He is also likely to have been involved in the stealth campaign that subverted Democrat Roxanne Donnery’s bid to obtain the Working Families Party line on the ballot in last year’s election for Orange County Executive, which Republican Neuhaus won handily with the endorsement of the Independence Party. (Bonacic, Krahulik and Associates, LLP, is no stranger to successful stealth campaigns, as former Warwick Village Justice Richard Farina can attest.)

Meanwhile, the potential casino developers are tripping over themselves to show how civic minded they are and how wonderful it will be if we are fortunate enough to have them build near us. Genting, the Malaysian-based gambling giant that hopes to befoul Sterling Forest, just made a “no-strings attached” donation of $340,000 to the Tuxedo public schools to prevent substantial cuts in programs that would have been necessary as a result of the outcome of the May 20 school budget vote. As reported by Gittel Evangelist in the Times Herald-Record, “District officials stressed their acceptance of the ‘gift toward education’ was not an approval of the proposed casino.” Does this sound too good to be true?

The Record also reports that both the Town and City of Newburgh have endorsed the Hudson Valley Casino Resort proposal made by Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The town hopes to receive an annual host community fee of $6.8 million, of which $1.02 million (15 percent) would  go to the city to use as it pleases. “I don’t think it’s enough,” said City Councilwoman Genie Abrams. “But we’ll take the $1 million per year.” Of course it is not enough. And it is they who are being taken. The proposed developer is the group that already operates a quasi-casino with slot machines at the Saratoga harness track. Voters in Saratoga County and the Village of Saratoga Springs voted overwhelmingly against having them put a Las Vegas-style casino in their midst. The news doesn’t seem to have reached Newburgh, however. That reminds me: Empire Resorts, which has already established an abysmal track record at Monticello Raceway, is one of the bidders for a casino to be built on the grounds of the old Concord Hotel. Theirs has to be considered one of the longest shots on the board, in a dead heat with Louis Cappelli, who has been promising to build on another piece of the Concord property for so long that few continue to take him seriously.

Sullivan County has indeed been sucker punched. And we in Orange are being played for suckers, and not just by the would-be casino developers. As Neuhaus and his cronies continue to rush privatization of the Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation, news comes that Valley View is scheduled to receive more than $4 million in federal aid than it received last year….but only if it remains publicly owned. The argument for privatization gets weaker by the day. Citizens for Valley View will hold a rally on Sunday, June 8, at 2 p.m. at Goshen Green. For more information visit Facebook.com/CFVVC.  Be there if you can.

And isn’t it time for those of us who live in Tuxedo, Greenwood Lake, and Warwick, to  raise our voices to save Sterling Forest?

Michael can be reached at michael@zestoforange.com.