I’m obviously biased here, but the recent dealings with NYS and the SNI casino issue are interesting to say the least. It’s a good study in negative PR from just about everyone’s perspective.
Firstly, the SNI apparently failed to secure a solid account or protective way to prevent NYS from freezing their accounts. As a native and a student of history, you really can’t count on governments when dealing with disputes that involve massive sums of money. Especially since you need to rely on a judge that works within that same state. Natives have had a hard time dealing with judges and fairness, that’s simply no lie. I still cannot believe that the state was able to freeze all of their accounts at the same bank-or that they had allowed all of their accounts at the same bank. Never mind the deadline of April 8th, or the fact that the BIA was supposedly looking into this issue which is, technically, their sole purpose of existing. I still blame the SNI for even allowing this type of comingling to happen without having those funds protected SOMEWHERE. Maybe that’s a lesson for the future.
Secondly, NYS announces that it receives the $500 million dollar payment, and then just as quickly announces that it CUTS $800 million to social services, and then forks over just about $500 million to the Bills stadium project. I’ve heard rumors of a payment system that supposedly puts those payments eventually into the hands of the tax payer or county or state, but how tone deaf do you have to be to CUT money to women and children and then announce that you’re funding a football stadium. That’s incredibly bad PR, especially since you’re right before the stage of objections to the budget. It’s OBVIOUS they’re trying to force it through, but it’s plainly blatant and just terrible optics even if those funds had nothing to do with one another.
Thirdly, the fact that while Hochul is from WNY, it couldn’t be proven that she more out of touch with the spirit of WNY. People love the Bills, that’s true. But people also recognize the dissonance between the fact that she just basically hurt people in need of help for a stupid sport. Let’s not forget that her husband is also involved in casino business/craft services and other aspects that make this a solid question of corruption or at least impropriety. He’s got plenty of questions surrounding him, but I’m sure we can explain those, right?
My feelings on the state of the world today isn’t that the corruption is getting better or worse. It’s probably the same, honestly, but the way that they sell it is so much worse. There’s no trying anymore, it’s a cheap tiktok dance that has no effort put into it at all, and we’re merely watching in horror and disbelief that it’s actually happening. Is anyone buying this? Seriously?
In the end, the only thing that seems to matter is money and covering asses. I’m sure they have plenty of both to make sure this entire thing goes through.
Oh and Fourthly, Not only did the state do all that, but the money that SUPPOSED to go to the towns and cities that help, hasn’t really go there at all. They have no idea how much or when it’s coming in. The places that truly need the help, aren’t getting it. Yay. We voted for them. Or whatever.