Letter: Oneida casino should pay fair share taxes

Thursday, October 22, 2009  

"Local taxes in New York State are 78-80 percent higher than other states. The Syracuse Post Standard recently did an exposé on this using a $250,000 house as the standard. They mentioned Onondaga and Madison counties as some of the highest. However, I was astounded to learn that my taxes in Oneida County were higher because of the other local taxes tacked on to it. My school taxes are paid to a Madison County school system. Oneida County also has the highest sales tax. To believe any candidate running for office whose mantra is jobs is ludicrous because jobs will not happen until the taxes are lowered. There are many reasons for this NYS problem like the fact that we have over 10,000 local governments in this state. Consolidation is treated like an anathema when it is obviously necessary.

Central N.Y. also has the only Indian casino that doesn’t pay taxes. Our elected representatives seem to be totally impotent in getting the tribe to pay its fair share. To do nothing about these problems will eventually lead to a mass exodus from this state (almost 2,000,000 have already left). We can help by insisting Turning Stone pay its taxes."

Get the Story:
Sylvan Beach: Turning Stone should pay fair share of taxes (The Oneida Dispatch 10/21)