New York Gov. David Paterson (D) asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to approve two off-reservation casinos in the Catskills.
Paterson said the Bush administration was wrong to reject casinos for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. He cited local and state support for the projects, as well as the economy. "In 2001, in response to the devastating economic impact of the September 11 attacks on New York State, state legislation was passed to allow up to three Class III Indian gaming facilities in the Catskills region," Paterson wrote in a letter to Salazar, according to news reports. The Bush administration rejected the casinos based on a "guidance memo" that makes it nearly impossible for tribes to acquire land away from existing reservations. The policy was developed without tribal consultation of public input. Get the Story: