"An attack on Congressman Michael Arcuri by the Oneida Nation’s senior VP, Peter Carmen, is unjustified and worrisome in that it demonstrates that the Nation intends to continue to use its money to push its agenda, which is to get the Oneida County Legislature to accept a flawed agreement worked out by the Nation and County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr.

The Nation backed Arcuri in 2006, and now threatens to “withhold support” in a future election.

This can only mean the tribe threatens to throw some of its vast cash resources against Arcuri, because the Nation surely does not have enough members to greatly influence a congressional election.

The Nation’s support for Arcuri in the Meier election was certainly the result of Mr. Meier’s tough stance with the Oneida Nation when he was Oneida County executive.

Despite Congressman Arcuri’s polite acknowledgment of Picente’s efforts, his words: “This is not a good deal, this is a recipe for disaster,” tell us the harsh truth about the so-called compromise."

Get the Story:
Joseph A. Tosti: Legislature must vote down pact (The Oneida Dispatch 5/20)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Better deal needed for Oneida land-into-trust (5/19)
Opinion: Oneida Nation deal a step backward (5/13)
Oneida Nation land-into-trust deal needs state action (5/12)
Deal proposed over Oneida Nation land-into-trust (5/11)
Oneida Nation and county near land-into-trust deal (5/8)