Niagara Falls Reporter
Home | Archive / Search
MAR 10 - MAR 17, 2015

Casino Cash - Gone with the Wind

By Anna Howard

March 10, 2015

As far as we can see Niagara Falls might have done better, if we took all the casino cash we have gotten so far, and played this Gone With the Wind slot machine.

Buried in a neat informative article in the Buffalo News, "Ice pavilion funding in Falls is back on agenda," -- I found an intriguing paragraph.

The story is about a debate over whether to borrow $3.1 million for repairs at the Ice Pavilion, or use casino cash to fix the rinks.

But that was not the point - for me at least.

Here's the paragraph that interested me:

"… Dyster said his administration has a spending plan that accounts for the use of nearly all of the expected $18 million in casino revenue this year, leaving no room to pay for the roughly $3.1 million all at once to cover the latest round of work at the pavilion."

Dyster already spent $18 million of casino cash?

On what?

Sure it's easily cynical to say - on his reelection campaign- dropping money wherever a vote could be had - but $18 million?

He spent $5.6 million to pay past debt, and $12,000 to give Senior Planner Tom DeSantis a raise. And $1.5 million went to the state agency USA Niagara to stage events and parties on Old Falls St. Then $1.6 million set aside for the animal shelter. $350,000 went to the Underground Railroad Exhibit. And more than a million to the NTCC for doing no one knows what.

Stipends and overtime, tree removal, train station, Isaiah 61, ZOOM team, SWEET team, consultants on parks and parking, golf cart paths, and animal control.

I'm sure there is more like these - and $18 million - gone with the wind.

 

 

 

 

Our Report on the Proposed Hamister Hotel Through a Series of Connected but Separate Stories
Hamister Seeks Tax Discounts, Grants, Discounted Real Estate -- Totaling $9.4 Million
Job Promises, Job Delivery - Vast Errors By Expert State Officials
Hamister to Build Lower Quality, Lower Density Than RFP Sought
Price Doesn't Sound Right
How Was Hamister Selected?
Financing in Question?
Hamister Hotel History - A Shrinking Deal With Escalating Handouts
A Key Property, if Built as a Hyatt Place, Will Be Underdeveloped
The City Hall Good Life
Former Lockport Youth Director At Center of Credit Card Investigation Files Complaint with State
Council Unanimously Approves Hyde Park Pavilion Bond Resolution
Why I Voted for Ice Pavilion Renovation - But Paid For With Casino Cash
The Best Community to Live, Work, and Raise a Family Ortt Reaches Out To Reporter Readers
Niagara Falls Getting Hamister Hotel, Not Nik Wallenda
Only in North Tonawanda: Questions for Common Council
Sound Off on Steroids? No Sweeney, it's Not All The Republicans Fault
Mayoral Candidate Szwedo Talks His Talk with Sense of Humor
Native American Marijuana Production A Bad Bet for Niagara County Taxpayers
Findings Warn About Continuing CMO Vacancy at Erie County Correctional Facilities.
Casino Cash - Gone with the Wind
Paladino Carrying Fight to Minority Board Members
Military-Strength Anti-Bleeding Product Coming to Stores
Skrlin Hammers Home a Homely Masterwork
The Great One Scores Again: Skrlin Deftly Weave a Monster Story
Letters to the Editor
City Hall and Dog Park Jokes

Contact Info

©2014 The Niagara Falls Reporter Inc.
POB 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304
E-mail: info@niagarafallsreporter.com
Phone: (716) 284-5595

Publisher and Editor in Chief: Frank Parlato
Managing Editor: Dr. Chitra Selvaraj
Senior Editor: Tony Farina