BUT I SAID YES LAST YEAR.

In a 5-0 vote the City Council Tuesday night voted against the State gambling law, leaving the door open for the State to still have Saratoga Springs as #1 on their list to put in a Saratoga style Casino after the bidder for a casino builds community relations.  I’m sure the Destination Saratoga group will bring to Albany past Mayors, Commissioners, Supervisors and current business owners who would like to see a Saratoga style casino placed here, to pressure them as well.

This vote holds no water with many as last year the council (except for Yepsen, who was not Mayor) voted 5-0 in favor of expanded gambling in Saratoga Springs and if Destination Saratoga does indeed go to Albany for talks, I am sure they will bring a copy of that resolution with them.  The leader of the no vote was none other than Commissioner Skip Scirocco, who if you remember pulled a circus act against having the Racino in Saratoga when he was a County Supervisor which contributed to his ouster from County politics.  Commissioner Scirocco will soon have his own problems when a story of epic proportions comes to light in the very near future, which may contribute to his ouster from City politics, but that will be played out another day.

Regarding the casino, Mayor Yepsen has called this the issue of the decade.  While I agree, there could be a part (b) that will be an issue of the decade and that is what will happen to Saratoga Springs if a casino is placed as far as 25-35 miles away?  We would be crazy to think that we could keep our same status as the destination city of NY.  A speaker at tonight’s meeting said that NYRA already owes the State $17 million dollars that it can’t pay  and without casino money the thoroughbred industry can’t even turn a profit.  The Governor wants NYRA to make money without the casino money and if it can’t, then our flat track will follow the trend of lower attendance and handle that has happened over the last few years and then we ask what then Commissioners?   We have 2 new hotels going up now and 1 on the board (I think) and that doesn’t count the numerous hotels built in the last 6 years.  The City will have more non occupied hotel rooms as it has empty condos.   Saratoga Springs lost its City in the Country charm years ago and our officials can’t accept this, we are becoming an over built city with no controlled growth (something I don’t think we ever had).  We need to do something to bring more people to Saratoga and the flowers on Broadway aren’t going to do it.

 PS:  Remember 43% also have a voice and can tilt an election.

PRESSING THE COUNCIL

Given the fact that the previous Council passed a resolution regarding the Casino and that over 40% of Saratogian voters cast their ballots in favor of Casino gambling, I think the red shirts should calm down and wait until the facts are known before they storm  Council meetings.  The next scenario will be the group that is for a Saratoga Style Casino to be located in our City do the same and we will have dueling opinions at the microphone.  I don’t think debate is bad but can’t we wait until we can debate on known facts?

I know many voters who have expressed the opinion that they voted against Casino’s in New York State but since the bill passed they worry that if Saratoga is not a site and we have one close by, then Saratoga will take a negative hit on business in our downtown corridor.

The year ended on a sour note for Mayor Johnson.  Johnson, who at the 11^th hour on New Year’s Eve, made over 20 appointments to land use boards and filled the expiring positions of alternate zoning board members.  The appointments should have been made by incoming Mayor Joanne Yepsen.  This game they played must be remembered if either Johnson or Sutton ever runs for any political office again.

Speaking about Sutton, it was nice to see the job given to her by John Herrick in the County Clerks Office for $65,000.00 & benefits, if the budget reads right and Herrick threw Mayor Johnson’s Executive Secretary Theresa a bone as Executive Secretary to Spencer Helwig the County Administrator, at 47,000.00 & .  What two employees did Herrick leap frog to give jobs to these two girls?

Well, hopefully we are over the Johnson games, now maybe we can get back to some honest 2 Party representation on Boards and Committees, wouldn’t it be nice to work together than 1 Party be under the control of a little Napoleon?