Andrew & the Indians

NY Post ^ | April 1, 2011 | Meathead Editorial

[neverdem]

During the just-concluded state budget battle, Team Cuomo was stunned by what one official called Albany's "tribal politics."

That was hyperbole; now comes the real thing.

Gov. Cuomo's budget anticipates income of some $130 million from the taxation of cigarette sales on Indian reservations. But he's the fifth straight governor to harbor such plans -- and nary a nickel's been collected so far.

When his father, Mario Cuomo, tried to collect cig taxes from the Senecas in 1992, tribesmen lit fires on the Thruway.

In 1997, they repeated the trick for Gov. Pataki -- and attacked state troopers who had surrounded the reservation.

Andrew Cuomo Flash forward to last year: The state was supposed to start collecting the taxes on Sept. 1. But that didn't happen, thanks to injunctions from the courts.

And there will be more holdups still: Just two weeks ago, a district court judge extended his restraining order barring the tax collection . . . indefinitely.

The stakes are only getting higher. The Senecas -- New York's most prolific buttleggers -- have withheld $228 million in casino-slots revenues in a blatant attempt to strong-arm the state...

[neverdem]

NY Post is cheerleading for the taxman? Well, they did endorse Hillary and Chuck U.

[calex59]

Andrew Cuomo Flash forward to last year:

Flash forward to last year? Doesn't anyone use editors any more?

[neverdem]

New York electric bills to soar 12%

FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.

[neverdem]

These are the editors.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Jonty30]

Let the Indians keep the money.

Let them use the money to provide their own government services.

It’s a reasonable trade-off. If they come off the reserveation to get a government service, then charge them for the use of that service.

[kbennkc]

Wait till New York has to give every dime the tribe has ever paid to the State because the “Treaty” was not ratified by Congress.

[Drango]

buttleggers

LOL

[BerryDingle]

These idiot politicians--one by one--have to find out for themselves, how much land, NYS sits on, is owned and deeded by the Iroquois Nation, to the state. And these people assisted in writing the American Constitution. No wonder they set the thruway on fire. Advice to them, quit electing democrats.

[BerryDingle]

buttleggers

LOL

Saw that, must have been written in India somewhere, or a basement in Las Vegas.

[GladesGuru]

“And these people assisted in writing the American Constitution.”

Citations, please.

Thanks.

[BerryDingle]

Chapter--Indigenous peoples of the Americas

[BerryDingle]

"Chapter--Indigenous peoples of the Americas"

I guess that has changed since I read about it last.

Beliefs and attitudes change.

[GladesGuru]

The Wiki citation seems to be very dismissive of the contribution of the “Indigenous” to the founding concepts of America.

[BerryDingle]

The Wiki citation seems to be very dismissive of the contribution of the “Indigenous” to the founding concepts of America.

Yes, I read a few years ago about the forming of the U.S. constitution in a National Geographic magazine and the Mohawks (IIRC) were consulted by american diplomats about their constitution they lived under for hundreds of years before any white man arrived. One article covered the Mohawks traveling to Honduras and Nicaragua as an advisory group to talk to Miskito Indians back in the 80's. There has been a political backlash against our "Indigenous" for some reason. George Washington negotiated a treaty with the Haudenosaunee in 1794 with a six foot long wampum belt with the Onondaga Nation in Canandaigua, New York.

[Reily]

If I remember my colonial history correctly, I think this notion that the Iroquois Confederacy was the inspiration for the US Constitution comes from exaggerating an incident where it was proposed that the colonies conducted a united defensive effort in the French & Indian War (It might have been Pontiac's Rebellion, I will have to look it up!). I think it was Ben Franklin that cited the Iroquois Confederacy as an example of the wisdom of uniting for defensive purposes.