The Seneca Nation will vote on a referendum May 14 that would approve an agreement solidifying a three-casino deal with New York state. The casinos, however, will not be built on Seneca Nation land; instead, they will be built in the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls. While it appears likely that the referendum will pass, the positive impact of casinos in Western New York is still very much in doubt.
Casino gambling will bring enormous revenue to the area, not just through the money generated by the business itself but also by increasing commerce in surrounding restaurants and hotels. While it may create thousands of new jobs, and give the appearance of a WNY renaissance, the reality of the legal gambling in Buffalo and Niagara Falls is much darker.
Casinos have a way of attracting the wrong type of people, all the while cultivating the opposite image of what Western New York seeks. Crime often accumulates around these institutions, and because the jobs within the casino are low- paying and not 'skill-oriented,' the businesses will do nothing to combat poverty in the region.
Instead of creating another Atlantic City, Western New York should work on improving its infrastructure. In Pittsburgh, Pa., outdoor shopping and retail areas have been created on the waterfront - complete with surrounding apartments - all made to provide a virtually self-sufficient neighborhood. These communities are complete with supermarkets, movie theaters and other stores - and they are thriving.
Buffalo would be well served to follow Pittsburgh's lead, and instead of trying for the quick-fix solution, it should start small. While the Buffalo Common Council bickers with Adelphia over debts, they could work on rezoning property on the lake and river for development. But it should not participate in development that will only be destructive to the area. Buffalo needs development that slowly but surely will attract small businesses, shops and services, staffed by local residents with a vested interest in the health of the city and region.
A boardwalk-like setup on the waterfront downtown would work well in Buffalo. The most viable section of the city is its downtown area, and that viability can only spread if utilized properly. A casino downtown is one solution that is extremely attractive to a desperate region. This would only be the latest in a long list of "home run" solutions Buffalo has tried to implement in the face of a declining population and low revenue. Projects like the construction of the Metro-Rail and current proposals for "regionalism" have degenerated into "he said-she said" messes of inflated expectations yielding few positive results.
Starting over with limited but productive enterprises in good locales is just what the city needs to bring in something bigger without mortgaging the future viability of the region. There is little practicality in arguing against a Seneca Casino at this point. Thanks to Gov. George E. Pataki and the New York State legislature, the casinos are all but a foregone conclusion. Western New York's economic dependence on casino gambling, however, is preventable.
If the casino is built in a thriving urban center, as opposed to a floundering one, its negative effects could be minimized. The casino cannot be counted on as the silver bullet that will bring vibrancy back to Western New York. Instead of the focal point, it should be seen as a member of the supporting cast, a part of the background on a canvas of prosperity.
