Shinnecock Indian Nation

Make Peace

July 8, 2004

The U.S. Open is over, and again the Shinnecock Nation was hurt, as they were with Parrish Pond, Governor George Pataki's attempted removal of the tax exemption on cigarettes, and the lack of Native Americans tending to the hallowed ground at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

The refusal of the club to allow the Shinnecocks to perform a blessing for the opening of the U.S. Open was a disgrace to both the fine people of the East End and the members of the Nation, since the course is on their hallowed ground.

Let's face it—the Shinnecock Nation will receive permission to build their casino, as every Indian tribe has. The only question is when! As a local businessman who has serviced the East End for more than four decades, I think that I can talk for a majority of the businesspersons and professional people whom I have dealt with over the years.

We should immediately sit down with the Tribal Council and negotiate in good faith a location for their casino.

We should offer the Shinnecock Nation to keep its approximately 77 acres preserved, and make it into "The Shinnecock Town Preserve," under the control of the Nation. We should then offer them 100 acres, or whatever they need, to build a casino at Gabreski Airport, behind the old Coca-Cola plant (known as the Suffolk County Water Authority).

Let me explain my rationale:

There is infrastructure in place: The Long Island Rail Road, Sunrise Highway, and an under-utilized airport. The U.S. Open has proven that car and rail traffic did not affect this location.
The casino would bring badly needed good-paying jobs to the western part of the town, and free up local part-time jobs throughout the entire town for our teenagers. Just look at the good that has happened to the area around Foxwoods.
The County of Suffolk has not been able to bring substantial business to the airport, and this is costing us (the taxpayers) a lot of money. The casino would bring both service businesses (who would hire locally) and air charter service, which would pay landing fees along with contracting for ground services.
The area in question is not on any tax rolls, so we would not be losing revenue, and the salaries and taxes paid by the new business would help the local economy.
An additional benefit to the East End is the tourist trade. Since the casino will attract people from all areas, some of them will want to spend time in the "Hamptons." The high rollers will most probably be comped to fishing trips, cruises, trips for the spouses to Montauk, Gurney's, East Hampton, Southampton and other points in between for shopping, and fine dining.

This is a win-win situation for all—the town, the county, the local businesses, the Shinnecock Nation, and the working people of the East End.

Now is the time to make peace! As a Beatle song said, "Give peace a chance," and it will work for all—because the Indians will definitely get their casino.

BOB EISENBERG
East End Blueprint
Water Mill