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(Editor’s note: This status was shared to Facebook by filmmaker and journalist Ken Cosentino. I read everything Cosentino publishes about Niagara Falls. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I don’t and I believe he has the best interests of the city at heart. His take on the casino funds has been characterized as “misinformation” by Republican pundit Sam Archie and Council Chairperson Jim Perry as well as Mayor Robert Restaino’s sycophants. You can make up your own mind. Cosentino is one of 4 journalists living and working in the Falls, including Mark Scheer, me and Andrew Galarneau who mostly writes about food.)
By Ken Cosentino
Independent Journalist
If you live in the City of Niagara Falls, NY - please sign and share this petition to help out our local hospital, schools, NFTA and the Underground Railroad Museum!
Personally, I don’t believe we deserve any of this money because it was stolen from the Senecas. We should give it back to them, but since that’s not going to happen and we’re receiving payments - it should be distributed fairly.
Last October, the City of Niagara Falls, NY received $7,614,846 from New York State's share of Seneca gaming money. According to the operations of the gaming compact, the City of Niagara Falls was obligated to distribute portions of these funds to the Niagara Falls School District, Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, the Niagara Falls Transit Authority, the Underground Railroad Museum, and USA Niagara (tourism board).
The 99H legal clause expired on Dec. 31, 2023 and despite the aforementioned agencies advocating for renewal, without Mayor Restaino’s support it was not renewed. Without a Democratic co-sponsor, the bill will not move at all.
Once Mayor Robert Restaino realized that the city is no longer legally obligated to redistribute the funds to these entities, he chose to withhold the money.
These organizations are dependent on their share of casino revenue in their annual budgets. Representatives from these organizations have discretely confirmed that they still have not received the funding.
These representatives and employees are not speaking out publicly for fear of retribution from the Restaino administration. There is another payment of an estimated $7.6 million from casino revenue coming to the city, and these organizations are hoping that they will receive their share from the second payment. Having still not received the first round of funding, there's little to no chance that the second round will reach its designated recipients.
Mayor Restaino continues to be chastised for his lack of transparency, resulting in his continued shaming on the New York Coalition for Open Government's "Naughty List", along with City Council Chairman Jim Perry.
Now, Mayor Restaino's lack of transparency and questionable spending habits are harming our only local hospital, our schools, our public transit, one of our best local tourist attractions, and the tourism board.
We cannot stand by any longer and allow Mayor Restaino and his cronies to continue hoarding funds intended for these organizations. Please sign and pass this position to demand that Mayor Restaino redistributes the casino funds IMMEDIATELY to their intended recipients!!!
Here is a link to the petition. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/mayor-restaino-release-funds-to-schools-hospital-museum-nfta?
