VERONA --
Right now if you want to enjoy a beer out in Oneida County, bars and restaurants are the only ones with liquor licenses. Terry Karst think it should stay that way. His bar, Beck's Ivy Grill, is down the road from Turning Stone Resort and Casino. Karst thinks the proposal to have CD Food and Beverage serve alcohol everywhere from the golf course to the casino floor is illegal and circumvents state laws. Karst's bar isn't allowed to have gambling and he thinks the casino shouldn't be allowed to have alcohol.
"We can't compete with that," says Karst. "We can't find a niche. They've tipped the scales too far."
Oneida County Legislator Michael Hennessy is worried about what would happen to local bars - and what the combination of alcohol and gambling could bring.
"If you visit the state troopers office in Oneida you'll see how they've mapped out where they have the most activity," says Hennessy.
Hennessy says the area around Turning Stone Casino is already seeing a lot of police attention. "If you provide alcohol, I think you're only going for more instances and accidents," says Hennessy.
Mark Emery, a spokesperson for the Oneida Indian Nation said Wednesday "it is time for our community to move forward not backwards. The Oneida Indian Nation has reached a common sense approach to resolve these issues and move forward which benefits our entire region."
Ralph Dittenhoeffer with the empire state restaurant and tavern association sees the proposal differently. He says there are far too many questions about the Oneida Nation's sovereign status to believe they would enforce liquor laws.
"They haven't paid fines, they haven't paid taxes on gasoline, on cigarettes," said Dittenoeffer. "All of the counties in the entire situation would be a lot better off if issues were settled."
If a deal is reached to serve alcohol at Turning Stone, it appears that taxes would be collected on alcohol, food and hotel rooms. The state liquor authority will consider the proposal on Thursday, May 6th.
