Obviously he can't see whats right for the party.

People don't understand the laws involved.

The Buffalo Creek treaty of 1842 says that the Senecas will not be taxed by the NY government. The state IS NOT TRYING TO TAX THE SENECA PEOPLE.

Under existing NYS tax law, if you buy something outside of NYS, and bring it into NYS, you're supposed to pay taxes on that. This is a commonly ignored law, but it's a law regardless.

For example, let's say you go to PA, and purchased a TV at a 0% tax sale. You take that TV back to your home in NY. By law, you're required to pay NY state sales tax on that TV even though you didn't buy it in NY.

Now, almost nobody actually claims this and pays the tax. I'm sure some businesses do, because of the volume of goods they move, but most individuals don't.

Let's turn to tobacco. We all know that the state taxes the snot out of tobacco products. When you go to a reservation, you don't pay that tax. Remember that the reservations are technically sovereign territory, and thusly NOT part of NYS. So, you're purchasing a product outside of NY (on the res) and bringing it back into NY. By definition, you're supposed to claim that on your taxes, and pay the tax that you didn't pay on the reservation. Obviously, nobody does this.

So, the state passed a law that says Native American tobacco retailers are required to collect these unpaid taxes from anyone who isn't a registered Native American. They basically said "Well, we can't enforce our own tax laws, so we want you do."

THAT is the crux of the problem. At no time are Native Americans being taxed, or any parts of the Buffalo Creek treaty being violated. The Senecas know that their rights are not being infringed, but they know if non-Native Americans are forced to pay taxes on gas/tobacco (that they are legally required to anyways), they'll lose their competitive advantage in those markets. They also object (and rightfully so) to being a tax collection arm for the NY government.

They can scream about honoring treaties all they want, but this has nothing to do with sovereignty rights. It's 100% about maintaining their competitive advantage in the tobacco and petroleum markets.

Gov. Paterson doesn't need a threat assessment...he'd never see it coming anyway.

All Patterson is going to do by not stepping down is waste money and split the party. Obviously he can't see whats right for the party.

Fuck what's right for the party.

How about a politician that does what's right for the state?

I guess we're the only childish ones around here....oh well, rest assured, I saw what you did there

Oh and Squanto...I hear you loud and clear but it's the same net effect.

They can't make a living selling taxless gas to other natives...they'd be ruined...again.

At this particular junction, I'd take a politician that was ACTUALLY FUCKING ELECTED.

Tax the distributer who sells to the reservations.

Sorry for contributing so much; I kind of love those people, and they have nothing and are caught in this huge cyclical mess, and the state only cares about them when they can be exploited.

I don't want to come across as a jerk or anything, because it is a shame what condition most of them live in, but I do take issue with that statement. The state shouldn't care about them. If the Indians want to claim sovereignty, they shouldn't get any benefits from the government either.

What's really sad is that the Senecas have more than enough money in their tribe to provide for everyone. Except most of it is in the hands of Barry Snyder et al.