More on Yonkers Raceway tax dust-up
Assemblyman Mike Spano, D-Yonkers, issued another press release yesterday criticizing Yonkers Mayor Phil Amicone for seeking to collect a tax on admissions at Yonkers Raceway when there hasn’t been an admissions fee since it reopened as a “racino.”
Spano said that instead of cutting spending, Amicone, a Republican, is opting for a new tax.
However, the tax isn’t new. Yonkers adopted its tax law on the raceway in 1952 and it includes language from a 1965 amendment suggesting that the city can collect a tax on admissions even if there is no admission fee. Here is the relevant section from that code:
§ 15-3. Collection of tax. [Amended 2-9-1965 by L.L. No. 2-1965]
A.Every corporation, association or person holding a harness-race meeting within the City of Yonkers shall collect, in addition to the admission price of tickets sold for general admission, or otherwise disposed of to patrons, a tax of 30% of such general admission price. In case of failure to collect such tax, the same shall be imposed upon the corporation, association or person holding such meeting.
Spano’s press release doesn’t address the city code. Here’s what he issued yesterday:In response to Mayor Amicone’s press release “Yonkers
Mayor Phil Amicone Asserts Assemblyman Mike Spano
Has His Priorities Wrong” dated April 23rd
“As the City of Yonkers is facing a multi-million dollar deficit, high
unemployment, and rising taxes, it is critical that the Mayor take real action to cut waste and streamline government. That is what Yonkers taxpayers are calling for, not more taxes on our businesses as the Mayor is proposing.
“But instead of cutting wasteful spending, such as the hundreds of taxpayerfunded cars in which the City provides and maintains for employees, the Mayor has chosen instead to add an illegal tax on Yonkers largest employer – Yonkers Raceway – based on an erroneous admissions fee on customers which has never existed.
“Yonkers Raceway continues to be the most successful piece of economic
development that our city has seen in years. If passed, this “phantom tax” scheme would not only threaten free admission to the Raceway – reducing the hundreds ofthousands of visitors that contribute to the Yonkers economy – but also the jobs of its 1,300 employees, as well as $20 million in direct education funding from VLT revenues annually which I worked to secure for the City to help offset the costs of education. That is significant funding that the Mayor is putting the city at risk of losing.
“What I also fear is that this tax proposal sends a dangerous message to our
business community and future investors that if you’re a successful business, the City of Yonkers will find a way to tax you. Taxing our businesses and cutting vital services is the simply the wrong approach to take when there is more waste to be cut out of the City’s budget.”
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This guy, if he doesn’t want to represent the homeowners of Yonkers, may as well get himself a job with the racetrack and get it over with.
I sincerely doubt that the laws of 1965 still uphold and I would recheck the facts before posting them.
the law was abrogated by state law…the reporter
needs to do his homework
What’s that, Jeffrey? Or should I say Mike Edelman, Spano supporter? You have no credibility when it comes to the Spanos, Mike Edelman. You have been in bed with them for years.
Why don’t you tell us all about how Nick Spano is allegedly a lobbyist for Yonkers Raceway? Isn’t that true? If it is, do you not see that as a huge conflict of interest for his brother Mike, who is aligned with the Raceway rather than with the tax-paying residents of Yonkers?
In my opinion, that sounds like a genuine scandal. What do you think about it?
Is it also true that at least one other Spano relative works for the Raceway? At least one?
And is it also true that the wife of the indicted Zehy Jereis, who was a long-time lap dog of Nick Spano, is or was on the Mike Spano Assembly payroll?
Can you tell us that Mike Spano has no hidden motives for backing the Raceway rather than the tax-paying homeowners?
We could also go into the letter from Angelo Martinelli and his buddy Kevin Cacace at the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce in support of the Raceway, rather than in support of Yonkers’ tax-paying homeowners—and that would lead into that same spider web, wouldn’t it?
Like the $100,000 no-show job Jereis got at the Chamber through a state grant obtained by then-senator Nick Spano, and so on. Yes, it seems they weave a tangled web, alright.
You know, that was Cacace’s brother who was busted with County legislator Gordon Burrows for coke way upstate not long ago. Surely you remember that case? It was recent.
Burrows and Cacace copped pleas, remember?
In my opinion, there are hidden agendas everywhere in this entire Raceway scenario. I also think the public should be told about them in great detail. Wouldn’t you agree?
I called Jereis’ Chamber of Commerce job a “no show” job because publicity at that time, several years ago, showed that Jereis could produce no records for the days he allegedly worked for the Chamber. So I believe that is a matter of public record. Why that situation just “went away”—I can only surmise.
Very interesting information about Mike and Nick Spano, the Yonkers raceway, and the Chamber of Commerce.
A quick Google search of “Zehy Jereis” + chamber of commerce revealed a fair amount of the purported skullduggery in that matter.
The NO SHOW JOBS, exist in city by phil amicone..
john fleming
joe dalli
marty peterson
loraine lopez
and all of the friends and family that comprise the millions of dollars of waste by phil amicone.
all the corrupt deals like n-valley , yonkers baseball inc, ridge hill corp and all the other corrupt i.d.a.’s led by amicone, and millions of dolllars in land giveaways.
Hey Jiminy….
Stop trying to deflect what this is all about….this isn’t about Mike Spano, his family, Angelo Martinelli, Kevin Cacace, or Mickey Mouse.
It’s about Phil Amicone and what Phil Amicone continues to fail to deliver for Yonkers.
It’s easy to count. The law says that the city can collect 30% of the admission fees the Raceway collects. There is no mandate for the Raceway to collect any fees.
The way I count…30% of zero is zero.
Too bad Phil and crew can’t count straight. In fact, they never could.
I think Mickey Mouse can count…can Jiminy?
Oh, it is about all of them, except Mickey Mouse. I also suggest you read the last sentence of the code. It says the Raceway can be billed even if a tax isn’t collected.
Mike Spano has what any reasonable person would believe to be a serious conflict of interest here. That is a big issue.