BLOOMBERG AND HIS SHOT GUN ATTITUDE

New York mayor wants tribes shown the 'shotgun' for tax issues
Monday, August 16, 2010

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) says tribes should be shown the "shotgun" for asserting their sovereignty on tobacco sales.

On his August 13 radio show, Bloomberg said he gave advice to Gov. David Paterson (D) on the issue. "'You know, get yourself a cowboy hat and a shotgun. If there's ever a great video, it's you standing in the middle of the New York State Thruway saying, you know, 'Read my lips: The law of the land is this and we're going to enforce the law,' " Bloomberg said.

"This is an outrage," Bloomberg continued. "You know, if you and I have to pay taxes, everybody should pay taxes -- and this is just a scam to get around the taxes.
"They say, 'Well, if you start taxing, it'll cost a few jobs.' Yeah, the cigarettes are killing our people,'" he said.

The comments drew a critical response from the Seneca Nation. "It's obvious Mayor Bloomberg is supportive of religious freedoms and not sovereign rights. It's precisely this kind of cavalier attitude that has led to the past breaking of treaties by various federal and state governments. Maybe Mayor Bloomberg could use a refresher course on the US Constitution and the need to honor Indian treaties," President Barry Snyder Sr. said in a press release.

Bloomberg has gone after tribal smoke shops in the New York City area for selling tobacco without collecting state taxes.

EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: New York City wants the taxes collected because its own stores are possibly buying the cigarettes from the smoke shops that are on tribal lands. Why isn't Bloomberg going after N.Y.C. stores instead?

I believe a Show Down is coming on September 1, 2010.

Even though this may not concern tribes like the Mohegans and the Mashantucket Pequots, (they charge state sales tax), they should help the New York tribes.

The reason governments get away with taking away tribes rights is because each tribe is on its own on their separate battles. Native Americans should stand up for each other whether the fight involves them or not.

At the the end of the day if the State was going to do something to the Mohegans or the Mashantucket Pequots, who will stand up with them? What do you think?

IS UNITY THE KEY? What do you think?

These are the opinions, ideas and facts of Brokenwing.