AEG's Aqueduct deal officially dead

[pmacdaddy]

"We've gotta protect our phoney-baloney jobs, gentlemen, we must do something about this immediately!"

[Buckpasser]

'Unlicensable' AEG may be bounced from struggling Aqueduct racino project as early as today (Wednesday)

The group chosen to run the Aqueduct racino failed to clear all the state's hurdles and could be bounced as soon as Wednesday, the Daily News has learned.

The news comes a day after high-profile investors Jay-Z and Queens Rev. Floyd Flake ran away from the project.

The Lottery Division last night forwarded a memo to Gov. Paterson's chief of staff, Larry Schwartz, and chief counsel, Peter Kiernan, stating that Aqueduct Entertainment Group is "unlicensable" for numerous reasons, a source told The News.

A second source said Schwartz and Kiernan - who have final say for the administration after Paterson revealed yesterday he recused himself from any involvement in the project - had not made a final decision as of Tuesday night, but that "a decision could be made as early as [today] as to what the fate of AEG will be."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010...#ixzz0hsx1Tp2S

[pointman]

Shocking development, who would have thought that AEG wasn't appropriate to run a casino?

[freddymo]

It's so sad.. Now this has to begin again get rebid get re investigated and that will take time. So expect that NYRA will be at the State Legislature begging for money to run a meet. Expect policticians to grandstand and push their agenda and expect in the 24th hour after all the blowhards posture themselves for their pending campaigns that the State delves NYRA money to proceed..

[parsixfarms]

Call me cynical, but the selection of another bidder would probably moot most of the issues tied to the AEG selection process and put an end to the investigations related to it.

[pointman]

Originally Posted by parsixfarms

Call me cynical, but the selection of another bidder would probably moot most of the issues tied to the AEG selection process and put an end to the investigations related to it.

The deal may move faster this time. More than ever New York politicians are desperate to raise money so they can continue to spend more and waste more in this economy, something that NY politicians might be the best in the nation at (ok, California is certainly a terrific rival). What makes this even more attractive to the politicians is that it is a way of raising money without raising taxes and it is not a method where they even have to claim they are not raising our taxes when in reality they are!

Of course, as long as the lame duck is our Governor, there is no telling what happens next. Though, I would assume it won't be long before Patterson is charged criminally and forced to resign. You can pick and choose between the Aqueduct deal, the obstruction of justice regarding his top aide's domestic violence or the free Yankee tickets as to which situation he will likely be charged criminally first. My guess is the domestic violence.

[parsixfarms]

Originally Posted by pointman

The deal may move faster this time. More than ever New York politicians are desperate to raise money so they can continue to spend more and waste more in this economy, something that NY politicians might be the best in the nation at (ok, California is certainly a terrific rival). What makes this even more attractive to the politicians is that it is a way of raising money without raising taxes and it is not a method where they even have to claim they are not raising our taxes when in reality they are!

The other cynical part of me has long thought that the politicians have repeatedly dragged this process out to encourage those "in the running" for the contract to make continued political campaign contributions to them. Why else was Joe Bruno getting money from Capital Play, among others? It's the same game now, just with different players. Once a winner is selected, the contribution "gravy train" loses many of its riders.