Michael Arcuri: “I guess, after the last election, I had naively thought that we could come back and get away from the political sniping…”

The Federal government cannot continue to simply throw up its hands and insist that the tribes and local governments resolve these difficult and complex issues by themselves.

I respectfully submit that this discussion should be one that assesses whether the current process is still striking the correct balance in order to facilitate tribal self-determination, economic development and Indian housing.

It truly pains me to see tribes like the Oneida Nation and Cayuga in New York State and our local governments unable to resolve land and tax issues which have remained unresolved for over 30 years.

Too much is at stake for us to simply pass our responsibility by opting for a mere extension of the current law.