Thompson hopes Underground Railroad Heritage Project, re-allocation of casino revenues can turn Cataract City around

It’s the one big problem faced by everyone who seeks to increase tourism revenues and tourism created employment on the American side of the Falls: How can you get tourists who seek diversion on both sides of the border to spend more time and money on the USA side of what could be the greatest natural wonder in the world?

Now NYS Senator Antoine Thompson is seeking answers to this question in a project which he hopes will take advantage of our area’s historic part in one of the most courageous movements for human freedom in all of world history.
“African-Americans seeking freedom from bondage came here to Niagara Falls to find freedom and human dignity from all over the South and beyond,”

Senator Thompson points out. “It’s one of the greatest chapters in American history and one which millions of people claim as part of their own heritage. So now I am supporting the appointment of an Underground Railroad Heritage Commission which will supervise the spending of $350,000 over eight years to get this project going.”

The Senator feels that such a Heritage Trail, which would attract African-Americans and others fascinated by this momentous story could help solve the major dilemma facing those who lament the lack of development on the Yankee side of America’s honeymoon capital.

“Currently, some eight million people visit the Niagara Falls State Park every year,” he reports. “But, too many of them never spend a single night here. They go back to sleep and have dinner on the Canadian side. We need to give those people more reasons to spend more of their time here and I know that the Underground Railroad Heritage Project will do that.”

Still, Senator Thompson knows this one project will not solve all of our economic woes.

“We need to have more restaurants and hotels,” he notes. “We need to find ways to invest more money in economic development on the American side of the Falls. It’s clear they’ve spent an enormous amount on the Canadian side.”

One solution, in his view, is to divert more of the profits being realized from the Niagara Seneca Casino to worthwhile projects right here in Niagara Falls.

“At this point, the State of New York is getting 75% of the portion of Niagara Falls Seneca Casino revenues which are allocated to government while the City of Niagara Falls only gets 25%,” the Senator explains. “I have introduced a bill in the Senate which would reverse that so that the City of Niagara Falls would get 75% of those revenues for use to enhance economic development in this city and the state would get only 25%. This additional revenue would allow us to do so much more to create jobs in Niagara Falls.”

Of course, this highly respected second term Senator has many other initiatives to his credit designed to expand employment opportunities for Falls residents.

“For example, there is my school for entrepreneurs which teaches people who have never been in business before to start and run their own businesses,” he adds. “Clearly, we have an incredible natural resource at our disposal here and millions of tourists already coming here from all over the world. We need to take better advantage of these opportunities and I continue to work hard every day to help us do just that for the benefit of all our citizens.”