The latest near-settlement involving the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York's land claim fell through largely over one issue - sovereignty.

Legislators in Cayuga and Seneca counties decided that while they are open to settling the issue, they simply could not live with the part of the deal that would have allowed the tribes to make up to 10,000 acres of land tax-exempt. They're willing to give their blessing on a deal with the state that would allow the tribe to open a casino in the Catskills, as long as the tribe agrees to drop efforts to make land in this area sovereign.

We agree completely with the legislators. We've long remain opposed to the sovereignty sought by Cayugas, which simply cannot work in populated areas.

The biggest problem with sovereignty on the scale the tribe seeks is that it would destroy the tax bases of local communities. The U.S. Supreme Court made this point quite clear in their decision in the Sherrill case a few years ago.

The other problem with sovereignty is that it's not true sovereignty. It's only sovereignty in terms of the civic responsibilities - such as paying taxes - that the tribe would get to avoid.

They would still rely on municipalities for services, such as police and fire protection, and possibly even sewer and water lines.

Then there's the money the tribe already gets from the government. Just last week, the Cayugas announced that they've secured a $438,000 low-income housing grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Effectively, the Cayugas say they shouldn't be paying any taxes on their land, but they have no problem with taking taxpayer dollars from the federal government in order to achieve some of their goals.

The Cayugas still have a chance to land a deal that could bring them a windfall in the form of casino revenues. And if they do, they could use that money to help establish themselves in their historic homeland, where they could be welcomed as law-abiding neighbors.