" Welp I give up as you are just going to remain stedfast in your Indian idiology. And it is just that, an idea/conviction u pocess. Because if u lived here or had what is happening to your community and saw what a soverign nation does to the rest of the American landscape, your ideology would get tarnished. To alot of us here, Indians wanting these reservations at the cost of the rest of us is basically like dealing with the money hungry Republicans. Eventually by taking all for yourself will result in supreme poverty & chaos for the rest. Indians are only PEOPLE, they are AMERICANS, they deserve no more then what we or anyone else s/b entitled to. I urge u to read up on the FACTS regarding the reservation/sovereign nation process. The leatherstocking region of NYS is one of thee poorest now due in part to the Oneida Indian Nation/reservation. Reservations DO use govt services because our officials care for human welfare as a whole. Read about the indian riot up in Messena. They close all other free enterprise when they 'open' their taxless businesses. And in this Walmart mentality world, even though they arent paying taxes, their gas is basically only 4 cents cheaper than the non indian stations. So moronic cheapskates patronize them because they have no sense of the power of a consumer. Just CHEAP. I agree equal rights for all but not at the expense of all others. "

" Sorry but the situation of Jews, women, and blacks is very different. The Native Americans had their own nation that was conquered and a much larger % of their numbers were killed than the Jews could ever dream of. They should be dealt with as a sovereign nation. That means if they do not wish to pay taxes that is their right, but they also are subject to not getting services from the US government. If they will not pay taxes then when their house catches fire then they should call for the tribal fire dept. If a crime is committed on them by another Native American they must call for the tribal police to investigate. If they wish to get government services they must pay taxes. Also when I go to New Hampshire to buy a TV that has no sales tax, Massachusetts does not go whining to NH to collect and send the sales tax to them. The state asks me to pay MA not the sovereign state of NH. "

" YES they ARE asking for preferencial treatment Brew...Just read some of the articles of the 1st reservation set up in Oneida County. The rest want to follow suit and take over buy glorious custom made suits, rake in millions and pay zero dollars on it. Look at other races not treated fairly in history - should we give blacks a payout or how about woman - free healthcare? Jews and how about Asians in the western states rounded up like cattle show they set up some kind of land giveaway too? Sorry Brew but the indians deserve NO MORE then the rest of us Americans!! "

" You are asking about fairness in dealing with the Native Americans? Have they historically been treated fairly? They are not asking for preferential treatment, but for their rights as a sovereign nation. How much does the Vatican pay for taxes to Italy? Luxembourg to Belgium? "

" brew - I respectfully disagree. It's actually the Native Americans who are being racist, by demanding race-based preferential treatment under the law. That's a violation of the Constitution, which supercedes any treaties that may or may not still be vaild today. The tribes in question are welcome to buy all the land that they want, as long as they obey the law and pay their fair share of taxes. "

" Perhaps in Utopia but here in central/leather stocking regions of NYS, its a much different story. Boo to sovereign nation. NO reservation. Oh and BTW, Brew were u aware that the indians were purchasing parcels of land under a bogus business name by white lawyers then spring on the buyer after signing that they have indeed sold to a reservation and that now tax paying land is off the books. Tell me the fairness there? "

" In the concept of sovereignity, they can be billed for government services. If they are a sovereign nation they must pay or provide their own. "

" Hey Brew comment when u know something about this subject! Which BTW is a very sore and wide thought concept in this area. I look at John Wayne movies differently now and actually root for the cowboy! Sovereign ha! We are all Americans and we should all pay our fair share. Brew, read up on Oneida and Halbert with his designer suits and fingers loaded with diamonds while the area can bearly support their schools. What galls me about sovereign is no taxes for what we pay for ie: ambulance, police and fire services but when an Indian has these probs who do they call? I say make 'em pay for it! "

" If you can't conceive the concept of the sovereignty of the Native American Nation then you are a racist. "