A gambling casino in downtown Rochester? The real reasons to be concerned.

I don't care if people gamble or not.
Most people do, whether by playing the lottery or the football pools offered by most bars in the city.
I don't care if people choose to bankrupt themselves as a result of gambling. It isn't government's function to protect people from their own stupidity, although some bleeding heart liberals feel that it is.
As for a gambling casino in downtown Rochester, that is a different matter.
The way I understand it, gambling casinos in New York State are only permitted on Native American soil. Land in downtown Rochester designated for a casino would have to be ceded back to whichever Indian Nation claims jurisdiction here.
Sovereign Native American territory is not subject to usual taxation, so the city, state and federal governments would not be able to impose taxes on it that other businesses are subject to paying.
That is a problem for the rest of us taxpayers who will have to take up the slack.
Casinos in New York State are self contained. Besides gambling, they offer restaurants, entertainment, boutiques and hotel accommodations. This will not benefit the other businesses downtown.
The City of Niagara Falls, USA has not benefitted from the existence of a casino there. It remains a city in decay and Rochester should pay heed to that less than shining example.
The only benefit a casino in downtown Rochester will bring is jobs, which won't make up for the loss in tax revenue.
Of course, the promoters of a casino argue that we could negotiate all of that with whichever Indian Nation will own it.
Negotiating with the Indian Reservations that sell items like cigarettes and gasoline tax free hasn't worked so far, so why do people think this will be any different?
If a gambling casino opened in downtown Rochester that was subject to the usual property and sales taxes that the rest of us are, I'd say "Hell yes, go on with it."
Not that I'd patronize it.
Lotto, football pools and penny ante poker are good enough for me.

What does it matter where Photonics locates in downtown Rochester?

A few weeks ago, Photonics announced it would locate its global headquarters in Rochester. This will supposedly solve all of Rochester's financial and social problems by bringing thousands of badly needed jobs here.
The Second Coming won't be better received.
Now our political assholes have to throw their weight around, squabbling about where it will be located downtown.
It would either be the Sibley Building or the Bausch and Lomb Building.
Photonics has decided that they want the Bausch and Lomb building to be their headquarters. That should have been an end to it.
That's not good enough for Assemblyman Joe Morelle.
He has made it clear that he and his local political brethren will decide which building Photonics will make its headquarters in.
Morelle is still pushing for the Sibley Building.
Personally, if I were going to locate a large scale business in Rochester, I'd be mighty pissed off if a few jumped up nobody politicians ordered me around. I'd probably choose a different, more grateful city and tell Morelle and his crew to go fuck off.
That might happen yet.