Big Lagoon RancheriaJanuary 8, 2007For Immediate Release!Contact: Virgil Moorehead(707) 826‐2079
BIG LAGOON ACQUIRES 16 ADDITIONAL ACRES IN HUMBOLDT CO., NEW PARCEL IS ADJACENT TO TRIBAL RANCHERIA EUREKA – Big Lagoon Rancheria announced Monday the purchase of 16 additional acres along the majestic North Coast of California, adjacent to the tribe’s 20‐acre ancestral lands of Big Lagoon in Humboldt County.
According to Virgil Moorehead, Big Lagoon Tribal spokesman, the Tribe is considering various uses for the property, including the restoration of the original village where the Tribe istorically settled. The Tribe will consider filing a land into trust application with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs.
In September 2005, the Big Lagoon Rancheria signed a compact with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that allows the Tribe to build a casino in the City of Barstow (San Bernardino County) in partnership with the Los Coyotes Band. As part of the compact, the Big Lagoon Rancheria also signed a settlement agreement with the State of California that calls on the Tribe to forgo gaming development on the Tribe’s Ancestral land along the scenic Northern California coastline, in exchange for a gaming project in Barstow.
The Tribe narrowly lost its bid for the Barstow project in the California legislature during the 2006 legislative session. It plans to support the re‐introduction of enabling legislation this year to ratify its compact.
Under the terms of the compact, the California lawmakers must ratify the compact with legislation in 2007 or the settlement agreement with the state would be invalidated, forcing a court mandated settlement.
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With this press release, Virgil Moorehead's proven once again that he'll say anything or do anything. Threats and dishonesty are hardly the way to re-open negotiations with a California Legislature you failed to develop credibility with in the last legislative session.
Moorehead's claims that his Tribe "narrowly" lost its bid to have a Barstow casino approved during the 2006 CA Legislative Session is outright dishonesty. By writing it in the press release and distributing it to reporters, he's hoping that they won't know any better and they'll reprint his Spin as the California Legislature reconvenes.
The truth is Moorhead, his partners at the Los Coyotes Reservation in San Diego, the Detroit casino syndicators driving Moorehead and three Sacramento lobbying firms who were paid at least $350,000 - $500,000 last year failed miserably and were only able to get public commitments on the record from 6 members out of the combined 120 legislators who make up the Senate and Assembly.
Yes, a year and a half after Governor Schwarzenegger signed the agreements, Marian Ilitch's team and Moorehead were only able to round up six votes on the record. Four of those were onboard when the legislation was introduced last year, only two members joined the bandwagon after the agreements started to get a public airing.
The most passionate and committed champion of Big Lagoon's plan, Senator Wes Chesbro (his district included Humboldt County), was termed out of the legislature in the Fall. Moorehead and Marian Ilitch's pack of lobbyists haven't indicated who, if anyone would shepherd their plan through the legislature now and they've had four months to figure it out. That's not a good sign. This is exactly where they were a year ago ... a signed compact sitting in limbo with no sponsors in the legislature and no legislators committed to moving it through committee.
Of the five committed members remaining in the legislature, it's unclear if they're still on board with Moorehead; although 4 of the 5 represent districts serving Barstow, Los Coyotes Reservation or Big Lagoon Rancheria as one might expect. The five who publicly committed their votes last year include:
1. Senator Roy Ashburn (R-18)
2. Assemblyman Bill Maze (R-34)
3. Assemblywoman Patty Berg (D-1)
4. Assemblyman Jay La Suer (R-77)
5. Assemblyman Leland Yee (D-12)
You may also want to review these posts:
The Verifiable Truth: Big Lagoon Rancheria purchases 16 acres
The Verifiable Truth: Big Lagoon Rancheria trust plan under fire
The Verifiable Truth: In a move right out of the Ilitch Bay Mills playbook, CA's Big Lagoon acquires 16 acres, increases leverage
The Verifiable Truth: Ilitch’s Barstow schemes failed to make any substantive progress in Sacramento since 2005; aging agreements with Gov. Schwarzenegger expire soon
The Verifiable Truth:Overview of Ilitch CA Lobbying Expenses
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