9.13.07Barstow casino compacts may expire
BARSTOW, California -- As reported by the Desert Dispatch: "The state Senate adjourned for the 2007 legislative session at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday and failed to approve the agreements necessary for the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Indian tribes to build a casino in Barstow.
"The Barstow casino compacts, signed by the governor on Sept. 9, 2005, will expire if not passed by both houses of the state legislature by Sept. 17, 2007. Tuesday was the last day for the senate to pass any legislation.
"Tom Shields, spokesman for BarWest, LLC. blamed the failure to pass the contract on 'wealthy Indian gaming tribes' and said the 'legislature failed to do the right thing.'
"He said that the project had the support of Barstow city officials, Indian tribes and major environmental groups who are opposed to the Big Lagoon tribe building a casino on a environmentally sensitive lagoon on their Humbolt County reservation.
"...Sabrina Lockhart, spokeswoman for governor's office, said that the governor was 'disappointed by the legislature's failure to approve the compacts.'..."
2 comments:
Despite the opposition of the 15 California tribal member coalition of TASIN and the lack of support from the 65 California tribal member coalition of CNIGA, Tom Shields now implies the "support of Indian Tribes". Which tribes are these? I know of only two tribes that support the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon compacts; Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon themselves.
I have asked Scott Shackford of the Desert Dispatch to contact as many tribes as he can and ask them this question,"Would you support a tribe from 700 miles away moving into your ancestral, historical homeland and taking land into trust?" He has not yet reported his findings.
This is not a gaming issue; this is a sovereingty issue. The nation wide controversy of "reservation-shopping" is centered on Barstow. Even the Barstow city spokesman John Radar has admitted this in several different newspaper interviews.
In case I am mistaken and there is a tribe that would support the Big Lagoon moving 700 miles and into their ancestral, historical homeland, then that tribe should give Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon an invitation.
Barwest and Mayor Dale were aware they were inviting tribes who did not belong in Barstow to the area back in 2001 but they chose to ignore local tribes and instead chose to transplant tribes they could exploit.
TVT is not aware of any tribes in California other than the two that Barwest has adopted and seeks to relocate to Barstow who support the Barwest scheme.
The truth is, there are no other tribes, gaming or nongaming who support the Barwest schemes.
But that hasn't stopped them from blaming the other tribes for their failures, flawed schemes and miscalculations.
Barwest's failures are of their own doing. Mayor Dale is just as responsible for the failure to bring a casino to Barstow.
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