California Governor Fights Indian Casino Expansion(The Indians are ripping us off)

Reuters ^ | 10/16/04 | Adam Tanner

[nypokerface]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a warning for state voters: "The Indians are ripping us off."

Schwarzenegger has taken up the line to convince them to reject a tribe-backed initiative on the Nov. 2 ballot that would allow rapid expansion of American Indian casinos in the nation's most populous state and derail the governor's own effort to manage casino growth.

Some critics say the governor is going too far with his campaign -- tapping a deep vein of hostility that dates back to the settlers' conquest of the U.S. West.

"His statement touches on racism," said Virgil Moorehead, chairman of the Big Lagoon Rancheria tribe in northern California. "It's so uneducated and so far-fetched to say that we are ripping off the state."

Added Victor Rocha, an American Indian who edits a Web site related to casino gambling: "I don't think it is racist but it sure fans the flames of racism by going and saying that and just having that type of hatred of Native Americans."

American Indian casinos have expanded dramatically across the United States since the late 1980s following court rulings and new laws.

The expansion helped some tribes rise from poverty, but it also triggered a backlash. Schwarzenegger made casino payments to the state an issue in his run for governor last year, saying tribes were not paying their fair share.

"There always has been resentment of any special thing that the Indians seemed to have, whether it was their land or whether it was business concessions," said Robert Berkhofer, author of a 1978 book on American Indians. "In California there is lots of residual racial antipathy."

Schwarzenegger spokesman Vince Sollitto said the governor's comments about Indians "ripping us off" referred to tribes that back Proposition 70, which would allow the expansion of casinos in return for payments on par with state corporate taxes.

Schwarzenegger earlier this year struck a deal with five tribes to guarantee payments by Indians, who have a monopoly on slot machines. The ballot measure would nullify that deal and set the payments at the corporate rate of 8.84 percent.

It also would allow tribes to sign contracts with the state to operate as many slot machines as they want on their land and introduce roulette and craps, both of which are now banned in California.

UNEVEN PROSPERITY

Experts say the debate overlooks the fact that many tribes have no casinos.

"The basic thing that Indian gaming has done is raise the salience of some very wealthy tribes at the expense of an accurate picture of what's going on in Indian country," said Jonathan Taylor, a research fellow at the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

Nearly half of the roughly 500,000 self-described Native Americans living on reservations did not have casino gambling, according to the 2000 census, he said.

The National Indian Gaming Commission, a federal regulatory agency, says 330 Indian casinos nationwide brought in $16.7 billion in 2003, up about $2 billion each year since 2000.

Schwarzenegger is seeking to negotiate deals with tribes to pay the state more of what casinos make -- perhaps 15 to 25 percent, he said this week. But he has not explained how he reached those figures or why the casinos should pay more than the standard corporate tax.

"What we don't want to do is make it unfair where they grab the billions and billions of dollars from the people of California without paying anything," he told KGO radio in San Francisco.

States have limited influence over tribes, which have a sovereign status roughly the same as the states. That raises tensions that go deep in U.S. history.

"There is this old idea that Indians have wealth and that they have too much of it and we ought to determine how much they get," said Taylor.

[SubMareener]

After their ancestor's disastrous immigration policy, the immigrants to America who came before the Europeans are finally finding a way to take back the country their ancestors lost. ;-)

[Joe Bfstplk]

If indians can run slots, I think anyone else should also be able to run them else it is certainly discrimination.

Now if they restricted the indian casinos' patronage to only indians, that would be different.

[nothingnew]

"His statement touches on racism," said Virgil Moorehead, chairman of the Big Lagoon Rancheria tribe in northern California.

Tatankashit. It's the truth, which many people just can't handle.

FMCDH(BITS)

[stboz]

The Indians are ripping us off? Then, don't go in the dang casino.

[Righter-than-Rush]

>>The Indians are ripping us off? Then, don't go in the dang casino.>>

Perhaps what is eluded to here is the taxation issue. I don't know about California, but here in Washington state, Indians pay ZERO income taxes, federal or tax. There is an initiative on the ballot right now to charge them tax. I have to agree that the free ride is over for them.

Indians call it racist to pay taxes like the rest of us. Like the blacks call it racist to not give them bonus points in qualifying for jobs and education. Same thing.

Stop whining and be productive. THAT will make you equal.

[BJungNan]

His statement touches on racism,"

Read no further than this to know this story is BS.

[razorback-bert]

From what I read the con men are ripping the Indian casinos off.

[BJungNan]

The Indians are ripping us off? Then, don't go in the dang casino.

What people do not realize is how much money the Casinos give to the surrounding communities. Here where we live they donated almost all the cost of a skate board park. And that money did not come with state strings attached.

I would much rather have the money spent here locally than go to Sacramento, be siphoned off in bureaucratic waste and then on a small portion of the original amount paid come dribbling back to the community.

As for going into the casion, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But I agree with you. Noone every twisted my arm to go in.

[LouAvul]

"His statement touches on racism,"

I never owned a slave and feel no need to agree to reparations to modern day blacks (who, in turn, were never enslaved).

I also never bayoneted an Indian while forcing him to leave his home, so why should my tax dollars go to subsidize Indian casinos?

It's time to put all this (You're white....you're bad") garbage to rest.

In short, I agree with you. Their free ride should end. Now.

[Righter-than-Rush]

White men created a slave class of people when they gave them sympathy money (welfare) via LBJ. Now, whether they are black, hispanic or oriental, this class refuses to grow out because it is too easy to stay put.

Cries of racism confront anyone who wants to put the initiative back in the individual, and take it from governmental programs. Notoriously irresponsible, people teaching the next generation how to milk the system are worthy of summary deportation (rude... grab your shirt... you're outta here!).

The PC culture is power-hungry on the left and fearful of violence on the right. Such is the current swing of American tolerances.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

If Indians in Cali can operate csinos on Indian land why can't they operate gun stores on Indian land that sell guns that can't be sold in the rest of the state!

[Norski]

MMM. OBoy. A skateboard park. Big money.

Now, how about discussing the costs to a community when you have casino gambling. You can start with: Higher crime rate - needing more police.

I invite additional commentary from folks who live in Atlantic City, anywhere in Nevada, and all those little towns in flyover country which have received casinos in the last fifteen or so years.

I was not aware that WA Indian casinos pay no tax. Now that I know, I'm going to have to think about this before posting an opinion.

I sense flames coming . . .

[lucysmom]

If indians can run slots, I think anyone else should also be able to run them else it is certainly discrimination.

Indian tribes are sovereign nations by treaty.

[dennisw]

eeeet53t3

[GeronL]

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a warning for state voters: "The Indians are ripping us off."

The man is not doing good PR for the party....

[flying Elvis]

Why doesn't he just construct toll boths a few hundred yards from the reservations' borders?

[Boiler Plate]

Gambling is a tax on the poor and stupid. Thanks to the NEA there is no shortage of either.

[Nova]

But are they building decent housing, schools, and hospitals for their tribal communities?

[NormsRevenge]

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (news - web sites) has a warning for state voters: 'The Indians are ripping us off.' Schwarzenegger has taken up the line to convince them to reject a tribe-backed initiative on the November 2, 2004 ballot that would allow rapid expansion of American Indian casinos in the nation's most populous state and derail the governor's own effort to manage casino growth. Schwarzenegger is seen at the Republican National Convention in New York, August 31. Photo by Gary Hershorn/Reuters