Indian Gaming Craps Out

The Sacramento Bee ^ | 10-05-08 | Stephen Magagnini

[dynamitehack]

Wealth breeds 'poverty of soul'

Ten years after the casino cash started flowing, the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians' good fortune is on display across the peaceful Capay Valley.

Thanks to their Cache Creek Casino Resort – which makes about $300 million a year and is scheduled to expand – each of the 26 adults in the 60-member nation gets about $1 million a year after taxes, more if they're on the tribal council or committees. They get a travel allowance to expand their horizons to Tahiti, Europe or anyplace they desire.

They own luxury cars, custom homes on the rancheria and second homes elsewhere. They send their children to a first-class private school that offers their Patwin language and native flute taught occasionally by Grammy winner Mary Youngblood.

But CEO and Chief Marshall McKay sees trouble behind the opulence...

[dynamitehack]

It took 10 years, but I know now that the NO vote I cast regarding Indian Gaming in California was the correct decision.
I have watched the state government grow to help the problem gambler stay away from a vice that used to be illegal. Now it appears that the Tribe that this particular casino was built to help is actually in trouble itself.
It amazes me that this casino was built to help 26 people survive...some Tribe. It's a large family.
I happen to live in an area near one of these boondoggles. All we have gotten from this is a higher crime rate and now they are building a 20 story hotel on their "reservation".
What a scam this is going turn out to be...

[fish hawk]

On the other hand, Reservations were created to put the Indians there and make them become “self sufficient”. Wouldn't you say that it worked? There are 26 Indians in that area that are not on welfare or the “dole”. Right?

[norton]

Let us consider for a moment:

Indian casinos, to "correct wrongs of the past"
State lotteries, to "support the schools"
Government encouraged but shaky home loans to those "who couldn't afford it otherwise"
And; marketing bad loans with good loans because "the market always goes up"

We got a trend yet?

Somebody, somewhere, anytime, can find a warm fuzzy name to put on any form of corruption you can dream up;

Which is the most venal, an indian stoking a habit on his or her millions of unearned dollars, a blue-eyed tourist who fantasizes about life after a hit on the lottery or their next tap on an indian owned, computer driven, push button, "slot machine", or the elected officials who approved lotteries and casinos as a means of living well while holding onto power"?

Our government supports all three life styles, profits from each of them, and does it all in the best interest of someone or something other than the politicians themselves.

(PS: I've known one or two indians (not CA tribes) who got those monthly checks, they worked anyway because they were my generation but property acquisition was a fetish, wonder how the current bubble collapse is treating them...)

(PPS: Interesting case here in So Cal just lately;
Tourist very much surprised to learn that he was subject to tribal law and not US or state law when he had a complaint to lodge against a casino owned by a "Gaming Tribe". Yes Virginia, he lost.)

[Oatka]

Thanks to their Cache Creek Casino Resort – which makes about $300 million a year and is scheduled to expand – each of the 26 adults in the 60-member nation gets about $1 million a year after taxes, more if they're on the tribal council or committees. They get a travel allowance to expand their horizons to Tahiti, Europe or anyplace they desire.
They own luxury cars, custom homes on the rancheria and second homes elsewhere.

This is why certain entities wanted to create a "native Hawaiian" category. How did that ever work out? Haven't heard a word since it was proposed.