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.)
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.