1. Comment by John Edwards - May 05, 2008 @ 05:14 PM Fascinating....
2. Comment by ernest finch - May 05, 2008 @ 05:37 PM This is hilarious. And talk about exactly what's needed, here comes another ignorant Boldt thinking he knows what's best for everybody...
3. Comment by Ace High - May 06, 2008 @ 07:18 AM Wow, More important is the question, is the Columbian going to stop the suppression of free speech and actually allow people to comment again through the most modern way now known to civilization.
4. Comment by Jenn Hughes - May 06, 2008 @ 10:56 AM I am all for this casino. I got a good laugh when I watched one of the hearings on tv though. Almost all of the people speaking out against the casino were morally outraged about the horrible evils of a casino. Many said it would cause crime, alcoholism, and tear apart families by driving gambling addicts into the poor house. They degraded the type of jobs a casino would produce as "immoral" and "minimum wage jobs." The ignorance and lack of factual information by these anti-casino zealots was really apalling. It was like prohibition with them trying to "save us from ourselves" and prevent us from "behaving immorally." Many spoke of being Christian--which is fine but really irrelevant to the argument of whether we should allow the casino or not. They tried to claim the moral high ground but only succeeded in looking ignorant. A casino would: *bring to Clark County a new clean industry with 3,000 new living-wage jobs with full benefits including medical. *pay for government services, reimburse local governments in lieu of taxes, and fund educational projects throughout Clark County. *pay to improve roads and the I-5 interchange and mitigate other environmental impacts. *reverse the stream of recreational dollars that now flows from Clark County into Oregon. *benefit the people of the Cowlitz Tribe by funding scholarships for its young people and providing health care and housing for its elders. *present new opportunities for top-quality entertainment, fine dining, and shopping. I too am a Christian but I don't think gambling is immoral or evil--and if it was, who am I to judge? People have the right to gamble if they choose--and they can deal with the consequences of their own behavior. People who gamble are going to gamble whether or not the casino is built. It is stupid to think otherwise
5. Comment by Jerome Brown - May 06, 2008 @ 12:35 PM The commissioners support or opposition is largely irrelevant in Washington D.C. but Commissioners need to pretend to keep the anti's off their back. It must be hell to have to cater to the morally outraged to keep a vote. I don't gamble but I would sure like to see the Cowlitz be economically well off thanks to the gambling and entertainment dollars coming from a race that kicked them off their lands to begin with. There is a certain kind of appealing irony to that. Finally, I just gotta say that LaCenter is the headquarters of hypocrisy. Gambling run by white men is OK as it keeps their taxes down but Gambling by Native Americans is evil. Laughable.
6. Comment by David Hintz - May 06, 2008 @ 01:29 PM Let's flip that issue and ask why the Fed thinks it has the power to stick its nose into Clark County issues? The casino is SUCH a bad idea, it's a no brainer to kill the whole concept. And we all know that 'no brainers' are right up Washington D.C.'s alley.
7. Comment by Joe Fryberger - May 06, 2008 @ 02:21 PM Glad I didn't vote for those Bozos
8. Comment by James Bear - May 06, 2008 @ 07:01 PM Let's see... 1 - Benefit the cowlitz: Doubtful. Most of the profits would go to the Salishan-Mohegan and what doesn't go to the investors goes to "expansion". The true cowlitz people will be lucky to get $500.00 per month. 2 - Hypocrisy against gambling: I'm not against people who want to gamble either but I don't want one of the country's largest, "UNREGULATED" casinos in Clark County. Oh...did I say "UNREGULATED". That makes a world of criminal activity difference. 3 - La Center casinos comparison: Could everyone who is still ignorant on the difference LOOK UP class 2 card rooms versus class 3? There is also a world of difference in patrons, profit and crime associated with types. 4- MOU: If the county signs an MOU they will be assumed to have mitigated impacts. Since they have no control over GROWTH of this unregulated casino, who knows the impacts. They can't mitigate impacts so NO MOU should be signed. 5 - Wonderful Jobs: No health law protection. No unemployment protection. No on the job injury protection...just to name a few differences. Not only are these low wage jobs but they aren't like other low wage jobs even. They are just a step above slave labor, i.e., NO RIGHTS. Get the facts about this issue before casting your vote.
9. Comment by James Bear - May 06, 2008 @ 08:09 PM For those "bozos" who didn't get the last point, (i.e., the post before mine), let me please reiterate: A casino of this type, ran and managed by international gambling moguls is OUTSIDE of state, local or county regulations because they are using the tribe to gain this status. Any "promises" made by Phil Harju, Barnett or any other part of the oligarchy that runs the Cowlitz tribe these days is only as good as that tribal council. New tribal council means new rules. Members of the Mohegan tribe who makes "billions" are told that they can't get more per capita payments because the money is being "invested into future generations". This while poor tribal members continue to struggle. This deal is WRONG for the cowlitz tribe first and foremost but beyond that, it is wrong for Clark county who will have absolutely no control over any of it. In early meetings tribal legal reps even boasted about not even having to submit a site map for county approval,(woodland chamber of commerce). How many people who post on this issue really even know what this is about? For those who do actually care about the Cowlitz people, you should be adamantly opposed because they won't profit in this current deal. For those who want big vegas style gambling, I say go to Vegas where crime and gambling go well with the environment and nobody cares one way or the other about how it destroys the neighborhood or individual lives.
10. Comment by James Bear - May 06, 2008 @ 08:11 PM For those "bozos" who didn't get the last point, (i.e., the post before mine), let me please reiterate: A casino of this type, ran and managed by international gambling moguls is OUTSIDE of state, local or county regulations because they are using the tribe to gain this status. Any "promises" made by Phil Harju, Barnett or any other part of the oligarchy that runs the Cowlitz tribe these days is only as good as that tribal council. New tribal council means new rules. Members of the Mohegan tribe who makes "billions" are told that they can't get more per capita payments because the money is being "invested into future generations". This while poor tribal members continue to struggle. This deal is WRONG for the cowlitz tribe first and foremost but beyond that, it is wrong for Clark county who will have absolutely no control over any of it. In early meetings tribal legal reps even boasted about not even having to submit a site map for county approval,(woodland chamber of commerce). How many people who post on this issue really even know what this is about? For those who do actually care about the Cowlitz people, you should be adamantly opposed because they won't profit in this current deal. For those who want big vegas style gambling, I say go to Vegas where crime and gambling go well with the environment and nobody cares one way or the other about how it destroys the neighborhood or individual lives.
11. Comment by James Bear - May 06, 2008 @ 08:12 PM For those "bozos" who didn't get the last point, (i.e., the post before mine), let me please reiterate: A casino of this type, ran and managed by international gambling moguls is OUTSIDE of state, local or county regulations because they are using the tribe to gain this status. Any "promises" made by Phil Harju, Barnett or any other part of the oligarchy that runs the Cowlitz tribe these days is only as good as that tribal council. New tribal council means new rules. Members of the Mohegan tribe who makes "billions" are told that they can't get more per capita payments because the money is being "invested into future generations". This while poor tribal members continue to struggle. This deal is WRONG for the cowlitz tribe first and foremost but beyond that, it is wrong for Clark county who will have absolutely no control over any of it. In early meetings tribal legal reps even boasted about not even having to submit a site map for county approval,(woodland chamber of commerce). How many people who post on this issue really even know what this is about? For those who do actually care about the Cowlitz people, you should be adamantly opposed because they won't profit in this current deal. For those who want big vegas style gambling, I say go to Vegas where crime and gambling go well with the environment and nobody cares one way or the other about how it destroys the neighborhood or individual lives.
12. Comment by Paulie D - May 06, 2008 @ 11:01 PM James Bear, please lay off the cough syrup. Tribal gambling is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country. Tribes have 3 (yes 3) levels of regulation over their gambling operations. Federal, state, and tribal government all heavily regulate tribal gaming activities. Do some research. Also, if you think the casino will not benefit the Cowlitz people, try asking the other two dozen tribes in Washington state how they like their billions of gambling dollars. That money mostly goes to schools, health clinics, elder housing, scholarships, etc. Do La Center's private cardrooms give most of their profits away like that?
13. Comment by James Bear - May 06, 2008 @ 11:49 PM Tribal casinos in Washington state have the distincttion, unfortunately, of being located in one of the fewer states in the nation that DON'T tax and do NOT require payment BACK into the system that funds them, i.e. B&O, property taxes, infrasture, police, schools, etc. As to your statment, Paulie,about schools, health clinic, elder housing and more all being funded by tribal funds, specifically casino dollars...did you skip the part where federal tax dollars and grants applied for and awarded to individual tribes after/if they have federal recognition, actually fund this? Take the Tulalep Tribe for instance who got millions in federal dollars for schools, elder housing social programs, etc.,in 2005,2006, and so on, all in spite of having one of the larger, most profitable casinos in our state. It sounds great to make it sound as though tribal CASINOS actually fund these programs but generally they do not. Money goes to the investors in many instances as it would in this. As to regulations, NIGC, (National Indian Gaming Commission), a federal agency in D.C. would disagree with your statement on regulation but again, it sounds great whether true or not. Tribal casinos are regulated by TRIBES, not federal agencies, state agencies or otherwise. The only oversight the NIGC has is when someone files a complaint and the NIGC investigates it. Other than that, tribal casinos are largely regulated by private agencies HIRED by the tribal investors. The NIGC has not been funded for decades to do more than this but even if they were, they can't dictate to a sovereign nation what they can and can't do. You should know that. Again, YOU do not know your issue. As to La Center card rooms, they do share profits by paying Washington State taxes, something a tribal casinos DON't/WON'T have to do. This money goes to local schools, road, police, etc., all via B&O, sales tax, etc. Whether they contribute to local arts or voluntary funds is mute.
14. Comment by James Bear - May 07, 2008 @ 12:01 AM Paulie, just to be sure. Call the Washington State Gambling commission and ask them how they regulate "Tribal" casinos. Then call the state and ask them how they regulate building code, health code, safety code, employment laws in a tribal casino, i.e., a federal territory, i.e., out of state jurisdication and what they pay towards schools, infrastructure, police, etc that is NOT tribal oriented. I suspect you already know you are wrong but I'd love to see you post a response to your responses with a source.
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