California Tribes, Officials Urge Continued Funding

4 August 2005

BANNING, California – (PRESS RELEASE) -- For one time only today, brand new police and sheriff's vehicles, fire trucks and other public safety equipment -- all of it purchased with the proceeds of tribal gaming -- will come together from all over the Riverside and San Bernardino area. State and local officials, fire and police chiefs, and tribal leaders will also be on hand to show first hand the public benefits from tribal gaming, and to urge the governor to take the necessary steps to make sure these funds continue to flow to local agencies.

The impressive assembly of public safety equipment is only part of what cities and county agencies throughout the Inland Empire have acquired with the funds that local tribal governments have contributed to the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund (SDF). Many of the 30 new sheriff's deputies and local police officers that have been hired with SDF support will also be on hand for today's event in Banning.

"Supporting our local communities has always been a priority for us," said Lynn Valbuena, a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians who chairs the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN) which sponsored the event. "We fought hard to get the funds we pay to the state returned to the local communities in order to put more police officers on the streets, enhance fire protection services, support children's programs and improve road conditions."

The event will take place Thursday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the police parking area of the Banning police station, located at 125 E Ramsey, Banning, CA 92220.

Funding for local governments from the SDF became available for the first time in 2003. A total of $13,002,725 was provided in the 2003/04 fiscal year to Inland and Santa Barbara communities to add 30 sheriff's deputies and police officers; purchase 21 fully-equipped police and sheriff's vehicles, two fire engines, an ambulance, and acquire breathing apparatuses for more than 100 firefighters. And that is only part of the list. Call to receive a more detailed breakdown. Almost $16 million will be provided for communities in the three counties in the current fiscal year.

"These projects are only the beginning," said Patrick Murphy, Jr., TASIN Secretary and member of the Pechanga Development Corporation. "TASIN member tribes project their contributions to the SDF will exceed $1 billion through 2020."

Unfortunately, part of the SDF funding for the coming year has been stalled at the state level. At today's event, state lawmakers, tribal and local government leaders will call on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to restore a $20 million SDF appropriation for local governments that was inadvertently removed from the 2005-06 state budget. They will unveil a website that will provide information about the SDF and include features that allow Californians to email Governor Schwarzenegger and state legislators to urge them to return these critical dollars for Southern California communities.

"Tribal governments in the Inland region have honored their commitments to their neighboring communities," said Marion Ashley, Chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. "We hope the governor will do the right thing and restore the funds so that we can continue to build on the progress we have made together."

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund was created through the 1999 Tribal-State Compact and is fully-funded by the 26 tribal governments that were operating more than 200 slot machines as of September 1999. Proceeds from the fund are earmarked for specific programs that include local governments and special districts impacted by tribal government gaming, gambling addiction programs, regulatory costs, and for providing critical revenues for non-gaming tribes.

Priorities for disbursements include local law enforcement, fire and other emergency services, environmental impacts, water supplies, behavioral health, land use, public health, roads, recreation, youth and child care programs.

"We're proud that our contributions are putting more police officers on the streets, enhancing fire protection services, and improving road conditions," commented Rosemary Morillo, Treasurer of TASIN and a Council Member for the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians.

"We're honoring our commitments under the compact and are helping to build stronger communities," stated Barbara Lyons, Vice Chairman of TASIN and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.