 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! |
Gaming News
Chumash Counter Anti-Casino Efforts3 March 2003SANTA YNEZ, Calif. -- It's been one fight after another since the Chumash Indians began expanding their gambling casino here. The casino has been criticized as an eyesore. County officials have said it should contribute more -- up to a few million dollars -- to offset increased costs to the community. Then local leaders started questioning whether the tribe should be allowed to serve wine in a fancy steakhouse it plans to add to its growing casino. "Tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta decided enough was enough. It was time to counterattack. "And that's how, incongruously, the war on terror got injected into the seemingly endless controversy over the Chumash Casino. In this otherwise tranquil chunk of Santa Barbara County -- best known for its vineyards and the antics of local resident Michael Jackson -- Armenta called a meeting last week to showcase area leaders and citizens who like the tribe and its casino expansion. "… Tribal head Armenta said there has been an inaccurate impression created that the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians doesn't care about the communities surrounding its 127-acre reservation. On the contrary, he said, the tribe has given all kinds of help to neighboring communities. "… Agreeing with Armenta, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Jim Anderson said the tribe's expanded casino complex would be a `great facility' and a welcome resource in the event of terrorism or any kind of natural disaster. "… Much of the session at the tribal hall overlooking the casino was devoted to reports of good rapport with the tribe on issues ranging from sewage and water to construction. Local union officials also praised the tribe for almost exclusively hiring local workers and union members. "…Supervisor Marshall, saying many residents oppose the casino expansion, also expressed worries about eventual expansion of drinking throughout the casino. Marshall has led the way in county efforts to persuade the tribe to pay significant mitigation costs because of the expansion, but the tribe's status as a separate nation gives the county no power to demand such payments…" |