Siletz news letter., January 01, 1995, Page 5, Image 5

there before Restoration. Salem was the unanimous
decision of the Council officially because it would
maximize revenues for the Tribe and because the
Department of Interior supported our proposal.
Some tribal members still want Siletz; others want
Portland. We can't satisfy everyone. The Council
made it's decision based on the best available
information at the time. You must also remember -
we were invited by Salem officials to Salem but when
the going got tough, our support left us.
QUESTION: DID SALEM CAUSE A LOT OF LOST TIME?
ANSWER: No. There is no loss! You must remember, the
, Governor would not allow any tribe to acquire land
off reservation for gaming purposes. Without those
efforts in Salem, we would not have the Lincoln City
site. Two years ago, we would not have had
congressional support.
* In the first year, 1992, we selected and
fought for Salem. The Secretary changed his mind
and disapproved our fee-to-trust application in
December at the last minute - so we filed a lawsuit
which is still pending. This legal challenge took one
year - until January, 1994. At that time we
received a mixed decision from the federal court. An
appeal of
that decision is now pending.
* In the second year, 1993. We began looking
for alternative sites in Lincoln County then focused
on Lincoln City. At the end of the year, we requested
compact negotiations with the Governor.
*During the third year, 1994. We began
negotiating a compact with the Governor and
successfully completed negotiations in November.
We also successfully impleihented a strategy
to have Congress make the site in Lincoln City part
of the Siletz Reservation eligible for gaming under
IGRA. This was a long and difficult process,
requiring intensive and concentrated effort.
In addition, during the third year, we
successfully negotiated with the Comstock whose
owners agreed to reimburse all expenses thus far!
We also negotiated for property in Lincoln City.
QUESTION: WAS $6 MILLION TO $8 MILLION REALLY
SPENT ON SILETZ GAMING?
ANSWER: The truth is , since we first began our gaming
efforts, and as of November 1, 1994, we spent only
$768,000 on gaming expenses such as contracts,
consultants, travel, supplies, etc. In addition, the
Tribe purchased 20 acres in Salem for $1.1 million
and are currently making monthly payments for the
balance due.
By November 1, 1994, the Comstock paid
$25,921.85 of taxes and extension fees on the
Lincoln city property and in December, paid the full
$3 million for the final purchase of the eleven acres.
The Tribe now owns the Salem property. While
we intended to use this land for Class III gaming, we
are developing other alternative uses. The property
has been determined to have high economic
development potential.
QUESTION: WHY DID THE AD HOC GAMING COMMISSION
FILE SUIT AGAINST THE U.S. OVER THE SALEM
SITE?
ANSWER: It was not the Gaming Commission but the
Tribal Council that voted unanimously to fight the
Secretary's decision in court. We believe the Siletz
Tribe is correct on the law on this matter. We
secured a partial victory in the lower federal court
January 1995
and are appealing to obtain a complete victory.
QUESTION: WHY DID IT TAKE SO MUCH LONGER FOR
THE SILETZ TRIBE THAN OTHER TRIBES?
ANSWER: If we had adequate pre - IGRA reservation land
on major highways like some other tribes or had
fallen within IGRA's exceptions, we could have done
the same. Tribes which establish a gaming center in
existing reservation land do not have to go through
the long process Siletz did.
Let's remember, too, that Cow Creek
campaigned actively against us. The Cow Creek
Chairman wrote letters to Congress, the Secretary of
Interior, the Governor, the Salem City Council and
the media, urging them not to support us. Grand
Ronde also sent letters of opposition to federal and
state officials. This obviously hurt our efforts. We
forged ahead despite this opposition.
The Grand Ronde Tribe got their Compact
because the Governor made a mistake. She thought
the Grand Ronde property was eligible for gaming
under IGRA as reservation land. It wasn't. It was
trust land but not eligible reservation land. By the
time the State figured this out, Governor Roberts
had already publicly endorsed the Grand Ronde
project, and it would have been politically
embarrassing for her to reverse her position. To
correct her embarrassing mistake, the Governor
personally lobbied Congress ( behind the scenes ) to
make the Grand Ronde parcel eligible reservation
land. Remember, she had declared publicly several
months before that she would oppose any off -
reservation land for gaming by any tribe including
Grand Ronde.
Grand Ronde had problems but their
problem was easier to solve because the " forestry
site" was already in trust and the local population
figured they could not do anything to stop gaming
on that site. Our Lincoln City site was not even in
trust. It took months of quiet, intensive lobbying to
get our bill enacted.
QUESTION: HOW MUCH ARE COUNCILMEN PAID FOR
WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?
ANSWER: Tribal Council members earn $8 per hour.
Mostly, though, it's on a voluntary basis - without
pay! We devote many, many hours on week ends
and in the evenings most o f the time without pay.
For every hour listed on the time sheets just as
many hours are not listed.
We are willingly devoting our time and
energies because the gaming income is badly needed
for everyone in the Tribe. It will help meet the needs
of our people - young and old - now and in the
future. ( Many tribal members see us working late at
night in their offices, who themselves devote many
hours at night in their jobs ).
QUESTION: WILL THERE BE INDIAN PREFERENCE AT
THE GAMING CENTER?
ANSWER: There will be Indian preference. But we must
keep in mind: only qualified people will be hired. I
say that because each employee must undergo rigid
background investigations. These rules are not rules
set by the tribes but by the National Indian Gaming
Commission.
Indian gaming is under close scrutiny
especially by those opposed to it. Congress is under