8 OCTOBER 1,2012
Smoke Signals
Washburn confirmed
as new head off BDA
Kevin Washburn, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, was
confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 21 as the new Assistant Secretary for
Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior.
"As we continue to strengthen the integrity of the nation's government-to-government
relationship with federally recognized Indian Tribes and empower
Native American and Alaska Native communities, Kevin Washburn will be
an outstanding addition to our leadership team and a vital asset for President
Obama's initiatives in Indian Country," said Secretary of the Interior Ken
Salazar. "Kevin's professional and academic achievements and his thorough
knowledge of the critical issues facing the nation's First Americans will help
us to fulfill the president's commitment to empower Tribal governments and
advance their economic and social goals."
Washburn is dean of the University of New Mexico School of Law, a posi
tion he had held since June 2009. He succeeds Larry Echohawk as the head
of the Iiureau of Indian Affairs.
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Oregonians rejected the
same proposal in 2010
CASINO continued
from front page
measure's ballot language.
Only two of the six scenarios Ma
lik analyzed showed a net gain for
the state, ranging from $32 million
to $53 million, if a smaller casino
is built.
Under the larger casino scenari
os, far more money is diverted from
the Oregon Lottery than comes
back to the state from the casino.
Oregon government coffers would
lose as much as $63 million a year,
even after the casino's seemingly
generous payment of $100 million
is factored in.
The Oregon Lottery is the state's
second-largest source of revenue
after income taxes. Lottery officials
believe gamers who might other
wise spend their money on video
poker would gamble instead at the
proposed casino.
Within a 20-mile radius of Wood
Village are 800 restaurants and
taverns that have video lottery
terminals, representing 37 percent
of the state total and about $350
million in annual sales.
The Oregon Lottery returns 65
percent of its revenues to Oregon
while casino proponents are only
offering to return 25 percent of its
revenue to the state.
Steven Ungar, a former chairman
of the state Lottery Commission,
said Oregon's independent analysis
is proof the state will be hurt by
the casino.
"A private casino is ill-conceived
and not in the public's best inter
ests," said Ungar, a Portland law
yer. "I'm confident that the measure
would result in a net financial loss
to the people of Oregon."
The analysis found that money
gambled at the casino would mostly
come from within Oregon. Although
it found that an estimated $83 mil
lion to $126 million would be added
to the economy, that addition is
outweighed by the cash flowing out
of state to the casino's owners and
lenders. The Oregon economy could
shrink by as much as $74 million a
year, resulting in overall job losses,
the analysis found.
Gov. John Kitzhaber says a plan
such as those in measures 82 and
83 would hurt the state budget,
increase the number of addicted
gamblers and unfairly punish
Tribal casinos, which use gaming
revenues to fund education, health
care and other programs for their
membership. With reduced rev
enue, members of Oregon's nine
federally recognized Tribes may
turn to state services to replace
those that would have to be cut by
Tribal governments.
Kitzhaber wrote in an Aug. 28 let
ter to the Portland City Club that
a private casino would "primarily
benefit a few wealthy executives
and foreign investors while creat
ing increased opportunities for
corporate corruption and organized
crime."
The two measures are backed by
wealthy Lake Oswego businessmen
Bruce Studer and Matt Rossman
and financially supported by Ca
nadian gaming giant Clairvest out
of Toronto.
In 2010, Oregonians rejected the
same proposal by a 68-32 percent
margin.
So far, casino proponents have
spent more than $1 million on a
deluge of TV ads backing the proj
ect, which they have dubbed "The
Grange."
"What the proponents of mea
sures 82 and 83 are proposing is not
just fuzzy math, it's Vegas math,"
said Justin Martin, the Tribe's lob
byist. B
Costfa Rican visitors
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Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Greg Archuleta, second from right talks about the traditional us of
lamprey to a delegation of indigenous Costa Ricans as Tribal Council
member Jon A. George, right, looks on, during the group's visit to Grand
Ronde on Friday, Sept. 21 . Archuleta demonstrated the traditional way
salmon and lamprey are cooked and later in the day the group was
served a meal including the two.
A group of visitors from Costa Rica listen as, from left, Jordan Mercier,
Travis Mercier, Brian Krehbiel, Bobby Mercier and Tribal Council
member Jon A. George sing in the plankhouse on Friday, Sept. 21 .
Bobby Mercier also gave them a brief history of the Tribe. After the
plankhouse, the group visited the Governance Center and talked with
Tribal Council.
Zumba held Monday,
Wednesday in Grand Ronde
Zumba, a Latin-inspired and calorie-burning dance fitness party, is held
from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in the old Grand Ronde
Middle School.
The first class is free and $6 thereafter for drop-ins, or $5 if participants
purchase a punch card.
For more information, contact Tribal Recreation Coordinator Matthew
Mosely at 503-879-1369 or matthew.moselygrandronde.org.
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503-879-5211 1-800-4 j
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