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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2012)
OCTOBER 15, 2012 Smoke Signals 11 5jr Jv-. 7 V . .y.iri!Vn' Tribal Elders, from left, Dorothy Shortt, Nancy Norton and Arlettia Krehbiel share a laugh as they take a break from fishing during the Elders' Fishing Trip at Henry Hagg Lake near Forest Grove on Thursday, Sept. 27. mi tiGa foLk - i rrxv' U' a v Photos by Michelle Alaimo Steve Freund, husband of Tribal Elder Sharon Freund, trolls around Henry Hagg Lake during the Elders' Fishing Trip near Forest Grove on Thursday, Sept. 27. In the background is Tribal Elder Violet Folden. Dennis Lund, husband of Tribal Elder Laura Lund, baits a hook for fishing during the Elders' Fishing Trip at Henry Hagg Lake near Forest Grove on Thursday, Sept. 27. 'Dti's wiroirag to break oqjqct agireeinmeirati' GOVERNORS continued from front page leaders have been in creating such a unique and positive government-to-government relationship." Under compacts with the state, which are negotiated through the governor's office, the state's nine Tribes agreed to have only one ca sino. As part of those agreements, Raphael said, Tribes were promised there would not be competition from private casinos, which are pro hibited by the state Constitution. "They kept their end of the bar gain," Raphael said. "It's wrong to break our agreement." At the Oct. 8 press conference, Atiyeh, Roberts and Kulongoski also expressed their concerns about breaking the state's promise not to compete with Tribal casinos. Kitzhaber filmed the ad on Fri day, Oct. 5, for the It's Still A Bad Idea Committee, which is leading the fight against the two measures. In 2010, Oregon voters rejected an identical proposition by a 68-32 percent margin. The measures would allow a 3,500-slot machine casino at the former Multnomah Kennel Club in Wood Village, an eastern sub urb of Portland. The measures are being backed by two wealthy Lake Oswego businessmen and two Ca nadian investors - Great Canadian Gaming Corp. and Clairvest. Kitzhaber expressed his opposi tion to the measures as early as Aug. 28 in a letter to the Portland City Club. "A private casino industry in Or egon is not good for our economy, our communities or our state," Kitzhaber wrote. "A private casino industry would primarily benefit a few wealthy corporate executives and foreign investors while creat ing increased opportunities for corporate corruption and organized crime." Kitzhaber said private casinos will increase crime, drug and alco hol abuse and gambling addiction. "According to the 2011 Oregon Problem Gambling Services Data Book, the estimated annual social costs of problem gambling to Orego nians is approximately $468 million even without operation of private casinos," Kitzhaber wrote. "Open ing the door to more gambling will only increase these problems and would prey on the most vulnerable populations in Oregon the poor, the addicted and those who could least afford it." And he defended Oregon Tribes. "When Oregon's Tribes were first granted the right to build casinos, they voluntarily agreed to limit one per Tribe and to give back to the community through community benefit funds," Kitzhaber wrote. "They've kept up their end of the bargain donating almost $100 million to local charities all across Oregon. Allowing private casinos to enter Oregon will threaten this arrangement the Tribes' obliga tions to establish their community benefit funds are contingent on statewide prohibition of casinos and is an affront to the sover eignty of the Tribes." According to the Oregon Tribal Gaming Alliance, Tribal gaming gen erated $1.62 billion in total economic output in Oregon in 2011, directly supporting more than 5,000 jobs and $208 million in wages and benefits. In addition, through 2012, the Tribes' charitable giving to non profits in Oregon has totaled more than $106 million. An economic analysis by the non partisan Legislative Revenue Office in July found that a large private casino in east Multnomah County would probably cost state and lo cal governments money and would likely shrink the Oregon economy as well. Also, the Oregon Citizens' Ini tiative Review Commission voted 17-7 against the two measures in August. Includes information from The Oregonian.
