Tribe blasts La Center in DOI memo

The Cowlitz Tribe blasted La Center’s opposition to the tribe’s proposed mega-casino and resort in a July 20 memorandum to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).

The 19-page diatribe accuses La Center of maneuvering to preserve the city’s “private gaming monopoly” (four privately owned cardrooms) and keeping the tribe “from -- finally -- having a reservation of its own.” (It does not address the fact that very few Cowlitz Tribe members live in the area or that the Cowlitz Tribe’s aboriginal homeland is located to the north, along the Cowlitz River.)

The La Center city attorney sent a letter Aug. 23 to DOI stating the city’s strong disagreement “with the tribe’s characterization of the policy positions the City Council has taken” and its legal arguments.

“The City’s primary source of general tax revenue is the four non-tribal cardrooms that have operated for many years in La Center,” wrote City Attorney Daniel Kearns. “The City Council has made the policy choice to try to protect the non-tribal cardrooms within its boundaries, as the Council views that as the best way to protect that City revenue source.”

In May, the La Center City Council unanimously approved a resolution stating its strong opposition to the casino project, and in June, the city council voted 4-1 to turn down the tribe’s offer to extend the city’s sewer lines west to the site of the proposed casino and to pay half the cost of upgrading the city’s sewage treatment plant.

Also included in the tribe’s memorandum is a section describing its “local outreach” efforts, listing local leaders with whom it has met. The text and 41 names are juxtaposed in such a way as to make it appear that all in the list support or do not oppose the proposed casino, although some are casino opponents.

>>Read the tribe’s memo.
>>Read the list of local leaders.
>>Read La Center’s letter.