Tell your Clark County commissioners to stop trying to renegotiate the county's old Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Cowlitz Tribe.
The county has scheduled three public hearings on the MOU -- April 7, 10 and 15 -- but the only input they should hear is: "Let the MOU die."
The MOU was signed in March 2004 -- before the county knew the tribe was planning the largest casino on the West Coast. The MOU's provisions are weak at best, and it was invalidated twice last year due to the lack of public process. There currently is no MOU in force.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has strongly indicated that no land will be taken into trust without an MOU between the Cowlitz Tribe and the county. And our commissioners have said they do not want this mega-casino and resort here.
Plus, the Cowlitz Tribe has informed Clark County that it has no intention of renegotiating an MOU beyond what it calls "refinements."
So why are the commissioners wasting their constituents' time and money with hearings seeking ways to "improve" the 2004 document? Let it die a natural death.
Renegotiating the MOU contradicts their assertions that they don't want a casino in Clark County. If they mean what they say about not wanting this casino, they should be looking for ways to stop the project rather than facilitating its approval.
Please join us for one of these public hearings and let your voice be heard!
Monday, 6 p.m.
La Center High School Commons
725 Highland Road, La Center
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Maple Grove Middle School
12500 NE 199th St., Battle Ground
April 15, 10 a.m.
Public Service Center
1300 Franklin St., 6th floor, Vancouver
The county has scheduled three public hearings on the MOU -- April 7, 10 and 15 -- but the only input they should hear is: "Let the MOU die."
The MOU was signed in March 2004 -- before the county knew the tribe was planning the largest casino on the West Coast. The MOU's provisions are weak at best, and it was invalidated twice last year due to the lack of public process. There currently is no MOU in force.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has strongly indicated that no land will be taken into trust without an MOU between the Cowlitz Tribe and the county. And our commissioners have said they do not want this mega-casino and resort here.
Plus, the Cowlitz Tribe has informed Clark County that it has no intention of renegotiating an MOU beyond what it calls "refinements."
So why are the commissioners wasting their constituents' time and money with hearings seeking ways to "improve" the 2004 document? Let it die a natural death.
Renegotiating the MOU contradicts their assertions that they don't want a casino in Clark County. If they mean what they say about not wanting this casino, they should be looking for ways to stop the project rather than facilitating its approval.
Please join us for one of these public hearings and let your voice be heard!
Monday, 6 p.m.
La Center High School Commons
725 Highland Road, La Center
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Maple Grove Middle School
12500 NE 199th St., Battle Ground
April 15, 10 a.m.
Public Service Center
1300 Franklin St., 6th floor, Vancouver
