A Nov. 25 editorial in The Columbian dubs the Clark County Board of Commissioners’ current efforts to negotiate a new agreement with the Cowlitz Tribe “folly” and illustrates it with a great metaphor:
When the county passed its resolution opposing the casino in April, it was declining a marriage proposal. To now negotiate a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is like discussing a prenuptial agreement -- for a marriage that will never be.
What the editorial and the article precipitating it fail to explain, however, is that a key decision-maker with the Department of the Interior has said that the absence of a valid Cowlitz Tribe-Clark County MOU “could potentially be a deal breaker for them, yes.” (For more on this, please see "County quietly negotiates with tribe."
The 2004 county-tribe MOU was invalidated in December 2007 for lack of public participation. CARS has long maintained that the best thing for the county to do is nothing. Let the document stay dead. That way there is no mistaking how the county and its citizens feel about this proposed development.
Read the editorial "Casino MOU is Folly."
Read the article "County-tribe casino deal in works."
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For more information, check out the CARS Web site:
Who’s behind the proposed casino project?
Many of CARS’ stories about this casino proposal describe it as the work of “the Cowlitz Tribe.” But every time we attribute it to “the Tribe,” we wince.
The casino project is being driven by the Salishan-Mohegan partnership, which includes:
+ the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (49.15 percent)
+ David Barnett (Salishan Co.), son of the late tribal Chairman John Barnett (sharing 43 percent with the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians)
+ the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, California (sharing 43 percent with David Barnett)
+ the Mohegan Tribe, Connecticut (7.85 percent)
According to the development agreement, the partnership would receive fees equal to 3 percent of total project costs. The management agreement states that Salishan-Mohegan would manage, operate and maintain the casino-resort for seven years and earn 24 percent of annual net revenues.
We want to be clear: CARS is critical of the casino proposal and the way it has been pursued. Beyond its involvement in the casino, we have no issue with the Cowlitz Tribe.
The casino project is being driven by the Salishan-Mohegan partnership, which includes:
+ the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (49.15 percent)
+ David Barnett (Salishan Co.), son of the late tribal Chairman John Barnett (sharing 43 percent with the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians)
+ the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, California (sharing 43 percent with David Barnett)
+ the Mohegan Tribe, Connecticut (7.85 percent)
According to the development agreement, the partnership would receive fees equal to 3 percent of total project costs. The management agreement states that Salishan-Mohegan would manage, operate and maintain the casino-resort for seven years and earn 24 percent of annual net revenues.
We want to be clear: CARS is critical of the casino proposal and the way it has been pursued. Beyond its involvement in the casino, we have no issue with the Cowlitz Tribe.
About CARS
Citizens Against Reservation Shopping (CARS) is a group of Clark County, Wash., citizens formed in June 2005 and led by longtime Vancouver businessman and civic leader Edward Lynch.
CARS opposes the Cowlitz Tribe's plan to build a casino in Clark County in part because it objects to the practice of "reservation shopping." This is the practice of selecting an ideal casino site and then working to have it given reservation status.