Truth, justice, casinos
IT'S HARD to imagine that Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., was worrying about
the traffic, crime or aesthetic sensibilities of San Pablo when he crafted
an amendment that will make it more difficult to put a major casino in
the East Bay city. More likely, Reid was thinking about the potential impact
on gambling halls in his state.
Still, Reid's amendment will help assure an honest process
for the Lytton band of Pomo Indians' attempt to bring blackjack and slot
machines to what has been a cardroom with very limited games. The Reid
provision -- part of a spending bill that may be approved by the full Senate
as early as today -- would repeal an earlier amendment by Rep. George Miller,
D-Martinez,
that rewrote history to proclaim that the casino site had been tribal
land before passage of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988.
A historical claim on that land would make it extremely difficult for a
local or state government to stop a casino proposal.
The 220-member Lytton band is from Sonoma County -- and
plans to establish a new homestead on 50 acres outside Windsor with the
help of profits by taking over a casino in an urban area. Gov. Gray Davis
has raised serious concerns about this distortion of the voter-passed Prop.
1A that allowed expanded gambling on reservation land -- but he may not
be able to stop it as long as the Miller amendment is in place.
Reid took the courtesy of notifying Sen. Dianne Feinstein,
D-Calif., a vocal skeptic of an escalation of Nevada-style gaming in this
state, in advance of his proposal. Feinstein was "not opposed," a spokesperson
said
yesterday.
This appears to be a case in which the best interests
of the Bay Area and Nevada converged. Reid's proposal will properly delete
from federal law an intentional falsehood about one tribe's history.
Thank you, Senator Reid, whatever your motivation.
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Copyright 2001 SF Chronicle