"Good news! Irrespective of your political affiliation, if your home is being robbed or you're getting held up at the local ATM, chances are a city police officer or county sheriff will be 20 minutes away arresting a trouble-maker at the Mechoopda casino.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for free enterprise but just how many casinos do we need? How many drivers do we want dumped out onto our thoroughfares 24 hours a day?

I have other questions. Who's brokering this deal? The tribe is sovereign. Why won't it be training and hiring it's own security people? Why are the Mechoopda pitting the city against the county without even knowing whether or not their project will be approved?

But let's look at the bright side: We can sleep better at night knowing that if someone's daughter is getting raped in Bidwell Park at least gamblers on Highway 149 will be safe."

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Karen Duncan: Just too many casinos (The Chico Enterprise-Record 8/10)