Editorial: Tribes and backers get their way on gaming

Monday, October 2, 2006  

"After a 10-year struggle to block construction of a casino at Shingle Springs, El Dorado County officials threw in the towel last week. They had no other choice. Over the years, the county had spent millions fighting the Indian casino in court, but in the end county officials concluded they were destined to lose.

With their prolonged opposition, El Dorado County supervisors probably got as much out of the deal as they could before conceding. Still, the settlement is not likely to satisfy everyone, particularly those whose lifestyle will be hugely disrupted by the establishment of a massive, 85,000-square-foot entertainment complex operating 24 hours a day in the midst of a rural community. The complex will include a casino with 2,000 slot machines and a 250-room luxury hotel.

None of this is something El Dorado citizens wanted. County voters rejected both Propositions 5 and 1A, the Indian gambling measures on the statewide ballot in 1998 and 2000. But the way federal and state law operates, sovereign tribes and their wealthy backers have the upper hand. Too bad."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Shingle Springs casino (The Sacramento Bee 10/2)
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