"The Cowlitz Tribe’s housing center is in the Lewis County town of Toledo for good reason, the same reason tribal offices are in the Cowlitz County town of Longview: Obviously, this is Cowlitz country.

One reason The Columbian has opposed the Cowlitz casino proposed for La Center in north Clark County is based on simple geography. A new report from Portland gambling consultant ECONorthwest strengthens that argument. We acknowledge that the firm was hired by La Center’s four nontribal cardrooms, which oppose the casino, and that tribal casino spokesman Phil Harju recently said in a Columbian story, “I don’t trust any study that is funded by the cardrooms.” But we also know the same skepticism can be cast upon consultants hired by Cowlitz officials, and cardroom consultant John Bockmier said, “The reputation and credibility of ECONorthwest is very strong.”

This purpose of this editorial is not to extend any debate about consultant credentials. It is to focus on pure facts that support the argument for building a casino in Vader, more than 60 miles north of the Columbia River, rather than in La Center, less than 20 miles north of the river. The most compelling of those facts is this one from the report released by ECONorthwest and Citizens Against Reservation Shopping: “According to figures from a 2006 letter from the Cowlitz Tribe’s enrollment officer, more than twice as many Cowlitz Tribe members live within two counties of Vader (than) within two counties of La Center.” Indeed, more than 200 tribal members live in each of the counties of Cowlitz (274 tribal members, county seat Kelso), Lewis (201, Chehalis), Thurston (351, Olympia) and Pierce (504, Tacoma), while only 95 Cowlitz tribal members are listed as residents of Clark County."

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In our view: Cowlitz Country (The Columbian 11/23)