Opinion: Negotiate new California casino deals

Monday, May 21, 2007  

"Two recent events suggest the tide may be turning against the governor’s proposal to grant lucrative expansion deals to the State’s five richest tribes.

First, on Saturday, the Morongo Tribe abruptly pulled its $20 million campaign aimed at Assembly Democrats. Morongo’s spokesperson, former Republican Party Communications Director Patrick Dorinson, claimed the campaign had accomplished its goals, but the word in the Capitol was that the hugely expensive campaign was backfiring badly. In addition to its bold attempt at bullying the Assembly’s political leadership, numerous commentators had remarked how the Tribe’s expensive campaign had somehow failed to mention that it was promoting a casino expansion with 22,500 more slots for a tiny group of rich tribes. The Tribe even hired door knockers to generate calls to Assembly offices, but failed to tell voters about the giant casino expansions. Capitol staffers reported that when they asked unsuspecting callers, “So you’re supporting casino expansions for five wealthy tribes?” the conversations changed dramatically.

The second and perhaps more significant event was an unlikely, jam-packed “informational” hearing in the Assembly on Monday. The hearing topic, “casino internal controls” had all the sex appeal of the federal register, but what played out was a classic battle of political influence and government: should a rich and powerfully connected industry be allowed to regulate itself, regardless of the consequences? (Should tobacco companies run the FDA? Should Exxon-Mobil run the Environmental Protection Agency? Should insurance companies run our healthcare system?) "

Get the Story:
Fred Jones: Assembly Hearing to Governor: Re-negotiate California Casino Deals (California Progress Report 5/21)