Ask Florida Governor: Why negotiate with tribe?

Friday, May 25, 2007  

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) explains why he wants to negotiate a Class III gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe.

"[I]t's only smart for us to negotiate with the [Seminole] Tribe. Two governmental entities have input in this process ... it's the U.S. Department of Interior and the state of Florida.

If I were to decide not to negotiate with the Seminoles, more than likely the Department of Interior would do so directly. And the effect of that would be that we couldn't negotiate for any of the resources, the monies, to come to the state to be used for the people as a whole.

In addition, I met with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Dick Kempthorn[e], and expressed our desire to negotiate as a state with the Seminoles, and he was very respectful of that."

Get the Story:
Ask the governor: Why I want to negotiate with tribe (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 5/25)
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