Gila River Chair: Off-reservation casino breaks deal

Tuesday, February 23, 2010  

"In 2003, the Tohono O'Odham Nation of southern Arizona used a dummy corporation to buy land in Glendale, more than 150 miles north of their government seat. Last year, this tribe petitioned the federal government to declare the parcel at 91st Avenue and Northern as part of its reservation. If approved, despite a location close to homes, churches and schools, the tribe plans to build the state's largest casino.

The city of Glendale opposes this plan. So do the mayors of Buckeye, Goodyear , Litchfield Park, Surprise and Youngtown. So does Sen. Jon Kyl, Sen. John McCain, Gov. Jan Brewer, and Congressmen John Shadegg and Trent Franks. So do at least a half-dozen tribes across Arizona. All of us believe this land isn't eligible to be taken into trust, that it's an unsuitable site for a casino and that it breaks the promise of Proposition 202.

All of us agree with how then-Gov. Jane Hull explained the promise of tribal gaming to voters. "Voting 'yes' on Proposition 202 ensures that no new casinos will be built in the Phoenix metropolitan area . . . for at least 23 years," she said. "Proposition 202 keeps gaming on Indian Reservations and does not allow it to move into our neighborhoods."

The Tohono O'Odham tribe isn't alone in wanting to expand casino gambling in Arizona. The owners of horse and dog tracks also want casinos.Their sales pitch today is much like the outlandish proposal they floated in 2002, when they lost at the ballot by a 4-to-1 margin: Arizona needs tax dollars. Off-reservation casinos will mean "hundreds of millions of dollars" to the state.

Never mind that gambling revenues are down. Never mind that this expansion would change Arizona into Las Vegas East. Never mind that this would invalidate the compacts that have produced $600 million in tribal contributions since 2004."

Get the Story:
William Rhodes: Don't break promise of '02 gaming pact (The Arizona Republic 2/22)