Mayor says Tohono O'odham Nation casino will hurt community

Friday, October 8, 2010  

The mayor of Glendale, Arizona, defended the city's lawsuit against the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Mayor Elaine Scruggs says the tribe won't contribute revenues, generate jobs or pay sales taxes at the proposed West Valley Resort.

“They want to come in and take advantage of land that has been commercially developed by everyone else without having to contribute anything to it. It would be unhealthy for the city,'" Scruggs said at a community meeting, The Daily News-Sun reported. "They would be competing directly with other businesses around them only they don’t play by the same rules.”

The city is suing the Bureau of Indian Affairs to prevent the tribe from placing its land in trust. The BIA has not decided whether the land is eligible for gaming.

Get the Story:
Glendale mayor repeats casino opposition (The Daily News-Sun 10/7)

Relevant Documents:
Federal Register Notice: Land Acquisitions; Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona (August 26, 2010)
Larry Echo Hawk Letter to Tohono O'odham Nation (July 23, 2010)

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