Compacts | Opinion

Column: Spokane Tribe gaming compact not a model agreement

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

"Now comes another myth – that in exchange for campaign donations, Gov. Chris Gregoire rejected a tribal gambling compact requiring the Spokane Tribe of Indians share its profits with state and local government.

Like all good myths, this one has bits of truth. There was a negotiated compact in 2005 that included profit-sharing. But Gregoire rejected it, and not in return for donations. Democrats get those anyway, since most anti-tribe legislation tends to come from Republicans.

Instead, she rejected it because it was an awful deal hated by nearly everyone involved. Other tribes opposed it, and so did mini-casino owners, legislative Democrats, legislative Republicans, even anti-gambling activists, who saw it as a trigger to massive expansion.

Getting all those groups to agree isn’t easy. The Washington Policy Center likes to call what we’ll call Spokane I a “model compact.” I guess that is true if by “model” they mean an example of the worst possible compact possible, if they mean it should be held up as an illustration of what to avoid."

Get the Story:
Peter Callaghan: Gregoire's tribal casino deal? Don't believe the hype (The Tacoma News Tribune 4/5)

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