Opinion: Unanswered questions about Indian gaming in Idaho

Wednesday, January 4, 2012  

"Late last month readers of the Coeur d'Alene Press and the Spokesman-Review may have seen full-page ads taken out by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe claiming they had kept the promise made to voters in 1992 to give back 5 percent of the annual gaming net revenues to the support of education.

Yes and No. Yes, they have contributed $17 million by their account but it is misleading to say it all falls under the rubric of education. It stretches credulity to see where funds donated to the Kroc Center or to Mark Few's Coaches vs. Cancer annual fund drive complies with initiative language that pledged the 5 percent would go to support education in surrounding school districts. Money listed for Gonzaga, for example, includes the annual payment for the Tribe's private box at McCarthy Arena.

One has to know the background. Scrutiny of the tribal pledge by both the Coeur d'Alene Press and the St. Maries Gazette-Record earlier in 2011 led to stories that raised legitimate doubts as to whether the Tribe had kept to its pledge. Other issues came to the forefront as these papers continued to investigate the matter.

Most of these questions remain unanswered and still merit answering."

Get the Story:
Chris Carlson: Thoughts on Indian gaming (The Coeur d'Alene Press 1/4)