Opinion: Spokane Tribe off-reservation casino is good for region

With Congress gridlocked and Olympia unable to reach consensus on meaningful fixes, we need private investment more than ever. We hear often how corporations say they’re holding back because of economic uncertainty. But in Spokane County there’s a game-changing proposal: The Spokane Tribe Economic Project will invest $400 million to develop 145 acres of vacant land into retail, restaurants, a hotel and, yes, a casino.

Let’s repeat: STEP would plow $400 million into an area where 30 percent of residents live in poverty. It would create 5,000 construction-related and permanent jobs. It would add $6.6 million to our tax rolls when it’s being built, and $4.7 million every year after that.

Annual payroll would be $50 million. There is no better anti-poverty program than that.

STEP would be an entertainment destination that will promote economic growth and stability for the entire region.