Rendering of the proposed Enterprise Rancheria casino. Image from Enterprise Rancheria
Writer criticizes California lawmakers for failing to support the off-reservation casino proposed by the Enterprise Rancheria:
With unemployment mired around 15 percent, it is way past time for Enterprise Rancheria/Yuba County Casino, the biggest local jobs and economic development project in decades: 4,300 local jobs, $230 million in yearly economic benefits, $185 million in front-end private investment, and $5 million a year in on-going local public funding to Yuba County and the City of Marysville. But our state legislators in Sacramento, Jim Nielsen and Dan Logue, continue to oppose the Yuba County project while they rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from competing casino operators elsewhere in the state. Nielsen says he opposes Enterprise because he believes it is a violation of a requirement that casinos are only allowed on tribal land. It is more likely Nielsen's opposition is transactional: according to state campaign finance sources, he has received more than 100 separate donations totaling nearly $250,000 from gaming tribes like Paskenta, Mooretown, and Auburn/Thunder Valley, which just happen to be future competitors for Enterprise. Logue says he opposes Enterprise based on the divisive 2005 Measure G, the non-binding advisory vote that showed the county split down the middle and with voters in three of five supervisor districts supporting the casino. A more compelling reason for Logue to oppose the casino: He's accepted 63 different campaign contributions totaling more than $115,000 from Indian casinos located elsewhere in the state.Get the Story:
Bill Simmons: Nielsen, Logue should support casino or get out of the way (The Marysville/Yuba City Appeal-Democrat 7/13) Related Stories:
Enterprise Rancheria waiting for action on off-reservation casino (06/30)
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