This artist's rendering shows the hotel tower at the Chumash Casino Resort. Image from Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
Columnist accuses the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians in California of ignoring local objections with its $160 million casino expansion:
On a clear day in the Santa Ynez Valley, you’ll be able to see the new 12-story Chumash casino, where work is due to begin this month. Even on a hazy day, the multimillion-dollar casino expansion, parking garage, and 215-room tower will loom over the bucolic valley like a transplanted Las Vegas high-rise. Where, you might ask, will the small Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians get a hundred million bucks? Well, the same place they got $40 million to buy Fess Parker’s 1,400-acre Camp 4 property down the road a piece in 2010 — from the suckers who flock in to gamble. They roar up San Marcos Pass, ignoring the deadly, well-known hazards of the drive, in search of the supposed thrills of gaming. Some of the chumps will walk out clutching winnings, but for the most part, they’ll drop major money into happy Chumash hands.Get the Story:
Barney Brantingham: Chumash Cash In on Chumps (The Santa Barbara Independent 10/16)
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