Editorial: Tule River Tribe deserves support for casino relocation

Like the City of Porterville and Tulare County, we too support the Tule River Tribe’s plan to move its casino to the Valley floor near the Porterville Municipal Airport.

This week the tribe sought and got a letter of support from the city for its proposal to move the casino to 40 acres of land on the west end of the airport property. The tribe has plans for not only a casino, but a full-service hotel and convention center. The entire project could be an investment of more than $150 million.

The Tule Tribe opened Eagle Mountain Casino 20 years ago and over time it has transformed the tribe and its people. Today, the tribe is better serving its residents on the reservation and is an economic player in Tulare County. Besides the casino, the tribe has ventured into several other business endeavors, including the Eagle Feather Trading Posts on Highway 190 and along Highway 41. It is also owner and operator of the Oak Pit on Main Street.

Moving the casino would not only greatly improve access to it from both the north and south, but it will no longer require visitors to make the 17-mile drive to the casino. The new facility, when built out, will employ scores more people, both tribal members and residents of Porterville. It will offer residents a convenient place to gather and the convention center will enable the city to attract large gatherings.