Editorial: Florida governor an 'Indian giver'

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

"Charlie Crist, the self-anointed “People’s Governor,” has decided that he, and he alone, is entitled to negotiate a gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe.

The “compact” may be the best deal available. But since it was arrived at behind closed doors, Floridians may be skeptical. Crist fueled that skepticism when he backed off his pledge to submit the agreement to the Legislature for ratification.

If ever a governmental decision cried out for full and open debate, this is it.

The governor is on shaky ground when he contends that he must negotiate an Indian gaming arrangement. In a recent Texas case, courts ruled that the U.S. Department of the Interior did not have the right to dictate terms or deadlines to the state."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Charlie Crist an Indian giver? (The Vero Beach Press-Journal 11/27)