Another “Blueprint” To Follow?

Anti-casino factions have repeatedly mentioned a “blueprint” whereby tribes build and expand casinos supposedly in the face of local government and community opposition. The relationship between Palm Springs communities and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians seems to provide another blueprint. Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians have been working together for decades. The two parties have cooperated in negotiating agreements on voluntary payments for utilities and have continuously shared police and fire services and the tribe has developed land use agreements outlining procedures for proper development on the reservation with Riverside County and with each of the three cities that share the reservation. During the past 12 years, the tribe has contributed more than $19 million to over 200 community organizations. In March of this year Rancho Mirage and the Agua Caliente signed documents that allowed the city to annex the Tribe's reservation land at the Agua Caliente Casino and the new hotel. With annexation, guest room fees that would have gone to Riverside County can instead be collected by the City.

‘‘We’ve grown up with the city; the city has grown up with us,’’ said Richard Milanovich, Agua Caliente chairman. ‘‘We try and offset the services that are provided from a financial perspective and otherwise.’’ Milanovich said his tribe has agreed to go through the state courts or hold settlement talks with members of the public when problems arise. Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden said the two governments have worked together closely for years for the ‘‘betterment of the community.” Oden hopes to expand the relationship between Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente and have it serve as an example for tribal and local governments that are facing conflict.

I believe The Chumash, up until very recently, have all along been willing to have open, honest, rational discussions with the County and the public over casino issues, but the confrontational stance and attitude along with the alarmist propaganda that a very vocal minority generated and the willingness of the County to be pressured by these groups to act in ways that alienated the tribe have all but shut down any meaningful dialog.

I believe The Chumash have been very responsible to the Valley in doing the right thing by not building a traditional style casino/hotel/parking complex where it could have been visible for miles around. They could have very easily built up into the skyline but they didn’t. Maybe its time for these vocal minorities and the County to start being responsible and to do the right thing.

The Chumash Casino is not going away for a long, long time, if ever, whether you like it or not and the day may come where, by law, the Chumash will have to work with the local governments and sit down with the public to hash out agreements. How would we like those meetings to go? Are we good with the current status? I think we can do better. I think we should begin to look at the Agua Caliente/Palm Springs blueprint and try to learn from it. Let’s get going down the right path now so that when the time comes we will already have in place mutual respect, trust and rational dialog. It’s the right thing to do.

Sources:
http://www.aguacaliente.org/default.aspx?tabid=55#donates
http://www.pe.com/digitalextra/metro/tribes/vt_stories/PE.DE.tribes27.ca723bba.html
http://www.gooddealforcalifornia.com/Workingtogether.html
http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ngisc/meetings/jul2998/p220729.html
http://www.gooddealforcalifornia.com/Charitable.html