"There's a not-so-subtle message in the upcoming appointment of an "ombudsman" for the La Center jun

ction Indian casino proposal. The message is this:

Neither U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver, nor Republican Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton (nor any number of news reporters and interest groups) is happy with the way the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) responds to the public's thirst for information.

If there weren't a widespread feeling that the BIA is unresponsive, this ombudsman business would be totally unnecessary. Throughout the federal government there are well-paid public affairs and communications people who explain to the public and press what their agencies are doing and why."

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In Our View - Casino Ombudsman (The Columbian 1/10)