"Gov. Mike Easley proved once again last week that he is no friend of Western North Carolina.

By failing to negotiate a new compact that allows the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to open a second casino with Las Vegas-style gambling, Easley denied the western region a chance at hundreds of new jobs with a payroll of as much as $100 million.

The governor’s reason? We have no idea because the governor has chosen not to share that information. In North Carolina, the governor has the authority to negotiate the compact with the tribe and the negotiations are behind closed doors.

First of all, it is patently outrageous that Easley would have the audacity to say the leader of the Eastern Band of Cherokee needed to take a “more professional approach.” We’ve dealt with Easley and Hicks, and if we had to rank their professionalism, Hicks would win hands down. That aside, such a petty and insulting remark is, in itself, unprofessional and unbecoming of the office the governor holds.

Secondly, it’s obvious the governor thinks the state ends with the piedmont, but if he would bother to look at a map he would see that he is mistaken, and he owes his constituents in the west an explanation for having denied them an economic opportunity that would have benefited many on and off the Qualla Boundary."

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Cooler heads need to bring Easley back to the table (The Asheville Citizen-Times 4/24)