Indian Gaming > ScrippsNews: Schwarzenegger too cozy with tribes?

July 18, 2006

ScrippsNews: Schwarzenegger too cozy with tribes?

"Having made peace with the prison guards union by embarking on a costly and reckless prison expansion program, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to be ready to do the same with powerful gambling tribes -- and, in the process, to betray local governments, casino workers and patrons.

There are some disquieting signs that that may be about to happen. After coming into office, Schwarzenegger negotiated responsible Indian gambling compacts that benefited the wider public.

Soon after the most recent rejections, Dan Kolkey, the governor's longtime Indian gaming negotiator, was let go, replaced by a lawyer from the governor's office. That is worrisome for a number of reasons.

In a possibly related note, the Wintun Band of Rumsey Indians, the tribe that owns Cache Creek Casino in Yolo County, recently fired Howard Dickstein, their longtime lawyer. More than any other person, Dickstein has been associated with the more reasonable, public spirited Schwarzenegger gambling compacts."

Get the Story:
Are Schwarzenegger, casino tribes getting cozy? (ScrippsNews Blog 7/18)