"It is a shame that the benefits a new casino would have are lost in the uproar.

The plan by the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians to build a casino complex at Lake Park Drive and Soboba Road would not only prove an economic boon to the tribe, but to the San Jacinto Valley and the rest of Riverside County.

For example, it would take two years to build the casino, and the surrounding communities would see a large portion of the $300 million that construction would require in jobs and services.

After construction, the casino would require 1,200 workers, or 200 more than are on the payroll now. That’s not to mention the the hotel, the convention center, the arena, the gas station, the spa and fitness center, and all of the other facilities on the complex, which would require 424 more workers.

We point this out because, ultimately, a casino complex such as the one Soboba envisions is a good one.

However, the financial incentives don’t outweigh the impact — an impact that, by and large, would not be felt had Soboba sought to build the casino somewhere else."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Casino in the wrong place (The Valley Chronicle 9/11)

Also Today:
Soboba plan comment time almost over (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 9/12)