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Opinion: Tribal 'elite' should play by same rules
Thursday, September 25, 2003

"Gov. Gray Davis profited big-time from gaming interests in previous elections, but this time he's getting a cold shoulder from the tribes. Why? He suggested publicly the tribal leaders should send back $680 million to the state as a "thank you" for letting them run all those casinos and slot machines. That's a big part of why Bustamante, whose brother manages a casino, has become the primary beneficiary of Indian money in the recall battle.

California deserves its reputation as a bellwether state. It's now leading the nation in discovering the Frankenstein's monster that many states have created when handing gaming licenses to Indian tribes. It may be too late to undo this unhealthy bit of commercial favoritism, but let's hope the Bustamante ruling is evidence that the new tribal elite will be expected to play by the same rules as the rest of us."

Get the Story:
Collin Levey: Democrats roll the dice with their tribal buddies (The Seattle Times 9/25)

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