Letters: Response to Free Press story on gaming

Monday, May 22, 2006  

Readers of The Detroit Free Press say the paper's recent series on Indian gaming was unfair.

Tony Goetz/Sault Ste. Marie Tribe: "After reading your multiple-page description of Indian casinos, I'm stunned you failed to include in two days of stories even a paragraph about the substantial economic benefits Indian gaming has generated throughout Michigan."

Matthew Wesaw: "The Free Press' series about Native American gaming strongly advanced the premise that Michigan's Indian tribes should be paying more of their casino revenues to state government. The Free Press' series leaves us wondering how much more must we give before we are giving our fair share."

James Graham: "Your May 10 editorial on how "lousy deals" with tribal casinos have caused Michigan to "lose millions of dollars a year" reveals a shallow, misleading and patronizing attitude. By challenging the rights of sovereign Indian nations to decide how best to allocate their legal casino earnings (despite your caveats), the Free Press seems to be endorsing the abrogation of an existing state agreement with seven of our tribal nations."

Get the Story:
Indian casinos benefit state From our readers (The Detroit Free Press 5/22)