Editorial: Don't bend rules for Mississippi Choctaws

Friday, October 20, 2006  

$stalker "The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' proposal to build a truly magnificent casino in Jackson County would normally be hailed as stupendous news - but it just doesn't smell right.

The plan is marvelous: The Choctaws propose to build on 100 acres near the intersection of Mississippi 57 and I-10 in Ocean Springs, offering 2,800 full-time jobs, 1,100 hotel rooms, with a total investment of $375 million and payroll of $71 million annually; with 3,800 construction jobs and a $115 million payroll and an estimated 4,230 indirect jobs creating an estimated $110 million payroll.

No one should object to the tribe wanting to expand. But can't the Choctaws compete on a level field? Other tribes from outside the state have plans to build on the Coast and abide by state rules. Why not the Choctaws?

Historical wrongs have earned the Choctaws the right for a square deal on their reservation. But past guilt cannot overcome bending the rules further."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Choctaw plan: It just doesn't 'smell' right (The Jackson Clarion Ledger 10/20)