Opponents of the casino being proposed by the Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians are resting their hopes in members of Congress now that supervisors in Contra Costa County voted to support the project. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California) recently asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to take a closer look at "off-reservation" casinos. The Guidiville project at Point Molate technically doesn't fit the category -- the tribe is landless and doesn't have a reservation -- but opponents see some promise. "Right now our biggest allies are probably Senators Feinstein and Boxer. It's unfortunate local leadership hasn't shown the same kind of courage," Andres Soto of the Coalition to Save Point Molate, which is funded by non-Indian card clubs, told The Contra Costa Times. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has been working on an environmental impact statement / environmental impact report for the casino. The tribe plans a large gaming facility, along with two hotels, a convention center, a retail complex and other development, at the 266-acre site. Get the Story:
Richmond casino fight turns to Washington, D.C. (The Contra Costa Times 11/30)