California | Opinion

Editorial: Dry Creek Rancheria casino still a threat to community

Thursday, October 1, 2015

A view of the River Rock Casino in Geyserville, California. Photo from Facebook

California newspaper welcomes a deal that prevents the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians from pursuing a casino for at least 10 more years but suggest a moratorium on new developments is in order:

While it’s hard to predict the economic climate 10 years from now, and the county may be able to perpetually renegotiate deals that forestall a Petaluma casino a decade at a time, it is nearly impossible to get a deal that would prevent a casino in perpetuity. The gaming compact that the Dry Creek tribe signed with the governor allows them to operate two casinos.
The only way to permanently prevent a second casino in Petaluma would be a repeal of Proposition 1A, the 2000 measure California voters passed that allowed gambling on Indian lands. Prop. 1A, which was designed to give tribes an economic boost from their traditional homelands, has led to the practice of so-called “reservation shopping,” whereby tribes purchase property well beyond their ancestral boundaries in order to develop more profitable gaming enterprises.
Perhaps it is time to put a moratorium on casinos in California. Until we do, the threat of a Petaluma casino remains very real.

Get the Story:
Editorial: Deal blocks casino threat, for now (The Petaluma Argus-Courier 10/1)

Relevant Documents:
County of Sonoma Agenda Item Summary Report | Resolution Of The Board Of Supervisors Of The County Of Sonoma, State Of California, Approving The Amendment To The Memorandum Of Agreement Between The County Of Sonoma And The Dry Creek Rancheria Band Of Pomo Indians. | AMENDMENT TO MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN DRY CREEK RANCHERIA BAND OF POMO INDIANS AND COUNTY OF SONOMA, CALIFORNIA