Is anyone surprised that the city of Temecula has not yet received a $2 million check from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, an annual payment for road improvements and police services that, according to the city, was due June 30? WHAT do you expect from a tribe that so easily violated the civil and human rights of their people? Honesty? Integrity?
The tribe signed off on the $2 million a year payment in March when it approved an intergovernmental agreement that has the tribe paying the city $42 million over the next 21 years to offset the city's expenses associated with the recent addition of slot machines at the tribe's casino.
The agreement was spurred by the passage of Proposition 94 in 2008, a measure that changed how the tribe pays the state to offset the local impacts associated with its casino operations.
Previously, tribes paid into the state's Special Distribution Fund, a pot of money divvied up by the counties and governmental agencies affected by Indian casinos. The proposition changed that process, however, requiring the tribes to negotiate directly with surrounding jurisdictions, which in the case of the Pechanga is Temecula and Riverside County.
Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro says, We were told the city is in need of this payment in order to make up its budget deficit. Though we empathize for the city’s budget deficit, this agreement is intended to mitigate reasonable off-reservation impacts, not solve government budget deficits."
12 comments:
Regardless of what the city plans to do with the money an agreement is still an agreement and if Pechanga agreed to pay this money, then they should pay it.
It used to be a man's or a tribe's word meant something but I guess that has changed.
But wasn't one of the arguments in favor of Prop 94 that gave Pechanga its expansion in 2008 that it would help the community and local governments would benefit from it?
Well they got lawyer bills you know,three lawyers against one dude defending himself wonder how much costs?
-Anonymous: Especially when Mark himself had to take the day to go to court. You know he raised his salary for that one.
Took the four million out of elders fund,,
Temecula laid down with dogs and their surprised they got fleas?
know their dug in like alabama ticks,
ask temecula who is the indian on their city logo? they might have to design a new logo!!
I KNOW YOU WARRIOR GO GET THEM!!!
I wouldn't suprise me if Pechanga threaten's to pull ads from the North County Times for questioning their actions.
After all didn't they do the same thing to the Press Enterprise when that paper published reports critical of the disenrollment of hundreds of legitimate tribal members?
I am sure they did to the other temecula newspaper I was the one the Reporter told that they were threatened with pulled ads the family was scheduled to be interveiwed Needless to say interveiw CANCELED TOSABOL CLAN !!
I think she lost her job.
SAYS
POLYSQWALIS
Many 'reporters' flip for $.
James May, Michelle DeArmond, Chet Barfield;etc.
Attorneys...everyone has a price it seems.
Others not are bought are threatened,intimated, receive death threats, or railroaded.
Desert news and Press Enterprise are two examples of media that are lapdogs;they only print press releases and ads for $ and block real news about what is really happening in Indian Country.
I remember It was the Californian in Temecula the newspaper around year 2000
POLYSQWALIS
Post a Comment