CARS/Not Here Please News logo
October 19, 2007
In This Issue
Third time is not the charm
Not so fast, Columbian!
Clark County doesn't need casino jobs
Casino opposition is deep and wide

The "Cowlitz gambling syndicate?"

The casino project is primarily the effort of a very few people, who work under the name of the Cowlitz Tribe. They include:
· David Barnett, son of tribal Chairman John Barnett
· the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut
· Phil Harju, tribal council member and a Thurston County attorney
· the legal and PR teams

We have decided to call these people the Cowlitz gambling syndicate.

CARS is critical of the casino proposal and the way it is being pursued. Beyond its involvement in the casino issue, we have no issue with the Cowlitz Tribe.
 
(A "syndicate" is "a group of individuals or organizations combined or making a joint effort to undertake some specific duty or carry out specific transactions or negotiations"
[Dictionary.com].)
Quick Links
 
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Third time is not the charm
The Cowlitz gambling syndicate has once again changed its tactics in an effort to demonstrate its cooperation with Clark County and facilitate the completion of its Environmental Impact Statement.
 
This latest attempt consists of two tribal ordinances embodying agreements from the invalidated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Clark County. They were sent Wednesday directly to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Indian Gaming Commission. ...
 
Not so fast, Columbian!
An article in Thursday's Columbian was headlined, "County leaders accept Cowlitz promises." That's a bit of an overstatement.

The story, about the Cowlitz gambling syndicate's latest attempt to salvage its agreement with Clark County (see "Third time is not the charm," below), goes on to quote Commissioner Marc Boldt: "This is maybe a little better than nothing ... I don't know."

It also quotes Commissioner Steve Stuart: "This whole issue is far from over. ... I'm hopeful that they will address (the county's 15-page list of) concerns so that we don't have to take other action."

Those are not ringing endorsements. ...
 

Syndicate misrepresents jobs situation
A newsletter sent last week by the Cowlitz gambling syndicate seriously misleads readers by making much of some recent news saying that Clark County has the highest unemployment rate among counties lining the Interstate 5 corridor. It uses that snippet of information to assert that "many residents of Clark and surrounding counties would benefit" from the jobs the proposed Cowlitz casino-resort would bring.

The syndicate took advantage of an aberration. Yes, the August unemployment rates put Clark County at 6.4 percent, Cowlitz County at 6.1 percent and Lewis County at 6.3 percent. (See the data from the state Employment Security Department.) But between January 2005 and August 2007, Clark County had the lowest unemployment rate of the three counties for 28 out of the total 32 months. ...
 
Casino opposition is deep and wide
Whoever is doing the writing for the Cowlitz gambling syndicate has narrowly framed the casino opponents as "some wealthy business interests, card rooms, and an Oregon tribe ... ."

That description on a Web page exhorting people to take action in support of the casino overlooks the thousands of area residents from all backgrounds that CARS represents. They have expressed dozens of different reasons why they do not want a massive casino-resort in Clark County. Their concerns include ...
 
CARS is a local citizens organization that is concerned about the practice of reservation shopping.
 
If you have not yet joined CARS as a member, we invite you to add your name to our membership list at www.NotHerePlease.org. We will then be able to provide you with information updates and alert you when action is needed, so you can make your voice heard. Please forward this to others you think would be interested.
 
If you would like to support our work financially, we welcome your assistance. We are a nonprofit organization -- 501(c)(4) -- but contributions are not tax deductible.
 
CARS
PO Box 61801
Vancouver, WA 98666