Casino Deals an Unfair Advantage for Tribes

Re “Tribe Risks Rejection, Pushes Plan for Casino Near Capital,” Dec. 20: Native American gaming on nonreservation land would set a dangerous precedent and absolutely should not be allowed. Granting permission to even one such tribe places us on a slippery slope that could quickly turn into a landslide of applications for similar treatment by the many tribes that are suddenly appearing from seemingly out of nowhere. I am against any and all tribal gaming, as I believe it is inherently unfair to allow them to profit in an untaxed manner while other Californians, by virtue of their ethnic roots, are not allowed the same privilege. This is a very clear example of an “uneven playing field.”

In an extremely short period of time since approval of the 2000 ballot proposal that guaranteed tribes this unfair business advantage, Native American tribes have parlayed huge gaming profits into tremendous political clout. As political contributions and lobbying from tribal windfalls continue to increase, Californians can only expect to see more perks and political favors go inequitably to these “impoverished” tribes and their wealthy financial backers. This nonsense needs to stop now.

Philip W. Luebben

Cypress