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BOISE — Idaho tribal leaders want Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter to create a cabinet post dedicated to improving tribal relations.
That includes resolving disputes that erupt when non-tribal members are apprehended for reservation crimes, only to be released without arrest because no agreements — or trust — exists with sheriffs in neighboring counties.
Coeur d’Alene, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock and Shoshone Paiute tribal leaders met with Otter, though the Republican governor made no commitments, especially during an economic downturn when he’s cutting state budgets.
Coeur d’Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan on Wednesday, “Tribal economies in Idaho generate at least a half billion dollars annually. It only seems fair for tribes to have place within Governor Otter’s administration.”
Otter aides called last week’s meeting a “listening session.”
Do you think it likely Otter will grant the tribes a place within his administration?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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spokelooneh on December 30 at 2:12 p.m.
If he’s smart he will.
Kage_Mann on December 30 at 2:32 p.m.
Oh, great, some more gov’t bureaucracy. The state of Idaho was bankrupt and had to receive Federal monies to bail itself out; that’s what legislator Henderson told me recently. So, now is not the time to creat another state gov’t dept. IMO.
How about Gov. Otter and Chief Chairman Allan swap phone numbers, to resolve some problems.
scootermom on December 30 at 2:56 p.m.
If he does, he’ll appoint one of his good ol’ boy friends to fill it.
JamesBond on December 30 at 3:07 p.m.
We need to spend more money.
JamesBond on December 30 at 3:09 p.m.
Mexico and Canada also deserve a place in Otter’s cabinet! Micron does too. And the Vatican.
hmoffsuite on December 30 at 4:04 p.m.
“Tribal economies in Idaho generate at least a half billion dollars annually. It only seems fair for tribes to have place within Governor Otter’s administration.”
Cancel the bingo casino licenses that give the tribes an unfair advantage over private business enterprises. If they have a problem with the way things are. I think the Indians are getting too aggressive in some respects.
ShoshoneConservative on December 30 at 4:13 p.m.
Actually, I’ve always thought that they should allow the tribes to send non-voting delegates to the Legislature, who would have a voice in debate, much like what Puerto Rico, Guam, D.C., etc., have in Congress. There are a lot of issues, like water rights legislation, land issues, and jurisdictional issues, where having the tribes at the table from the get-go, and at least hearing their position, could save a lot of grief, litigation, and money down the road.
hmoffsuite on December 30 at 4:31 p.m.
That would be a reasonable solution, imo. I was somewhat curious as to how other states have handled this issue. I’m guessing they have pretty good representation in California. They, the Indians, have a lot of clout there. I guess once governements become intoxicated with the bingo revenue, arrangements can be made. Too bad they don’t calculate the social costs when they enable gambling.
spokelooneh on December 31 at 12:07 a.m.
Indian gambling casinos are the red man’s revenge for centuries of white men that forced them off their lands, broke treaty after treaty with them, and attempted with brutal fashion to destroy their indigenous culture.
Without all the white retirees throwing away their children’s inheritance on mindless gambling, there’d be no demand for Indian casinos. And it’s practically recession-proof, as those Social Security checks and pension checks continue to come in, each and every month. And those Casino jobs are damn near impossible to outsource to Pakistan.