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October 6, 2011 in Business, City
Opposition growing to Spokane Tribe casino plan
Eighteen government and business leaders have taken a stand against the Spokane Tribe’s proposed casino in Airway Heights, according to letters sent to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The letters were released today by a coalition of business and community members rallying against the casino, as the BIA considers the casino plan.
Irv Zakheim, who helped start the group Citizens Against Casino Expansion, said he asked the BIA about two months ago for copies of all letters for and against the proposed casino. Zakheim is founder and owner of Zak Designs in Airway Heights.
“I was surprised to find not one letter of support” for the tribe’s proposal, Zakheim said. He and others from the coalition released the 12 letters that included signatures from nearly 20 state and local officials.
More letters in support of or opposing the casino may have been submitted since he made the request, Zakheim said.
Efforts to reach the Spokane Tribe for comment today were not successful.
Those opposing the casino include State Sen. Majority Leader Lisa Brown, Secretary of State Sam Reed, State Auditor Brian Sonntag, all three Pend Oreille County commissioners, Cheney Mayor Tom Trulove and State Sen. Michael Baumgartner.
Also signing a letter against the casino is former Washington Gov. Mike Lowry. The issues raised include negative impacts on the West Plains communities, encroachment on expansion of Fairchild Air Force Base, and concerns that the new casino would open the door to future gaming expansion.
The BIA has been reviewing the Spokane Tribe’s request to operate a casino on 145 acres it acquired on the edge of Airway Heights. The tribe said the facility is needed to provide new jobs and will increase economic activity both for the tribe and the region.
The Kalispel Tribe in 2000 built a casino in Airway Heights on land it bought and designated as tribal property. The tribe’s ancestral reservation is near Usk, about 50 miles north of Airway Heights.
Zakheim said he wished he had also taken a public stance against the Kalispel casino when it was under review.
“I have a good relationship with the Kalispels now,” Zakheim said. “There’s nothing I can do now (about their Airway Heights casino), but I’m opposing this one because I don’t want to keep quiet again.”
If the BIA approved the Spokane Tribe casino, it would mark a rare instance of allowing a gambling facility on non-reservation land. The BIA is preparing to release an environmental impact statement on the proposal. That would trigger a 45-day period for additional comment.
Patrick Rushing, mayor of Airway Heights, said he was “extremely disappointed” at the negative positions taken by area leaders. Rushing and Airway Heights’ city council have taken favorable positions toward the Spokane Tribe project.
“That members of our government would oppose a jobs creation package, that doesn’t cost them a penny, tells me what direction our country is going,” Rushing said. Rushing added the BIA should have received a letter of support for the Spokane Tribe sent by the Airway Heights city council.
Even if the BIA approves the Spokanes’ casino, the tribe would still need to negotiate a compact with the governor’s office before being allowed to operate.
Garco awarded $35.8 million Joint Base Lewis-McChord contract 
Dazzeetrader11 on October 06 at 4:41 p.m.
It is being sandbagged by the Kalispels. They don’t want the competition AND they sent over $4 million to the politicians for “campaigns”.
I think this one’s pretty transparent. If the State woould tax the tribes on the casinos, things would be much better. I do know the Spokane tribe has offered lots of money while the Kalispels offer nearly nothing.
johnclarke on October 06 at 6:03 p.m.
Hey what if they wanted to build a medical school Daisy?
sean96 on October 06 at 6:05 p.m.
Have you seen the “casino” they run at Two Rivers? It is a dump and greatly mismanaged. I would doubt they would do any better in Airway Heights.
Dazzeetrader11 on October 06 at 6:13 p.m.
FIne….let em build Clarkie. We just are getting fleeced for $100 million and that’s just the beginnning. Wait till th epublic is informed as to how much the new teachers and secretaries will cost. Get braced. Just too much money for the taxpayer to sustain.
misjustice on October 06 at 6:59 p.m.
Let them build it. It’s not right for one tribe to have a monopoly on illegal gambling.
Actually it’s not right for any tribe to have a monopoly & with as many people going to the “reservation” to gamble, it should be legalized in the state & they can collect taxes & revenue for the public.
D Statler on October 06 at 7:38 p.m.
@ Dazzee, You must have done some research. This is a steep price to pay for a mere 150 students at capacity. The facility should have been 10 times bigger to partially justify the money spent with so many great colleges close by.
The Spokane tribe should have placed the casino at Plantes Ferry where their ancestors met with many tribes in the area to gamble and trade. The area would make a wonderful cultural area on the waterfront and Centennial trail.With careful planning and thought,it could be a wonderful mixture for our community and hundreds of local jobs to boot. It would also relieve the taxpayers of the burden of upkeep.Is it too late to move the Spokane tribe onto their ancestoral lands ?????
oneanddone on October 06 at 8:56 p.m.
Oh dear. A ‘no’ equates to economic racism. God bless Phil Sheridan.
Hunterman on October 06 at 9:03 p.m.
Just don’t gamble. If you are dumb enough to gamble, well, the fool and his money…ya know?
hamlaw on October 07 at 1:00 p.m.
As the former Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, a Federal Regulatory agency with limited authority over Tribal Gaming, I placed my letter of support in a National Publication, which the BIA does not read, apparently. However, letters of support or opposition are neither here nor there. The may only be “taken into consideration”. The BIA must base its decision on the law and under the law, they can take the land in question into trust and permit gaming that is either authrorized by Federal Law or by a Tribal State Gaming Compact. If Congress had wanted local state government units or municipalities to be able to veto tribal gaming it would have said so. The Congress did not. The Spokane Tribe can and should have this opportunity to develop its economy. As for the objections of the Kalispel; what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
toms on October 07 at 3:03 p.m.
@Hamlaw. Give me a call to discuss.. Like to hear more about the process… Your point here is well taken…
Tom S (Tom Sowa, Spokesman Review reporter)
5 OH nine 459 Five Four Nine 2.
Thanks