Former casino boss pushed $1,000 monthly checks to tribe
WORLEY, Idaho – Five days before he was fired as chief executive officer of the Coeur d’Alene Casino, David Matheson suggested using casino profits to make $1,000 monthly payments to each member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
A May 24 letter, sent by Matheson to the tribe’s 1,900 members, reads in part: “We will share our good fortune of the operation and take the necessary steps and procedures to allow a payment of $1,000.00 per month …”
The letter suggested a June 1 starting date, pending approval from the tribal council.
Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, called the plan “ill-considered and misguided” in a follow-up letter to tribal members, adding that it would force the casino into “irreparable financial debt,” bankrupt tribal departments and jeopardize the tribe’s gaming compact with the state.
In a Friday interview, however, Matheson defended the proposal. The 13-year-old casino, which began as a bingo hall, is on track to earn $40 million in profits this year, he said.
Monthly payments to tribal members would cost about $24 million annually, leaving $9 million to support tribal government at current levels, and $6 million for loan repayments, according to Matheson.
He said the monthly payments would be “like a tax break,” similar to tax breaks given by the U.S. government. “Government is inherently wasteful,” he said, adding he thought families could put the money to better use than the tribe’s government.
Enrolled members of the tribe currently receive $2,000 each semiannually. The money comes from casino profits through a revenue-sharing plan.
Though the May 24 letter appears to force the council’s hand, Matheson said he was surprised that it resulted in his dismissal.
Matheson, 54, had been with the casino since 1993. An MBA who spent three years as the director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the first Bush administration, Matheson engineered the casino’s rapid growth from a bingo hall into one of Kootenai County’s largest employers. About 800 people work in the casino’s gaming operations, a hotel, restaurants, events center and the adjacent Circling Raven golf course.
Before the casino, Matheson said the economic status of tribal members had been stagnant for 100 years. “My hard work and efforts led them to a better day,” he said. “I thought that would have been looked at with some value.”
Allan, through tribal council spokesman Quanah Spencer, declined to respond to Matheson’s comments. “The letters speak for themselves,” Spencer said. “The tribal council is appreciative of the service that Mr. Matheson rendered to the casino and they wish him well in his future.”
Matheson’s firing puts expansion plans on hold, Spencer added. The council is starting a search for a new chief executive officer, and won’t move forward until the position is filled, he said.
The $50 million phased expansion includes hotel rooms, a concert hall, more dining and gaming space, and a larger arena.
During a Friday morning interview at his Worley home, Matheson said he’s still sorting out what will come next. As he sat in an easy chair in his living room, surrounded by family portraits, Matheson said he’s working to resolve issues with his wife, Jenny.
Kootenai County Sheriff’s dispatch received a call at 4:42 a.m. Monday from an emergency room nurse at Deaconess Medical Center saying Jenny Matheson had been “thrown against a wall by David Matheson.” After the incident, Matheson was booked into Benewah County Jail by tribal police, and released on bail.
“We’re all human. We all have emotions,” said Matheson. “We deal with them the best we can. Hopefully, we’ll work it out.”
Matheson said he’s also recovering from a severe allergic reaction to mold in his house. He went through a battery of tests for cancer and other illnesses before the mold was discovered two months ago and purged from the house. Symptoms from the allergic reactions kept Matheson home from work for many days, beginning last fall.
Professionally, Matheson said his next move is likely consulting.