Chumash Expansion Hearing
There’s an old saying, “Some people can have all the lights on, but can still be in the dark”. After attending a Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ meeting last week regarding the potential of expanding the Chumash Casino, I was absolutely astounded at the lack of concern and awareness the Board of Supervisors demonstrated in regards to this matter.
At this particular meeting, several Santa Ynez Valley residents as well as non-valley residents packed the hearing room to express their well documented and well thought-out concerns regarding the casino and the possibility of its tripling in size by adding 5000 additional slot machines. Yet it seemed as if these concerned citizens were addressing the ill informed. As a whole, the Board of Supervisors was absolutely oblivious as to what an 800 pound gorilla, as one speaker called it, was doing in their own backyard. How can our County Administrators be as uninformed and uninterested about an entity as large as the Chumash Casino? They are the largest employer, the largest vendor, and the largest organization in Santa Barbara County, and yet our own Board of Supervisors seems to possess no evidence or comprehension as to what negative or positive impacts the casino generates within the county.
After receiving hundreds of letters, emails, and phone calls, by residents concerned about the potential expansion, in addition to the overwhelming turn out at last weeks meeting, the Board of Supervisors is still expressing reluctance in implementing a resolution to temporarily halt any additional expansions of the casino until a thorough impact study is conducted. Why? This issue is based on a recent compact that was negotiated between Governor Schwarzenegger and three other tribes within California. However, this compact, if not halted by our Board of Supervisors, will be shirt-tailed to include all tribes in California. This is why Tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta stresses that the Chumash are not currently negotiating with the Governor’s office – they don’t need to.
Once again, Mr. Armenta is playing with words and misleading the residents of the Santa Ynez Valley by announcing that the tribe has no “immediate” plans to expand the casino’s current 2000 slot machines. If this is really the case, then why is Mr. Armenta concerned enough to participate and speak in support of expanding the allotted slot machines?
A Letter of Appreciation
The Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Association would like to publicly thank the members of the community who have donated endless amounts of time, labor and equipment in order that we may complete our new arena for all types of cow horse events. Some of the people who came to help us were not members of the Equestrian Assn. but simply did this for the benefit of our community. This is an example of community spirit in its highest form. These good people never fail to answer a cry for help. They come again and again as we need them, without complaint, questions or compensation other than a sandwich and a cold drink.
I can’t say enough about the value that Roger and Kathy Fortier bring to our Center. Without them and their contacts the project would have cost many thousands of dollars that we would have been hard put to come up with. At this time we have just finished putting down 1200 tons of rock dust-donated by Granite Construction with the trucking provided by RLF (Roger Fortier). We wish to sincerely thank Jon’s Equipment- owner Jon Stephen, for the use of no less than six pieces of large equipment and their operators: Junior Gravlak, Mike Green plus Jon himself. Thanks also go to Bodie Bettencourt of Kalyra Winery for use of his forklift and Nancy Crawford-Hall and Veneco Inc (Greg Schrage) for oil well pipe. Transportation was provided by T&T Trucking and Crane Service of Ventura.
Additional operators and help include Mark Coxen (Coxen Plumbing), Richard Diaz (Slade Trucking), Tommy Larsen and Barney Hanly. I would not have been able to complete this project for the many western riders of the Valley without them.
Sincerely, David Hunsicker- President of SYVEA
Thank YOU David for submitting this to us. You are right; they are a perfect example of what community spirit is all about. - MLM
IN RESPONSE
Response to Andy Caldwell’s (COLAB) article I feel compelled to respond to Andy Caldwell’s (COLAB) article in the Santa Maria Times where he claims some impropriety on the part of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in conducting a hearing on the proposed expansion of gaming in the Santa Ynez Valley at the Chumash Casino. Although the first part of the article focuses on whether proper notice was given, the main thrust of the article seems to be on whether the Board had a right to bring up the topic at all. In fact, Andy makes it sound like the topic of casino expansion is simply a rumor spread by two “private” groups POLO and POSY. Well, if the written words from tribal meetings from the tribe’s own chairman are rumor, so be it. Unfortunately, we only have verbal protestations that discussions with the governor’s office and requests for 5000 more slot machines and a ten year extension on their compact maybe wasn’t true or isn’t true now. Then the Valley community is told by the tribal chairman that it is none of their business anyway. So what are we to believe? For Andy to claim that the resident’s concerns are based on “misinformation” is simply false and certainly deserve more credence than he seems willing to give. Why is that? The tone of the article sounds like he is much more concerned about the “rights” and respect given to the tribe than any of the other Valley residents. The only true statement Andy made was that this whole topic “has only served to stir up and feed tension and animosity in the Valley”. He is most certainly right there and if that situation is to change, it will require transparent, verifiable conversations of ALL parties involved. After all, the Board of Supervisors is paid by the taxpayers to represent THEIR interests, not someone else outside their purview. A little respect and true acknowledgment of responsibility from all in the community is what is needed to move forward at this point. Inflammatory and untrue rhetoric is simply not helpful towards resolving this conflict.
Nancy Crawford-Hall