Impassioned Advocates Address the Board

The Feb 13th Board of Supervisors meeting was dominated by well organized citizens with beautifully presented charts, graphs and statistics documenting the ill effects of gambling, accompanied by a multitude of impassioned pleas that the Board block further expansion of the Chumash Casino. Vincent Armenta, the Chairman of the tribe, spoke eloquently on the Casino’s behalf, insisting that they had no plans to follow through on a request to the Governor last year for 5,000 more slot machines and that the request had been withdrawn.

The long simmering tension between the Chumash and the wider community was palpable as Chairman Armenta asked why he had been given such late notice. “This whole thing could have been resolved with a phone call.” He reminded the Board that they were entitled to 90 days notice before any changes were implemented, and repeated several times his contention that the Chumash had abandoned any plans to increase the number of slots.

The Power of the Board is Real but Limited

At the end of one of the heartfelt speeches detailing the evils of gambling, the speaker asked the Board “Is there anything you can do to stop this expansion?” Our own Brooks Firestone, Chairman of the Board and Supervisor for the 3rd District put it in a nutshell with a polite but firm, “No.” Elaborating a few days later on that response, Supervisor Firestone explained, “We are not a review body; the tribe is not required to seek our approval. We can have influence with the Governor, and we are trying to work out a local agreement.”

If Governor Schwarzenegger insists on it, the Chumash can be required to accommodate local environmental and community concerns, and he does have a powerful veto if his conditions are not met. The Supervisors plan to address a letter to the Governor, requesting that the Chumash be required to include local government in the approval process. That letter is scheduled to be discussed at the February 27 th meeting.

Although it may seem futile to address such polished and high powered presentations to a body with no direct authority over the outcome, Supervisor Firestone was adamant that it is very important that people come and voice their opinion. He referred to the 6 ˝ acre parcel of land that the Chumash tried to buy and make a part of the reservation a couple of years ago and said, “I had over 500 letters which I brought to the Supervisors. That’s impressive. It’s the most letters I’ve ever received on any subject. It was very powerful.” He feels strongly that even though the matter was removed from their jurisdiction and is now in the courts, the community input was critical in affecting the course of the process and he is optimistic that it will have an effect on the ultimate outcome. “A well conceived effort can really make a difference,” he insists. “Making your voice heard is always worth doing.”

Closing Pandora’s Box Unlikely

Supervisor Firestone remarked that “this phenomenon (of the large hotel and casino in the Valley) is unfolding so rapidly; going back five years there was nothing like this,” and expressed his hope that the process could be slowed down enough to allow proper deliberation of the new issues it raises. “The whole purpose (of the discussion at the Board meeting) was for the Board to write a letter to the Governor, or pass a resolution, as an expression of our concerns,” to ensure that the local authorities and citizens have a chance to influence the growth of gambling in the Valley. “The issue before us is expansion and the testimony before us is valuable because it helps us understand the impacts.”

He feels that even though it would be very difficult to close the Pandora’s Box of gambling in California because we are a democracy (Turkey and Russia, among others, have allowed gambling for years and then outlawed it when its negative effects reached a critical point) it is important to manage its impact through awareness of its effects on traffic, crime, safety and the community. He speculated that in the future gambling might be permitted throughout the state, which would reduce the intensified effects in specific communities.

The Supervisor is very concerned about the increase in crime, but remarked that Social Services claims not to have noticed any impact from gambling. Although he feels it is counter intuitive for there not to be any effects, the Board has a responsibility to stick with facts they can substantiate. He was concerned about the discrepancy between the staff statistics and some of those presented at the meeting and hopes that with time the picture will become clearer.

Gambling Consequences Poorly Understood

He remarked, “The culture of gambling reminds me of alcoholism years ago, it just wasn’t understood well,” and “We’re just learning about how to deal with the wholesale availability of gambling. There isn’t any track record of what happens.” Supervisor Firestone compared it to Monte Carlo, where the gambling is limited to casinos and has a far smaller presence in the larger community than it does in America. He speculates that as we learn more about it, we will also learn how to deal with it better.

When asked if it is it relevant to discuss the evils of gambling when the existence of Indian gaming is an established reality, he energetically assents, “I welcome all that input very much. Don’t underestimate the value of a thoughtful, well written letter.”

If you are interested in letting your elected representatives know how you feel about issues with the Chumash Casino, whether in support or opposition, contact The Bureau of Indian Affairs, The Dept of the Interior, and your elected representatives in the State Assembly and Congress.
For contact information about your local representatives at the Board of Supervisors go to http://www.countyofsb.org/cao/ cob/hearings/board.asp , find your representatives at the State Assembly at www.assembly.ca.gov and on the Federal level; Congress at www.house. gov, the Senate at www.senate.gov and the Department of the Interior at www.doi.gov.

Exercising Your Rights as a Citizen

Supervisor Firestone is very enthusiastic about citizens bringing pressure to bear on their elected representatives. He has some tips for maximum impact and effectiveness:
1) Put the letter on good quality letterhead if possible.
2) Keep it short—anything over three or four paragraphs will not be read, and a second page is wasted. The volume of correspondence and paperwork our elected officials have to read is overwhelming, and no matter how brilliant your prose is, they can’t afford the time.
3) “Just the facts, ma’am,” as Joe Friday used to say. You weaken your argument by including anecdotes and speculation. Get your facts from credible sources acknowledged to be reliable.
4) Send it to the appropriate local, state and federal authorities.
5) Don’t forget to include agencies who are not directly involved in a particular issue but have authority over those who do.
6) Don’t underestimate the impact of a large number of well reasoned letters. Even signed form letters can contribute, particularly if they have a short, hand-written note on the form to personalize them.

You can make a difference. Your elected officials can’t help you if they don’t know what your concerns are. Even if they don’t immediately do what you want, knowing that their constituents care about an issue can change the course of their deliberations and actions.