Dear
Editor:
The
December 13 front page article in Capitol Weekly on the tribe “consortium” had
better be a wake up call to all politicians. We are
on to you. Tribal gaming, a $28 billion industry, has decimated all pretense of
representative government that is entrusted with the health, safety, and
protection of its citizens. Our elected representatives are expanding tribal
land base and gambling regardless of the cost to the public. It is all about
money and nothing else.
How
else could tribal interests get away with forming a consortium that redirected
federal grant money to pay the salaries of federal employees who were supposed
to objectively evaluate fee-to-trust applications, including taking into
consideration negative impact to the community? In Santa Ynez, the feds ignored
almost 1,000 letters of community opposition. The Santa Barbara Board of
Supervisors also ignored the public and failed to file a timely appeal. This
left grass roots citizen groups POLO and POSY to fund a multimillion-dollar lawsuit
in their effort to protect their community.
How
else could Governor Schwarzenegger negotiate new tribal state gaming compacts
with four of the largest tribes for almost 20,000 slot machines, regardless of
the fact that compacts are so poorly defined that when his office was asked
about a potential compact violation in Solvang, Andrea Hoch could only reply,
“there does not APPEAR to be a compact violation.” Come on! You are the
Governor. It either is or it isn’t a violation. “Does not appear” isn’t an answer.
How
else could Governor Schwarzenegger negotiate the largest expansion of gambling
in the history of the United States with new tribal state gaming compacts when
state agencies, including the Attorney General’s office, have told our
community that these compacts are probably not enforceable because of tribal
sovereignty?
How
else could Governor Schwarzenegger and other elected officials ignore facts
from many communities that show that these Indian “tribes” are not really
tribes at all; that they were fabricated? And that many of these “reservations”
are not reservations at all … so these multimillion-dollar casinos destroying
communities are actually on ineligible lands?
How
else could our elected politicians allow these casino tribes making hundreds of
millions of dollars profit, yet continue to receive federal subsidy? And allow
them to use these casino dollars for aggressive expansion of land and gambling
that is ruining communities?
We
are putting all legislators on notice. Indian gaming is a scam against
Americans. Governor Schwarzenegger, the California legislature, and the
illustrious Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors have sold out to big gambling
interests.
The
facts and evidence are overwhelming. Every day that our representative
government does not do something to stop this scam is proof of their
participation in the scam and corruption.
Kathy Cleary
Los Olivos
Dear
Editor:
The
December 13 front page article in Capitol Weekly on the tribe “consortium” had
better be a wake up call to all politicians. We are
on to you. Tribal gaming, a $28 billion industry, has decimated all pretense of
representative government that is entrusted with the health, safety, and
protection of its citizens. Our elected representatives are expanding tribal
land base and gambling regardless of the cost to the public. It is all about
money and nothing else.
How else
could tribal interests get away with forming a consortium that redirected
federal grant money to pay the salaries of federal employees who were supposed
to objectively evaluate fee-to-trust applications, including taking into
consideration negative impact to the community? In Santa Ynez, the feds ignored
almost 1,000 letters of community opposition. The Santa Barbara Board of
Supervisors also ignored the public and failed to file a timely appeal. This
left grass roots citizen groups POLO and POSY to fund a multimillion-dollar
lawsuit in their effort to protect their community.
How else
could Governor Schwarzenegger negotiate new tribal state gaming compacts with
four of the largest tribes for almost 20,000 slot machines, regardless of the
fact that compacts are so poorly defined that when his office was asked about a
potential compact violation in Solvang, Andrea Hoch could only reply, “there
does not APPEAR to be a compact violation.” Come on! You are the Governor. It
either is or it isn’t a violation. “Does not appear” isn’t an answer.
How else
could Governor Schwarzenegger negotiate the largest expansion of gambling in
the history of the United States with new tribal state gaming compacts when
state agencies, including the Attorney General’s office, have told our
community that these compacts are probably not enforceable because of tribal
sovereignty?
How else
could Governor Schwarzenegger and other elected officials ignore facts from
many communities that show that these Indian “tribes” are not really tribes at
all; that they were fabricated? And that many of these “reservations” are not
reservations at all … so these multimillion-dollar casinos destroying
communities are actually on ineligible lands?
How else
could our elected politicians allow these casino tribes making hundreds of
millions of dollars profit, yet continue to receive federal subsidy? And allow
them to use these casino dollars for aggressive expansion of land and gambling
that is ruining communities?
We are
putting all legislators on notice. Indian gaming is a scam against Americans.
Governor Schwarzenegger, the California legislature, and the illustrious Santa
Barbara Board of Supervisors have sold out to big gambling interests.
The facts
and evidence are overwhelming. Every day that our representative government
does not do something to stop this scam is proof of their participation in the
scam and corruption.
Kathy
Cleary
Los Olivos
Dear
Nancy:
Thank you for your dedication and time to put
this Journal out. I look forward to each issue. I have been in and out of the
publishing business for 30 years, publishing magazines and programs that go
along with my business. I was not going to write you, but when the second
subject came up that I had an idea for, I thought that I would give you my
ideas.
First is
the whole Chumash Highway sign thing! As
I drove the pass, as I have all my life, and 4 generations of my family have
before me, I thought it would be great if the Chumash would clean up the one
mile gateways at each end of the pass and adopt them with some great earth
friendly landscape and rock formations. Those areas are just crying out for
some attention and would do far more for the image of the Chumash or the valley
for that matter.
Second, I
have driven big rigs for almost 40 years, although never as my only source of
income, like a full-time over the road trucker. I can tell you that I know the
pass as well as anyone and would not take a loaded truck over the pass to save
time or money. Even in an empty big rig you only save about 8 minutes using the
pass. That does not make up for the wear and tear on the truck or the chance
that you might get behind a slow camper or someone that does not know the road.
My idea
on this is to post signs at each end of the pass — I’ve seen it done before —
that say, “154 not recommended for loaded trucks” and “55 mph speed limit
strictly enforced.” The truckers know that you can pretty much run 62 out on
101 (don’t tell the CHP we know) so these signs will get them thinking and you
can bet that they will start using 101 more. I know of a lot of local Southern
California companies that do not allow their drivers to use the pass just
because of the short-sighted savings in time compared to the wear and tear and
safety factors. That is it for now. Keep up the good work.
5th generation valley lover
(Name
withheld by request)
Dear
Editor:
There was a letter to the editor in the Nov.
30-Dec. 7 issue stating that Steve Pappas’s article about veteran affairs was
not accurate. Although I’m not sure about the accuracy of all Steve’s article,
I personally don’t find dealing with the VA as rosy as Mr. Newsom points out.
I also
have a “service connected status” for three problems, and was able to get the
status within about seven months. I ride the VA bus to the west LA hospital for
testing with many other “service connected” veterans who don’t find it so rosy
of a picture either.
Although
I do agree that the medical care is top quality at most of the facilities
(especially Santa Barbara), I find that it is not very good at others, and to
deal with the VA about your “service connected” claim is a complete nightmare.
Right now
Congress is investigating why there are over 5,000 veteran suicides per year,
and why there are over a 100,000 homeless vets in our country. Well my answer
to them is — try to deal with the VA yourself, and
maybe you will come up with the answer. Also, my compliments
to Nancy Crawford-Hall for stating exactly what’s on her mind. Too bad
we don’t have some politicians like her.
M. Knight
Los Olivos
Letter to
the Community:
Let’s
make it official! In last week’s issue of the Valley Journal I wrote a letter
to the editor on page 25 raising awareness about the Santa Ynez Valley Chorale
Christmas concert. In that letter I quoted a friend and long time resident who
said “This is the best entertainment of the year that this valley offers.”
Do you
want to help make that official? The Valley Journal is having a write in
contest for “The Best in the Valley” which must be submitted back to the
Journal by Friday, December 28, 2007. Please go to page 20 in the last week’s
journal for full entry form.
I am
writing you today to ask you to respond and enter this contest. Please write in
under category “Other” Entertainment – the Santa Ynez Valley Chorale.
Sincerely,
Sara Lee
Underwood