Anthony Pico, a prominent former chairman of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians in East County, said tribal governments need to take a more active role in improving their image through the media. Pico, reporters and tribal public relations officials participated in conference called Native Voices held Monday at the Pechanga Indian Reservation.
"The future preservation and prosperity of American Indians will not be decided in the halls of Congress or state legislatures, nor will it be adjudicated ... (at) the U.S. Supreme Court," he told an audience of more than 50 people. "It will be decided by the voting public in the court of public opinion."
Writerfella here --
ReplyDeleteThe misconception arises from the fact that most 'casino' tribes distribute their profits to the people of their tribes. WRONG! As most tribal people are finding now. the Business Committees of their tribes suddenly find that their 'daily business' consumes such profits and they are SOL. Where have we all heard THAT before? Oh, of course, the checks Rob gets!
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
I don't get checks from casino tribes, idiot. I use the word "idiot" advisedly because I've told you this fact before and you're apparently too stupid to grasp it. That's a textbook example of idiocy.
ReplyDeleteMost gaming tribes don't distribute their revenue because they're spending it on vital government services: housing, schools, clinics, cultural centers, etc. By law, tribes can give out per capita payments only after they've taken care of their government functions.
Writerfella here --
ReplyDeleteTHEN it is the case, Rob, that you have fallen for the same line of BS (B for Buffalo!) that the casino tribes tell their tribal members. Like the Oneidas hiring 'Sonny' Roubideaux and Mark Reed to run a scam 'national talent search.' Or have you not heard or perhaps disregarded the Cheyenne-Arapaho 'Business Committee Warlords' scandal? Or the Kiowa-Apache offshore banking scheme? Or the 'Kiowa Bank,' or 'Kiowa Aviation,' or the purported 'Inter-Tribal Burial Insurance System' of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Kiowa Apache tribes, all of which expended casino profits?
It is one thing for writerfella to be called an idiot and quite another for you, Rob, to be recognized so obviously as ignorant. As in THE WIZARD OF OZ, when the Scarecrow is asked, if he doesn't have a brain, how can he talk? -- replying, "I don't know, but some people without brains do an awful lot of talking."
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Since there are hundreds of gaming tribes, I don't know the details of every one. Why don't you fill us in with the facts, using quotes from sources, rather than your opinions?
ReplyDeleteAny of the Kiowa projects you mentioned could be legitimate government projects, just as a tribal casino is. "Kiowa-Apache offshore banking" turns up no hits in Google, which suggests the press hasn't reported it or you made it up. Either one would explain why I'm not familiar with it.
As for the Cheyenne-Arapaho 'Business Committee Warlords,' you put the words in quotes as if it's an actual phrase. But searching for it in Google also turns up zero hits, which again is suggestive. Give us a source for these alleged problems or they aren't worth discussing.
Meanwhile, I know about all sorts of gaming cases that you know nothing about. And your assertion that I'm paid by gaming tribes remains false and idiotic to boot. Quit saying such stupid things so I don't have to point out your stupidity to everyone.