@YoBob
“What difference does it make to you what business endeavors the Native American population chooses to invest in?”
If someone wants to build a gas station down the street, they have to follow the laws of the land on building one. The Indians don’t. And a gas station is unlikely to make anyone’s life worse. A casino is.
As an example- In San Diego County we have over a dozen casinos already, The Jamul Indian Tribe, a tiny “tribe” of around 25 people which has a “reservation” of less than four acres- on which not a single person lives- wants to build a multistory casino on it, on one of the most dangerous two-lane highways in the state. Repeated surveys gave shown that over 95% of the community oppose this, and studies have documented that there will be tremendous negative impacts on traffic, groundwater, noise, light pollution, etc.
Even Sam Walton couldn’t build a Wal-Mart in the middle of a rural area zoned for agriculture, on the edge of a wildlife refuge, just because he wanted to. But the Indians can build just about whatever they damn well please, because they are Indians. So far, all that is stopping them is that they want to connect their casino to the dangerous highway- and they do have to get state permission for that because the State owns the highway. The State says “no, too dangerous”- so they are suing the State.
Sure, there is all the “sovereign nation” stuff. Well, fine. Be your own nation. But then don’t ask for US government help, and don’t expect all of us to bear the negative impact of your projects.
Oh, and let’s not forget that the Indians themselves aren’t even the real driving forces behind these projects. It’s huge conglomerates- in the case of the Jamul casino, Lakes Gaming of Minnesota. They provide the funding and reap the profits, while we get screwed.
I may be a liberal bleeding heart, but this issue makes me sound like Glen Beck!