Look, let’s face it: Because of Betty Sue, Clark County was screwed in the casino MOU with the Cowlitz on the Supercasino deal. Even a cursory review of the MOU shows that in her haste to get the county locked in, she failed any level of due diligence by overlooking already existing agreements between Tribes and other government entities around the country.
As a result, even typically boiler-plate contractual items were left out. Agreements concerning key environmental, indemnification, legal fees, garbage, recycling, construction and demolition, drainage, easements, insurance, immunity, federal court authority, open space protect, binding arbitration, required infrastructure construction and payments, lack of a tribal-county advisory committee, required payments for community (good corporate neighbor) type payments and the like… all left out.
Why? Incompetence? What was her hurry to sign an agreement that would facilitate the terrible injury the Cowlitz would do to those of us living here?
The end result? When she signed… we, the people of this county, had no earthly idea what we were facing, because the Tribe choose to lie by omission to get those signatures on paper… to give their little project the sheen of respectability.
SO, what are we told now? The Columbian has properly deluded themselves: “It has been clear all along that county government and the Cowlitz tribe did a good piece of business for the public when they signed an agreement a year ago that governs several aspects of casino operation. It includes environmental, financial, fire protection and law enforcement issues.”
Of course, as I’ve pointed out, it contains very little of even standard contract language to protect the people, but, what the hey… it LOOKS great, doesn’t it?
Betty Sue, continuing to bask in her ignorance, seals her incompetence by telling us: “’I frankly think we are in pretty good condition compared to other places in this state that have tribal gaming. We have really protected the taxpayers.’"
Betty Sue, compared to many other agreements, the Clark County MOU, which any reasonable or prudent individual would conclude was dramatically premature, is shown to be a train-wreck when compared to many, more deliberate and well thought out efforts on behalf of many other municipalities around the country. There will be DRAMATIC reductions in revenue, both to the county AND local municipalities. And when revenues fall short… who will have to make them up? Those very same taxpayers that Betty Sue claims she’s “protected?”
The ongoing series of articles in publication in the Columbian, even today, all go to showcase the idiocy contained within the MOU. The only thing more idiotic is for The Columbian to buy into Betty Sue’s shtick, and for Betty Sue to continue the charade where she wants us all to believe we weren’t screwed by her incompetence.
There are no circumstances where the Cowlitz-Mohegan Supercasino will be a good thing for the people of this county. And Betty Sue’s white-wash doesn’t change that.
In Our View - Cutting Casino Deal
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Columbian editorial writers
A multistory casino hotel at the La Center junction could be a more dominate feature of the vista in rural northwest Clark County than mounts Adams, St. Helens and Hood. There'd be jokes about needing to change the name of nearby Tri-Mountain Golf Course to Four Peaks Links, or CASH Course (Casino, Adams, St. Helens, Hood.)
The hotel that the Cowlitz Tribe would build on the 152-acre site would have 250 rooms (www. cowlitzcasino.com). But the height has not been announced, although a tribal spokesman informally has said it might be about six stories.
In contrast, the 1,200-room hotel at the Mohegan Sun tribal casino in Connecticut is 34 stories, as reported in a Columbian series running Sunday through Wednesday this week by reporter Margaret Ellis and photographer Troy Wayrynen. The Mohegans would play a key role in developing and operating a casino here for the Cowlitz tribe. But a structure even one-fourth the Mohegan Sun's size would dwarf the rural-commercial zone maximum height of 35 feet and dominate the landscape for miles.
It has been clear all along that county government and the Cowlitz tribe did a good piece of business for the public when they signed an agreement a year ago that governs several aspects of casino operation. It includes environmental, financial, fire protection and law enforcement issues.
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