Indian and county officials weigh effects of casinos in rural areas

Kimberly Lamke

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2000 | 9:59 a.m.

SAN DIEGO - In the first meeting of its kind, all 17 San Diego area American Indian tribes sat down with the county Board of Supervisors on Wednesday to discuss the environmental and economic effects of a major expansion of tribal gambling.

The proposed addition of nine casinos to a county of about 4,200 square miles has many officials and residents concerned that serious environmental and infrastructure problems could not be handled in a way that was fair to the tribes and non-tribal residents.

The county is already home to three Indian casinos - the Sycuan, Barona and Viejas - all of which are located in east San Diego County.

Of the nine proposed casinos, five would be on the north side of the county and four on the east side.

All of the county's American Indian lands are in unincorporated areas and few currently have the roads, water service and sewers necessary to accommodate major commercial buildings.

Also of concern for local officials is providing adequate fire and law enforcement services.

"It's extremely important to begin this dialogue with the tribes now," said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dianne Jacob. "Discussions on improving their infrastructure before putting these developments in unincorporated areas could prevent environmental and infrastructure problems of large proportion."

Leaders of local tribes say the addition of new gambling centers will not be done in a way that harms the environment. They added that the facilities will not only help provide for the needs of their tribes, but also bring a huge amount of money and new jobs to San Diego County as a whole.

"Tribal governments have the opportunity to be self-sufficient through commercial activity, mainly gaming," said Rincon San Luiseno Band Chairman John Currier. "I hope the county will emphasize the positive regional economic benefits of what is happening within reservation communities."

Proposition 1A, passed by California voters in March, allows a federally recognized tribe to operate slot machines, lottery games and card games on its lands, provided the governor has approved a gambling compact with the group.

County officials, quick to emphasize the need for greater communication between tribal leaders and all levels of government, said they know there is a long road ahead of them before a level of trust can be established between both sides.

"There's a lot of fear and distrust in the past between the groups involved, but we want to improve that level of trust and build closer relationships," Jacob said.

"I'm hopeful that the past can be the past and we can start anew and establish good relationships with all of the tribes," she said.

Jacob is proposing one person be appointed to serve as a tribal liaison for the Board of Supervisors and that a committee of two supervisors and a few of the tribal leaders meet in the next month to continue a collaborative effort between the two groups.