Font ResizeWE ARE APPALLED by Contra Costa County officials' move to ram through today with little public review a horrible sell out deal that would ease the path to Nevada-style gambling on the shores of San Francisco Bay.
The tiny Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians proposes to build a massive resort and casino at Point Molate on the Richmond shoreline. The casino would be bigger than two football fields with more slot machines than the largest gaming facility in Nevada. It would reshape the character of West Contra Costa and have negative effects, such as gambling addiction and increased poverty, that would be felt throughout the Bay Area.
The plan requires federal government approval to essentially turn the property into an Indian reservation. And, if it clears that hurdle, the governor would be required to negotiate a deal with the tribe to share revenues. At each stage, state or federal officials are to consider local government concerns.
Up until recently, county supervisors had tried to protect the region by fighting against the proposal, most notably challenging the tribe's questionable claim to a historic connection to the area — a necessary federal requirement for the Indians to take over the land.
But under Contra Costa's proposed deal with the tribe — negotiated over just the past few weeks by county Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond and County Administrator David Twa —
For this outrageous sell out, the county will be getting just $12 million a year. Worse, limits on the cost-of-living adjustments will erode the value of the deal over time. We recognize the county is desperate for cash. But, to put the starting number in perspective, it represents just 1 percent of the county's annual general fund expenditures, or 0.5 percent of the county expenditures from all funds.
It's a bad deal for the county and the region that should be stopped.
