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Friends expose tribe's influence over
casino process
In several telling instances, tribal attorneys were given advance drafts of agency documents and were permitted to revise the documents before the agency released them to the public. Friends Exposes Tribes' Influence over Casino Process 2008 By Nathan Baker, Staff Attorney, nathan@gorgefriends.org Ever since a massive casino complex was first proposed in the heart of the National Scenic Area, Friends of the Columbia Gorge has worked tirelessly to shine a spotlight of public scrutiny on the proposal. Recently, Friends advanced this cause with two lawsuits, both of which highlighted the undue influence the Warm Springs Tribes have had over the casino process. In the first lawsuit, Friends, No Gorge Casino!, and several Cascade Locks citizens successfully sued the City of Cascade Locks for holding private meetings behind closed doors, where tribal lobbyists "briefed" the Cascade Locks City Council on casino-related issues. A quorum of city council members attended at least one of these meetings, held on the Warm Springs Reservation, and the city paid their travel expenses. However, the city failed to properly announce the meeting in advance, open it to the public, and take meeting minutes, all of which is required by Oregon law. In a written settlement, the city council agreed that for future meetings where the casino is likely to be discussed, the city will announce the meetings in advance, not prohibit the public from attending, and take minutes. In the second lawsuit, Friends sued the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) under the Freedom of Information Act after the agency ignored several formal requests for casino-related documents. Once Friends sued, the BIA produced more than 1,000 documents and agreed to pay Friends' attorney fees. Several of the released documents show that the Tribes were allowed to influence the content of the BIA's environmental impact statement for the casino. In several telling instances, tribal attorneys were given advance drafts of agency documents and were permitted to revise the documents before the agency released them to the public. Friends is bringing this serious violation of the public trust to the attention of decision-makers and elected officials. Summer 2008 Newsletter Friends of the Columbia Gorge http://www.gorgefriends.org Active citizen support makes the difference! Your actions for Gorge protection are crucial to our success. Contact your Senators and Representatives using the information below, or check http://www.senate.gov or http://www.house.gov for other offices. Email your Congressional Representative by logging on to http://www.house.gov/writerep/ Oregon: Sen. Gordon Smith - 202-224-3753 http://gsmith.senate.gov/public/ Sen. Ron Wyden - 202-224-5244 http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/ Rep. David Wu - 202-225-0855 Rep. Earl Blumenauer - 202-225-4811 Rep. Darlene Hooley - 202-225-5711 Rep. Greg Walden - 202-225-6730 Rep. Peter DeFazio - 202-225-6416 Washington: Sen. Patty Murray - 202-224-2621 http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm Sen. Maria Cantwell - 202-224-3441 http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/ Rep. Brian Baird - 202-225-3536 Rep. Doc Hastings - 202-225-5816 Rep. Norm Dicks - 202-225-5916 |
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