San Benito County residents came out in hordes last night to
voice their opinions on one of the most hotly debated issues in
recent county history: The proposed Miwok casino.
Hollister – San Benito County residents came out in hordes last night to voice their opinions on one of the most hotly debated issues in recent county history: The proposed Miwok casino.
The Veterans hall was packed to standing-room only capacity at the start of last night’s San Benito County Board of Supervisors public casino meeting. Adults and kids alike lined up along the walls to form a ring around the large room, holding up signs declaring “We Need Jobs,” while in the middle sat rows and rows of residents wearing anti-casino buttons.
Before the board opened the floor for the heated back-and-forth speeches from casino supporters and opponents, Board Chairman Reb Monaco told the crowd the board would not be making any decisions that night.
“I want to assure you that no action will be taken tonight,” Monaco reminded the audience, then opened the floor for debate.
The following three hours were filled with residents who begged the supervisors for casino jobs and those who told them the jobs were dead-end, those who envisioned a future with residents who could afford the rising home prices thanks to casino jobs and those who see a future where locals are driven out of business by the same casino.
“I don’t think this white knight of a casino coming in is going to be our savior,” said Lupe Downing. “I look at all these kids holding up signs saying ‘We Need Jobs,’ but I think, why are you selling yourselves short? Why do you need a minimum wage job at a casino?”
Carlos Vargas told the board he was involved with the same young people as a soccer coach and father of four children, and saw the casino as a means for local parents to support their children.
“I’ve heard lots of people say tonight that you can’t buy a house in San Benito County on $10 an hour. But at least we can buy them food, shoes, soccer shoes,” Vargas said.
Last night’s meeting came two weeks after the board had voted unanimously to draft a resolution opposing the proposed Miwok casino after four of the five supervisors announced their own opposition to the project. Dist. 5 Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz was the only supervisor who said he was “right in the middle” on the issue, but still voted to draft the resolution.
The five-member California Valley Miwok tribe has teamed up with investors from Game Won to develop a casino on about 200 acres off San Felipe Road across from the Hollister airport. The casino could be similar in size to Yolo County’s Cache Creek casino, which is 66,000 square feet with 1,762 slot machines. Project Manager Gary Ramos has also said the tribe would eventually like to add a hotel, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has said that he will not negotiate gaming compacts with tribes outside of their indigenous area without overwhelming support from the locals. Since the California Valley Miwoks have not yet proven their ancestral ties to San Benito County, a resolution by the board of supervisors opposing the project could be a good indication to Schwarzenegger that the support is not here, according to a Governor’s deputy press secretary.
But before the resolution was drafted, the board chose to hold one final public meeting to get in any final thoughts from the community. They chose to hold the final meeting at night, hoping working residents on both sides would attend and the board could hear the voices of those who may not have been able to attend recent, middle-of-the-afternoon forums.
The residents of San Benito County did not disappoint.
Angry casino opposers told the massive audience the Miwok tribe and its investors were trying to take advantage of the community and its ailing economic status.
“The investors and the developers, they will shake the dust of Hollister off their shoes and not even remember the name of the town they ruined when they leave,” said Hollister resident Donna Gonzalez.
Gonzalez and several others lambasted the pro-casino sign bearers and speakers, saying they had never attended any meetings in the past and left before the meeting had even ended.
Resident Susie Fisher came to the podium saying she wished to apologize to the California Valley Miwok tribe for the difficulty it has encountered in this community, and reminded the audience that Ramos has promised 2,000 local jobs if the casino becomes a reality.
“That’s a positive result, whether or not you and I agree on the morals,” Fisher said.
Others expressed a concern that San Benito County would wither and die without the casino industry.
“Instead of talking about today and tomorrow, why don’t we think about what it’s going to look like ten years from now? What about 20 years from now?” asked Irving Atlas. “We’re going to become a bedroom community for Gilroy? I think that if we don’t do this now, if we miss this opportunity (to get a casino) now, I don’t think another opportunity will come by.”
Others acknowledged the area’s need for industry and an increased economic base, but pleaded with the community to seek out alternatives to a casino. Marilyn Hill referenced a study done in Illinois finding most casino jobs weren’t created, but only replaced the jobs people in the surrounding town lose when business slows.
“I would like to ask the board of supervisors, how can we help with better jobs that will help the community, that will benefit the people who already live here?” Hill said.
Ruth Erickson stood to ask the community who exactly the investors in the project are, openly asking for any of the investors or developers present in the audience to stand up. Seeing none, she left the podium amid applause and cheers from the casino opponents.
But immediately following Erickson’s comments, Ramos stood to tell the board and the locals he was ready to sit down and talk about the possibilities and the tribe’s business plan, which he has said will give back more money to the county and the state than is typical in similar situations.
One of the most dramatic points in the night came when Casinos Represent A Poor Solution (CRAPS) Chairman Steve Merrell took to the podium and asked, “Will all the people here tonight who oppose the casino please stand up?” and was answered as the majority of audience members rose from their seats. “I think that speaks volumes,” Merrell told the board. “I think it’s very important that we have all these people here with these signs that say ‘We Need Jobs.’ We do need jobs, but this is not the answer.”
Mickie Luna, another resident, begged the board to think of the minority groups in San Benito County.
“Please remember that certain groups have not been heard,” she said. “Please remember that we are the silent majority. It’s a real shame in San Benito County that can’t step up and say ‘We need jobs. Help.'”
Philip Bump, an associate political director with the South Bay Labor Council, supported Luna’s comments, telling the board to put the number of jobs Ramos has promised into perspective.
“We’re not talking about 40 jobs here. We’re talking about thousands of jobs,” Bump said. “I don’t know of any other company coming in here offering thousands of jobs. It’s easy for people who have jobs to dismiss the need for jobs.”
San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill was the only elected official to take the stand last night, where he told the audience he had been the first elected official to take a stand against the casino, and assured the community his decision had been easy.
“What we’re witnessing here is a seduction of our community by the out-of-town developers. We haven’t heard one single fact from the supporters here tonight. They have no anthropological connection to this area. None. They keep saying they’re going to prove they do. Well, why aren’t they proving it? You said you would leave if you didn’t get any agreement from the community. You’re not getting any agreement,” Hill said, adding he believed it was time for the Hollister City Council to take a stand against the casino. Hill’s speech was met with uproarious and prolonged applause from casino opponents who stood up and cheered him on.
Anne-Marie Sayers, a member of the Amah Mutsun tribal band of Native Americans, agreed with Hill, telling the audience the California Valley Miwoks have no ties to San Benito County while the Amah Mutsuns can trace their roots back thousands of years. The Amah Mutsuns are not asking to build a casino, two other tribal members later pointed out, but oppose the reservation shopping the Miwoks are being accused of.
The meeting was still going at press time. Monaco encouraged any residents who did not get a chance to speak last night to come to the supervisors’ next regular meeting on Feb. 22, when they are scheduled to vote on a casino resolution. The resolution has not yet been drafted, and the supervisors have said they would take all of last night’s comments into account before they put the resolution together either opposing the casino, supporting it, or declaring a need for more time and research.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at
jq*****@fr***********.com
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