The San Benito County Board of Supervisors Tuesday put up a
united front in one of the most controversial issues in recent
community history, unanimously voting to send a letter to
Sacramento opposing the proposed Miwok casino near Hollister.
Hollister – The San Benito County Board of Supervisors Tuesday put up a united front in one of the most controversial issues in recent community history, unanimously voting to send a letter to Sacramento opposing the proposed Miwok casino near Hollister.
“I believe that we have to take a stand on this today. We all have to tell Sacramento how we feel,” Supervisor Pat Loe told her fellow board members. “We all know that we are not the final word. Sacramento is the final word. But we need to let them know how we feel.”
After the four other supervisors made statements covering the reasons for their own opposition to the proposed Miwok casino, the board unanimously approved a resolution opposing the project and authorized Chairman Reb Monaco to send the signed resolution to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The governor has said he will not approve gaming compacts with tribes outside of their indigenous area
without overwhelming support from the local community. The California Valley Miwoks hope to set up a casino similar in size to Yolo County’s Cache Creek casino, which is more than 74,000 square feet with 2,200 slot machines, off Highway 156 near the Hollister Airport with the help of investment group Game Won. The tribe has not yet proven its ancestral ties to San Benito County, although they have said they intend to.
The resolution cites opposition to the casino on a number of grounds, ranging from the wide-spread belief the tribe is reservation shopping to an overwhelming reaction from anti-casino residents at a public meeting held on Feb. 15.
The unanimous approval of the resolution was greeted with a round of restrained applause from casino opponents who had gathered in the board chambers Tuesday to hear the final vote. Others were not so happy with the decision.
California Valley Miwok Project Manager Gary Ramos said supervisors did not dedicate enough time to looking at the project details.
“All we asked for, and all we still ask for, is 30 minutes of your time to sit down and put together a proposal,” Ramos said.
Monaco, however, said the board had taken the details under careful consideration.
“We’ve been looking at how this would affect our community since August,” he said, adding a regional planning forum headed by Loe had also been investigating the project’s impacts.
Before the board’s vote, several casino proponents took the podium for public comment, asking the five supervisors to think of the unemployed residents of San Benito County who were desperate for the 2,000 union-wage jobs with benefits the casino backers have promised.
“(We can’t) let this project go – and we’re not saying ‘casino,’ we’re saying ‘project.’ This is a hope for us to have better living in our beautiful community,” said Carlos Vargas of Hollister.
Estevan Guzman criticized the board for holding its Feb. 15 public meeting without providing a Spanish interpreter.
“Did it not occur to any of you that there might be one Mexican or Hispanic who would show up?” he asked.
Casinos Represent A Poor Solution Chairman Steve Merrell responded asking supervisors not to be swayed by the criticism.
“I find it very disturbing that as we get closer and closer to a decision from various parties, the race card is being played. I think that is disingenuous,” Merrell said.
Each of the five board members explained his or her own opposition to the project before voting. Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, who until Monday had said he was still “right in the middle” on the issue, told the audience he had made up his mind to oppose the project.
“During my campaign, I promised my constituents I would bring high-paying jobs to the community. I do believe the casino would bring jobs, but they would be low-paying jobs. We need to stay focused on solving our own problems, on going out and supporting our local businesses that are owned by local residents and that employ local residents,” De La Cruz said.
Supervisor Don Marcus also said casino jobs were not the type of employment he hoped for.
“A large percentage of casino employees spend a large amount of money at the casinos once their paycheck is cashed. This is a different type of job,” he said. “If you work at a clothing store, you don’t buy something that doesn’t benefit your family; you buy clothes. If you work at a supermarket, you buy food.”
Ramos, however, said the casino jobs would start at $10 an hour with benefits, and that the casino could have some form of restriction on employees gambling on-site.
Supervisor Anthony Botelho said he opposed the project because of the impacts it could have on families and local infrastructure.
“This is a business venture that plays on the vice of individuals. I’ll stand with the family values,” he said. “I’m also concerned with our roads. There’s no way that in the near future this regional transportation issue is going to be fixed, even with the casino’s money.”
Monaco was the last to speak before the supervisors’ final vote.
“This board is committed to providing jobs in this county. I was interested in this project when I was first approached; I thought this could have some merit. But these casinos offer great challenges to local authority, our local authority. And within our own area, there are concerns with people who are indigenous to the area,” he said, referring to the Amah Mutsun band of Native Americans who are native to the area.
Ramos said after the meeting that the tribe and its investors will continue trying to drum up local support for their cause.
“We’ll be going to state and other local governments,” he said, adding the Hollister and San Juan Bautista City Councils would be on the list.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at [email protected].
