In a blatant attempt at character assassination, Naked Loon Political Reporter Ash Grimm reported Friday that Gov. Gregoire has received a 9,000 square foot mansion and 120-foot yacht from "the state tribes":
"According to a statement released today by Christine Gregoire's campaign, a $50 million yacht and $5.4 million mansion given to her by the state's Indian tribes do not constitute a conflict of interest, and anyone that suggests they do is racist, and probably also sexist." - Gregoire Gifted Yacht, Mansion by Tribes; Denies Conflict of Interest, Friday, By Ash Grimm, Naked Loon Political Reporter, August 8, 2008
http://nakedloon.com/politics/2008/08/08/gregoire-gifted-yacht-mansion-by-tribes-denies-conflict-of-interest/
Just who are these "state tribes"? Grimm identified only one:
"Although she received the deed to the 9,000 square foot Sammamish estate just weeks before her 2005 decision, and was given the 120-foot boat mere days after, the gifts were described by the campaign as nothing more than a friendly gesture." - Gregoire Gifted Yacht, Mansion by Tribes; Denies Conflict of Interest, Friday, By Ash Grimm, Naked Loon Political Reporter, August 8, 2008
http://nakedloon.com/politics/2008/08/08/gregoire-gifted-yacht-mansion-by-tribes-denies-conflict-of-interest/
There you have it. Just one tribe, the Sammamish.*
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammamish_(tribe)
Yet another racist attempt to stereotype all tribes. This is like saying that Burien is a classy place because there are mansions on Queen Anne, that Centralia is effete because Mercer Island residents do not drive pick up trucks, or that the Tri Cities youth are in peril because teens in Ballard are skipping their accordion lessons.
When are you people going to stop stereotyping? You people always do this and it's getting tiresome. You people need to get a life and go do something productive for a change. Stop watching TV and take your kids to a powwow.
* For the humor impaired, all of the above is intended to be ironic. Except for the part about taking your kids to a powwow, which is good family fun.
The only thing keeping the tribes from owning Queen Chrissy is the 13th Amendment.
Otherwise, she'd be as much a tribal slave as any South Carolina field hand in 1855... completely bought and paid for by your ilk... the kind of organizations we don't want assaulting Clark County.*
Under her watch, and yours, come to think of it, given your ultra-hypocritical opposition to the gambling initiative http://www.backlash.com/content/race/2004/rodvanmechelen071204.html (Oh, my... why, we can't have any massive expansion of gambling... unless, of course, it's MY tribe doing the expanding) we have seen, and will continue to see, a HUGE expansion of gambling across this state.*
*For the factually impaired, all of the above refers to the Barnett/Mohegan Tribe's efforts to ram one of the largest casinos on earth down our throats here in Clark County... an effort that our esteemed governor supports and will no doubt fail to require any substantive revenue sharing from.
Posted by: hinton on August 9, 2008 12:56 PMLittle is served by entering into debate with malicious mudslingers, but sometimes it serves to provide everybody else with the undeniable truth and indisputable facts. So for the majority of you, reasonable, sensible, good-natured and humorous folks that you are, here are the facts and truth of the matter brought up by "hinton."
In March 2004 The Cowlitz Indian Tribe offered and then signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Clark County: Clark County Cowlitz Indian MOU - PDF. This MOU stipulated compensation for lost property tax revenue and that sales taxes would be collected and remitted by the Tribe to the State. The offer to do this was initiated by the Tribe:
Background
In the 2004 MOU, the tribe agreed to develop the site consistent with county development standards, and make payment in lieu of taxes intended to equal all property taxes which would have been received for the real property, improvements and personal property located in Clark County. - Clark County Website: Cowlitz Tribe MOU Page
On revenue sharing: The Tribe has repeatedly offered to enter into an agreement with the City of La Center that includes Revenue Sharing: Tribe renews MOU offer to La Center - PDF. The city's own lawyers advised the City Council to work with the Tribe. The Mayor of La Center has advised the City Council to work with the Tribe. But the City Council has repeatedly refused to so much as negotiate with the Tribe.
It should be noted that the Mayor of La Center recently won reelection by a landslide over a candidate who is an outspoken opponent of my Tribe.
I do not speak my Tribe, but we have made it very clear that this is our final offer. Nonetheless, we want to maintain the quality of life in Clark County, if for no other reason than as we build an economic base for the Tribe many of us want to move to Clark County and reestablish our historic roots, there.
Beyond that, like most Americans we are decent, hardworking folks who want what most Americans want: a nice home, loving family, good schools, prosperous, healthy communities, a nice place to take our sweetheart dancing Friday night, a fine cultural center with a museum and language renewal program, fish and wildlife habitat restoration, renewed cultivation of camas, and a sacred place into which to send our young people on vision quest.
Well, maybe we don't exactly want all the same things, but if our similarities bring shine to our communities, then it's our differences that make them sparkle.
The facts clearly show that my Tribe has offered to enter into legally binding agreements with the local communities that include revenue sharing, mitigation, and more. In opposition, a small but well-funded faction, the CCGR Syndicate, has done its best to portray this as an attempt to force a "monstrosity" onto a downtrodden, ignored and resisting community. Yet their candidates lose elections, turnout in opposition fails to rally more than a tiny fraction of county residents, and their paper thin lies and malicious accusations impress no one but themselves.
What I believe is that 25 years from now most people will have forgotten this controversy. Children in school might read about it but wonder what the fuss was about. And the casino, if it is still a casino, will be admired as a tasteful venue that not only helped the Cowlitz Indian people to deliver needed services to our members while providing a basis for more enduring economic development, but had a ripple effect that contributed to make the entire region into a place that people around the world point to as an example of the kind of place they want to call "home."
PS - The Sammamish no longer exist as a separate tribe, but were absorbed into other tribes. Some people will not appreciate the humor of either the original article or my tongue-in-cheek response to it, including my blatantly obvious and overstated stereotyping of "you people," but satire needs to be appreciated for what it is, and American Indians have a traditional appreciation for satire and irony. The Naked Loon article is, in my opinion, great satire and for all who are offended by it or my response to it, lighten up: speaking from experience, the mirror is often the best place in which to find humor.
I just hope throwing all this money at the tribes- gambling monopoly, fireworks, alcohol and cigarettes- is going to help out.
Rod, thanks for your attempts at irony. I think you need a little more practice. Keep it up.
Posted by: swatter on August 11, 2008 08:22 AMEnough said, watch the money come back to her election funds
Posted by: gs on August 14, 2008 07:22 PM