Schwarzenegger adviser linked to card clubs, Nevada casinos

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Saturday, September 27, 2003 | Mark Martin

[calcowgirl]

A top political adviser to Arnold Schwarzenegger serves on the board of directors of a company that owns two Nevada casinos and has interests in two Southern California card clubs that compete with casinos run by California Indian tribes.

Schwarzenegger has made attacking tribes and their political influence a major tenet of his campaign, prompting the actor's top Republican opponent in the recall election and a tribal gaming group to raise conflict-of-interest questions about Schwarzenegger Friday. At issue is Bonnie Reiss, a longtime Schwarzenegger ally who has taken an increasingly public role in his bid to be governor.

[calcowgirl]

Let the games begin! Looks like the Davis campaign is winding up.

[EggsAckley]

PING!!

[Roscoe]

Puts his attacks on the tribes in perspective.

[The Old Hoosier]

McClintock's continued presence in the race is the only thing stopping the real dirt from coming out.

If he drops out, it will suddenly be on the desk of every reporter in the state.

[annyokie]

Um, the Nevado casinos pay taxes.

[Roscoe]

Um, the Nevado casinos pay taxes.

Um, to Nevada.

[John Jorsett]

Pfft. Richie Ross, Bustamante's eminence grise and Indian casino lobbyist, is well-known to have pushed bills to add rgulatory burdens to card rooms and race tracks, which are competitors to the Indians. Let's hear some criticism of that.

[68 grunt]

And card clubs in California are heavily taxed!

[ex-Texan]

$ 30,000 a year? Haven't they go anything better than this? Gray-out takes million from tribal special interests and the SF Chronicle is concerned about a mere 30k. What stupid jerks . . .

[Afronaut]

I will not raise taxes , except on Indians, and _______ (Comming soon)

[shiva]

And Clinton's adviser was a porno king...Larry Flynt

[annyokie]

Well, yeah. This story is a non-issue.

[w1andsodidwe]

Oh my god. Say it isn't so. It not California Indian Casino so it must be bad.

Somebody needs to get a life.

[AmericaUnited]

Oh no, they fired a pea shooter against the Terminator's Hummer. Ouch, ouch,...

[EggsAckley]

LOL!

[Roscoe]

As opposed to the Las Vegas casinos:

The Economic and Fiscal Benefits of Indian Gaming in California, July 1998, prepared by Analysis Group/Economic, Inc.

The following is a summary of the 1998 study:

Indian gaming currently contributes approximately $120 million in State and Local tax receipts annually, including $36.6 in State Personal Income Taxes, $23.6 million in State Corporate Income Taxes, $48.6 million in State and Local Sales and Use Taxes, and $9.0 million in other taxes and payments in lieu of taxes.

[truthkeeper]

Kind of explains why the Indians don't like him.

[kattracks]

Several tribes have contributed more than $9 million to help the campaigns of Gov. Gray Davis, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, both Democrats, and state Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks (Ventura County)

Since Schwarzenegger's name is not on this list, it's a non issue.

[LenS]

Bustamante and McClintock, however, have argued tribes are sovereign nations and therefore the state has very little power to force them to do anything

Curious statement. Other states seem to be able to get more out of the Indian casinos, and the sovereignity issue is the same in those states. In fact, if they're correct, then why would the Indians even need to worry about lobbying in Sacramento? Clearly, the Indian tribes don't agree with that position or they wouldn't bother to give those two gents (and many other politicians) campaign donations.

Governor Arnie should send in the National Guard to close down the casinos for good. They nothing but a giant scam that hurts people.

[Roscoe]

"A top political adviser to Arnold Schwarzenegger serves on the board of directors of a company that owns two Nevada casinos and has interests in two Southern California card clubs that compete with casinos run by California Indian tribes."