Posted on 11/01/2006 9:56:34 AM PST by SmithL
In the waning hours of August's legislative session, labor leaders successfully persuaded majority Democrats to defeat the expansion of six Indian casinos.
The compacts Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger negotiated with the tribes, they argued, failed to include more collective bargaining rights for casino workers.
Now most of the same tribes from Southern California are flexing their political muscle in a big way, pouring $9.1 million into an independent campaign committee that has largely backed casino-friendly candidates.
One analyst says the tribes' move so late in the campaign sends a strong warning to Sacramento politicians, particularly Democrats who chose to side with labor over the tribes: "If you support Indian gaming, we support you. If you don't, we don't support you," said Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book, which handicaps political races.
The tribes' independent committee, Team 2006, has spent heavily on behalf of a handful of GOP lawmakers who supported their new compacts. And they have launched nearly a million-dollar effort on behalf of the Republican candidate for state controller, former Assemblyman Tony Strickland, in his race against Democrat John Chiang. The committee has $7.5 million remaining.
Whether the strategy will pay off remains to be seen. Not all Indian tribes have jumped on board. In fact, labor, unionized Indian casinos and Asian American small businesses have responded with their own independent committee on Chiang's behalf, as the labor-tribal dispute has moved from the Capitol to the campaign trail.
Until now, Indian tribes had worked well with both Democrats and Republicans, said Republican political analyst Dan Schnur, who has worked for tribes before. But when Schwarzenegger struck an expansion deal earlier this year, Democrats sided with labor leaders who balked at missing provisions that would have made it easier for casino workers to organize.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.