Interior Secretary Blocking Casino in Oregon For Political Reason

Kempthorne is opposed to off reservation casinos and that opposition is apparently getting in the way of his political responsibilities.

For nearly ten years now, the Confederated Tribes if Warm Springs has been developing a casino plan. The idea is to bring a casino and resort to Cascade Locks in Oregon.

The chances of that casino resort becoming reality is getting smaller and smaller. One political figure does not believe that there should be a casino on the land, and that is preventing the pan from moving forward.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne needs only to sign off on an environmental impact statement for plans to move forward on bringing a casino to the area. Construction could begin within eighteen months.

He has not, and is not expected to sign the agreement. Kempthorne is opposed to off reservation casinos and that opposition is apparently getting in the way of his political responsibilities.

This is not the first time that Kempthorne has been been involved with a casino battle. When he was Governor of Idaho, he stopped a casino from being built 200 miles away from a tribal reservation.

The city and the tribe have been trying to contact Kempthorne unsuccessfully. He has not returned phone calls or E-Mails from either party.