Interior Department Denies New Mexican Indian Tribe Casino Rights
The Interior Department of the United States and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne carried on with their policy of declining applications for new Indian casinos wherever and whenever possible, refusing to grant permission for a casino to the Jemez Pueblo Indians to be located in Anthony, New Mexico.
The Interior Department continued its use of specious and circuitous reasoning, turning down the request on the basis that tribe members would not benefit, as the casino location would be 250 miles from the reservation. The Department's argument is that jobs would not go to tribal members, and that tribal members would leave the reservation to work at the casino, thus hurting the native community.
The unemployment rate at Jemez Pueblo is over 50%. Certainly it would seem that casino revenues would directly benefit such a poverty stricken area, even if the casino were located elsewhere. Furthermore, does the Department seriously suggest that a tribal member is better off unemployed on the reservation than employed by a casino a few hours away, owned by the tribe?
Anthony residents were equally upset. The project was estimated to be likely to provide 950 jobs and a $28 million annual payroll, plus the ancillary benfits to other businesses and the community.
The Interior Department has been at odds with tribes in other states, inluding New York, Washington, and California. Many have suggested Kempthorne is carrying out a private agenda brought with him to the Department from his time as Governor of Idaho, when he was a staunch and vocal opponent of gambling and casinos.
