state + local

If a signed treaty from the 1800's for hunting, fishing and gathering rights must be honored why shouldn't this agreement? Yes, I know different tribe, that's not the point.

Fon Du Lac won a decisive legal victory and has zero motivation to negotiate sharing future revenues. The original agreements between the city and the band were penned before the National Indian Gaming Act became law. The Indian Gaming Act ensures that tribes are the sole and primary interest that benefits from gaming - not cities, not states, and not the federal government. So when the Act took effect the original agreements between the city and the band fell out of compliance. Duluth benefited by receiving $80 million from the Tribe.

Competition in the gaming industry will be good for all. The monopoly should end.

"Casino proceeds are declining statewide, 'partly because of the economy, partly because we've only got so many gamblers, with so much money they can spend,' he said."

Exactly. I don't gamble much, and I'm not going to step it up just because another casino opens. They're just not going to make all that much money in a saturated marketplace, and what they do make will take from some truly impoverished people and funnel it into... Professional sports facilities for billionaires--one for each major, minor, and college team, apparently, no matter how infrequently each one gets used.

Plus, I guess I just can't begrudge the Native (true) Americans their small victories which give them a financial leg up in a society they never asked to participate in. After the Europeans conquered, swindled, and oppressed a peace-loving people for so long, it's time for some enlightenment and empathy. (I say this as a European-American.)

Times have changed and this should also. If the tribes were helping all the Indians in the state that is one thing, I would support that. but they squeal about taking money from them yet all they do is help themselves and not all their people. If the state cannot negotiate with the leaders on ways to help finance schools and roads. I think we should put up toll roads leading to all the casinos. That way they don't pay and the state gets a share of the money.

Indian gaming is not a form of reparations guaranteed to be competition-free for all time. It simply allows the tribes to have them on their land for their own benefit. The only reason that it's considered to be a risky venture for the state is that our constitution is unclear as to whether casinos and Racinos are legal. That would be the basis for any suit and the tribes' willingness to sue is the reason for our reluctance to have our own gaming operations. The easiest way to solve that problem is to allow the public to vote on a constitutional amendment which remove the uncertainty. Should that pass we should then be able to have whatever we want. This fall would be the ideal time for such a proposed amendment since its passage could then clear up the funding dilemma of stadium proposals which are certain to be deferred until next year anyway.

I go to Vegas instead of Mystic for a reason.

If the agreements was--- we give you this land to build your casino, you share the revenue with us in return, then it would seem the whole agreement would have to be invalidated by this gaming act, not just part of it.

End the racist monopoly that grants a single ethnic group the right to operate casinos in Minnesota. End it this year, or divvy up the rest of the economy along racial lines: Whites get the grocery stores, African-Americans department stores, Hispanics restaurants, etc. I know, that doesn't make sense. Neither does the current casino arrangement.

Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Open it up. Competition is good.