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Council hires hit squad
On April 28, 2006 the Vancouver Columbian reported that the City of La Center fired the lawyers who advised them to work cooperatively with the tribe:
LA CENTER City council members, dissatisfied with their legal advisers, intend to hire additional attorneys or consultants to dissect a study of the Cowlitz Tribe's proposed casino complex. … The council's decision also reflects mounting unhappiness with City Attorney Dan Kearns and Sarah Mack, a Seattle attorney hired to advise the council on the casino issue. … "We've looked at the law and we have looked at the facts of the situation and we have given the city our best advice," he said. "And our advice is to stay very close to the demonstrable impacts on the city and to get the best mitigation they can." … Kearns told the council that the Cowlitz could be a partner in accomplishing the city's growth aims or a potential adversary.—La Center to change advisers, Vancouver Columbian, Jeffrey Mize, April 28, 2006
In reply I wrote a letter pointing out the obvious: that the City of La Center Council wants advisors who will tell them how to oppose the Tribe's draft Environmental Impact Statement, not advise them to work with the Tribe:
The La Center City Council hired lawyers to advise them on how to respond to the Cowlitz Tribe's casino application. The lawyers' considered answer was to work with the Cowlitz.
An April 28 story reported, "La Center to change advisers." The city council fired the lawyers for giving them the wrong answer, but asked them to recommend "expert" lawyers. They want advisers who will tell them the right answer that being to fight the Cowlitz.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, "After stumbling over the truth, they picked themselves up and hurried on as if nothing had happened."—Advice dissatisfying, Our readers' views, Vancouver Columbian, Rod Van Mechelen, May 6, 2006
After stumbling over the truth and picking themselves up they did hire people who would give them the answer and ammunition they wanted (in politics and public relations blanks are frequently more effective than the truth), as reported by the Vancouver Columbian:
A 13‑page report prepared by H. Lee & Associates of Vancouver said there are "basic fundamental flaws" in the study, including assumptions used to analyze how much traffic would be generated and how it would be distributed onto the road system.
"It is our opinion that the entire analysis needs to be redone before conclusions can be made regarding impacts and mitigation measures."—Casino traffic study said flawed, Columbian staff writer Jeffrey Mize, The Vancouver Columbian, July 10, 2006
Punch line
Here's the punch line: it appears that the La Center cardrooms own the La Center City Council:
The state auditor's office will examine the La Center City Council's use of e-mail to discuss the Cowlitz Tribe's casino project. … The e-mails reveal that some city council members were working behind the scenes to look out for the interests of La Center's four nontribal cardrooms.
One council member, Linda Tracy, said the city and cardrooms are "ONE as far as I'm concerned" and that she would listen to a Feb. 1 presentation by tribal officials with "only half an ear because I really don't want to hear what they have to say." —State to peruse La Center's casino e‑mail, Columbian staff writer Jeffrey Mize, The Vancouver Columbian, June 18, 2006
Now I do not believe that the members of the City of La Center Council are racist. But all the evidence strongly suggests that the majority of them belong to the cardrooms. So it's no surprise at all that a study commissioned by the Council and conducted by one of the firms hired specifically to help them oppose the Tribe would make wild‑eyed claims and lobby to stall the process with a new round of studies.
The relevant question is, why is the Vancouver Columbian marching the story down main street just before the July 14th deadline to submit comments on the Tribe's draft Environmental Impact Statement? Could it be because Columbian publisher Scott Campbell opposes the Tribe's casino proposal and is intent on doing everything he can to poison public sentiment against the Tribe?
It certainly looks that way.
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