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ORGANIZATIONS:
Stop Predatory Gambling an new national organization created to give grassroots groups real clout in Washington!
Reclaim Our Environmental Rights (ROER), a new Rohnert Park-based group created to "...stop
the Graton Rancheria from building a casino in or near Rohnert Park. We intend to use our power as citizens to raise funds,
and promote social and political awareness of the devastating effects a casino would have on our community."
Rohnert Park Families - A unique perspective from Susan Adams, soccer mom , with links and tips for taking action.
East Bay Coalition Against Urban Casinos - The East Bay group fighting against THREE OR MORE casino proposals in the Bay Area, where developers have
sought to build casinos in the densely populated cities of Oakland, Richmond, and San Pablo. Loaded with information!
NO GORGE CASINO - See what the folks in Oregon are doing to try to stop a huge casino on the banks of the scenic Columbia River.
One Nation United - a nonprofit, nonpartisan umbrella group comprised of private landowners,
community groups, state and national trade groups, clergy, academics, local governments, and elected officials in all fifty
states working to defend private property rights, the rule of law, our free enterprise system, and to reform flawed federal
Indian policy for the benefit of Indians and non-Indians alike.
Citizens Equal Rights Alliance - Promotes equal constitutional and civil rights protection for all citizens living on Native American reservations
or harmed by tribes, tribal sovereignty or federal Indian policy. On the cutting edge of the legal issues!
Citizens for a Better Buffalo - “Preying on the poor and screwing small business isn’t economic development” Joel
Giambra, September 2006, Buffalo, NY A very active, vocal and successful organizations from Buffalo, NY.
Cascade Locks No Casinos - Cascade Locks lies in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, a National Scenic Area. Cascade Locks No Casino
(CLNC) was formed in 1999 by concerned local citizens to prevent a 500,000 square foot casino from being built in order to
protect the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. (Be patient: this web site can take a moment to load.)
Stop the Casinos - a Pennsylavania grass roots group dedicated to keeping a casino from being built in their town's low-income
neighborhood. Fiesty Folks!
Upstate Citizens for Equality - " a growing, not-for-profit corporation composed of concerned citizens that stand against discrimination,
and supports the continuation of free enterprise and equality in our communities."
Concerned Women for America - A Christian Women's Forum on gambling, women, and families - and when all is said and done, it'll probably
be the women who put the brakes on gambling in America!
CITY OF ROHNERT PARK DOCUMENTS:
STUDIES & REPORTS:
GREEN INFO! "FATALLY FLAWED": The Sonoma
County Board of Supervisors has called the Graton DEIS "deficient in almost every issue area" and "fatally flawed" , and state
that it "fails to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and must be corrected".
Read the County's Comments in these three PDF files:
GREEN ALERT!!! Read
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Comments on the Graton Rancheria Casino Project's DEIS.
Click Here for the PDF file
GREEN ALERT!!!
The Graton Rancheria DEIS is fatally flawed because of overpumping of groundwater that is causing the aquifer to collapse
More info....
CASINOS AND CRIME: One year in the life of the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez.
Casinos, Crime and Community Cost - The most comprehensive and exhaustive study of casino gambling ever done in the United States - this
study, commissioned by Congress, is still the Gold Standard. (PDF file)
Beyond the Limits of Recreation: Social Costs of Gambling in Southern Nevada - From the Introduction: "(There
is) a substantial economic case to be made against gambling...It involves simply sterile transfers of money or goods between
individuals, creating no new money or goods. Although it creates no output, gambling does nevertheless absorb time and resources.
When pursued beyond the limits of recreation, where the main purpose after all is to "kill" time, gambling subtracts from
the national income."
Gambling Addiction - Some grim facts from the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery: " During the desperation
phase, there is a marked increase in the time spent gambling. This is accompanied by remorse, blaming others and alienating
family and friends. Eventually, the gamblers may engage in illegal acts to finance their gambling. They may experience hopelessness,
suicidal thoughts and attempts, arrests, divorce, alcohol and/or other drug abuse, or an emotional breakdown."
GREEN INFO!! Parsons Engineering Addendum to the Geysers Pipeline EIR. The report that blew the lid off casino plans to dump 500,000 gallons of
treated water a day into the Laguna de Santa Rosa. (PDF)
GREEN INFO!! Parson Engineering Study (of New Casino Site)
- Completed for the City of Rohnert Park Read the April 22,
2005, this study, originally done for Dennis Hunter's NorthWest Specific plan, points out the mulitple, serious
environmental issues AT THE NEW CASINO SITE for any size development!!
Gambling: Who's Really at Risk? - The May 19, 2005, study that proves once again the connection between casinos and crime. "...many respected scholars, researchers and law enforcement officials have determined that the introduction
of casino gambling into a community has a significant impact on crime and not just locally, but in the surrounding region
as well." (PDF)
A Casino's Effect on the Local Economy - Read renowned gambling expert from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas,
Professor William Thompson's study of the impact of Thunder Valley casino on the surrounding community, including the cost
to the community. What Professor Thompson doesn't know about gambling doesn't exist!
A Constitutional Republic - Does the federal government's purchase of lands within the boundary of a state require the consent of the
state legislature? If we are in a sovereign state, the answer is absolutely, yes!
DOCUMENTS, LETTERS, COURT RULINGS:
NEW!! A Contra Costa Superior Court judge, Barbara Zuniga, has ruled that the City of Richmond broke the law when it entered into a 20 year, $325 million agreement with the Scotts
Valley Band of Pomo Indians. Judge Zuniga found that the city should have done a study under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) first before authorizing an agreement with a casino tribe. Judge
Zuniga also cited and reaffirmed an April 2007 Appellate Court ruling that held the City of Plymouth in Amador County also violated CEQA in its agreement with the Shingle
Springs tribe. Both courts held that a "project"
under CEQA must be given the broadest possible interpretation in order to protect California citizens from the environmental
consequences of the actions of their governments. What is CEQA?
County of Sonoma's letter to the Governor asking that he "forego...negotiations" until the environmnetal review is complete. A strongly worded letter!
DISGUSTING!! Outrageous Duplicity!! Read Governor Schwarzenegger's letter reassuring the City
of Rohnert Park that he will not negotiate with Graton until it has land.
SENATE BILL 1342 Read the text of Senator Feinstein's June 2003 "shall/may" legislation that would
remove Graton Rancheria's special privilege for taking land into trust, putting them on equal status with other Native
American tribes and providing more protection to the community.
NEW! The League of California Cities, an association of California city officials, has written
to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne ( READ THE LETTER HERE ) asking that Interior "adopt a process to conduct consultation
meetings with local government representatives when considering land trust applications in California and the eligibility
of Indian gaming. Local jurisdictions are significantly affected by the impacts of off-reservation casino developments, gaming
related land acquisitions and tribal restorations. The Indian gaming industry in California has expanded at an unprecedented
rate in recent years and the impacts on local communities have been just as pronounced."
25 U.S.C.Sub-Section 465: Acquisition of lands, water rights or surface rights; appropriation; title to lands; tax exemption.
GAMBLING COMPACT NEGOTIATIONS - STATE
ASSEMBLYMAN JARED HUFFMAN'S RESPONSE: Responding to the purported gambling compact negotiations
between the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and the Governor's office, Assemblyman Jared Huffman (6th District) has
taken swift action to preserve the legal rights of area residents. Read his letter to the Governor below. Also read a related story about a lawsuit in Amador County that involves similar issues.
GAMBLING COMPACT NEGOTIATIONS - CITY OF PETALUMA RESPONSE: Petaluma has responded
to the Governor's attempts to do an end run around the NEPA process with its own strong letter outlining the basic legal issues that must be resolved before a gaming compact can be granted to the FIGR.
GAMBLING COMPACT NEGOTIATIONS - CITY OF SANTA ROSA RESPONSE: Mayor Blanchard
has advised STC101 that the CIty has sent a letter of protest to the Governor, asking he suspend gambling compact negotiations with the FIGR untill all environmental reviews
have been completed.
GAMBLING COMPACT NEGOTIATIONS - CITY OF SEBASTOPOL RESPONSE:
Another Sonoma County city has asked Governor Schwarzenegger
to cease gambling compact negotiations with the FIGR until the land and environmental issues have been fully addressed.
Read Sebastopol's letter here!
GAMBLING COMPACT NEGOTIATIONS - CITY OF COTATI RESPONSE: The City of Cotati has
joined with Petaluma and Santa Rosa in asking that Governor Schwarzenegger refrain from entering into a gambling compact with
the FIGR. Read Cotati's letter here.
GAMBLING COMPACT NEGOTIATIONS - SENATOR CAROLE MIGDEN'S RESPONSE: State Senator
Carole Migden has weighed in on the Rohnert Park casino in a strongly-worded Letter to the Editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier.
GREEN INFO!! DRY CREEK BAND OF POMO INDIANS Letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, asking that Lake Sonoma and the surrounding countryside be transferred
to them free of charge. How would this affect your water supply? Read the October 15, 2005, O.W.L. Foundation
Scoping Comments (below) for information on federal Indian water rights.
MUST READ!! CALIFORNIA'S LETTER TO THE BIA - An important letter on the matter of trust land, tribal sovereignty, state sovereignty, and California's Indian
rancherias.
Lake County February 6, 2007, Resolution opposing Darius "Pick a Tribe, Any Tribe" Anderson's latest proposed tribal casino at Konocti Harbor
Inn. Anderson was the driving force behind Graton's casino, originally planned for the San Pablo Bay/Highway 37 site.
VIDEO!! Hear Lynn Woolsey's comments on the Rohnert Park casino in a September, 2004, taped interview. 56K dial-up version of the video (QuickTime
format).
GREEN INFO!! TRAFFIC CONCERNS - Read the letter from the Sonoma County Transportation Authority to the Governor Schwarzenegger on traffic
concerns. ( For more traffic info, see the " Parson Engineering
Study (of New Casino Site) )"
Why the Sierra Club Opposes the Rohnert Park Casino-Click Here
Congressman George Miller's Letter to CA Legislature-Click Here
Congressman Wolf's May, 2005, Letter to President Bush-Click Here
INFORMATIVE!! Read the U.S. District Court's appplication of the landmark City of Sherrill vs. Oneida Nation Supreme Court decision. It clearly indicates
that the Graton casino can be defeated with City of Sherrill . Go to page 2 of the decision and scroll
down to the word "Second" at the bottom of the first column.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFO & ORGANIZATIONS:
Rohnert Park and Cotati Creeks Council
The California Riparian Habitat Conservation Program (CRHCP)
Sonoma County Water Coalition-Click Here
Laguna de Santa Rosa-Click Here
Read about the ecology of the Laguna de Santa Rosa and the importance of the watershed area at the casino site.
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSED TO GAMBLING:
Catholic Conferences Across the Nation
Read various position papers opposing gambling from State Catholic Conferences across the country by using the links below:
Florida Catholic Conference Statement Opposing Casino Gambling
Massachussetts Catholic Conference to the Joint Legislative Committee on Government Relations
New York State Catholic Conference Statement Opposing Gambling Expansion in New York - Click Here
Catholic Conference of Ohio Statement on Casino Gambling Bill
HOW TO:
How to do a Press Release-Click Here
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