It's a twisted story...
A Las Vegas gambling company (Station Casinos) purchased 305 acres of land off Highway 99 in Madera to build a mega-casino. But, Station had a problem. California law only allows casinos to be built on tribal lands.
Station’s solution: They recruited the North Fork Rancheria based in the Sierra foothills, nearly 50 miles away from the Highway 99 casino site, to petition the federal government to declare the Highway 99 casino site as their tribal reservation.
The Station/North Fork urban casino is just wrong for many different reasons.
“…This casino would be off-reservation and its location along Highway 99 would create a badly congested urban area in what is now a largely rural setting. That’s why we’ve opposed this plan from the beginning and continue to do so.”
-Fresno Bee Editorial
“But while I fully support Tribal Sovereignty, I join many California Tribal Governments in the belief that off-reservation gaming activities are not consistent with what the voters approved…”
-Fresno Mayor Ashley E. Swearengin
“There’s a lot at risk for communities throughout California if the North Fork off-reservation casino receives federal approval.It will set a precedent for off-reservation gambling throughout the state. That will make it much easier for the tribes in California that have 21 pending applications to acquire new land for gaming, and the 85 other applications by tribes to acquire more than 8,000 acres of land which may also be used for gaming.”
-Cheryl Schmit, Stand Up for California
“As President of the Madera Ministerial Association, representing over 50 churches and congregations in our city, I can guarantee you that the majority of the people of Madera and the surrounding area are opposed to this casino.”
-Randall L. Brannon, President, Madera Ministerial Association
“We strongly oppose taking off-reservation lands into trust for gaming purposes…Frequently, off-reservation gaming opportunities are sought without thorough consultation with local governments, other Indian tribes or area residents and without discussing the impacts of a casino on the environment, air, quality, noise levels, community planning and quality of life.”
-Senators Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Harry Reid, et. al.
“Nothing in the draft EIS addressed the impacts the proposed project would have on Fresno County, even though the same EIS reported that 63% of its patrons will traverse and/or burden Fresno County’s roads and infrastructure.”
-Fresno County Supervisor Henry R. Perea
More Facts
>> North Fork Flyer
>> en español
>> What Others Are Saying About the North Fork/Station Casinos Off-reservation Casino
>> en español
