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Testimony to Senate Committee








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Santa Ynez Valley
Concerned Citizens
P.O. Box 244
Santa Ynez, CA 93460

Thank you for your interest in our campaign to uphold the Santa Ynez Valley's tradition of sound community planning and hold all developers to the same land-use laws and environmental regulations. More than 1,000 people strong, we are Valley residents and ranchers, businesspeople, conservationists and residents of other areas of Santa Barbara County.

3/10/08 SYVCC Remarks before the Solvang City Council

2/27/08 Tribal Chairman Armenta's Testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources Oversight Hearing on the "Department of the Interior's recently released guidance on Taking Land into Trust for Indian Tribes and its ramifications"

1/28/08: SYVCC opposes Prop's 94, 95, 96 and 97

1/18/08: SYVCC opposes expansion of Chumash Casino Liquor License

3/1/07: Letter from the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. This respectfully requests County participation in any negotiations for an amended compact. Clearly Compact negotiations must be an accessible, fair and objective process providing opportunity to all affected parties. There is no room for secrecy since compacts set state gaming policy impacting Counties and communities of citizens for the next 20 plus years.

2/1/07: Chumash negotiating to expand gaming?

12/18/06: SYVCC Response & Comment on Proposed Rules for Gaming on Trust Lands

3/25/06: Open Letter from SYV Concerned Citizens Board of Directors

Gov. Schwarzenegger opposes latest Chumash attempt to annex land

What we have in common is a belief that because we all share the beautiful land of the Santa Ynez Valley, we should all play by the same rules.

The addition of the Chumash Casino to the Valley has had both positive and negative impacts on the area. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians have had great success operating their casino on Highway 246, and we support the tribe's efforts to ensure their long-term prosperity by diversifying their economy beyond gambling.

What we don't support is the fully self-sufficient tribe's continued manipulation of the federal fee-to-trust process to annex land and remove it from local and state tax rolls. Furthermore, we oppose private, non-tribal developers teaming up with tribes to circumvent long-established land use and environmental laws.

Please join us in our campaign to ensure that no development - regardless of the project or who the developer is - be allowed to proceed without full state and local regulatory review and public input.


A 106-room hotel and spa has recently opened at the Chumash Casino.

 
*** UPDATES ***
A coalition of citizens’ organizations has offered the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs our suggestions for fixing the flawed federal “trust land acquisition process.”


 
INFORMATIVE LINKS
www.standupca.org
www.nounfairdeals.com
INFORMATIVE ARTICLES
Overturn California Indian Gaming Compacts With a No vote on Props 94 to 97, Martin Bennett

A sellout to big gambling, sfgate.com

Gambling with state's future, Pasadena Star News