What do the people of International Falls have to say about a Red Lake casino in their city?

       (RLNN) - According to an article written by Laurel Beager, senior writer for the International Falls Daily Journal, and titled “Casino ho, or no”, the proposal to develop a casino played to a packed house at the Holiday Inn on Wednesday, November 5, 2003.

       This proposal was unveiled to the public for a Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians gaming facility in the city of International Falls.

       A few months back the Koochiching Economic Development Authority, city and county officials, along with state legislators from that area, had approached the Red Lake Band on the possibility of the venture.

       At this public meeting, according to the news article, she stated the opinions for and against such a proposal was split amongst about 300 people.

       Representing the Red Lake Band and unveiling the proposal was Adrian Omen and Gene McArthur. The proposal would trade land and infrastructure improvements to the land–located along Keenan Drive–totally about $400,000, from the county and city in exchange for the Red Lake Band constructing a casino there.

       The casino was projected to create 250 full-time and 50 part-time jobs with a projected $6 million annual payroll.

       A second phase of the project could lead to the addition of a convention and entertainment center that would create an additional 15 jobs.

       The article...The meeting, lead by Wade Pavleck representing the KEDA Board, was intended to provide information, dispel rumors and take comments from the public on the proposal.

       Pavleck noted that the meeting is the first of many opportunities for the public to weigh in on the proposal in the process required by state and federal involvement to develop a casino.

       Among the rumors Pavleck spoke about was the myth that American Indians don't pay taxes. He said state information definitely supports that Indian people pay most federal and state taxes, including motor vehicle taxes.

       Omen explained that many of the jobs at the casino would start at $8 per hour with advancement to $9 per hour after 90 days, and to $12 or more per hour after two years. The full-time jobs include a number of benefits including medical insurance, sick leave and retirement plans.

       Omen also noted that tribal and non-tribal members will be employed, adding that more than 70 percent of the jobs would likely be filled by people who weren't Indian.

       Following presentations on how the proposal was initiated and what it would involve, the meeting was opened to audience questions and comments, during which more than 30 people spoke on the issue.

       Some questions involved seeking guarantees from the band about employment and wages.

       "Where is this written in black-and-white guaranteeing that money will be provided to schools, the city and county and jobs will be provided to local residents?" asked Robert Manka. Manka said the Keenan Drive property could be used for many other purposes and developments.

       Some members of the audience laughed, saying that the land has stood empty for years.

       Others said existing employers in the community give no guarantees on job longevity and wages.

       Dick Hedtke, owner of the Tee Pee Motel, explained that he was laid off at age 44 from Boise after working there 25 years.

       He said many people who are opposed to the casino proposal are more comfortable financially than others in the community, adding that the proposal deserves to move forward.

       Randy Katrin, too, said he'd been laid off from his job as a flight attendant, but was able to find work in an Iron Range community.

       He, too, wondered why some people in the community would want to keep people in the Borderland who are out of work or seeking better employment with medical insurance benefits from finding more jobs opportunities that could be created with development of the casino. In addition, he said no better proposal has been brought to the table that would generate the kind of jobs and payroll that the casino proposal has.

       "I love International Falls," he said. "We need to focus on the future. The people seeking better employment and those who are not working -- that's who we should be thinking about tonight.”

       But many at the meeting said they were concerned that the casino would create social problems in the community, including increased crime, domestic abuse and gambling addictions. Some pointed at statistics they had read and comments they had heard while visiting other casinos operated by the Red Lake Band, specifically one operated at Warroad.

       Robin Baumchen said a U.S. News and World Report story said that crime in counties with casinos was 84 percent higher than the national average. She, and others, said she was concerned about the casino's effect on the community and the proposed site for the development being near schools.

       Dale Olson said he had visited Warroad to talk to people who had lived in the area prior to and after development of the casino there.

       According to Olson, school officials said they experienced more intimidation, more bullying and poverty; law enforcement officials said they had seen more and more severe domestic assaults; and property values in some areas have plummeted.

       "The final comment was that we would be wise to heed their warning," Olson said. "They said it will not be an asset to the community."

       Larry Stoltz said information he's gathered about gambling is that it leads to the destruction of families in America faster than alcoholism and illegal drugs. In addition, he and others said bankruptcies increase as a result of gambling.

       Stoltz, and others at the meeting called for a vote on the proposal before it moves forward. "Don't just let a couple of people make a decision that will be felt countywide," Stoltz said.

       "The people, not the politicians, ought to decide this," Wilbur Fast said later, adding that opposition to the proposal is growing.

       Fast urged creation of a task force that would include state, county and city efforts to bring industry that would pay taxes and contribute to the community.

       KEDA Director Paul Nevanen earlier had noted that the KEDA is comprised of a joint powers agreement between the county and city and includes at-large representation from the county and state Rep. Irv Anderson, DFL-International Falls.

       Pavleck, McArthur and Omen said that statistics provided by the state don't bear out the claims that crime and social problems would increase with a casino.

       Several people said the community needs the jobs and money that would be circulated from the casino's payroll.

       Susie Best said she would like some of her fellow Falls High graduates of the year 1996 to be able to live and work here, but they are unable to find jobs.

       "The casino may not be the cure, but no one else is knocking at our door," she said, thanking the band members and officials for attempting to create economic development in an area that badly needs it.

       Playing off comments of another person opposed to the plan, Amy Hardwig-Eberspacher said she favors the casino, noting that her husband supported her family for two years while working at the Treasure Island Casino near Red Wing.

       "We create our own bad apples with our bad attitude," she said. She said she looks forward to spin-off businesses and jobs as a result of a casino.

       Falls businessman Phil Paulbeck said he's concerned about the viability of the community as few jobs are expected to be created in papermaking and the forest products industry in the future.

       "This has the most potential for economic development in our community since the building of the paper mill," he said. "We will look a gift horse in the mouth if we discourage members of Red Lake from locating a casino here."

       June Alleman wondered if some of the concerns raised and opposition were a result of racism.

       Pavleck said he, too, had concerns about that. "There is racism -- sometimes it's blatant, sometimes it's benign and sometimes it's unintentional.”

       Nevanen, KEDA's director, encouraged people to contact him at his office at 283-8585 or by e-mail at testingkeda@northwinds.net for more information or to discuss the proposal further.

       Then there were the Letters to the Editor about the Red Lake Band Casino Project...

       Letter to the Editor: Story misrepresented casino facts on Friday, November 14, 2003.

       To the editor: The story “Casino ho, or no” (Nov. 6) is very misleading.

Casinos are among the most profitable businesses in the United States.

       Casinos operate at a higher rate of profit than papermills or taconite plants. We are not talking about mom-and-pop operations taking in nickels and dimes. We are talking about businesses making money hand-over-fist seven days a week, 24 hours a day, day in and day out, every day of the year.

       Why then are wages so low, benefits so miserly, pensions a farce and working conditions so miserable for those employed at properties presently owned and operated by Red Lake Gaming Enterprises?

       Over 97 percent of those employed by Red Lake Gaming Enterprises do not make anywhere near the wages the representatives of Red Lake Nation's representatives claimed in your article. Why then would employees at a new casino operation in International Falls receive higher wages?

       In fact, present employees make $2 to $6 dollars an hour less than wages mentioned. However, hourly wages do not tell the entire truth. Most employees of Red Lake Gaming Enterprises, including so-called full-time employees are routinely sent home early at a moment's notice and receive no pay for hours not worked.

       We must look at yearly wages for a true picture that gives an indication to the standard of living and quality of life. Most of those employed by Red Lake Gaming Enterprises make less than $11,000 per year. These yearly wages are poverty wages, not living wages.

       There is no vacation pay; insurance benefits are a joke and are paid by the employee; and the 401K pension plan is a scam.

       There is no legitimate reason that casino employees should not be receiving pay and benefits comparable to anyone covered by a union contract in a papermill or taconite plant. At a bare minimum, casino employees should be receiving yearly living wages at a level deemed appropriate by the U.S. Department of Labor, not the poverty wages they now receive.

       Also, we need to look at the construction of the casino facilities. Who will do this work? Union or non-union scab labor? We all know the social fallout that non-union construction could pose for International Falls.

       Minnesota refuses to enforce labor laws at American Indian-owned casinos.

       The facts would help make for more informed discussion of this issue.

       Perhaps if the Red Lake Tribe and Red Lake Gaming Enterprises were to come before the community with the truth and open their books, an informed decision could be made on this important issue that will affect the community in so many different ways -- socially and economically.

       A state-owned casino with employees represented by a union and covered by a collectively negotiated contract may be an alternative. Gov. Pawlenty would probably agree; after all, he proudly boasts that his two brothers are union members. If union membership is good for the Pawlenty family, union membership should be good for all of us.

       It was signed by Alan L. Maki, Director, Red Lake Casino, Hotel, and Restaurant Employees Union Organizing Committee.

       Another reader commented on the Casino on Tuesday, November 18, 2003.
       Very well written, Alan. I've been following the union organizing campaign at the other casinos that Red Lake gaming owns. They've been notoriosly anti-union and have shown their true colors through their (often violent) actions against their workers who desire to be union. The "development" would only enrich an already wealthy coterie of corrupt casino owners; not to mention that the construction will probably be done by non-union labor. We need to demand living wages and benefits and the rights to collective bargaining which have been deemed basic human rights by the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Clause 25.

       It's also important that we distance ourselves from the religious right who oppose the casino solely on "moral grounds". They don't care one iota about whether the workers will be union or not. They're just exhibiting what Urban Issues textbooks call "the fear of falling". They're afraid of social corruption and degradation, but not interested in doing anything to better it. They just want to distance themselves from it and forget about all of it. But the workers and organized labor weild the real power, and if we show solidarity to our comrades trying to unionize their workplaces in the other Red Lake casinos then they have a fighting chance of winning and showing their employers who has the real power. Oppose the casino! Support organized labor! Managers and owners--open your books and tell workers the truth!

       The letter was signed by Donny Lessard.

       Another reader commented about the casino project dated Oct. 27, 2003.

       Very good question, Paul! The Red Lake Band,etc. don't want us to hunt their land or fish their lakes, so why should we give them gambling land off their land? Use what they say is theirs to hunt, fish, and gamble.

       It was signed by Tom Sandstrom.

       Another commented on October 24, 2003
       If the gaming brings in so much income, why would the County even contemplate giving away the 40 acres when the Red Lake Band owns thousands of acres of land that could be traded, dollar for dollar, for this property. This would ensure a no-net-loss of taxable land in Koochiching County yet still provide a prefered location for a casino, if it is approved by the citizenry. The timber could be harvested for profit, and the land could be used by all recreationalists.

       This comment was given by Paul Mielke.

       For other comments, editorials, and articles about the proposed casino project in International Falls, check out the Daily Journal at www.ifallsdailyjournal.com.