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Photo Brax Valley Publishing Jemez Leader M. Toledo, Jr. |
BIA Obtains Public Input for EIS.
March 16, 2005 Part 1 of 3 Part Series.
Last Wednesday night, the Gadsten VFW Memorial Hall was packed with ample numbers of supporters and those opposed to the planned Jemez Pueblo Casino at Anthony in order to provide the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a federal agency, to obtain public input for an Environmental Impact Statement.
The proposal is for a casino is sponsored by the Jemez Pueblo nearly 300 miles away in Northern New Mexico. The plan is for the development of "gaming and related entertainment facilities" to be built on 78 acres of trust acquisition and a hotel to be built on non-trust land. It will be accessed from O-hara Road and will occupy land adjacent to the Dos Lagos Golf Course.
The plans are for a temporary casino while the permanent structure is being made. This is estimated to take two years. Then the hotel and any other facilities will be added.
The public scoping meeting was scheduled for 7:00 p.m., but, the public input didn't start until after 8:00 p.m. The residents were getting a bit restless as the BIA staff made repeated statements, often times redundently, and then the Spanish language translator would translate the statements.
These statements went on for nearly an hour before Jemez Pueblo Governor Michael Toledo, Jr. spoke. Again that was also translated in Spanish before the public was able to provide statements in opposition or support.
Governor Toledo made a speech in a soft-spoken voice. He urged the public to empathize with the plight of the Jemez Pueblo, indicating that this project and only this project would bring his people out of poverty. However, Toledo did not provide specific facts on how this would be done.
The BIA made available to the public several artist's renditions of the casino site. One in particular was of interest. It showed a few anglo familes enjoying the wonderful "good life" at a beautifully landscaped swimming pool. When asked about this, the BIA staff indicated that they didn't know if this was to depict the casino or the hotel that is also proposed for the site. The staff indicated that the drawings were BIA's. BIA staff members indicated that they were not biased toward the approval of the proposed casino plan.
Each speaker was given only 3 minutes to speak and a scoreboard timer was used to make every speaker aware of the time remaining.
Speakers in favor of the casino spoke of the opportunity for jobs in Anthony. Some indicated that the new casino would not impact negatively the Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino or the City of Sunland Park.
All of these points were questioned or contradicted by other speakers who see the casino as a negative presence in the valley.
Included in the mix were the spin doctors for both sides trying to sway the public as well.
An "unofficial" spokesman for the Jemez project, Rueben Smith, ex-Mayor of Las Cruces, indicateded that there would not be any negative impact from the project. One of the pluses was that all construction on the site would be done by "New Mexico" construction firms. Smith was not able to specify whether that meant Northern New Mexico firms or those smaller firms in Doņa Ana County.
In an phone interview, Joe Manahan, of the Committe to Protect Doņa Ana County, indicated that there were serious problems with the inclusion of a full-time 24/7 casino. He noted that Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino would be seriously impacted while noting that SPRC only has slot machines and that the racing provides jobs for many horse and tack room supply businesses in the valley. Alfalfa farmers also have a ready market for the thousands of bales of hay that the valley produces each year.
It isn't clear if any of the residents were swayed one way or another as there were polarizing views presented at the meeting. Since this is a federal agency requesting input, all valley residents as well as El Paso and Las Cruces residents may send in input until April 18, 2005.
Please send your views on the proposed full-time casino to:
Mr. Larry Morrin
Regional Director,
Southwest Regional Office
Bureau of Indian Affairs
P. O. Box 26567
Albuquerque NM 87125
You MUST include your name, return address, and the caption:
DEIS Scoping Comments, Pueblo of Jemez Trust Acquisition
and Casino Project"
on the first page of your comments.
Also, you may visit the casino web site
www.anthonycasinofacts.com
The website for the Committee to Protect Doņa Ana County is @
www.protectdonaanacounty.com
Send feedback to:
Editor, Upper Valley Beacon
Copyright 2004 Valley Publishing Company
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