The city of Ridgecrest and the Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (RACVB) in Central California are supporting the efforts of the Timbisha Shoshone tribe to put land into trust for a casino project. They see a possible $30 million in 20 years accruing to the region.
The Daily Independent reported that the tribe’s land into trust application is being processed by the Department of the Interior.
City Manager Ron Strand, who recently visited Washington D.C. on a mission from the city council to answer some questions of the department said he is relying on a study by developer Nigel White on the money the casino will generate for the city. He estimates that the city will realize at least $1 million a year from a municipal services agreement to provide services to the casino, and taxes on those staying at the hotel the tribe plans to build.
Strand visited with Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James Cason. Strand told the Independent “I left with the sense that Cason had the questions he wanted answered.” He said Cason was aware that the casino is controversial, with only three of the five members of the council supporting it.”
The Visitors’ Bureau issued a statement of support last week: “The Ridgecrest Area Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, as well as the Ridgecrest hotels and motels, believe the addition of a Native American Casino will increase hotel and motel occupancy as reported by numerous sources.” It further states that this “demand generator” is “WELCOMED” [capitals in original text] by the hotel and motel community.”
The paper speculates that the casino will draw some patrons from the fact that it’s on the road to Death Valley and Mammoth. It added, “even a modest increased draw to the City of Ridgecrest is very dynamic for the hotel and motel community and many other businesses locally.”
For years the community has held an annual Petroglyph Festival and so appreciates Indian culture, says the paper. “As a community, if we have embraced Petroglyphs as part of our identity, then how can we reject the Native American Casino by the same tribe which the Ridgecrest City Council had voted on and APPROVED the Native American Casino’s development?”
RACVB Director Ghanshyam Popot recently introduced the motion of support of the project to the bureau’s board of directors. He told the Independent, “At the last meeting the board voted to issue a letter of support for casino coming to town with full recognition that it is a controversial issue in the town. At that time, I made it very clear that we are not a political organization, we are not a religious organization — we are a business organization.”
