Protect Our State Budget, Protect Taxpayers, and
Protect Vital State Services By

Voting Yes On Props 94, 95, 96 And 97

By Ron Cottingham
President
Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC)

At a time when the political process seems more polarized than ever before, what issue has brought together Governor Schwarzenegger, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO, and California’s leading public safety organizations representing both labor and management, among many others? Schwarzenegger, O’Connell, CWA, and dozens of additional public safety, taxpayer, education, labor, local government, business, Indian Tribes and community groups all support a Yes vote on Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97.

California is facing a significant budget crisis that threatens virtually all programs and services including public safety, education, healthcare, transportation and local services. Props 94-97, the Indian Gaming Revenue Agreements, will provide California with hundreds of millions of dollars per year in new revenues to help balance the budget and fund these vital services.

The new Indian Gaming Revenue Agreements, which were negotiated by the Governor, ratified by bi-partisan majorities of the Legislature and deemed approved by the federal government, will allow the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians to add slot machines on their existing isolated tribal lands in Riverside and San Diego Counties. In return, the tribes will pay increased revenues – up to 25 % from these machines – to the state to support services in communities statewide.

In all, these agreements will provide hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenues each year – more than $9 billion in the years ahead to help pay for public safety, education and other services. A Yes vote on Props 94 through 97 preserves these agreements and protects the new revenues they provide.

While these agreements won’t solve our budget problems, they provide vitally needed help.

The new compact agreements include strong protections for casino workers and rights for union organization that mirror or exceed the National Labor Relations Act. These organizing rights were originally negotiated by then Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa and Senate President John Burton. That is why many of our brothers and sisters in Labor, such as the police officers and sheriff’s deputies represented by PORAC, Communications Workers of America AFL-CIO, CCPOA and others, are supporting Props 94-97.

While California’s Indian Tribes have been stewards of the land for many hundreds of years, these agreements serve to solidify their commitment to preserving and protecting the environment. The Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency says in the official ballot argument for Props 94-97: "These agreements contain strict new environmental safeguards for tribal gaming projects, including provisions that mirror the California Environmental Quality Act.”

Furthermore, Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97 require the tribes to coordinate with local police and fire agencies, to compensate local governments for any local services that are needed, and to resolve disputes with surrounding communities through binding arbitration. The new agreements strengthen state oversight, providing for increased random state inspections and audit authority.

Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97 will create thousands of new jobs at the gaming facilities for both Indians and non-Indians. In addition, under the new agreements, the four tribes will share tens of millions of dollars from their revenues with non-gaming tribes.

Predictably, certain special interests don’t like the new gaming agreements. The new agreements are opposed by a big Las Vegas casino owner and two wealthy gaming tribes that are allowed to have unlimited slot machines and don’t want competition.

Voting No would undo the agreements and force our state to lose billions of dollars. The last thing we need is to cancel these new agreements and put our state billions of dollars further in the hole.

Our broad coalition of public safety, taxpayer, education, labor, local government, business, Indian Tribes and community groups is working hard to inform voters about the benefits of a Yes vote. Protect our state budget, protect taxpayers, and protect vital state services by voting Yes on Props 94, 95, 96 and 97.

To learn more about the agreements and to join our coalition, please visit www.YesforCalifornia.com.

PORAC is the largest statewide law enforcement association in the country, representing 61,000 rank-and-file peace officers and 760 local peace officers associations.

 

Peace Officers Research Association of California
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 Phone: 1-800-937-6722 or (916) 928-3777 Fax: (916) 928-3760

 

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