The cat's out of the bag wrote on Sep 2, 2006 12:02 AM:The cat's out of the bag. Legal gambling casinos are now a part of the California landscape. We may as well legalize it elsewhere for non-indians to own and invest in as well. I'm not talking about Vegas style slot machines in convenience stores, but areas that local communities approve of. Casinos that are built with the state's blessing can be taxed at a higher rate and regulated easier than casinos that are situated on indian land. The indians have enjoyed a head start to get established. Now let's let others compete through investment and new construction. Let's allow the state, and ultimately the California tax payer and local communities that live near them, enjoy more of the revenue from the casinos. The current situation feels like a monopoly. It leaves the state and local communities negotiating over the crumbs. It should be a situation where the state and local communities dictate the terms and the casinos pay the predetermined costs. Why shouldn't vacationers to the Ritz in Laguna or the Hotel Del in San Diego not be allowed to gamble if they wish to? Has anyone really been impressed by any of the indian casinos, even the ones with some outside gaming supervision? Let the real professionals from this industry actively compete on an equal playing field, and we all win

Rick wrote on Sep 2, 2006 8:18 AM:It's possible the Union's ARE corrupt, if Mark Macarro says so. It's a "takes one to know one" situation. His corrupt Tribal Council has recently disenrolled the Hunter family AGAINST the will of the tribe. His own ancestor gave a deposition in 1915 saying that Paulina Hunter was Pechanga. BOYCOTT PECHANGA! They hate union members.

John wrote on Sep 2, 2006 9:34 AM:I find it ironic that Mr. Macarro calls anyone "corrupt". Hearings on any Pechanga Compact with the State should include testimony by those who have been subjected to arbitrary and capricious actions by Macarro and his "goons" that have stripped or denied tribal members and other California citizens of their basic human and civil rights. Is this the type of group the State should be signing multi-billion dollar compacts with? Is this waht the citizens of California wanted when they voted for Props 5 and 1A?

GFN wrote on Sep 2, 2006 12:48 PM:"Cat's out", you nailed it right on! Indian gambling was presented as a few slot machines on reservations to help the destitute, earth-loving, spiritually-based Indian who has been downtrodden by the white man for hundreds of years. Gambling is the most lucrative business there is with guaranteed profits because you set the machines, and the house has the odds. Indian gambling has turned into huge Las Vegas style resorts making incredible profits. Of course, the sharing, caring Indians who had the first successful casinos were going to share their profits fairly with their Indian Brothers. Yeah, right.. The esteemed Indian has turned out to be as selfish, ambitious, and greedy as any white man, mastering the political bribe called "campaign contributions" to get what they want from local and state governments. Enough: The Governor has got to be stopped from making new agreements with any Indian tribe. IF WE ARE TO HAVE WIDESPREAD GAMBLING IN CALIFORNIA, THEN ALL THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA SHOULD BENEFIT FROM GAMBLING, NOT JUST A SELECT FEW. The Indian gambling has the head start which will give them enough of a competitive advantage to survive, but we may as well just legalize gambling for all of California if we are going to allow the Indian casinos to become gigantic, and widespread. STOP THE GOVERNOR'S ABILITY TO TAKE BRIBES FROM THE SAME PEOPLE HE IS MAKING DEALS WITH….NO TO EXPANSION OF INDIAN GAMBLING!!!

Rick wrote on Sep 2, 2006 2:21 PM:Why does the Pechanga Casino need more machines? They have already disenrolled 25% of their tribe to fatten their wallets? There are other tribes who can use gaming to improve the lives of their people. Pechanga just cuts their people out.

Did you know? wrote on Sep 2, 2006 4:53 PM:Did you know that as soon as you drive off of Pala Road and onto the Pechanga reservation where the casino is located that you immediately lose some of your rights as a United States citizen. Did you know that they can detain you for any reason and even place you in one of their holding cells located in the bowels of the casino, and that you have no legal recourse to sue, because you unwittingly gave up those rights upon setting foot on their "sovereign" land. Local law enforcement can't help you either, they're only allowed on the casino grounds when they're invited by the indians. They also call in local law enforcement to investigate internal theft, but if it looks like evidence is pointing to one of their own, especially someone of significant stature within the tribe, they halt the investigation and the whole thing goes away. That's just Pechanga casino. Would you like to hear about the opening days of Pala casino? It will blow your mind....

HAPPY wrote on Sep 2, 2006 6:11 PM:Law Enforcement does have legal authority on the Reservations. Most, if not all Elders of the Reservations are aware, however, many of the younger generation Native Americans are unaware and think they can run into the Reservation and become untouchable. In 1953 Congress gave California and about 4 other states the authority to enforce the law on Indian Reservations.

CREEPER wrote on Sep 2, 2006 6:25 PM:THE CORRUPT PECHANGA CHAIRMAN MARK MACARRO IS CALLING THE UNION CORRUPT? THIS WOULD BE FUNNY IF IT WAS'NT SO SAD. THIS MAN WHO AUTHORIZED DISENROLLMENTS AND MORATORIUMS AND LIES TO THE PRESS IS A DISGRACE TO INDIAN COUNTRY.GIVE HIM AND HIS CROONIES MORE GAMING MACHINES AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO BUY THE NEXT PRESIDENCY. AFTER ALL MONEY TALKS. GOV.SCHWARZENEGGER IS ONLY THINKING MONEY HERE. HE ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT LOOK AT WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING INSIDE PECHANGA ,ALL THE HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BEING PERPETRADED BY MARK MACARRO AND HIS TRIBAL COUNCIL.I SAY NO MORE DEALS GOVERNATOR. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Concerned resident wrote on Sep 3, 2006 9:20 AM:Mr Macarro calls the unions corrupt? Look in the mirror Mark. That's real corruption. Let's see some public financial disclosure from the Casino and Tribal Government.I think that you are running an open sewer of bribery and fraud. Here is a challenge for you: Open your records and prove me wrong.

Destiny wrote on Sep 3, 2006 6:14 PM:It does my heart good to have Mark Macarro disappointed! I can only hope for more of that in his future.

MARK wrote on Sep 4, 2006 2:32 PM:IT SEEMS THE TRIBES ARE GETTING GREEDIER AND GREEDIER. WHAT IS IT THEY NEED THAT THEY DONT ALREADY HAVE? AT PECHANGA THEY HAVE BIG HOUSES, BIG CARS, BIG BANK ACCOUNTS BUT THEY DONT HAVE THE REAL AND ORIGINAL PECHANGA DESCENDANTS.THEY TOOK CARE OF THAT BY DISENROLLING LONG STANDING FAMILYS AND INSTITUTING A MORATORIUM FOR NEW MEMBERSHIP. MARK MACARRO CALLS THE UNIONS CORRUPT,THAT IS SO IRONIC. WHAT DOES HE THINK HE HAS BEEN DOING.?

Rick wrote on Sep 5, 2006 3:53 PM:What Pechanga DOESN'T have is it's rightful members enrolled. There are HUNDREDS of Pechanga descendants in the moratorium. They deserve their share of whatever Pechanga has. Patrons of Pechanga casino, each dollar you spend there is going enrich greedy people, not poor Indians... go to Pala.

BRAVEHEART wrote on Sep 7, 2006 11:30 PM:NASTY TRIBE PECHANGA ,I THINK THEY SHOULD USE THIS TRIBE TO SHOW WHY GAMING IS BAD!

Bill wrote on Sep 8, 2006 11:47 AM:Tribes such as Pechanga are becoming the new Mafia. Instead of "rubbing their opponents out," they are commiting cultural genocide by kicking out the decendants of Pechanga Indian Paulina Hunter and some of the decendants of Temecula chief from the 1850's Pablo Apish. As one of the other people commented, "look in the mirror Mr. Macarro!"

AKA BELIEVER wrote on Sep 10, 2006 11:08 AM:WE WILL REMEMBER THOSE WHO WANT TO RATIFY THIS COMPACT IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS. OUR WEAPON IS VOTING POWER. REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WILL GET A TASTE OF IT IN NOVEMBER.

Paulina's Kin wrote on Sep 11, 2006 4:04 PM:Chairman Macarro think that the Union is corrupt. What is corrupt in his eyes? Unions who want a safe workplace, fair wages, protections for their workers? Or, a tribal council, which he heads, that does not follow the law, which is in the hands of the Pechanga people? Leading a tribe to pay millions for Cruz Bustamante?

Rachel wrote on Nov 29, 2006 7:00 PM:Why can't you non-indians, be happy for us indians, you call us down for so many centuries and say we are bums, yet your government hires some guy from a different country to come onto our land, once ours and call the indians down for prospering and trying to create employment and resources for our tribes, why is it you non-indians have casinos and not up for us to have ours. FIGHT FOR ALL OUR NATIONS MARK MACARRO! US HERE IN CANADA ARE THERE FOR YOU!