Comments on: Tribes Want Federal Regulation of Internet Gaming
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By hotfishmt on 07-26-12 @ 2:47 pm
Just curious a wee bit? If the Indian Gaming projects & parlors are making some serious $$$$, why can’t they be taken off the monthly dole of government funds??? I mean if one is collecting
welfare…and works full time….one has to go.
Working for a living instead of looking for the free monthly check….why not take the sucessful
tribal groups off the Federal Handouts. I mean those agreement were hammered out in the mid to
late 1800’s, and now the tradition is montly payckecks and alcohol….and they lose sight of
independence???
By redhawk on 07-27-12 @ 11:32 am
Hotfish, the payments made to tribal members are not welfare. Tribal members inherited paymentsto themselves and their decendents in payment for the land that was taken from them. They also
receive (or are supposed to receive) payments for the resources taken from their land. No
different than whites who get money from their inheritances.
By Fast on 07-27-12 @ 3:10 pm
Indians started the first welfare in America by feeding the staving pilgrims O what ” Thanksgiving” yes Pewee
By thinker on 07-27-12 @ 4:52 pm
You didn’t mention the predatory lending rates the tribes are charging as they take over the payday loan function.
By hotfishmt on 07-28-12 @ 5:53 am
Mr. Redhawk, I think you are biased a wee bit. The decendents….grow each year. From money to buy a house, free medical, no taxes, a nation to itself & yet want endless benefits. The treaties
were LONG TIME AGO….140 years or so. The biggest problem reservations face….is the chronic
alcohol abuse…..due to nothing to do with their time. Maybe some basic changes in the “system”
would produce decendents that have HOPE.
Some “reservations” are barely,3 acres….just to be state certified so a casino can be opened up
near some major/small city. The majority of $$ the casion’s profits….don’t benefit the
residents….decendents of “old indian” tribes.
I am sure Mr. Redhawk…you would welcome some positive changes in the current life style of the
reservations….and staying on Government monthly dole….does not help at all. Browning is one
big pig stye…..and HOPE is hard to find there.
By redhawk on 07-28-12 @ 11:06 am
Of course the reservations need some positive changes. The alcohol abuse has many facets, fromdespair to predatory liquor sales, poor education, discrimination and lack of jobs. And yes,
the treaties were a long time ago. Just like the land given to railroads, the mining fortunes,
the timber company fortunes…I don’t see everyone trying to rescind their benefits or cheat
their heirs. After all, Walmart Sam is dead, shouldn’t we just take all that money away from
his heirs?! Sheesh!
The casinos are usually funded by outside investors who scoop their own fortunes off the top.
There are a LOT of problems, and one of the biggest ones is the nonsense spewed by people who
want to take the last of the land and all of the profits derived from the people who were
PROMISED…via TREATY…that they would be treated fairly. Trust is going to take a long time,
and is going to have to be earned.
By thinker on 07-30-12 @ 7:55 am
Why don’t we just hold the tribes responsible for introducing tobacco to the white man and call it even? Then all the tax payments would stop.
While the Native Americans now are focused on pure air and pure water as a cure for all their
problems, maybe they can ignore prescription drug addiction, the alcoholism, domestic violence,
violence and lawlessness altogether, a dropout rate of 50%, high rates of teenage suicide and a
shortened life expectancy. Do we really believe that nothing bad would have happened if settlers
had never shown up?
By hotfishmt on 07-31-12 @ 5:43 am
An ar ticle this morning on the Missoulian….tells how the tribal member in the Flathead Reservation are squabbling how to dispurse the $$$ they are getting from the settled law suit and
the story said each tribal member will get some $10,000 each.
Just hope the $$ is not wasted…and if would be a good idea to have some less able members
get some helpful ideas how to spend the money & not waste it???
By terryt on 07-31-12 @ 12:00 pm
Ok I would just like a little info please. Am I wrong or do enrolled members of the tribes in lake county not pay property tax on their residences? What is the reason they dont pay vehicle tax?
Thanks Terry T
By thinker on 07-31-12 @ 6:11 pm
Read the Montana State Constitution on line. It states clearly those folks are exempt from taxes. They do however get the right to vote that other folks who own property should pay property taxes,
just as they did with the taxpayer bailout of the Polson City Library. That’s why it passed.
That’s how they will pass the property tax for the Polson City Swimming Pool and the wishlist
Polson City Ice Skating Rink.
And we all wonder why people are losing their properties to Property Tax.
By terryt on 07-31-12 @ 6:47 pm
What Am I missing why dont we change the consitution.
By redhawk on 08-01-12 @ 1:42 pm
Thinker, MOST of the people voting on issues that affect our property taxes do not own property.That’s a statewide issue.
The views expressed in the comments section do not reflect those of the Beacon.