Do Native Americans really have it bad as we think?
on February 17th, 2005 at 2:10 amIndian gambling pulled in $18.5 billion in 2004, nearly double the take for Nevada’s gambling industry, as tribal casinos boomed ahead.
Because tribes are sovereign nations, they don’t have to pay state or local taxes and are exempt from most zoning and other laws, a special status that can cause conflict with neighbors. Tribal casinos have met opposition from some local communities that don’t want the traffic or strain on resources…
To head off opposition, tribal leaders have grown more aggressive about asserting benefits. National Indian Gaming Association officials said Tuesday that tribal gambling has directly or indirectly created 553,000 jobs, mostly for non-Indians, and that it generated $5.5 billion in federal taxes in 2004.
Tribal leaders say gambling has allowed them to lift their reservations out of poverty. (more…)
Some things to consider here:
~We cannot view this as some payback to all that was done to Native Americans because not all tribes are benefiting from this boom.
~Although it is true that some reservations are reporting that they have seen a decline of poverty, is building more casinos the ultimate solution? And if so, considering the ongoing reparations debate, should black Americans consider a similar option?
~Should they ever be taxed?
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