Table of Contents

Morongo support to Esperanza firefighters and Cabazon residents
PRESS RELEASE - Oct. 30, 2006

Pechanga Contributes $50,000 to Support Families of Fallen Firefighters
Pechanga Indian Reservation, CA, Oct. 26, 2006

PRESS RELEASE - Oct. 30, 2006

Morongo support to Esperanza firefighters and Cabazon residents

MORONGO TRIBE ANNOUNCES $100,000 TO RIVERSIDE COUNTY ARSON REWARD FUND; REWARD NOW AT $400,000
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TRIBAL FIREFIGHTERS WORKING WITH COUNTY AND CDF TO BRING ESPERANZA BLAZE UNDER CONTROL

The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians today announced a contribution of $50,000 to aid the families of the four fighters who lost their lives in the Esperanza wildfire.
"We at Pechanga are saddened to hear that four firefighters lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the firefighters," said Pechanga Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro. "Pechanga's families pray for the safety of the firefighters responding to this wildfire."
"Pechanga will do what it can to help," said Chairman Macarro. Since this morning, an engine from the Pechanga Fire Department was on the incident as part of a structure protection strike team.

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Pechanga Indian Reservation, CA, Oct. 26, 2006

Pechanga Contributes $50,000 to Support Families of Fallen Firefighters

The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians today announced a contribution of $50,000 to aid the families of the four fighters who lost their lives in the Esperanza wildfire.
"We at Pechanga are saddened to hear that four firefighters lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the firefighters," said Pechanga Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro. "Pechanga's families pray for the safety of the firefighters responding to this wildfire."
"Pechanga will do what it can to help," said Chairman Macarro. Since this morning, an engine from the Pechanga Fire Department was on the incident as part of a structure protection strike team.

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The Associated Press - 06/21/2006

Indian casinos are $7.2 billion-a-year industry

"We're very pleased with the health of the industry and the opportunities it provides for tribes and the region," said Valbuena, chairwoman of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, which is made up of 14 tribes.
"We're glad that as the industry has evolved; so, too, have contributions to surrounding communities and the state. TASIN tribes collectively will pay more than $1 billion to the state through the life of our compacts."

By JULIET WILLIAMS
The Associated Press
June 21, 2006

SACRAMENTO - Gambling revenue at American Indian casinos nationwide grew to nearly $23 billion last year, climbing at a rate more than three times faster than traditional gambling operations.

California tribes accounted for nearly a third of the money, according to a comprehensive report on Indian gambling to be released today.

Nationwide, Indian gambling revenue grew by 15.6 percent in 2005, even though no major casinos opened last year, according to the Indian Gaming Industry Report, which has been compiled the past five years by Southern California economist Alan Meister. It was the 10th consecutive year in which revenues increased by about 15 percent.

The growth can be attributed to expanded offerings at existing casinos and stepped-up marketing by tribes that are adding Las Vegas-style amenities to lure more visitors.

The report shows tribal casinos closing in on the amount of profits taken in by non-Indian casinos, which had $29.6 billion in revenue in 2005, a 4.6 percent rise from the previous year.

California's tribes saw revenue climb by 24 percent, to $7.2 billion, in a state where 55 tribes operate 57 casinos. That rate of growth isn't likely to slow any time soon, said Meister, an economist with the Analysis Group in Los Angeles.

Meister uses data from government agencies, Indian tribes and casinos, gambling associations and other studies.

The chairwoman of an organization that represents Inland tribes issued a statement late Tuesday in response to the report. Lynn Valbuena, who also is a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians near Highland, said tribal gambling has had a significant economic impact on the region.

"We're very pleased with the health of the industry and the opportunities it provides for tribes and the region," said Valbuena, chairwoman of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, which is made up of 14 tribes.

"We're glad that as the industry has evolved; so, too, have contributions to surrounding communities and the state. TASIN tribes collectively will pay more than $1 billion to the state through the life of our compacts."

Most of the Inland area's gaming tribes pay into a state-managed fund designed to help mitigate the impacts of casinos on communities, pay state regulatory expenses and help with problem gambling.

Most Inland tribes began 20-year agreements -- known as compacts -- with the state in 2000.

The region's tribes, like most tribes, do not reveal details about their revenues.

Staff writer Michelle DeArmond contributed to this report.

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The Desert Sun - 04/11/2006

Local tribe gives back to valley
$1.2 million in gifts awarded to local charitable groups

Debra Gruszecki
The Desert Sun
April 11, 2006 April 11, 2006

RANCHO MIRAGE - The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians on Monday gave more than $1.2 million to 90 government and charitable organizations in the Coachella Valley in its 11th annual giving event.

Gifts ranging from $5,000 to $60,000 went to groups in Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Thousand Palms, Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City.

The largest gift went to the Assistance League of Palm Springs Desert Area for school uniforms and clothing, followed by the Braille Institute Inc., which received a $50,000 check for its Desert Mobile Solutions program.

"Welcome to Christmas in April,'' radio personality Joey English told attendees.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which owns and operates the Agua Caliente Casino and Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, made contributions largely to not-for-profit groups and government organizations that assist the youth and elderly, war veterans, medical programs, and the economically disadvantaged.

Not even the United Way of the Desert was ignored, as it got a $25,000 check.

"We fund over $1.3 million annually, but it's done on a monthly basis,'' said Linda Krengel, executive director of United Way of the Desert. "The tribe made lump-sum donations. Those were actual checks they handed out.

"Can you imagine what everyone's bank account will look like tomorrow?" Krengel said.

"What they've done is outstanding."

Tribal chairman Richard Milanovich said the tribal donations have added up to over $1.5 million so far this year, and that the money represents only a portion of the donations that are relayed to communities by the tribe annually.

In addition to the annual giveaway averaging $1 million a year since 1995, the tribe contributes to the Special Distribution Fund, as required by the compacts that set up tribal gaming. This year, $2.5 million will be distributed to communities within the reservation, with a total of about $12 million being distributed across Riverside County.

"Every year gets better and better,'' Milanovich said, expressing the pride the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians feels in its spirit of giving.

Barbara Gonzales Lyons, vice chair of the tribal council, said the annual event means a great deal to her and members of the tribe.

"It gives us an opportunity to give back,'' she said. "That's one of our traditions: We share with others in times of plenty."

Lyons said special attention is paid to the elderly in honor of what they've given so far, and to youth as children on and off the reservation are interwoven and represent everyone's future. Lyons recalled how Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation helped her brother in a time of need.

"I'll never forget that,'' she said.

"We have been in similar situations in so many instances,'' Milanovich said. "We know what it is like to do without. Every year gets better and better because we know where the funds are going, and see the successes that this money brings."

Jack FitzGerald, a local attorney who is president of the board of United Way, thanked Milanovich by designating him as an official United Way member. He said the $25,000 check goes directly to two dozen charities throughout the Coachella Valley.

"There's a heart-warming story for everyone in this room to tell,'' he said, before he has handed the check. "This was an incredible display of true generosity on the part of the Agua Calientes that will affect and improve the lives of tens of thousands of residents in the valley."

Through the tribe's donations, an automatic door opener will be installed in a building that helps stroke victims. A golden retriever named Ingrid will be trained to guide someone who is blind.

Teens will learn how to balance a checkbook. Cancer patients will go to camp, and their siblings will get counseling.

Nursing students will be trained at California State University, San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus with $20,000 worth of scholarships. Hospitalized war veterans will get toiletries at Loma Linda VA Healthcare System. Shut-ins will get meals. And children at local schools will get dental care.

Susan Gardner, a volunteer with Guide Dogs of the Desert who brought Ingrid to the event, said the $25,000 will go a long way to train her. "We are a small school that thrives on private donations," she said. "Donations like this allow us to stay in business."

Robert Fey, chairman of the Smile Factory of the Tiempo de los Niños, said the $10,000 check the tribe gave to the organization will help maintain the mobile unit that has gone to 15 schools to offer dental service to low-income children.

The unit has already screened 10,000 children and provides 7,000 free treatments. "It's incredible,'' Fey said. "This will keep us functioning for another year."

Some Top Gifts

These are a few of the top grants that Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians made Monday:

Gilda’s Club Desert Cities: $30,000

Hanson House Foundation: $35,000

Martha’s Village & Kitchen: $30,000

Palm Springs Parks
and Recreation: $30,000

Assistance League of Palm
Springs Desert Area: $60,000

Barbara Sinatra Children’s
Center at Eisenhower: $30,000

Braille Institute, Inc.: $50,000

Mizell Senior Center: $50,000

Source: Agua Caliente
Band of Cahuilla Indians

The complete Agua Caliente Donations List

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which owns and operates the Agua Caliente Casino near Rancho Mirage and Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, handed out more than $1.2 million to 90 government and charitable organizations to communities in or near its reservation.

The recipients include:

ACT for MS, summer electric bill, $10,000

Alano Club of the Desert, coolers and floor repairs, $5,000.

American Legion Post No. 763, remodel patio area, $5,000.

American Legion-Owen Coffman Post 519, scholarships, $5,000.

American Legion-Rancho Mirage Post 301, community programs, $5,000.

American Youth Soccer organizations, Cathedral City, programming and items, $10,000.

American Youth Soccer, Rancho Mirage, programming and items, $10,000.

Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation, a residential facility, $25,000.

Arthritis Foundation, programming, $15,000.

Assistance League of Palm Springs Desert Area, school uniforms, $60,000.

Barbara Sinatra Children's Center at Eisenhower, counseling programs, $30,000.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert, programming, $10,000.

Boys & Girls Club of Coachella Valley, its life skills program, $10,000.

Braille Institute, Inc., the Desert Mobile Solutions program, $50,000.

California State University San Bernardino Palm Desert campus, scholarships, $20,000.

Camp Ronald McDonald, all-expense paid camp for 15 children, $10,000.

Cathedral City High School, "PS, I love you" scholarship program, $5,000.

Cathedral City Police Explorer Program, explorer program, $2,500.

Cathedral City Police Citizens on Patrol, volunteer program, $5,000.

Cathedral City Police Patrol Division, equipment, $5,000.

Cathedral City Police Reserve Officers, training, $2,500.

Cathedral City Library, programs, $5,000.

Cathedral City Boxing Club, youth programs, $20,000.

Cathedral City Boys & Girls Club, programs, $10,000.

Cathedral City Police Department, youth programs, $20,000.

Cathedral City Senior Center, programs, $25,000.

Cathedral City Youth Baseball League, programs, $10,000.

Children's Discovery Museum, support events, $5,000.

Coachellla Valley Autism Society of America, eight computers and equipment, $5,000.

College of the Desert Foundation, outreach and recruitment, $20,000.

Compulsive Gambling Institute, programming, $10,000.*

Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation, organization costs, $10,000.

Desert Blind &Handicapped Association, programming, $25,000.

Desert Fine Arts Academy, after school programs, $15,000.

Desert Hot Springs Police Activities League, $10,000.

Desert Hot Springs Boys & Girls Club, programming, $20,000.

Desert Hot Springs City Parks & Recreation-Arroyo Park, facility renovation and chair replacement, $5,000.

Desert Hot Springs City Parks &Recreation-May Center, chair replacement for senior center, $10,000.

Desert Hot Springs High School Booster Club, sign, $10,000.

Desert Hot Springs Police Department, canine , $25,000.

Disabled American Veterans, charitable programs, $25,000.

Food Now, Inc., food for needy, $5,000.

Foundation for the Retarded of the Desert, asphalt resurfacing in parking area, $25,000.

Gilda's Club Desert Cities, programming, $30,000.

Guide Dogs of the Desert, training for one dog/student team, $25,000.

Hanson House Foundation, Inc., cost to build one guest room, $35,000.

Idyllwild Arts, art summer program, $10,000.

Jeffrey Sandholm Memorial Community Crisis and Help Line, crisis help line and social services, $20,000.

Jewish Family Service, geriatric case program, $10,000.

Jewish War Veterans Palm Springs Post 750, charitable programs, $5,000.

John Burton Foundation Children Without Homes, programming, $15,000.

Joslyn Senior Center, meals on wheels, $10,000.

Kids Konnected, cancer support, education and counseling,$5,000.

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, children programs, $10,000.

Martha's Village & Kitchen, operations, $30,000.

Mizell Senior Center, programs, $50,000.

Palm Springs Air Museum, renovations, $10,000.

Palm Springs Art Museum, art education, $10,000.

Palm Springs Boys & Girls Club, programming, $15,000.

Palm Springs Boxing Club, operations and equipment, $5,000.

Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, community projects, $10,000.

Palm Springs High School - Boosters Club Inc., after school tutoring, $15,000.

Palm Springs High School - Spirit of the Sands, instruments and uniforms, $15,000.

Palm Springs High School - Wrestling, uniforms and travel gear, $3,000.

Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue, vehicle replacement, $15,000.

Palm Springs Parks and Recreation, 15-passenger van, $30,000,

Palm Springs Police Department Police Activities League, $10,000.

Palm Springs Police Department-DARE, drug prevention program, $10,000.

Palm Springs Police-Citizens on Patrol, equipment and training, $5,000.

Palm Springs Police-Community Policing Program, programming, $20,000.

Palm Springs Police Reserve Unit, bullet-proof vests, radios, $5,000.

Palm Springs Public Library, fiber optic cable, cluster server and check-out machine, $18,000.

Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club, shoes that fit program, $20,000.

Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club, uniforms, $5,000.

Palm Springs and Cathedral City Youth Football Association, school equipment, $15,000.

Palm Springs Youth Baseball, scholarship and safety programs, $10,000.

Pegasus Riding Academy, programs, $10,000.

People Helping People U.S.A., programming, $5,000.

Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, restaurant advertising, $5,000.

Rancho Mirage Library, programs, $10,000.

Ranch Recovery Centers, Inc., playground, $5,000.

Raymond Cree Middle School Treasure Booster Club, instrument repair and replacement, $5,000.

Smile Factory of the Tiempo de los Niños, dental services for low-income children, $10,000.

Stroke Recovery Center, food services and installation of an automatic door opener, $12,000.

Thousand Palms Library, children's reading club, $5,000.

United Way of the Desert, charitable programs, $25,000.

Veterans Memorial Association (Desert), programs, $5,000.

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, cost of memorial programs, $5,000.

Well in The Desert, homeless programming $5,000.

YMCA of the Desert, after-school programs, $5,000.

(*This donation is over and above funds the tribe contributes as part of its tribal-state gaming compact for compulsive gambling programs)

(Source: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians)

DA to expand casino crime unit

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: A cooperative effort between Indian tribes and prosecutors to double in size.

06:54 AM PST on Friday, January 13, 2006
By MICHELLE DeARMOND / The Press-Enterprise

Riverside County officials are more than doubling the size of a task force formed a year ago to prosecute crimes at tribal casinos, a deputy district attorney said Thursday.

The special tribal liaison unit has been key to helping tribes fight offenses ranging from white-collar theft to drug crimes, tribal leaders and the prosecutor said at an annual Indian gaming conference Thursday in Palm Springs.

By expanding the unit and prosecuting more cases, officials hope to send a message to criminals.

"Stay the heck out of casinos," said Arthur M. Chang, Riverside County deputy district attorney. "We basically want to make life painful for criminals."

The expanded unit will have three prosecutors, three investigators, three victim-witness advocates and one paralegal, he said.

The unit, which is funded by grants from tribes, also hopes to get $1.15 million for the upcoming fiscal year, up from the nearly $700,000 it got last year. The money comes from a special account funded by gaming tribes.

The unit prosecutes crimes at nine casinos on eight reservations that are visited by an estimated 10 million people every year, Chang said.

It has prosecuted more than 500 cases in the past year, including some 200 felonies and about 300 misdemeanors, he said.

Drug crimes, mainly use and possession charges, have been the most common felonies, followed by theft, identity fraud, violence and embezzlement, he said.

By expanding the unit's size, Chang said he hopes to prosecute more sophisticated gambling scams.

Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, said the unit has been pivotal in fighting crime at his tribe's two casinos.

Milanovich said it's too early to know definitively if the unit's aggressive stance is deterring criminals, but he suspects it is. His tribe operated casinos for 10 years before the tribal liaison unit was created, and many criminals had to be let go during that time, he said.

Slot-machine or card-table thieves were escorted to the edge of the property and not allowed to return, but local authorities often didn't arrest or prosecute the suspects, he said.

Now that tribes and the district attorney's office are working together more, the casinos and the community are benefiting, Chang said.

He pointed to a case involving a pickpocket at the Spa Resort Casino, one of those run by the Agua Caliente tribe, who was caught on surveillance cameras stealing slot-machine tickets from gamblers' shirt pockets.

After the man was arrested, authorities discovered his fingerprint matched one from an unsolved burglary a few years ago, Chang said.

Chang hopes to send the man to prison for at least 10 years.

Chang gave his presentation at the Western Indian Gaming Conference at the Palm Springs Convention Center, an event by the California Nations Indian Gaming Association that has attracted more than 1,000 people from across the country.

Tribal leaders at the conference highlighted Riverside County as a place where tribes and police officials have successfully worked together to fight crime.

In San Bernardino County, a deputy district attorney prosecutes crimes committed at the San Manuel Bingo & Casino near Highland.

Deputy District Attorney Carl LeBlanc said he has a victim-witness advocate in the Indian-gaming unit, and there are a few sheriff's deputies that respond to crimes at the casino.

That unit was created seven months ago with a grant from Indian gaming money also, he said.

Reach Michelle DeArmond at (951) 368-9441 or mdearmond@pe.com

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 11/18/2005

A tribal payout
09:10 PM PST on Friday, November 18, 2005

The Pechanga tribe made good use of some of the band's gambling wealth this week: The tribe gave $1.5 million to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest County.

The gift will help pay for a new youth complex under construction in Temecula, slated to open in April, and will fund much of the cost of another center planned for French Valley.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest County serves more than 3,300 children in Temecula, Murrieta, French Valley and Lake Elsinore. The organization provides places for youths to learn and play -- a vital service for parents who work at distant jobs while their children are out of school, or for families with limited resources.

And although tribal casinos sometimes create friction with their neighbors, here is a case in which a tribe served the larger community. The Pechanga tribe's generous donation to a good cause deserves the southwest area's thanks.

The Desert Sun - 08/5/2005

Tribes rally to restore public safety funds

Indians, officials upset over governor's veto of $20 million in budget

Debra Gruszecki
The Desert Sun
August 5, 2005

Palm Springs' new fire truck was there and so were the Indian tribes that made it possible.

Tribal leaders and local officials from throughout the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire displayed public safety equipment Thursday to show what their share of casino gaming dollars has bought, and to urge the governor to restore a $20 million appropriation from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to the state budget.

In signing a new state budget recently, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed $20 million out of $50 million in tribally paid funds that the Legislature had approved for 25 counties to use for public safety, traffic control and other services.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, who attended the event in Banning, said Thursday that he plans to introduce a bill to restore the funds.

And public safety officials gathered with the political and tribal leaders and vowed to back them up.

A boon for police

Don't mess with the special distribution fund, Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle said.

The new police and sheriff's vehicles, fire trucks and other public safety gear is only a part of the story, according to Lynn Valbuena, a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, who chairs the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations.

The revenues also helped put 30 new sheriff's deputies and local police officers on Coachella Valley, Inland and Santa Barbara community streets.

"Supporting our local communities has always been a priority for us,'' Valbuena said. "We fought hard to get the funds wepay to the state returned to the local communities in order to put more police officers on the streets, enhance fire protection services, support children's programs and improve road conditions."

The demonstration also was held to introduce a Web site, www.StrongerCommunities.com, to provide information about the Special Distribution Fund and offer a way for Californians to e-mail Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers to urge the $20 million be returned to the 2005-2006 state budget.

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund was created through the 1999 Tribal State Compact, and is fully funded by the 26 tribal governments that were operating more than 200 slot machines as of September 1999.

Proceeds from the funds are earmarked for programs that include local governments and special districts that are impacted by Indian gaming, gambling and addiction programs, regulatory costs and for providing revenues for nongaming tribes.

Funds go local

Special Distribution Funds became available to local communities for the first time in 2003. Since that time, more than $13 million has flowed to Coachella Valley, Inland and Santa Barbara communities. The funds have been used to hire law enforcement officers, buy 21 fully-equipped police and sheriff's vehicles, two fire engines, an ambulance and breathing apparatuses for more than 100 firefighters.

Nearly $16 million will be provided in this fiscal year.
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians' chairman Richard Milanovich said tribal people have long been accustomed to giving back to the community.

"We're honoring our commitments under the compact, and are helping to build stronger communities,'' said Barbara Lyons, vice chairman of TASIN and the Agua Caliente Band, which operates the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage and the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs.

Patrick Murphy Jr., TASIN secretary and a member of Pechanga Development Corp., said these projects are only the beginning. He projected contributions to the Special Distribution Fund will exceed $1 billion through 2020.

FUND BREAKDOWN
How a portion of Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians' (Agua Caliente and Spa Resort Casino) contributions to the Special Fund are working:

• Riverside County Sheriff's Department, $121,951
  
• Riverside County District Attorney's office, $42,597
  
• City of Cathedral City, $78,002
  
• City of Desert Hot Springs, $10,000
  
• City of Palm Springs, $897,062
  
• City of Rancho Mirage, $121,951
  

How grants co-sponsored by Augustine Band of Mission Indians' (Augustine Casino) funds are working:The funds are made possible by the 20 percent nonpaying portion of the special distribution fund, which is paid for by Agua Caliente, Cabazon, Cahuilla, Morongo, Pechanga, Soboba and Twenty-nine Palms.

• Riverside County Fire Department, $100,000
  
• Riverside County Transportation Department, $253,703
  
• City of Coachella, $540,191
  
• City of Indio, $485,136
  
• City of La Quinta, $177,250
  

How a portion of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians' (Fantasy Springs) funds are working:

• City of Indio, $260,041

How a portion of Morongo Band of Mission Indians' (Morongo Casino) funds are working:

• Riverside County District Attorney's office, $275,000
  
• Riverside County Emergency Medical Services, $450,000
  
• Riverside County Fire Department, $400,000
  
• Riverside County Sheriff's Department, $528,244
  
• Riverside County Transportation Department, $647,705
  
• City of Banning, $870,317
  

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San Bernardino County Sun - 08/5/2005

Patrol cars reflect tribes' funding

By Mike Cruz
Staff Writer

Friday, August 05, 2005 - BANNING - Rows of shiny, new patrol cars and other public safety vehicles parked at the Banning Police Station appeared ready to move into action at a moment's notice.

Destined for agencies in Banning, Coachella, La Quinta and unincorporated Riverside County, the vehicles and related equipment were purchased with funds from local tribes deposited into the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund.

Monies from the statewide fund are filtered back to counties and local communities and used to offset impacts of Indian gaming operations.

Representatives of state, county, local and tribal government met Thursday for a news conference at the Banning Police Department to showcase the newest fruits from the fund.

Officials also used the event to call on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to restore to the fund $20 million that was destined for local communities but was removed from the 2005-06 budget, according to the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations.

Banning police received six new patrol cars which represent one-third of the city's overall black-and-white force as well as three unmarked police vehicles and a motorcycle, said Chief John Horton.

Banning received a total of $870,317 from contributions to the fund made by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

The police vehicles and a new fire engine given to the Banning Fire Department will be used to keep safe visitors to the city and neighboring Morongo Resort, Spa and Casino while traveling city streets and Interstate 10.

Banning police also received funding for two officers to specifically work Ramsey Street from Banning to the casino five days a week, Horton said. The department also purchased 15 hand-held radios, 10 shotguns and 10 handguns.

"I think it's a great boost to public safety,' said Banning Mayor John Machisic.

Established under the Tribal-State Compact of 1999, the special distribution fund is funded by 26 tribal governments statewide that operated more than 200 gaming devices as of September 1999, according to the alliance.

Money was first placed into the fund in 2002. Officials estimate tribal governments will pay more than $1 billion into the fund through 2020.

Morongo Chairman Maurice Lyons said the Morongos have given $43 million to the fund, of which $8 million has come back to Riverside County.

"To us, giving back is just part of a way of life,' Lyons said.

Since 2002, the tribal alliance has paid more than $100 million into the special distribution fund, of which a portion has been distributed to San Bernardino, Riverside and Santa Barbara counties to purchase public safety equipment and increase personnel, officials said.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, who was at Thursday's event, said legislators plan to modify Senate Bill 288 to restore the $20 million and ensure expenditure reports go to the Legislature and the Gambling Control Commission.

Riverside Press Enterprise - 08/5/2005

Inland-based proposal unblocks state funds generated by casinos

12:10 AM PDT on Friday, August 5, 2005

By MICHELLE DeARMOND / The Press-Enterprise

BANNING - Inland legislators announced Thursday they have found a way to restore $20 million in Indian-casino revenue that Gov. Schwarzenegger took away from local governments last month.

Schwarzenegger refused to distribute the money to local governments, saying counties had failed to file paperwork showing how they spent money from the tribal-gaming account last year. However, several state agencies verified that counties had turned in their paperwork but the governor's office didn't check with those agencies.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, said he hopes his new bill will clear up any confusion about where the reports are supposed to be filed -- and get the money out quickly to the local governments.

Inland governments and others in communities with tribal casinos want the revenue to pay for new fire engines, firefighters, roadwork, emergency services and other needs. They could gain almost $10 million for this region if the distribution is approved.

"I challenge the governor to release it, to follow Sen. Battin's lead and let it go to the people," said Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs. "We're sharing and taking care of our neighbors."

Battin and other legislators and tribal leaders spoke optimistically about the proposal's prospects during a news conference Thursday outside the Banning police station. They gathered there to display fire engines, police cars and other items purchased with previously allocated money.

A spokesman for the governor said Schwarzenegger will consider the bill, but is concerned about making sure local governments account for how they will spend the money.

He already approved $30 million for the local governments in July. The $20 million he vetoed came from a surplus in the account, which is funded primarily by Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Vince Sollitto, a spokesman for the governor, said Thursday the administration still is researching whether the counties filed the reports properly and on time.

The state Gambling Control Commission is the agency that told the governor the counties had not submitted the reports, but the counties are not required to file with the commission.

Battin's draft legislation calls for requiring counties to send their reports to the commission, the state Department of Finance and the Legislature.

The legislation also would extend the existing law to 2020, when the gaming agreements expire for the tribes who fund the account. Currently, the law that lays out how the money is processed ends in 2009.

The deadline has passed for new legislation this session, but Battin plans to introduce it through a process known as "gut and amend." State Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny, D-San Diego, agreed to let him strip the language from one of her bills and replace it with Battin's casino-revenue bill. Battin said he will bring it before the Legislature during a four-week session that starts Aug. 15.

Lawmakers could meet with other resistance from Schwarzenegger, who previously called for taking money from the casino-revenue fund and using it to beef up the Gambling Control Commission.

The fund, created under gaming agreements that went into effect in 2000, can be used for gambling-addiction programs, grants to local governments affected by tribal casinos, state regulatory costs and to help non-gaming tribes.

Reach Michelle DeArmond at (951) 368-9441 or mdearmond@pe.com.

Bee Capitol Bureau - 08/11/2005

Lawmakers try to boost gaming funds

Local governments want $20 million to handle services needed when casinos go up.

By Jennifer M. Fitzenberger / Bee Capitol Bureau
(Updated Thursday, August 11, 2005, 5:55 AM)

SACRAMENTO - State lawmakers want to free up $20 million for local governments to deal with the effects of Indian casinos, such as clogged roads and increased calls for police and firefighters.

Lawmakers this year asked for $50 million from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to mitigate impacts of tribal gaming.

Gov. Schwarzenegger approved $30 million in the state budget, but he put $20 million on hold, saying he didn't have enough information about how the money is spent.

Roughly 25 counties - including Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Madera - receive money from the fund supplied with money from gaming tribes. The money pays for public safety, road maintenance and other local projects.

In his veto message, Schwarzenegger said local governments did not provide reports detailing how funds were spent in previous years. But Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, said reports had been filed and that a communication snafu led to the governor receiving wrong information.

Battin said the reports have since been delivered to the governor, and he now hopes Schwarzenegger will sign his legislation to restore the $20 million.

Last fiscal year, local governments received $30 million from the fund.

"I'm pretty confident we'll get it out of the Legislature quickly," Battin said of Senate Bill 288, which is in the process of being amended. "We've got to make sure we get the governor's support."

H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance, said that in future years the governor's administration wants to receive county spending reports in October, before the governor's budget proposal is released in January.

That way, Schwarzenegger will know how the money is being spent before deciding how much to make available.

Current law requires spending reports to be sent to the Legislature in April.

"If we do indeed move forward with a stand-alone bill, we'd like to have that fix," Palmer said.

Tribes give money to two state funds: the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, which gives slot-machine license fees to nongaming tribes, and the Special Distribution Fund, which sets aside a portion of gaming revenue for several purposes, including county reimbursement.

Each year, tribes in California pay about $100 million to the latter fund.

Valley tribes that contribute include Big Sandy and Table Mountain rancherias in Fresno County, Santa Rosa Rancheria in Kings County and Tule River Tribe in Tulare County.

Special Distribution Fund money is used for problem-gambling prevention programs, to help cover state regulatory costs and to support local governments affected by Indian casinos.

It also supplements the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund when license fees fall short of what nongaming tribes are supposed to receive.

Minus $30 million for local mitigation, the Special Distribution Fund has a balance of about $80 million. So lawmakers sought to give another $20 million to local governments.

"It's just sitting in the bank and not being spent," Battin said.

Valley officials said they'd love to receive extra Special Distribution Fund Money, which is distributed through special committees formed in each county.

In Tulare County, more money is requested for projects than is available, spokesman Eric Coyne said.

Last fiscal year, Tulare County received $410,265 from the fund. The money was used for several needs, including repairs on Reservation Road and the purchase a firetruck in Porterville.

"There is a home for twice as many dollars as are available," Coyne said.

Fresno County received $1.3 million from the fund last year. It was used to improve Friant Road; purchase tattoo-removal equipment for youths in juvenile hall; and buy supplies for a sheriff's drug- and gang-resistance program for kids.

Kings County, which received $536,500, upgraded firefighting services, and Madera County, which received $311,846, held school field trips and after-school programs and enhanced law-enforcement and firefighting services.

The reporter can be reached at jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com or (916) 326-5541.

TRIBAL LEADERS TO GOVERNOR: GIVE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS GAMING MONEY

Indian gaming has gone a long way to improve conditions at police, fire and rescue facilities in California, proponents of Indian gaming in that state said, and they staged a demonstration last week to prove it.

According to a report in Palm Springs' Desert Sun, tribal leaders and local officials from throughout the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire displayed public safety equipment to show what their share of casino gaming dollars has bought. Additionally, they called upon the governor to restore a $20 million appropriation from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to the state budget.

In signing a new state budget recently, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed $20 million out of $50 million in tribally paid funds that the Legislature had approved for 25 counties to use for public safety, traffic control and other services.

The new police and sheriff's vehicles, fire trucks and other public safety gear purchased with gaming funds is only a part of the story, Lynn Valbuena, a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, told the paper. Valbuena, who chairs the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, said the revenues also helped put 30 new sheriff's deputies and local police officers on Coachella Valley, Inland and Santa Barbara community streets.

The demonstration also served as the introduction to the Web site, www.StrongerCommunities.com, which will provide information about the Special Distribution Fund and offer a way for Californians to e-mail Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers to urge the $20 million be returned to the 2005-2006 state budget.

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund was created through the 1999 Tribal State Compact, and is fully funded by the 26 tribal governments that were operating more than 200 slot machines as of September 1999.

Proceeds from the funds are earmarked for programs that include local governments and special districts that are impacted by Indian gaming, gambling and addiction programs, regulatory costs and for providing revenues for nongaming tribes.

-Matt Connor

Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations - 08/4/2005

RELEASE: August 4, 2005

Source: Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations
Contact: Jacob Mejia, (951) 675-0586

TRIBAL GAMING HELPS TO PUT PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST
AS BENEFITS FLOW TO INLAND EMPIRE COMMUNITIES

New equipment, police recruits, children's programs
funded by tribal government gaming revenues

Banning, CA, August 4, 2005 - For one time only today, brand new police and sheriff's vehicles, fire trucks and other public safety equipment - all of it purchased with the proceeds of tribal gaming - will come together from all over the Riverside and San Bernardino area. State and local officials, fire and police chiefs, and tribal leaders will also be on hand to show first hand the public benefits from tribal gaming, and to urge the governor to take the necessary steps to make sure these funds continue to flow to local agencies.

The impressive assembly of public safety equipment is only part of what cities and county agencies throughout the Inland Empire have acquired with the funds that local tribal governments have contributed to the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund (SDF). Many of the 30 new sheriff's deputies and local police officers that have been hired with SDF support will also be on hand for today's event in Banning.

"Supporting our local communities has always been a priority for us," said Lynn Valbuena, a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians who chairs the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN) which sponsored the event. "We fought hard to get the funds we pay to the state returned to the local communities in order to put more police officers on the streets, enhance fire protection services, support children's programs and improve road conditions."

The event will take place Thursday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the police parking area of the Banning police station, located at 125 E Ramsey, Banning, CA 92220.

Funding for local governments from the SDF became available for the first time in 2003. A total of $13,002,725 was provided in the 2003/04 fiscal year to Inland and Santa Barbara communities to add 30 sheriff's deputies and police officers; purchase 21 fully-equipped police and sheriff's vehicles, two fire engines, an ambulance, and acquire breathing apparatuses for more than 100 firefighters. And that is only part of the list. See the attached detailed breakdown. Almost $16 million will be provided for communities in the three counties in the current fiscal year.

"These projects are only the beginning," said Patrick Murphy, Jr., TASIN Secretary and member of the Pechanga Development Corporation. "TASIN member tribes project their contributions to the SDF will exceed $1 billion through 2020."

Unfortunately, part of the SDF funding for the coming year has been stalled at the state level. At today's event, state lawmakers, tribal and local government leaders will call on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to restore a $20 million SDF appropriation for local governments that was inadvertently removed from the 2005-06 state budget. They will unveil a website (http://www.StrongerCommunities.com/) that will provide information about the SDF and include features that allow Californians to email Governor Schwarzenegger and state legislators to urge them to return these critical dollars for Southern California communities.

"Tribal governments in the Inland region have honored their commitments to their neighboring communities," said Marion Ashley, Chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. "We hope the governor will do the right thing and restore the funds so that we can continue to build on the progress we have made together."

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund was created through the 1999 Tribal-State Compact and is fully-funded by the 26 tribal governments that were operating more than 200 slot machines as of September 1999. Proceeds from the fund are earmarked for specific programs that include local governments and special districts impacted by tribal government gaming, gambling addiction programs, regulatory costs, and for providing critical revenues for non-gaming tribes.

Priorities for disbursements include local law enforcement, fire and other emergency services, environmental impacts, water supplies, behavioral health, land use, public health, roads, recreation, youth and child care programs.

"We're proud that our contributions are putting more police officers on the streets, enhancing fire protection services, and improving road conditions," commented Rosemary Morillo, Treasurer of TASIN and a Council Member for the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians.

"We're honoring our commitments under the compact and are helping to build stronger communities," stated Barbara Lyons, Vice Chairman of TASIN and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

NOTE TO TELEVISION NEWS EDITORS: Tribal leaders will be available for satellite interviews and b-roll footage will also be available through our satellite service, Media Link. Please contact Jacob Mejia at (951) 675-0586 for details.

NOTE TO PRINT EDITORS: Tribal leaders will be available for telephone interviews following the event. Photos from the event will also be available via e-mail. Contact Jacob Mejia at (951) 675-0586.

About the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations
The Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN) is an association of federally recognized tribal governments located within Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Barbara counties. It was formed in 1995 to protect and promote tribal sovereign governmental rights, as well as the cultural identity and interests of federally recognized tribes in the region. Since its inception, TASIN and member tribes have been at the forefront of nearly every major policy initiative in Indian Country.

# # #

Equipment and projects financed in the 2003/04 Fiscal Year for communities in Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Barbara Counties by the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund
(Arranged alphabetically by tribal government)

How a portion of Agua Caliente's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $42,597)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $121,951)

• Funded the addition of a sheriff's deputy and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

The City of Cathedral City (total: $78,002)

• Funded a portion of the purchase of 70 sets of protective "turnout" clothing and "wildland" firefighting boots
  
• Funded 12 pieces of firefighter cardio equipment

The City of Desert Hot Springs (total: $10,000)

• Funded 200 hours of police officer overtime dedicated to traffic enforcement

The City of Palm Springs (total: $897,062)

• Funded two uniformed police officers to serve as "Casino Officers"
  
• Purchased two police bicycles
  
• Purchased lap top computers for police department
  
• Purchased police radios and other necessary equipment
  
• Funded 50% of additional fire department staffing and a higher level of emergency medical service
  
• Funded a portion of the Palm Springs Police Drug Prevention Program
  
• Funded a portion of the "Downtown Experience"
  
• Funded 64% of a replacement fire engine
  
• Funded a civilian drug prevention officer in the Palm Springs Police Drug Prevention Program
  
• Funded one civilian PAL officer in the Palm Springs Police Activities League
  

The City of Rancho Mirage (total: $121,951)

• Provided reimbursement of Rancho Mirage casino police enforcement costs
  
• Funded the purchase of four vehicle mounted radar units and four handheld Lidar units and training for police officers not certified in the use of these units

How grants co-sponsored by the Augustine Band of Mission Indians are working (Note: these funds were made possible by the 20% non-nexus, non-paying portion of the SDF, which is paid for by Agua Caliente, Cabazon, Cahuilla, Morongo, Pechanga, Soboba and Twenty Nine Palms)
Riverside County Fire Department (total: $100,000)

• Funded the purchase of 25 new high pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity
  

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $528,244)

• Funded the addition of a sheriff's deputy per shift and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

Riverside County Transportation Department (total: $253,703)

• Paid for the installation of a traffic signal and addition of left turn lanes on Route 86

City of Coachella (total: $540,191)

• Funded an addition of a motorcycle officer 24 hours per day, seven days per week
  
• Funded a 42-hour shift for the Coachella Police Department
  
• Provided reimbursement for a portion of the cost of a traffic signal at Harrison and Avenue 54

City of Indio (total: $485,136)

• Funded a portion of the installation of a traffic signal and related work at the intersection of Indio Blvd. and Van Buren Street, including road widening at each leg to accommodate the full roadway
  
• Funded the development of the Indio Youth Master Plan that included costs associated with the Search Institute Youth Survey and aggregate report of middle and high school students; fees associated with consultants to monitor development of plan; expenses associated with community meetings, supplies, advertising and promotional events; personnel costs related to the Youth Coordinator position

City of La Quinta (total: $177,250)

• Funded the portion of a motor officer to assist with increased traffic

How a portion of Cabazon's contributions are working
City of Indio (total: $260,041)

• Funded a portion of a Type-I Ladder Truck

How a portion of Morongo's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $275,000)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos
  

Riverside County Emergency Medical Services (total: $450,000)

• Funded the placement of one ambulance staffed with one accredited Paramedic and one certified Emergency Medical Technician I at Casino Morongo

Riverside County Fire Department (total: $400,000)

• Funded the purchase of 100 new high-pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity. The larger cylinder allows firefighters to remain inside smoke-filled areas for an extra 15 minutes

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $528,244)

• Funded the addition of one sheriff's deputy per shift and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

Riverside County Transportation Department (total: $647,705)

• Financed modification and improvement of Main Street Interchange at I-10 that includes preparation of a project study report, development of a more refined construction cost estimate, and preparation of preliminary environmental work

City of Banning (total: $870,317)

• Purchased one new fire engine and associated fire suppression equipment
  
• Purchased six fully-equipped black and white units, three unmarked units, and two police motorcycles for the Banning Police Department. These purchases constitute a 40% increase in patrol vehicles for the Banning Police Department
  
• Purchased 15 handheld radios, 10 shotguns, and 10 handguns for the Banning Police Department
  
• Funded beautification and maintenance efforts on Ramsey Street

How a portion of Pechanga's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $340,979)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos

Riverside County Fire Department (total: $200,000)

• Funded the purchase of 50 new high-pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity. The larger cylinder allows firefighters to remain inside smoke-filled areas for an extra 15 minutes

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $541,450)

• Funded the addition of one sheriff's deputy per shift and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

City of Temecula (total: $1,804,049)

• Funded a portion of the Wolf Creek Fire Station
  
• Funded a portion of the I-15/State Route 79 South Interchange Project

How a portion of San Manuel's contributions are working
San Bernardino County Fire Department (total: $299,225)

• Funded a portion of the replacement of an ambulance, fire engine and equipment for the Havasu Landing area

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department: (total: $578,501)

• Funded the addition of five sheriffs deputies and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

City of Highland (total: $309,199)

• Funded street improvements to the intersection of Highland and Victoria

City of San Bernardino (total: $578,501)

• Funded the creation of a new "police beat" that included two fully-equipped police vehicles, seven officers and one sergeant
  
  

How a portion of Santa Ynez's contributions are working
Communities in Santa Barbara County (total: $1,104,559.42)

• Projects include sewer equipment for the Santa Ynez Community Services District, additional law enforcement, firefighter and paramedic personnel, and road improvements

How a portion of Soboba's contributions are working
Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $276,172)

• Funded the addition of three sheriff's deputies and a fully-equipped 4x4 patrol vehicle

City of San Jacinto (total: $276,142)

• Funded fire department services addressing casino-related needs. This contribution represents 6.25% of the fire department contract budget
  
• Funded completion of the design for the Ramona Expressway Road Improvement Project, including the reconstruction and minor widening of Ramona Expressway from State Street to Lake Park/Main Street
  
• Funded police department services related to casino incidents

How a portion of Twenty Nine Palm's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $38,434)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos

City of Coachella (total: $78,910)

• Funded the upgrade of a firefighter position to a paramedic position on each shift
  
• Increased police patrols during break periods (i.e., Friday and Saturday nights)

City of Indio (total: $78,910)

• Funded the purchase of up to 19 new high-pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity. The larger cylinder allows firefighters to remain inside smoke-filled areas for an extra 15 minutes

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 07/24/2005

New S.B. County prosecutor unit to focus on casinos

CRIMES: A prosecutor will take on cheats and those who victimize nearby residents.

12:54 AM PDT on Sunday, July 24, 2005

By RICHARD BROOKS / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - In terms of crime, an Indian casino near San Bernardino is similar to a small town, generating felonies and misdemeanors that range from trespassing and vandalism to car thefts and counterfeiting, officials say.

With 107 documented crimes last year in and around the casino, state officials have issued a $178,842 grant so that San Bernardino County district attorney's officials can assign a prosecutor full time to crimes reported at the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians' gambling parlor and the nearby neighborhood.

The money comes from a state fund designed to offset the costs that local governments incur because of Indian gaming. Tribes that run casinos pay into the fund, and nearby governmental agencies can apply for grants, many of which are for additional law enforcement.

The tribe fully supports this grant. There is no sense in making arrests if the resulting court cases aren't effectively prosecuted, said Jerry Paresa, the tribe's executive director of governmental operations.

In Riverside County, the district attorney created a Tribal Liaison unit in January. Its prosecutors have filed cases on more than 100 felonies and 100 misdemeanors, ranging from employee embezzlement and pickpockets to people who pass counterfeit cash and use devices that trick slot machines into paying off.

"I started filing cases about a week ago," said San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Carl LeBlanc. "So far, I've been doing a lot of (cases involving) drugs, identity theft, counterfeiting, some stolen cars."

LeBlanc plans to personally handle all felony prosecutions. But he'll also file the misdemeanor cases, which then will be prosecuted by other attorneys. Misdemeanors include trespassing on Indian land.

"San Manuel is a sovereign nation. They have a right to ban anyone they want," said LeBlanc. "If someone shows up (at the casino) drunk and belligerent, the tribe might throw them out and ban them.

"If they come back, they're arrested for trespassing, and we'll file the charge."

About a block from the casino, seven-year resident Sonya Scheffler is mainly concerned about the traffic congestion that she says the gambling Mecca has brought to her neighborhood.

But she likes the idea of a full-time criminal prosecutor for the area.

"Our vehicle was broken into and some change and some cassette tapes were stolen," Scheffler recalls. "We had a sago palm stolen off our front porch ... and our neighbor's house was broken into and jewelry was stolen."

Scheffler tells of men urinating in public and dumping alcoholic beverage containers in the street and on lawns.

Assistant District Attorney Jim Hackleman has heard many similar reports.

"These are the kinds of things that a community prosecutor can help" solve, he said.

The effort also will benefit the casino, he said.

"Las Vegas is very successful dealing with casino cheats," he said. "These people are finding better pickings in California. There's no one casino they focus on, but it's a growing concern."

Reach Richard Brooks at (909) 806-3057 or rbrooks@pe.com

Prosecutor grant

107 crimes in and around the San Manuel casino were reported last year

The district attorney has appointed a full-time prosecutor to handle those crimes

The cost is covered by a state grant

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 07/19/2005

Little time is left to receive cash

RESTORE: Legislators still say they'll get $20 million in Indian gaming money back from the state.

07:23 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 19, 2005

By KIMBERLY TRONE / The Press-Enterprise

COACHELLA - Two state lawmakers Monday said they intend to speed up legislation aimed at restoring $20 million in Indian gaming revenue to communities affected by casinos.

Gov. Schwarzenegger slashed from $50 million to $30 million the amount of gaming revenue Riverside, San Bernardino and other counties would receive in this year's budget. The cut cost Riverside County an estimated $8.5 million and San Bernardino County about $1.2 million.

With the legislative session scheduled to end Sept. 9, the lawmakers told members of the Riverside County Tribal Task Force on Monday that they are working against the clock.

"We have a 2 ½ week period to mount some pressure," Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, said. "We don't want $20 million to get raided by the state down the road."

Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, said he and Garcia hope to identify an existing bill that could be amended to restore the money to local governments.

The money generated by tribal gaming is used to help cities and counties pay for public safety and road improvements.

In addition to restoring the funding, Battin said their bill would spell out where county governments are supposed to send reports on how gaming revenue is spent.

Riverside County sent its report to a number of state agencies but did not send it to the California Gambling Control Commission. Nothing specifies that county reports must go to the commission, Battin said.

As a result, Battin said, the governor cut $20 million for the county and some smaller California counties whose reports did not reach the commission.

"You're going to get the money. It's just a matter of time," Battin pledged.

Cathedral City Councilman Greg Pettis said Republican and Democratic legislators failed to educate the governor about the importance of the gaming revenue and to head off problems with this year's allocations.

On Monday, some tribal leaders said they were skeptical that the $20 million would make its way back to the local level.

"I am not confident about much," said Maurice Lyons, chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. "I will believe it when I see it."

Reach Kimberly Trone at (951) 368-9456 or ktrone@pe.com

Sacramento Bureau - 07/12/2005

Inland snubbed on budget

CUT: The governor vetoes money lawmakers added to pay costs associated with tribal casinos.

12:01 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 12, 2005

By JIM MILLER / Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - Inland local governments will lose out on almost $10 million for dealing with increased traffic and other burdens of tribal casinos because of a paperwork dispute with the Schwarzenegger administration.

Last week, lawmakers sent Gov. Schwarzenegger a budget bill that allocated $50 million in casino revenue to Riverside and San Bernardino counties and other communities affected by tribal gaming -- $20 million more than last year.

On Monday, Schwarzenegger signed the $117.3 billion spending plan -- minus the additional tribal gaming money. Administration officials said the reduction stemmed from local governments' failing to explain how they spent the roughly $30 million they received last year.

Inland officials and tribal leaders reacted angrily to the reduction. Riverside County would have received an estimated $8.5 million of the $20 million under a 2004 funding formula, while San Bernardino would have gained about $1.2 million.

The county has turned in all of the necessary reports on time, said Supervisor Roy Wilson, chairman of the county committee that distributes the money to cities and county agencies.

"We're dumbfounded. If that is the reason, he is getting some bad staff advice," Wilson said.

Under the 2004 law, counties need to tell the Legislature by April 1 how they spent the casino mitigation money. Riverside County projects in 2004-05 included purchasing fire trucks, new traffic signals, and hiring prosecutors to focus on crimes committed on Indian reservations.

Administration officials gave the following timeline:

On April 29, the California Gambling Commission checked with the Legislature to learn which county reports had arrived. Officials were told none had.

Meanwhile, a Senate budget committee increased the casino mitigation money from $30 million to $50 million.

Because of the missing county reports, however, the administration decided there was no justification for the $20 million increase.

But Riverside County spokesman Ray Smith said the county sent its report to several state offices by express mail on March 31. Return receipts show the packages arriving early April 1, he said.

Inland tribal leaders criticized the governor's action.

"This $20 million reduction is unfair to local governments and seems unsubstantiated," said Lynn Valbuena, chairwoman of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Nations and a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

"Tribal and local government leaders worked very hard to secure disbursement of these monies for police, fire, traffic relief, and other critical services. We will continue our efforts to secure this appropriation for our local communities," she said.

The money stems from a statewide fund created by the 1999 compacts that legalized Las Vegas-style gaming in California.

Most gaming tribes -- including seven in Riverside County and one in San Bernardino County -- pay into the account. A 2004 law directs some of the money from the fund to surrounding communities. Other money goes to non-gaming tribes and to run the state's compulsive gambling program.

In 2004-05, Riverside County received $12.7 million of the $28.5 million distributed to counties. San Bernardino County received $1.8 million.

Monday, Riverside County officials estimated that they would have received about $8.5 million of the additional $20 million, if it had been part of the budget. San Bernardino County would have received about $1.2 million.

The additional $20 million inserted into the budget last week reflected a surplus in the Indian gaming fund, known as the special distribution fund.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, authored the 2003 law.

"Those funds are restricted. So not funding it just leaves a surplus in there," Battin said.

"I can't speak for the other counties. But I know Riverside County has been real good about filing," he said.

Contact Jim Miller at (916) 445-9973 or jmiller@pe.com

Budget signed

Highlights of the 2005-06, $117.3 billion state budget:

Includes no new taxes and no new borrowing.

Reduces the expected deficit in 2006-07 to $7.5 billion.

Spends $61 billion on education, including K-12 and higher education, and increases per-pupil funding to more than $10,000.

Adds $1.3 billion for road projects.

The final budget bill was trimmed by $190 million through line-item vetoes by Schwarzenegger.

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/28/2005

Tribe signs contract with police agency

SOBOBA: This could be the first such official agreement in the state of California.

11:50 PM PDT on Tuesday, June 28, 2005

By WES WOODS II / The Press-Enterprise

The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department signed a contract for police services Tuesday that could be the first official agreement between an Indian tribe and a law enforcement agency in California.

"That's our understanding," Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle said in a telephone interview Tuesday evening. The contract takes effect Friday.

Doyle said the San Diego Police Department had one officer acting as a liaison to various Indian tribes, but this was the first contract signed for police services.

Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. Doyle said the contract was for five years with a one-year-out clause if either party wants to cancel it.

There will be two deputy sheriffs assigned to the reservation who will work 80 hours a week. The contract will cost the tribe approximately $387,000 a year, he said.

Doyle said the tribe approached the department to discuss "supplemental enforcement" in fall 2004.

"This is new territory. That's one of the reasons it took a long time," he said.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department had been negotiating with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians for similar services, Doyle said.

"They got busy and they expanded their casino operations and hotel. Currently, there are no active meetings going on regarding that service," he said.

He added that the department has an arrangement that is not contractual where the Morongo Band of Mission Indians pays the department for additional services on their reservation through "an extra duty situation."

Reach Wes Woods II at (760) 837-4405 or wwoods@pe.com

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/8/2005

Cal State project adds finishing touch

SAN BERNARDINO: The San Manuel tribe helped fund the $18-million student center.

11:36 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 8, 2005

By LISA B. McPHERON / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - At least 150 people were on hand Wednesday afternoon to see the last beam installed in Cal State San Bernardino's Santos Manuel Student Union building.

The topping-out ceremony commemorated the work that has gone into the $18 million endeavor and the $1 million contribution the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians made toward the construction project.

"It's really a historical event here to have the center named after him," said James Ramos, great-great-grandson of Santos Manuel.

On most college campuses the student union is often the heart of student activity. The renovations will more than double the size of the pre-existing building.

It's a great honor that the building is named after Santos Manuel who, with his tribe, was forced out of the San Bernardino Mountains by militia forces from San Bernardino in 1866, Ramos said.

"Our leader Santos Manuel, his name, is going to live on in an educational institution," Ramos said.

Ed Crisostomo / The Press-Enterprise
Albert Karnig, Cal State San Bernardino's president, speaks to the audience at the Santos Manuel Student Union's topping-out cere-mony. Funding for the structure came, in part, from a campus fee.

Funding for the project predominantly came from a campus fee increase students approved in 2001.

Alise Clouser, a 24-year-old master's student, was working on her bachelor's degree when she voted for the student fee hike.

Like many others Wednesday, Clouser signed her name to the 3,000-pound beam before ironworkers used a crane to raise it to the roof.

"Since I've have been here since '98, I get to see all this great stuff," she said, also referring to new student parking, housing and a recreation center.

The student union will have a 200-seat theater, meeting rooms and a large atrium.

Construction

Cal State San Bernardino's Santos Manuel Student Union is expected to open in November.

The renovations cost $18

million and will more than double the size of the original student union center.

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donated $1 million for construction, $1 million for diversity programs housed at the union and $1 million for student scholarships.

Source: Cal State San Bernardino Public Affairs Office

Desert Sun Sacramento Bureau - 02/2/2005

Tribal deals fall far short of projections
Governor predicted $300 million in revenue this year, but challenge to compacts clogs gains

Jake Henshaw
Desert Sun Sacramento Bureau
February 2, 2005

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Tribal gambling hasn't turned out so far to be the economic boon for the state that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once predicted, and senators will be asking why in a hearing Wednesday.
The governor had predicted that the state would get $300 million this year in revenue from deals with five tribes and that they also would back a bond to provide $1billion for transportation projects.

Instead, the state now expects to get $16 million this year and another $34 million next year in fees from new slot machines installed under the renegotiated agreements known as compacts.

The transportation bond is hung up because of a lawsuit challenging the way the compacts were approved by the Legislature. Until the court case is resolved, the bond can't be sold, according to the treasurer.

Gene Raper, a consultant for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of Palm Springs, said the compacts renegotiated so far have had "zero" impact on gambling tribes in the Coachella Valley.

"The governor has made a very big deal that he negotiated these compacts and made these promises and I look forward to seeing if they are going to come true," said Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, chair of the Governmental Organization Committee that will conduct the hearing.

State finance and gambling officials, including Treasurer Phil Angelides and representatives of the governor, are scheduled to testify.

The revised, lower revenue estimates are the result of a "better estimating methodology," said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance.

"The governor would like them (legislators) to focus on urgent issues facing California like his reforms rather than second guessing good faith estimates," added Vince Sollitto, a spokesman for the governor.

But Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band, who has been at odds with the Schwarzenegger over gambling policies, said the real problem is the governor overreached.

"It's just like we've been saying all along, the money they were expecting is not there," Milanovich said.

Under the original 1999 compacts that govern most casinos, tribes don't have to pay anything to the state, though they do pay to help small and nongambling tribes and to offset the impact of their casinos on nearby communities.

Schwarzenegger has negotiated new or revised compacts with 10 tribes requiring them to pay the state for the first time in return for the chance to operate more slot machines than the 2,000 allowed for each tribe under the original compacts.

Eight of the compacts have been approved by state and federal officials and a ninth compact is still pending with federal officials, according to the Gambling Control Commission.

A 10th compact, which would lead to the state's first urban Indian casino, has been controversial and is still awaiting legislative approval.

The governor's staff has said he's still negotiating with other tribes, but so far has not been able to reach additional agreements.

Several tribes like the Agua Caliente and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians have offered to negotiate new compacts to pay the state but have been unwilling to accept the governor's nonrevenue terms giving the state and local officials a greater role in casino and off-reservation operations.

The Agua Caliente and Morongo last fall backed an unsuccessful ballot initiative to expand tribal gambling on reservations while requiring tribes to pay the equivalent of the state corporate tax.

Despite criticism from the governor during the 2004 campaign that tribes were ripping off the state, Milanovich Tuesday said his and other tribes still are willing to discuss new compact terms that could help the state with revenue and allow tribes to meet market opportunities.

"Tribes don't have bad feelings against anybody, especially the governor," Milanovich said. "Tribes don't understand why he can't sit down and discuss (issues) with us."

Palmer said gambling tribes with renegotiated compacts are on schedule with payments to the state that include $7.1 million to the general treasury and $2.6 million to small and nongambling tribes.

The first five tribes to renegotiate compacts also paid $25.2 million as required by Jan. 1 as a quarterly payment toward the $100 million they owe annually to support the $1 billion bond that the governor wants to use to repay loans from transportation accounts to balance the state budget.

"We have received all that and it is in the bank," said Fred Klass of the Department of Finance. "The tribes were very timely."

Howard Dickstein, attorney for several tribes with renegotiated compacts, said tribes have met their obligations as far as he knew and that the hearing isn't about the tribes.

Florez agreed, though he said interested tribes could comment today if they wish.

But Florez said he wants to take an especially close look at the bond since it could affect the timing of 109 highway projects.

Angelides has said the actual yield from the bonds is likely to be closer to $800 million for transportation.

As an alternative for transportation funding while litigation is pending, the treasurer has suggested selling $1.2 billion still unused from the $15 billion bond sold last year to balance the budget.

The administration hasn't endorsed this approach.

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 01/01/2005

No stopping Inland growth

Analysts see bright spots in housing, jobs, retail

Inland Southern California's economic boom isn't expected to go bust in 2005.

Strong home sales, job growth and retail expansion that marked 2004 should continue throughout the new year, according to economic forecasters.

Here is a look at what likely will dominate business news for the next 12 months:

Housing Boom Stays Strong

Most real estate analysts predict the Inland housing market will remain strong in 2005, although an unexpected sharp jump in interest rates could upset their forecasts.

"The lynchpin of the market is interest rates," said Robert Kleinhenz, senior economist for the California Association of Realtors, noting that any big increase in interest rates could discourage buyers.

Kleinhenz said he is expecting no more than a 1-percen- tage-point increase in mortgage rates. He predicts that will slow home sales by about 2.5 percent statewide, less in the Inland region, which continues to have one of the hottest housing markets in the nation.

Analysts say the Inland area's strong job growth and generous availability of lower-cost land that produces lower-priced homes give it an advantage over the rest of the region. As a result, home builders and buyers continue to pour in from the coastal counties, especially San Diego and Orange counties.

This upcycle is lasting far longer than normal for the real estate industry, Kleinhenz said, in part because of the demand from aging and affluent baby boomers throughout Southern California for move-up houses and second homes in the desert and mountains.

John Karevoll, an analyst for DataQuick Information Systems, said his firm suspects that nonincome sources of wealth, such as the cashing in of home equity, are providing the sustaining momentum.

Karevoll said he still believes that the 30 percent appreciation in housing values that the Inland region saw in 2004 cannot be sustained and will fall to the high teens next year.

Steve Johnson, a director of MetroStudy, a Riverside-based real estate consultant, said he expects the inventory of resale houses, which has expanded greatly since June, will keep growing as would-be sellers seek to cash in equity. He predicts that competition from the resale market will cause builders to limit their price increases to the single digits.

"Next year we anticipate a5 percent to 6 percent increase in the median price of new homes in the Inland Empire," Johnson said. He also said first-time buyers will find opportunity in 2005 as builders break ground with more condominium and high density housing priced below $300,000.

Airport Developments

Inland airports should see a construction boom as large companies build distribution centers in 2005.

Stater Bros. Markets, the Inland region's largest private employer, plans to start construction on its 1.2 million-square-foot headquarters and distribution center near San Bernardino International Airport. The 160-acre project is expected to employ 2,500 people and reach 2.2 million square feet upon build out.

The airport, formerly Norton Air Force Base, also should see the construction of the 600,240-square-foot Pep Boys automotive-parts distribution center at the AllianceCalifornia industrial park adjacent to the airport.

To the west, retailer Target will build a 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in Rialto near the city's municipal airport.

In 2005, package delivery company DHL will be building its air hub at March Air Reserve Base with developer March GlobalPort and the base's civilian joint-powers authority. The 382,000-square-foot project is expected to open by the end of the year, according to Gregory Diodati, managing partner for the airport's private developer, March GlobalPort.

DHL will be working in the next few months with Riverside County as the company hires a work force of 300.

The DHL hub likely will make the hot real estate along Interstate 215 even hotter as development companies like Majestic and Lennar start to build their projects.

"The whole 215 corridor will become very valuable because of the proximity to the hub," Diodati said.

More Upscale Retail on Way

Popular retail chains are expected to continue discovering Riverside and San Bernardino counties in 2005.

Among those to arrive this year at the recently opened Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga: The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Sisley Italian Kitchen, Sephora and White House/Black Market. All are new to the Inland Empire.

Fifteen miles south on Interstate 15, the planned Dos Lagos retail center in Corona is expected to take off with tenant announcements early in the year, according to city and company officials. Hopes for the more than 500,000-square-foot project include high-end retailers, such as Williams-Sonoma, that once ignored the Inland area.

In Riverside, the planned 800,000-square-foot Canyon Crossings should announce its leases this year and start construction on a Wal-Mart Supercenter, said Michael Beck, assistant city manager. The center, which sits at the junction of Interstate 215 and Highway 60, is surrounded by several retailers that have popped up in the past year or two, including Pier 1 Imports, Target and Lowe's.

What was the Villaggio in downtown Riverside should re-emerge in 2005 as a four-block project made up of shops, restaurants and upstairs condominiums. Four proposals to develop the downtown area along Market Street, from Mission Inn Avenue to Fifth Street, are being reviewed by city officials.

By the end of 2005, construction should be close to starting on the project's first phase, Beck said.

Which stores will make up the expansion at Riverside's Galleria at Tyler mall should be revealed by this summer, said marketing director Paula Emanuele. Construction on the $65 million addition, called The Shops at Tyler, should start shortly after.

The Shops will add another 200,000 square feet to the Galleria, making it Riverside County's largest mall. Emanuele has said the new stores and restaurants will be of Williams-Sonoma and P.F. Chang's China Bistro caliber.

After years of struggling to attract shoppers and keep its tenants, the Moreno Valley Mall will add a 16-screen movie theater by Arizona-based Harkins late in 2005. The theater, already under construction, will take up a space long intended to be the mall's fifth major tenant.

"We think once the theater opens up, that will help with the leasing," Emanuele said.

The first stages of a major remodel of the Redlands Mall, purchased this year by General Growth, are expected to get underway this year. Much of the enclosed mall would be converted to open-air with about 60,000 square feet added to its existing 186,000, said Ralph Megna, the city's redevelopment advisor.

Like the Galleria, the Redlands Mall addition should draw the Restoration Hardwares of the world, Megna said. He expects construction to start in 2006.

Job Growth Seen

Job creation in San Bernardino and Riverside counties moved closer to where it needs to be in 2004, and the early estimates are it will continue that climb in 2005.

Economists say the two-county region needs about 35,000 new jobs a year to keep current and future residents working locally and not clogging the freeway to other areas. The Inland Empire added about 30,000 new jobs last year and should do a little better in 2005.

The region is expected to keep adding coveted technical and managerial positions. According to the state's statistics, this seemed to be happening in the fall of 2004.

As more people with jobs paying $50,000 to $100,000 move east to escape astronomical housing costs on the coast, Inland economists say, employers will be increasingly likely to follow with offices and labs.

The Inland Empire Economic Partnership, under new leadership that took over last year, will attempt to flood the national media with Inland nuggets in 2005, hoping to attract these good jobs. But officials don't expect the campaign to yield new companies until 2006 or 2007.

On the Workers' Comp Front

Employers enter 2005 with hopes that workers' compensation insurance reforms of the last year yield promised savings.

Insurance premiums have soared since the late 1990s to more than double the former rates. By last year, workers' compensation costs in California were the highest in the nation by far and more than twice the national average.

Seeking to slash costs, Gov. Schwarzenegger pressed legislators to pass a sweeping reform bill. The new rules, which critics say will strip away worker protections, passed in April but have yet to yield significant savings to businesses.

On average, insurers are reducing rates by about 5 percent or less heading into 2005. Experts say it could take several years for the savings to fully reach businesses. Proponents of last year' reform bill said they sought to reduce costs in the$20 billion-per-year system by at least $5 billion.

Some lawmakers and opponents of last year's reforms are urging additional legislation, including rate controls, if data in 2005 suggests that insurers are pocketing money saved from reductions in workers' compensation benefits to injured employees.

Recovery at Inland Airport

Ontario International Airport will enter 2005 after posting record-breaking passenger numbers in 2004.

The result marks the first time that the airport will show it has fully recovered from the terror attacks and economic recession of 2001 that hurt air travel nationwide.

The airport should get a further boost for its future.

In the coming year, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to approve the controversial master plan for Los Angeles International Airport.

Experts say the plan, which includes a growth cap for the airport, will shift more emphasis to Ontario International. Los Angeles World Airports, which owns both airfields, also is working on a master plan for Ontario.

The master plan will guide development at Ontario International for the next two decades. By 2030, the airport is projected to handle approximately 30 million passengers per year.

The Guidant Takeover

Over the past 20 years, a lot of mergers have translated into bad news for employees, particularly those of companies bought out by larger firms.

For that reason, a lot of eyes are on Temecula in 2005, where Guidant Corp. employs about 3,000 people. It's one of the largest Inland Southern California work forces under one roof, and it will become a Johnson & Johnson Inc. property if the $25.4 billion buyout closes, probably in the third quarter.

Ronald Dollens, Guidant's president and chief executive, who plans to retire when the deal closes, publicly said the Temecula plant, which makes bare-metal stents, will be a critical asset for J&J.

Guidant workers know how to manufacture bare stents. J&J is further advanced in the production of the drug-coated stents and already owns a subsidiary that makes them. It remains to be seen whether company officials believe there'll be too much overlap within the merged firms and whether it makes sense to trim any operations.

Changing Face of Banking

As Inland Southern California grows, small- and medium-size banks have become the target of larger companies and megabanks that want an Inland presence. But with few homegrown banks left, it has become harder to find takeover targets.

Nevertheless, a couple of Inland banks could find it difficult to turn down attractive buyout offers in 2005, so the industry could lose even more local institutions.

At the same time, two banking groups - one in Riverside and one in Palm Desert - began the process of forming new institutions in late 2004. If all goes well, they might get state regulatory approval in 2005 and open for business in 2006.

One interesting development will be the metamorphosis of the former Valley Bank from a small Moreno Valley institution into the lynchpin of an effort by Mexican banking giant BBVA Bancomer to penetrate the U.S. Hispanic market.

Next year will also see more aggressive growth by area credit unions, especially the two largest, Arrowhead Credit Union and Altura Credit Union, which are offering more services to a greater variety of people in order to compete with banks.

A Strong RV Market

The $12 billion recreational vehicle industry, which struggled though the 1990s, appears to be in the midst of a rebound that isn't expected to end anytime soon.

While 2004 saw high gas prices and weather-related setbacks in the form of four successive hurricanes in Florida, overall revenue numbers are high and wholesale RV shipments are expected to set a quarter-century record of nearly 365,000 units.

Industry trade groups, manufacturers and retailers say the boom began after Sept. 11, 2001, when more American travelers decided to stay closer to home.

The trend has continued as baby boomers have begun to retire with money to spend.

Riverside-based Fleetwood Enterprises, once of the nation's largest RV makers, said it expects to earn a profit at the end of its 2005 fiscal year, while Moreno Valley-based Thor California, part of Ohio's Thor Industries, is earning record income.

Perris-based National RV Holdings, while going through some changes, also will work on making improvements to its bottom line in 2005.

Tribal Gaming to Stay Hot

A massive wave of expansion at American Indian-owned casinos and resorts took hold in 2004 as four tribes - Pechanga, Morongo, Cabazon and San Manuel - completed or nearly completed major projects throughout the Inland area.

Next year could see more growth from the Torres-Martinez tribe, which is building a small casino and truck stop near Coachella; the Soboba Band, which just bought a golf course near San Jacinto, where it will consider building a hotel; and the Twentynine Palms Band, which has been mulling expansion of the Trump 29 Casino.

There is no question that tribes in Riverside and San Bernardino counties have become major job creators, employing thousands of people.

But working conditions will continue to be debated, both by labor unions, which would like to organize more casinos, and by state government, which made the subject a priority in negotiating recent gaming compacts in other counties.

Desert Economy to Bloom

While the nine cities in the Coachella Valley are very different, they all will struggle with how to manage their astounding growth in 2005.

Some of the biggest issues will arise in Palm Springs, which is preparing for the completion of a greatly expanded convention center and the possibility of major new development by the Agua Caliente tribe just east of downtown.

Palm Desert could see a lot of development around the planned Desert Gateway, a controversial 700,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and the growing campus that includes extension buildings belonging to UC Riverside and Cal State San Bernardino.

Both Coachella and Indio, which has a new mayor, will continue to see an influx of new residents looking for more affordable housing on the eastern end of the valley.

Indio will continue to be a player in the world of economic development as well, having lured several companies away from nearby cities in 2004.

Unions to Get Aggressive

The 99 Cents Only Stores Inc. is sort of a Wal-Mart Lite. The Southern California-based deep discounter has a steady flow of customers - and 18 Inland stores - but nothing near the power of world's largest retailer.

Wal-Mart has used this power to remain virtually impenetrable by unions across America. Not so 99 Cents Only Stores, which signed a contract with Teamsters-represented truck drivers on Dec. 19.

Next year, the Teamsters plan to organize workers at four of the chain's distribution centers.

Teamsters leaders say a coordinated effort will be mounted with the United Food and Commercial Workers, which wants to unionize store shelf stockers and cashiers.

99 Cents Only Stores had a troubled 2004, falling far short of earnings projections. Its CEO, who founded the company, is not in good health and is retiring.

Another labor situation will concern the major grocery chains. The contracts with Teamsters warehouse workers expire in October.

The tenor of the negotiations might indicate how well Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons have recovered from the disastrous 2003-04 strike, and how much clout organized labor still carries.

Staff writers Leslie Berkman, Adam Eventov, Paul Herrera, Jack Katzanek, Jonathan Shikes and Devona Wells contributed to this report.

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 11/11/2004

Pechanga casino doubles down

GROWTH: The expanded resort employs 5,100, the county's second-largest private work force.

By ROCKY SALMON / The Press-Enterprise

PECHANGA INDIAN RESERVATION - When the Pechanga Resort & Casino opened in 2002, tribal members sent out news releases, offered tours and posted billboards along the freeways.

Things were a lot quieter Wednesday when the tribe officially opened an expansion that more than doubled the casino's floor space.

The addition makes the resort the second-largest private employer in Riverside County, trailing only the 5,600 of Colton-based Stater Bros. Markets, according to the 2004 Book of Lists, as published by the Business Press.

"Yesterday, Pechanga employed over 3,200 Californians and contributed $460 million to California's economy," said Mark Macarro, tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, in an e-mail.

"With our new expansion opening today, Pechanga now employs over 5,100 people and will contribute over $500 million of economic impact to California's economy. This is great for California's economy."

The 100,000-square-foot addition includes a bar, a steakhouse, a cafeteria-style dining area, hundreds of slot machines and card tables. It also has video-lottery machines whose legality has sparked a debate with the state.

The casino was built in 2002 and had an 88,000-square-foot casino area, with 2,000 slot machines and 85 table games. The 14-story hotel has 522 rooms.

The expansion extends toward Pechanga Parkway, and the central area has an elevated bar overlooking the casino floor. The second floor houses a poker room.

Jennie Schultz met a few friends at the casino for food and gambling. She wandered into the new area before sitting at a slot machine.

"It's so bright," the 29-year-old Riverside woman said of the casino..

"I feel like I am in Vegas, and it's a shorter drive."

Frank O'Connell was looking over the new steakhouse's menu.

His wife began clapping when she spotted the nonsmoking section.

"This is top-notch," the 58-year-old San Diego man said.

"I wouldn't even have known this was new except for everyone telling me."

Staff writer Tim O'Leary contributed to this report.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/22/2004

DA to add prosecution team

TRIBAL LAND: Money from a casino-impact fund aids the effort against crimes on Indian land.

By BETTYE WELLS MILLER / The Press-Enterprise

Crimes that occur or begin on Riverside County's Indian reservations soon will be prosecuted by a special team in the district attorney's office, thanks to a $697,000 grant from Inland gaming tribes.

That grant is one of several totaling more than $4.7 million the county Board of Supervisors accepted from the Riverside County Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee on Tuesday.

Legislation enacted last year established a method for distributing $25 million from a special fund that gaming tribes finance to reduce the impacts of their casinos. Local governments apply for funding through local committees.

"Our intent is to handle all Indian crime," District Attorney Grover Trask said of the special unit the grant will fund.

The team will be a model for other California counties, he said in a telephone interview.

"This is not just about gaming and its impact on public service," Trask said. "It's much broader in dealing with all crime coming off Indian lands."

California is one of six states the federal government authorized to handle law enforcement on Indian reservations. But tribes asserting their sovereignty have not always cooperated with local law enforcement agencies trying to investigate crimes or serve subpoenas on reservations, Trask said.

Some crimes leave reservations, he said, such as when people drink too much in a casino and crash a vehicle outside tribal boundaries, or when thieves follow casino patrons into residential areas and rob them.

"What we're seeing with nine casinos in Riverside County is thousands of people utilizing gaming facilities," he said. "This creates, unfortunately, a haven for criminal activity, whether it's drugs, gaming, theft or prostitution."

The special prosecution unit will be operational by September, Trask said.

Other county recipients of gaming grants include:

The Sheriff's Department, which will receive $1,996,061. The department will add 19 deputies and at least six vehicles to patrol around several of the major casinos.

The Transportation Department, which will get $901,408. That money will fund engineering work to reconstruct the Interstate 10-Main Street interchange east of Casino Morongo in Cabazon and to install traffic signals on Highway 86 at Avenue 62 in Coachella, George Johnson, director of transportation said by phone. "We didn't have any funding for either one of these projects," Johnson said.

The county Fire Department, which was awarded $700,000 to buy 175 high-pressure, self-contained air tanks for firefighters assigned to stations near casinos and their resorts. Fire Chief Tom Tisdale said by phone that the new tanks will triple the amount of time firefighters can battle blazes inside smoke-filled buildings.

The public health department, which will receive $450,000 for an ambulance and crew that will be based at Casino Morongo.

"Each casino averages over 200 calls per year" for medical aid, Susan Harrington, director of public health, said by phone. The addition of a fourth ambulance in the Pass area will improve response times, she said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/17/2004

City gets casino impact aid

SAN JACINTO: The $276,000 from an Indian tribe fund is designed to help area communities.

By HAN KWAK / The Press-Enterprise

SAN JACINTO - San Jacinto was awarded more than $276,000 from an Indian gaming fund earlier this week to help offset the effects of the neighboring Soboba Casino.

The money will be used toward San Jacinto police and fire services as well as help fund the Ramona Expressway design.

"We're right next to them, so we have a direct impact," Mayor Jim Ayres said.

Ayres said the tribe supported giving the money.

San Jacinto was one of many cities, along with Riverside County, to share about $10.3 million from a special distribution fund in which Riverside County tribes that operate casinos participate.

The aim of the fund is to help offset impacts on communities that are neighbors of casinos. A percentage of gaming profits is set aside for the fund.

Ayres said the money strengthens the relationship between the city and the casino.

"It's a shared responsibility that we have with Soboba," Ayres said, adding he didn't believe San Jacinto could have gotten as much money without Soboba support.

A representative of the Soboba Tribal Council could not be reached for comment.

The San Jacinto City Council and the tribal council will hold a meeting Thursday to discuss development issues.

Unincorporated Riverside County that borders the Soboba Indian Reservation got an amount matching the city's.

Almost $60,000 of San Jacinto's $276,000 award will go to repaving parts of Ramona Expressway, which motorists use to get to the casino.

About $56,000 will be spent on fire services, and $160,123 will be allocated for police services.

Rick Hoffman, legislative assistant for Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, said he did not think Hemet received a portion of the fund.

"You actually have to border the reservation," Hoffman said. East Hemet is technically unincorporated Riverside County.

Hoffman said this is the fund's first year, and that providing the money will be an annual process.

"I think the (Indian gaming tribes) recognized their impacts and stepped up to minimize them," Hoffman said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/15/2004

Casino profits allotted

SPECIAL FUND: Proceeds will help offset the effects of Indian gaming on nearby communities.

By STEVE MOORE / The Press-Enterpise

Temecula gets about $1.4 million for improving an interchange at Interstate 15/Highway 79.

Banning gets about $803,000 for a new fire engine, squad cars and everything from shotguns to hand-held radios.

And Riverside County gets money for more deputies, district attorneys and to outfit firefighters with the latest self-contained breathing apparatus.

It's all part of money awarded Monday from gaming profits set aside in a special fund to offset the effects of tribal casinos on neighboring communities. A committee of tribes and municipal and county officials determined the allotments and announced them at a meeting Monday in Banning.

In all, about $10.3 million has been awarded this year from a special distribution fund that pays for police and fire services, road improvements and emergency medical services.

Cities and Riverside County were grateful for the money, which will be available by the end of the month.

Riverside County got 46 percent and cities received 54 percent of the funds.

Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley said after the meeting at Banning City Hall: "I'm very satisfied with the monies we received. This is a very robust start."

Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden said the gaming proceeds will save the jobs of six firefighters and add to police officers at a time when his city is considering how to cut costs.

But some say the money isn't enough to offset increased traffic, additional demands for more police and fire protection and other effects of Indian gaming.

Cheryl Schmit heads Stand Up For California, a watchdog group on statewide gambling issues.

"Ten million dollars might sound like a big number to a lot of folks, but it's just a drop in the bucket," she said by phone. "That's not enough money to cover all the impacts."

Schmit says the whole process of tribes awarding grants to city and county governments "makes a charity out of local government" and forces them to "go begging hat-in-hand" to the Indians.

"It's not a fair, balanced or just process," she said.

City and county officials at Monday's meeting said they don't feel beholden to the tribes. They said a good relationship exists with tribal governments. And they pointed out it's the first year the gaming funds have been distributed.

"I think the city of Banning has a very strong working relationship with the Morongo tribe," said Banning Mayor Art Welch.

"Could we have used more money? Absolutely."

Many look forward to more money in the future.

Tribes began paying into the state-managed account in 2002. They pay on a percentage basis based on the number of slotmachines they had as of Sept. 1, 1999.

The top two payments came from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians at about $4 million and the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians at about $3.7 million, officials said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 05/25/2004

First casino awards made

GAMING: The bulk of the $10.4 million impact fund will not be allocated to local projects until June.

By STEVE MOORE / The Press-Enterprise

BANNING - The big pot could be awarded next month.

Cities and Riverside County got a small portion Monday of $10.4 million in casino profits set aside in a special fund to offset the effects of tribal casinos on neighboring communities.

A committee of city, county and tribal representatives awarded a total of $456,296 from the Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians.

Money went for everything from helping Indio build a new fire station to funding district attorney's office liaison/coordinators who will work with tribes. The money should be received by late June, officials said.

Committee members scheduled a 3 p.m. meeting for June 14 at Banning City Hall to consider awarding nearly $10 million left in the special distribution fund.

Further study will be done before awarding the money, including discussions with tribes that sponsored various projects, said County Supervisor Roy Wilson. He is the chairman of the group making the awards, the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee.

Tribes began paying into the state-managed account in 2002. Money in the fund goes for such needs as police and fire protection, road improvements, and emergency medical services.

On Monday, the committee delayed awarding money from the tribes that have paid the most into the special fund.

Topping the list at $3.96 million is the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, followed by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians at $3.6 million, records show.

The committee's staff is recommending that Banning receive about $1.9 million for its police department from the Morongo tribe. The money would pay for new police cars, motorcycles, guns and handheld radios. About $1.9 million also is recommended for the Sheriff's Department in the San Gorgonio Pass.

Those funds would hire and outfit five sheriff's deputies, including new vehicles and equipment.

An additional $793,000 from the Morongo Band is still available for use in the Pass. It could put one ambulance at Casino Morongo and add code enforcement officers focusing on Ramsey Street, the main drag through Banning.

Temecula could be eligible for about $1.1 million, and the money could be used to improve the Interstate 15/Highway 79 South interchange.

Riverside County also could be eligible for about $1.1 million from the Pechanga tribe.

The money could go for everything from hiring and equipping new sheriff's deputies to buying new high-pressure, self-contained breathing apparatus for the Riverside County Fire Department.

Some of the money also could go to the district attorney's office to hire liaison/coordinators to work with tribes.

An additional $722,000 is also available in the Temecula area from the Pechanga Band.

That money could go for an ambulance at the Pechanga Resort & Casino and to help Temecula build the Wolf Creek Fire Station.

There are nine Indian casinos in Riverside County.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 05/13/2004

City to tap fund for gaming impacts

Temecula will soon be able to tap much of a $3.6 million purse from a state fund the Pechanga Indian tribe pays into to offset impacts from its casino and hotel, City Councilman Ron Roberts announced Tuesday night.

Proposals to ease traffic woes and improve public safety will receive most of the Pechanga casino revenues, said Roberts, who serves on the seven-member Indian Gaming Local Benefit Committee.

A preliminary funding plan for the first year of the revenue-sharing program is expected to be finalized late this month or next month, Roberts said. The plan calls for about $1.6 million to help improve the Interstate 15 interchange at Highway 79 South in Temecula. More than $1 million would be earmarked for additional law-enforcement patrols and improved paramedic services at the casino and in the south Temecula area, he said.

More than $10.5 million is available in Riverside County in the program's initial year to offset impacts to cities and unincorporated communities that are affected by nearby Indian casinos. The $25 million available statewide is part of a fund the gaming tribes pay into and will be shared by nongaming tribes, by groups that help addicted gamblers and by designated government agencies.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 05/05/2004

Casino fund to aid police

COUNTY: It will allow two departments to beef up their patrols near the San Manuel Band's facility.

By KAREN GAUDETTE / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - Proposals to enhance public safety near the San Manuel tribe's casino won a lion's share of $1.5 million that the county received from a state fund paid into by many tribes to ease the impacts of casinos.

Carl Winter, head of a neighborhood group opposed to the tribe's casino expansion, called Monday's decision by the county Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee a good first step.

But he said he hopes negotiations between San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles and tribal officials will produce additional improvements to the pollution, litter, noise, crime and other problems that he says plague his neighbors.

The San Bernardino Police Department will receive roughly $578,500 when the new fiscal year begins in July to beef up patrols of the residential neighborhood that borders San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in the foothills.

The committee awarded roughly $309,000 apiece to the county and the city of Highland, which is also near the casino. The county's share will be spent on more sheriff's deputies, according to its grant application. Highland plans street improvements along Highland Avenue to ease congestion from traffic heading to the casino.

San Bernardino Councilman Neil Derry, the lone vote against the overall proposal, said he believes more of the money should have gone to build sound walls and similar improvements closer to the casino.

He called on grant recipients to detail how and when they will spend the money to ensure it goes to help the neighborhood and isn't spent on other needs as local governments statewide grapple with budget deficits.

The committee also approved spending nearly $300,000 for a new firetruck that will serve the Lake Havasu landing area near the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe's casino.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 04/09/2004

Groups benefit from tribe

HELP: The Agua Caliente Band distributes more than $1 million to agencies and nonprofits.

By DAVID HERMANN / The Press-Enterprise

RANCHO MIRAGE - Hospice of the Desert Cities will be able to provide grief counseling to the families of the terminally ill.

Ninth-graders in the Palm Springs Unified School District will get new science books.

Palm Springs police officers will be donning new bullet-resistant vests.

These changes and many more will be financed by checks from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which gave out just over $1 million to more than 70 Coachella Valley government agencies and community organizations Friday during its annual Tribal Donation Ceremony.

"This money means everything to us," said Dee Clark, executive director of Desert Blind and Handicapped, after receiving a check for $30,000.

"This means we can get caught up with our bills and keep providing services to the community," Clark said.

Tribal Chairman Richard Milanovich presided over the morning ceremony at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage.

"It makes me feel good knowing that we do give back," Milanovich said. "It's very sad to know there is such a need in our beautiful valley. In our small way, we try to alleviate some of that suffering."

Many of the charities that received money from the tribe on Friday, groups with familiar names such as United Way, the American Legion and Special Olympics, had received thousands of dollars at ceremonies in years past.

But it was the first time for some groups, such as the Enduring Freedom KIA Fund. The Palm Springs-based charity, which gives $1,000 grants to the widows of U.S. service members killed in action, received $5,000 from the tribe on Friday.

The group's founder and president emeritus, Bill Byrne, said the money will be a big help. He said the fund has already given money to the families of 50 servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he said, he expects that number to climb because of the violence going on overseas.

"It doesn't mean as much to us as it does to the widows," Byrne said. "We have no paid staff, we're all volunteers, so whatever money we get goes directly to the families."

This is the ninth year that tribal leaders have held the donation ceremony. It comes at a time when the Agua Caliente and other gaming tribes are being called on by Gov. Schwarzenegger to pay what he has called their "fair share" as the state is facing massive budget shortfalls.

Schwarzenegger has been meeting with Indian leaders to renegotiate gaming pacts that allow the tribes to operate casinos in California.

Milanovich said the $1,054,500 that the tribe handed out Friday was just a part of the money that the tribe is giving back to the community. He said the tribe has paid $8 million into a statewide fund created by state legislators to help pay for what Milanovich called the "supposed impact" of casinos on surrounding communities.

Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden said the tribe has been and continues to be a generous supporter of the community.

"If there's any program that says something about the Agua Caliente's relationship with the community, it's this one," Oden said just before the start of the ceremony. "This is something that they don't have to do. But they say we are a part of the community and then they put their money where their mouth is."

Largest donations
Assistance League of Palm Springs - $60,000
Braille Institute - $50,000
College of the Desert - $50,000
Mizell Senior Center - $50,000
Palm Springs Fire Department - $80,000
Palm Springs Unified School District - $60,000
SOURCE: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 02/24/2004

Tribe donates $4 million to UCLA

The Press-Enterprise

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will give UCLA School of Law $4.05 million to support a center for understanding the life, law, culture and history of Indians, a university spokeswoman said.

The Tribal Learning Community and Educational Exchange will enable "students and the members and leaders of tribal communities to be able to use this knowledge to build and govern their own nations," said law professor Carole Goldberg, who heads the effort. The center opened last year, she said.

A San Manuel statement on Monday said the gift would be the largest ever by an Indian tribe to a university. San Manuel Chairman Deron Marquez could not be reached Monday. In August he told Indian Gaming Business magazine the donation was $4 million.

In the article, Marquez said the tribe wants to familiarize Native American children with university life so that they will be more comfortable with the idea of going to college.

"One of the biggest problems for our native kids is the intimidation factor of a place like UCLA or Cal State San Bernardino. Our goal is to curtail that somewhat," he told Indian Gaming Business.

The goal is to create a center of knowledge about the Indian tribes of Southern California, Goldberg said.

The center will help Native Americans prepare for college so that more Indians might attend and enhance their professional development, and will offer new courses on the history of California tribes, culture and policies, Goldberg said.

Last May, the tribe gave $3 million to Cal State San Bernardino to expand the student union and provide programs, scholarships and internships.

The tribe also makes substantial political donations, handing out $760,124 in 2003, a tribe document on file with the county said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 02/10/2004

Tribe chips in for skate park

DONATION: A $250,000 contribution will help build the long-awaited facility in Banning.

By KARIN MARRIOTT / The Press-Enterprise

BANNING - The city is half way to getting a skate park.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians on Tuesday donated $250,000 toward construction of the 16,000-square-foot facility planned for George Street and San Gorgonio Avenue.

A group formed to raise funds for the skate park plans to raise $500,000 to build the facility.

"When I grew up here, we had nothing," Maurice Lyons, tribal chairman, told the Banning City Council when he presented the check. "This skate park will be here forever. All of the kids from the Pass area . . . will use this."

It has been four years since a group of skaters asked the council to build a safe and legal place for them to practice their sport. The city did not have funds to build the park but set aside $20,000 for construction drawings for the park.

A task force comprised of city officials and skaters was formed to raise funds by selling pizza and T-shirts and holding a skating exhibition. The group fizzled.

"It's All About the Kids," a new group including Mayor Arthur "Art" Welch and Councilwoman Barbara Hanna, now is raising money for the project.

Hanna said Robertson's Ready Mix has committed to donating materials or money. Other businesses also have offered services or donations.

Last month, the City Council approved a master plan for a skate park that was larger than initially planned, Chris Millen, community services manager, said by phone before the meeting.

The master plan calls for 10,000 square feet of skating surface in a 16,000-square-foot park. Originally, the skating surface would have been 7,000 square feet, Millen said.

A vertical half-pipe, two bowls with a transition connecting them, grinding rails and fun boxes are planned, Millen said.

Construction is estimated to cost $370,000.

Tyqui Harrison, 18, of Banning, was among a group of skaters who cheered Monday when Lyons presented the check to the city. Harrison said he began to doubt a skate park would be built after hearing about it for so many years.

"It wouldn't be nothing but nice, really," Harrison said. "Now we don't have to skate on people's property."

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PRESS ENTERPRISE-01/23/2004

Gaming benefit panel to be named

By KAREN GAUDETTE
SAN BERNARDINO - County leaders on Tuesday will name five area officials to a committee that will distribute $1.5 million of tribal money to help ease the environmental affects of the San Manuel casino on surrounding communities.

Dennis Hansberger, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, is recommending himself along with San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles, San Bernardino City Councilman Neil Derry, Highland City Councilman Larry McCallon, and Katherine Mitchell, a Hansberger field representative who has worked with area officials and tribal leaders.

The five would serve on the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee to represent affected areas. Residential neighborhoods of both the city and county of San Bernardino border the San Manuel reservation, and casino patrons must first motor through Highland to reach tribal land in the San Bernardino foothills.

The $1.5 million is the first installment of tribal money that is designated for public works projects and other services to mitigate the effects of casinos on surrounding communities. County officials say it will be allocated based on how near a jurisdiction is to the reservation and whether it maintains a main thoroughfare to the casino.

Many residents say a casino expansion under way will worsen traffic jams, air and noise pollution, and crime. Leaders of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians say expanding the tribe's casino is essential to remaining competitive and ensuring financial security for future generations.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 01/16/2004

Communities eyeing pot of gambling profits

CASINOS: Government and tribal representatives will meet to determine how to allocate funds.

By MICHELLE DeARMOND / The Press-Enterprise

PALM SPRINGS - Riverside County communities struggling to deal with the increased traffic and burdens created by tribal casinos soon will get to make their pitch for part of a $10.6-million pot of Indian gambling profits, officials said Thursday.

A special committee with representatives from local governments and tribes in Riverside County will meet for the first time Jan. 26 to begin planning how to allocate the money.

Riverside County is believed to be the first county in the state to form such a committee and hopes to be the first county to get its share of this year's $25 million statewide fund.

"Riverside County is being looked at as a model throughout the state," Barbara Dunmore, deputy county executive officer, said Thursday at the Western Indian Gaming Conference. "I believe the goal is to be the first county in the state to submit an approved list" of uses for the money.

Communities throughout the state are struggling to address the effects of bustling tribal casinos on their infrastructure and police and fire departments. Many local governments expect to receive money from the state-managed account, known as the special distribution fund, which tribes began paying into in 2002.

In San Bernardino County, which will get $1.5 million this year, the board of supervisors voted last week to form its own committee to handle the distribution of the money. San Bernardino County has two Indian casinos, including the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians' facility near Highland.

Riverside County is home to 10 casinos, several of which are being expanded, and will receive the largest portion of the fund of any county in the state. Residents and officials from Coachella to Temecula have complained about the need for additional money to help mitigate the effects of gambling on their communities.

The Legislature didn't approve the fund's disbursement until late last year, under a bill by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta.

The legislation requires counties receiving money from the fund to form committees made up of county, city and tribal representatives. The committee then will field requests from local governments and must submit a list of approved grants to the state controller by June 30.

Riverside County's committee is made up of county Supervisors Roy Wilson and Marion Ashley, Banning Mayor Art Welch, Temecula Councilman Ron Roberts, Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden, Soboba tribal Chairman Robert Salgado and Agua Caliente Vice Chairman Barbara Lyons, Ashley said.

Butch Murphy of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians will serve as an alternate committee member.

Ashley spoke at the annual conference of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association at the Palm Springs Convention Center, where he praised tribal leaders and said he expects the projects approved by the committee to have terrific benefits for the area.

"We know we're walking through uncharted territory," he said. "This is going to be hard work."

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SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SUN - 05/09/2003

Cal State gets donation from tribe

SAN BERNARDINO: The San Manuel Band may get naming rights to the new student union.

By LOUISE KNOTT AHERN

SAN BERNARDINO - Cal State San Bernardino's new student union might bear the name of a revered tribal leader thanks to a $3 million donation from the San Manuel Indians.

On May 13, Cal State Board of Trustees may approve naming the center the Santos Manuel Student Union in honor of the namesake of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Santos Manuel led the Serrano Indians of the San Bernardino Valley to safety during a month-long campaign by settlers to kill all Indians in 1866.

The university approached the tribe about the donation in exchange for the naming rights to the building, said Cal State San Bernardino President Al Karnig. Such solicitations are common practice in college fund-raising.

"This is part of a very, very long partnership that we've had with them," Karnig said. "It's quite a remarkable gift."

The San Bernardino campus is expanding its existing student center from 40,000 square feet to 84,000 square feet. Officials said the university will break ground on the project next fall, and the building should be ready within two years.

A third of the tribe's money will pay for an expansion of the union's cross-cultural center, which offers multicultural programs for students and the community. The other $2 million will be placed into endowment and used for student scholarships and internships, said Karnig.

"The tribe truly believes that education is key," said Jill Eaton, tribal spokeswoman. "The tribe understands the importance of continuing education and wanted to provide an environment where students can come together and exchange cultural and educational experiences."

Aside from the $1 million donation from the tribe, the $15 million union expansion is funded by student fees.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 12/05/2003

Casino bucks go to Inland high schools

By JAMIE AYALA / Press Enterprise

TEMECULA - Buying sports equipment and handing out additional scholarships will be easier this year for area high schools.

Thanks to a $250,000 donation they received from Pechanga Resort & Casino Friday, five schools from Temecula, Lake Elsinore and Murrieta will be able to provide more to their students. Each high school received $50,000, an increase of about $25,000 from previous years. Next year, the two area high schools will be added to the list of recipients.

"Because it's significant, we're going to try to broaden the impact," Temescal Canyon High School Principal Patrick Kelleher said.This year some of the money is earmarked for ASB to divvy it up among student programs like choir, drama and student technology. Tom Blanchard, 17, said the money Temescal has received has helped him in academics because of new computers.

Last year, Murrieta Valley High School used its money to purchase a $14,000 softball scoreboard, pool upgrades and football helmets.

"Without the donation, we would have to have a whole bunch of car washes," said Dave Zirkle, the school's athletic director. "It was a nice wake-up call to see that we'd get more this year."

About $20,000 could go to athletics, Zirkle said. He said weights and track equipment were needed and more money could be used on transportation costs, but he still needed to meet with coaches to see what else was needed. The school has 22 sports plus cheerleading, which equates to more than 1,000 athletes.

On Friday, John Palinkas, president of the Pechanga Development Corp. said most of the money tends to got toward extracurricular activities.

"That's a crucial element to becoming a well-rounded person," he said. "Something that we look for in our kids who attend these schools and those who graduate and may someday come work for us."

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 11/04/2003

Tribe helps Thanksgiving come early

By JOHN WELSH / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - They said it was a perfect time for an early Thanksgiving meal.

Members of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians offered hundreds of hot turkey meals to wildfire evacuees at the San Bernardino International Airport on Monday.

The tribe, whose reservation is near Cabazon, also announced a $1 million donation to the Riverside County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the largest single donation in the tribe's history.

That presentation followed the earlier announcement by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of plans to donate $1 million to local charities.

Sam Schmidt, forced by fire to leave his Waterman Canyon home in San Bernardino County, appreciated the tribe's efforts.

As Morongo Tribal Council member Anne Hutton dished out omelettes, Schmidt grabbed a cup of joe. He wanted coffee that wasn't John Wayne-like, as he'd had earlier in the week. "You had to bite the bullet to get it down.

"It was so strong -- I don't care how much cream you put in it" said Schmidt, 55, a security guard who has been at the center for more than a week. "You could not get it down."

Later Monday, Morongo Tribal Chairman Maurice Lyons presented a blanket to Riverside County Red Cross Chairwoman Brenda Lorenzi as a symbol of "warmth and family to the people without homes right now." Lorenzi wore the black blanket with tribal patterns as a coat.

"Now that we're in a position to do these things, we're going to do them," Lyons said minutes prior to the presentation. "We're not going to stop. When people are in need, the American Red Cross does not say no. They get there and they help you."

The relief effort mounted to aid victims of the Southern California brush fires has already cost $6 million, said Mark Robitaille, director of development for the Riverside County chapter.

Many cots inside the hangar had been removed or were empty because many evacuees were allowed to return home Sunday. But there were still hundreds remaining and the hangar buzzed with the ambient sound of people's voices echoing in the large chamber.

It also smelled like stuffing because tribal volunteers were already getting ready to serve turkey lunches.

The $1 million pledged by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians included $500,000 to a soon-to-be-developed disaster relief fund organized by San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles; $200,000 in aid to employees of the tribe who have lost their homes; $100,000 to a local American Red Cross chapter; $100,000 to the Disaster Relief Fund for Tribes established by the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and $100,000 for future disaster relief efforts.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 09/20/2003

Tribe gives to tune of $20,000

CONCERT: The Morongo band's gift to Beaumont High students helps get them to Carnegie Hall.

By STEVE FETBRANDT / The Press-Enterprise

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians struck a joyous note with Beaumont High School band members this week by contributing $20,000 toward their once-in-a-lifetime chance to play at Carnegie Hall.

The 44-member band, one of seven student ensembles chosen to appear on the Carnegie Hall stage on April 13, has until March to raise the $50,000 the band needs to cover travel and lodging expenses.

Students have been holding fund-raisers so they can travel to New York and perform at the Second Annual New York Wind Band Festival. Up to this week, they had collected nearly $18,000, including $5,000 from the city of Beaumont.

The Morongo tribe's contribution brings the band closer to its goal.

"It means the world to these kids," band director Jack Poster said Friday. "I'm just overwhelmed with joy and flabbergasted. The Morongo tribe literally has made this trip for the kids."

Poster said nearly $1,000 in additional contributions, mostly personal checks ranging from $5 to $20, also came in during the past week as a result of a recent newspaper article.

"One person walked in and handed us $500," he said.

The band has its last car wash fund-raiser scheduled for Oct. 4 at the Sun Lakes Village shopping center on Highland Springs Avenue in Banning. Students also will sell candy and water at the nearby Albertson's market, while Carl's Jr. has agreed to donate 25 percent of its profit that day, Poster said.

In addition, the band hopes to earn at least $500 by performing at the Beaumont Harvest Festival on Nov. 2.

Beaumont city officials sent an e-mail to local housing developers two days ago, challenging them to match the city's contribution. So far, the developers have not responded, Poster said.

Waltona Manion, the Morongo tribe's publicist, said the Tribal Council approved the request at its meeting Tuesday along with another $60,000 in donations for other charitable causes.

Welfare once ran high on the Cabazon-based reservation, but Indian gaming has changed the tribe's fortunes, making it self-sufficient. Where once the Morongo band received up to $500,000 annually in federal funds, it is now the largest employer in the Pass with more than 1,500 people working in its casino and non-gaming businesses.

In turn, the tribe has built a reputation for sharing its wealth with others, especially local schools. Earlier this month, the tribe donated $54,000 in new playground equipment to Cabazon Elementary School.

The tribe's Outreach Committee typically reviews requests for more than $100,000 in contributions at its quarterly meetings, Manion said.

"The tribe is trying to focus support on the local level," she said. "It's very rare where the Tribal Council has not approved the committee's recommendations."

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Local tribe gives back to valley
$1.2 million in gifts awarded to local charitable groups

Debra Gruszecki
The Desert Sun
April 11, 2006 April 11, 2006

RANCHO MIRAGE - The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians on Monday gave more than $1.2 million to 90 government and charitable organizations in the Coachella Valley in its 11th annual giving event.

Gifts ranging from $5,000 to $60,000 went to groups in Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Thousand Palms, Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City.

The largest gift went to the Assistance League of Palm Springs Desert Area for school uniforms and clothing, followed by the Braille Institute Inc., which received a $50,000 check for its Desert Mobile Solutions program.

"Welcome to Christmas in April,'' radio personality Joey English told attendees.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which owns and operates the Agua Caliente Casino and Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, made contributions largely to not-for-profit groups and government organizations that assist the youth and elderly, war veterans, medical programs, and the economically disadvantaged.

Not even the United Way of the Desert was ignored, as it got a $25,000 check.

"We fund over $1.3 million annually, but it's done on a monthly basis,'' said Linda Krengel, executive director of United Way of the Desert. "The tribe made lump-sum donations. Those were actual checks they handed out.

"Can you imagine what everyone's bank account will look like tomorrow?" Krengel said.

"What they've done is outstanding."

Tribal chairman Richard Milanovich said the tribal donations have added up to over $1.5 million so far this year, and that the money represents only a portion of the donations that are relayed to communities by the tribe annually.

In addition to the annual giveaway averaging $1 million a year since 1995, the tribe contributes to the Special Distribution Fund, as required by the compacts that set up tribal gaming. This year, $2.5 million will be distributed to communities within the reservation, with a total of about $12 million being distributed across Riverside County.

"Every year gets better and better,'' Milanovich said, expressing the pride the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians feels in its spirit of giving.

Barbara Gonzales Lyons, vice chair of the tribal council, said the annual event means a great deal to her and members of the tribe.

"It gives us an opportunity to give back,'' she said. "That's one of our traditions: We share with others in times of plenty."

Lyons said special attention is paid to the elderly in honor of what they've given so far, and to youth as children on and off the reservation are interwoven and represent everyone's future. Lyons recalled how Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation helped her brother in a time of need.

"I'll never forget that,'' she said.

"We have been in similar situations in so many instances,'' Milanovich said. "We know what it is like to do without. Every year gets better and better because we know where the funds are going, and see the successes that this money brings."

Jack FitzGerald, a local attorney who is president of the board of United Way, thanked Milanovich by designating him as an official United Way member. He said the $25,000 check goes directly to two dozen charities throughout the Coachella Valley.

"There's a heart-warming story for everyone in this room to tell,'' he said, before he has handed the check. "This was an incredible display of true generosity on the part of the Agua Calientes that will affect and improve the lives of tens of thousands of residents in the valley."

Through the tribe's donations, an automatic door opener will be installed in a building that helps stroke victims. A golden retriever named Ingrid will be trained to guide someone who is blind.

Teens will learn how to balance a checkbook. Cancer patients will go to camp, and their siblings will get counseling.

Nursing students will be trained at California State University, San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus with $20,000 worth of scholarships. Hospitalized war veterans will get toiletries at Loma Linda VA Healthcare System. Shut-ins will get meals. And children at local schools will get dental care.

Susan Gardner, a volunteer with Guide Dogs of the Desert who brought Ingrid to the event, said the $25,000 will go a long way to train her. "We are a small school that thrives on private donations," she said. "Donations like this allow us to stay in business."

Robert Fey, chairman of the Smile Factory of the Tiempo de los Niños, said the $10,000 check the tribe gave to the organization will help maintain the mobile unit that has gone to 15 schools to offer dental service to low-income children.

The unit has already screened 10,000 children and provides 7,000 free treatments. "It's incredible,'' Fey said. "This will keep us functioning for another year."

Some Top Gifts

These are a few of the top grants that Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians made Monday:

Gilda’s Club Desert Cities: $30,000

Hanson House Foundation: $35,000

Martha’s Village & Kitchen: $30,000

Palm Springs Parks
and Recreation: $30,000

Assistance League of Palm
Springs Desert Area: $60,000

Barbara Sinatra Children’s
Center at Eisenhower: $30,000

Braille Institute, Inc.: $50,000

Mizell Senior Center: $50,000

Source: Agua Caliente
Band of Cahuilla Indians

The complete Agua Caliente Donations List

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which owns and operates the Agua Caliente Casino near Rancho Mirage and Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, handed out more than $1.2 million to 90 government and charitable organizations to communities in or near its reservation.

The recipients include:

ACT for MS, summer electric bill, $10,000

Alano Club of the Desert, coolers and floor repairs, $5,000.

American Legion Post No. 763, remodel patio area, $5,000.

American Legion-Owen Coffman Post 519, scholarships, $5,000.

American Legion-Rancho Mirage Post 301, community programs, $5,000.

American Youth Soccer organizations, Cathedral City, programming and items, $10,000.

American Youth Soccer, Rancho Mirage, programming and items, $10,000.

Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation, a residential facility, $25,000.

Arthritis Foundation, programming, $15,000.

Assistance League of Palm Springs Desert Area, school uniforms, $60,000.

Barbara Sinatra Children's Center at Eisenhower, counseling programs, $30,000.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert, programming, $10,000.

Boys & Girls Club of Coachella Valley, its life skills program, $10,000.

Braille Institute, Inc., the Desert Mobile Solutions program, $50,000.

California State University San Bernardino Palm Desert campus, scholarships, $20,000.

Camp Ronald McDonald, all-expense paid camp for 15 children, $10,000.

Cathedral City High School, "PS, I love you" scholarship program, $5,000.

Cathedral City Police Explorer Program, explorer program, $2,500.

Cathedral City Police Citizens on Patrol, volunteer program, $5,000.

Cathedral City Police Patrol Division, equipment, $5,000.

Cathedral City Police Reserve Officers, training, $2,500.

Cathedral City Library, programs, $5,000.

Cathedral City Boxing Club, youth programs, $20,000.

Cathedral City Boys & Girls Club, programs, $10,000.

Cathedral City Police Department, youth programs, $20,000.

Cathedral City Senior Center, programs, $25,000.

Cathedral City Youth Baseball League, programs, $10,000.

Children's Discovery Museum, support events, $5,000.

Coachellla Valley Autism Society of America, eight computers and equipment, $5,000.

College of the Desert Foundation, outreach and recruitment, $20,000.

Compulsive Gambling Institute, programming, $10,000.*

Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation, organization costs, $10,000.

Desert Blind &Handicapped Association, programming, $25,000.

Desert Fine Arts Academy, after school programs, $15,000.

Desert Hot Springs Police Activities League, $10,000.

Desert Hot Springs Boys & Girls Club, programming, $20,000.

Desert Hot Springs City Parks & Recreation-Arroyo Park, facility renovation and chair replacement, $5,000.

Desert Hot Springs City Parks &Recreation-May Center, chair replacement for senior center, $10,000.

Desert Hot Springs High School Booster Club, sign, $10,000.

Desert Hot Springs Police Department, canine , $25,000.

Disabled American Veterans, charitable programs, $25,000.

Food Now, Inc., food for needy, $5,000.

Foundation for the Retarded of the Desert, asphalt resurfacing in parking area, $25,000.

Gilda's Club Desert Cities, programming, $30,000.

Guide Dogs of the Desert, training for one dog/student team, $25,000.

Hanson House Foundation, Inc., cost to build one guest room, $35,000.

Idyllwild Arts, art summer program, $10,000.

Jeffrey Sandholm Memorial Community Crisis and Help Line, crisis help line and social services, $20,000.

Jewish Family Service, geriatric case program, $10,000.

Jewish War Veterans Palm Springs Post 750, charitable programs, $5,000.

John Burton Foundation Children Without Homes, programming, $15,000.

Joslyn Senior Center, meals on wheels, $10,000.

Kids Konnected, cancer support, education and counseling,$5,000.

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, children programs, $10,000.

Martha's Village & Kitchen, operations, $30,000.

Mizell Senior Center, programs, $50,000.

Palm Springs Air Museum, renovations, $10,000.

Palm Springs Art Museum, art education, $10,000.

Palm Springs Boys & Girls Club, programming, $15,000.

Palm Springs Boxing Club, operations and equipment, $5,000.

Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, community projects, $10,000.

Palm Springs High School - Boosters Club Inc., after school tutoring, $15,000.

Palm Springs High School - Spirit of the Sands, instruments and uniforms, $15,000.

Palm Springs High School - Wrestling, uniforms and travel gear, $3,000.

Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue, vehicle replacement, $15,000.

Palm Springs Parks and Recreation, 15-passenger van, $30,000,

Palm Springs Police Department Police Activities League, $10,000.

Palm Springs Police Department-DARE, drug prevention program, $10,000.

Palm Springs Police-Citizens on Patrol, equipment and training, $5,000.

Palm Springs Police-Community Policing Program, programming, $20,000.

Palm Springs Police Reserve Unit, bullet-proof vests, radios, $5,000.

Palm Springs Public Library, fiber optic cable, cluster server and check-out machine, $18,000.

Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club, shoes that fit program, $20,000.

Palm Springs Sunup Rotary Club, uniforms, $5,000.

Palm Springs and Cathedral City Youth Football Association, school equipment, $15,000.

Palm Springs Youth Baseball, scholarship and safety programs, $10,000.

Pegasus Riding Academy, programs, $10,000.

People Helping People U.S.A., programming, $5,000.

Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce, restaurant advertising, $5,000.

Rancho Mirage Library, programs, $10,000.

Ranch Recovery Centers, Inc., playground, $5,000.

Raymond Cree Middle School Treasure Booster Club, instrument repair and replacement, $5,000.

Smile Factory of the Tiempo de los Niños, dental services for low-income children, $10,000.

Stroke Recovery Center, food services and installation of an automatic door opener, $12,000.

Thousand Palms Library, children's reading club, $5,000.

United Way of the Desert, charitable programs, $25,000.

Veterans Memorial Association (Desert), programs, $5,000.

Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, cost of memorial programs, $5,000.

Well in The Desert, homeless programming $5,000.

YMCA of the Desert, after-school programs, $5,000.

(*This donation is over and above funds the tribe contributes as part of its tribal-state gaming compact for compulsive gambling programs)

(Source: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians)

DA to expand casino crime unit

RIVERSIDE COUNTY: A cooperative effort between Indian tribes and prosecutors to double in size.

06:54 AM PST on Friday, January 13, 2006
By MICHELLE DeARMOND / The Press-Enterprise

Riverside County officials are more than doubling the size of a task force formed a year ago to prosecute crimes at tribal casinos, a deputy district attorney said Thursday.

The special tribal liaison unit has been key to helping tribes fight offenses ranging from white-collar theft to drug crimes, tribal leaders and the prosecutor said at an annual Indian gaming conference Thursday in Palm Springs.

By expanding the unit and prosecuting more cases, officials hope to send a message to criminals.

"Stay the heck out of casinos," said Arthur M. Chang, Riverside County deputy district attorney. "We basically want to make life painful for criminals."

The expanded unit will have three prosecutors, three investigators, three victim-witness advocates and one paralegal, he said.

The unit, which is funded by grants from tribes, also hopes to get $1.15 million for the upcoming fiscal year, up from the nearly $700,000 it got last year. The money comes from a special account funded by gaming tribes.

The unit prosecutes crimes at nine casinos on eight reservations that are visited by an estimated 10 million people every year, Chang said.

It has prosecuted more than 500 cases in the past year, including some 200 felonies and about 300 misdemeanors, he said.

Drug crimes, mainly use and possession charges, have been the most common felonies, followed by theft, identity fraud, violence and embezzlement, he said.

By expanding the unit's size, Chang said he hopes to prosecute more sophisticated gambling scams.

Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, said the unit has been pivotal in fighting crime at his tribe's two casinos.

Milanovich said it's too early to know definitively if the unit's aggressive stance is deterring criminals, but he suspects it is. His tribe operated casinos for 10 years before the tribal liaison unit was created, and many criminals had to be let go during that time, he said.

Slot-machine or card-table thieves were escorted to the edge of the property and not allowed to return, but local authorities often didn't arrest or prosecute the suspects, he said.

Now that tribes and the district attorney's office are working together more, the casinos and the community are benefiting, Chang said.

He pointed to a case involving a pickpocket at the Spa Resort Casino, one of those run by the Agua Caliente tribe, who was caught on surveillance cameras stealing slot-machine tickets from gamblers' shirt pockets.

After the man was arrested, authorities discovered his fingerprint matched one from an unsolved burglary a few years ago, Chang said.

Chang hopes to send the man to prison for at least 10 years.

Chang gave his presentation at the Western Indian Gaming Conference at the Palm Springs Convention Center, an event by the California Nations Indian Gaming Association that has attracted more than 1,000 people from across the country.

Tribal leaders at the conference highlighted Riverside County as a place where tribes and police officials have successfully worked together to fight crime.

In San Bernardino County, a deputy district attorney prosecutes crimes committed at the San Manuel Bingo & Casino near Highland.

Deputy District Attorney Carl LeBlanc said he has a victim-witness advocate in the Indian-gaming unit, and there are a few sheriff's deputies that respond to crimes at the casino.

That unit was created seven months ago with a grant from Indian gaming money also, he said.

Reach Michelle DeArmond at (951) 368-9441 or mdearmond@pe.com

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 11/18/2005

A tribal payout
09:10 PM PST on Friday, November 18, 2005

The Pechanga tribe made good use of some of the band's gambling wealth this week: The tribe gave $1.5 million to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest County.

The gift will help pay for a new youth complex under construction in Temecula, slated to open in April, and will fund much of the cost of another center planned for French Valley.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest County serves more than 3,300 children in Temecula, Murrieta, French Valley and Lake Elsinore. The organization provides places for youths to learn and play -- a vital service for parents who work at distant jobs while their children are out of school, or for families with limited resources.

And although tribal casinos sometimes create friction with their neighbors, here is a case in which a tribe served the larger community. The Pechanga tribe's generous donation to a good cause deserves the southwest area's thanks.

The Desert Sun - 08/5/2005

Tribes rally to restore public safety funds

Indians, officials upset over governor's veto of $20 million in budget

Debra Gruszecki
The Desert Sun
August 5, 2005

Palm Springs' new fire truck was there and so were the Indian tribes that made it possible.

Tribal leaders and local officials from throughout the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire displayed public safety equipment Thursday to show what their share of casino gaming dollars has bought, and to urge the governor to restore a $20 million appropriation from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to the state budget.

In signing a new state budget recently, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed $20 million out of $50 million in tribally paid funds that the Legislature had approved for 25 counties to use for public safety, traffic control and other services.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, who attended the event in Banning, said Thursday that he plans to introduce a bill to restore the funds.

And public safety officials gathered with the political and tribal leaders and vowed to back them up.

A boon for police

Don't mess with the special distribution fund, Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle said.

The new police and sheriff's vehicles, fire trucks and other public safety gear is only a part of the story, according to Lynn Valbuena, a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, who chairs the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations.

The revenues also helped put 30 new sheriff's deputies and local police officers on Coachella Valley, Inland and Santa Barbara community streets.

"Supporting our local communities has always been a priority for us,'' Valbuena said. "We fought hard to get the funds wepay to the state returned to the local communities in order to put more police officers on the streets, enhance fire protection services, support children's programs and improve road conditions."

The demonstration also was held to introduce a Web site, www.StrongerCommunities.com, to provide information about the Special Distribution Fund and offer a way for Californians to e-mail Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers to urge the $20 million be returned to the 2005-2006 state budget.

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund was created through the 1999 Tribal State Compact, and is fully funded by the 26 tribal governments that were operating more than 200 slot machines as of September 1999.

Proceeds from the funds are earmarked for programs that include local governments and special districts that are impacted by Indian gaming, gambling and addiction programs, regulatory costs and for providing revenues for nongaming tribes.

Funds go local

Special Distribution Funds became available to local communities for the first time in 2003. Since that time, more than $13 million has flowed to Coachella Valley, Inland and Santa Barbara communities. The funds have been used to hire law enforcement officers, buy 21 fully-equipped police and sheriff's vehicles, two fire engines, an ambulance and breathing apparatuses for more than 100 firefighters.

Nearly $16 million will be provided in this fiscal year.
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians' chairman Richard Milanovich said tribal people have long been accustomed to giving back to the community.

"We're honoring our commitments under the compact, and are helping to build stronger communities,'' said Barbara Lyons, vice chairman of TASIN and the Agua Caliente Band, which operates the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage and the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs.

Patrick Murphy Jr., TASIN secretary and a member of Pechanga Development Corp., said these projects are only the beginning. He projected contributions to the Special Distribution Fund will exceed $1 billion through 2020.

FUND BREAKDOWN
How a portion of Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians' (Agua Caliente and Spa Resort Casino) contributions to the Special Fund are working:

• Riverside County Sheriff's Department, $121,951
  
• Riverside County District Attorney's office, $42,597
  
• City of Cathedral City, $78,002
  
• City of Desert Hot Springs, $10,000
  
• City of Palm Springs, $897,062
  
• City of Rancho Mirage, $121,951
  

How grants co-sponsored by Augustine Band of Mission Indians' (Augustine Casino) funds are working:The funds are made possible by the 20 percent nonpaying portion of the special distribution fund, which is paid for by Agua Caliente, Cabazon, Cahuilla, Morongo, Pechanga, Soboba and Twenty-nine Palms.

• Riverside County Fire Department, $100,000
  
• Riverside County Transportation Department, $253,703
  
• City of Coachella, $540,191
  
• City of Indio, $485,136
  
• City of La Quinta, $177,250
  

How a portion of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians' (Fantasy Springs) funds are working:

• City of Indio, $260,041

How a portion of Morongo Band of Mission Indians' (Morongo Casino) funds are working:

• Riverside County District Attorney's office, $275,000
  
• Riverside County Emergency Medical Services, $450,000
  
• Riverside County Fire Department, $400,000
  
• Riverside County Sheriff's Department, $528,244
  
• Riverside County Transportation Department, $647,705
  
• City of Banning, $870,317
  

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San Bernardino County Sun - 08/5/2005

Patrol cars reflect tribes' funding

By Mike Cruz
Staff Writer

Friday, August 05, 2005 - BANNING - Rows of shiny, new patrol cars and other public safety vehicles parked at the Banning Police Station appeared ready to move into action at a moment's notice.

Destined for agencies in Banning, Coachella, La Quinta and unincorporated Riverside County, the vehicles and related equipment were purchased with funds from local tribes deposited into the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund.

Monies from the statewide fund are filtered back to counties and local communities and used to offset impacts of Indian gaming operations.

Representatives of state, county, local and tribal government met Thursday for a news conference at the Banning Police Department to showcase the newest fruits from the fund.

Officials also used the event to call on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to restore to the fund $20 million that was destined for local communities but was removed from the 2005-06 budget, according to the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations.

Banning police received six new patrol cars which represent one-third of the city's overall black-and-white force as well as three unmarked police vehicles and a motorcycle, said Chief John Horton.

Banning received a total of $870,317 from contributions to the fund made by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

The police vehicles and a new fire engine given to the Banning Fire Department will be used to keep safe visitors to the city and neighboring Morongo Resort, Spa and Casino while traveling city streets and Interstate 10.

Banning police also received funding for two officers to specifically work Ramsey Street from Banning to the casino five days a week, Horton said. The department also purchased 15 hand-held radios, 10 shotguns and 10 handguns.

"I think it's a great boost to public safety,' said Banning Mayor John Machisic.

Established under the Tribal-State Compact of 1999, the special distribution fund is funded by 26 tribal governments statewide that operated more than 200 gaming devices as of September 1999, according to the alliance.

Money was first placed into the fund in 2002. Officials estimate tribal governments will pay more than $1 billion into the fund through 2020.

Morongo Chairman Maurice Lyons said the Morongos have given $43 million to the fund, of which $8 million has come back to Riverside County.

"To us, giving back is just part of a way of life,' Lyons said.

Since 2002, the tribal alliance has paid more than $100 million into the special distribution fund, of which a portion has been distributed to San Bernardino, Riverside and Santa Barbara counties to purchase public safety equipment and increase personnel, officials said.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, who was at Thursday's event, said legislators plan to modify Senate Bill 288 to restore the $20 million and ensure expenditure reports go to the Legislature and the Gambling Control Commission.

Riverside Press Enterprise - 08/5/2005

Inland-based proposal unblocks state funds generated by casinos

12:10 AM PDT on Friday, August 5, 2005

By MICHELLE DeARMOND / The Press-Enterprise

BANNING - Inland legislators announced Thursday they have found a way to restore $20 million in Indian-casino revenue that Gov. Schwarzenegger took away from local governments last month.

Schwarzenegger refused to distribute the money to local governments, saying counties had failed to file paperwork showing how they spent money from the tribal-gaming account last year. However, several state agencies verified that counties had turned in their paperwork but the governor's office didn't check with those agencies.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, said he hopes his new bill will clear up any confusion about where the reports are supposed to be filed -- and get the money out quickly to the local governments.

Inland governments and others in communities with tribal casinos want the revenue to pay for new fire engines, firefighters, roadwork, emergency services and other needs. They could gain almost $10 million for this region if the distribution is approved.

"I challenge the governor to release it, to follow Sen. Battin's lead and let it go to the people," said Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Palm Springs. "We're sharing and taking care of our neighbors."

Battin and other legislators and tribal leaders spoke optimistically about the proposal's prospects during a news conference Thursday outside the Banning police station. They gathered there to display fire engines, police cars and other items purchased with previously allocated money.

A spokesman for the governor said Schwarzenegger will consider the bill, but is concerned about making sure local governments account for how they will spend the money.

He already approved $30 million for the local governments in July. The $20 million he vetoed came from a surplus in the account, which is funded primarily by Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Vince Sollitto, a spokesman for the governor, said Thursday the administration still is researching whether the counties filed the reports properly and on time.

The state Gambling Control Commission is the agency that told the governor the counties had not submitted the reports, but the counties are not required to file with the commission.

Battin's draft legislation calls for requiring counties to send their reports to the commission, the state Department of Finance and the Legislature.

The legislation also would extend the existing law to 2020, when the gaming agreements expire for the tribes who fund the account. Currently, the law that lays out how the money is processed ends in 2009.

The deadline has passed for new legislation this session, but Battin plans to introduce it through a process known as "gut and amend." State Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny, D-San Diego, agreed to let him strip the language from one of her bills and replace it with Battin's casino-revenue bill. Battin said he will bring it before the Legislature during a four-week session that starts Aug. 15.

Lawmakers could meet with other resistance from Schwarzenegger, who previously called for taking money from the casino-revenue fund and using it to beef up the Gambling Control Commission.

The fund, created under gaming agreements that went into effect in 2000, can be used for gambling-addiction programs, grants to local governments affected by tribal casinos, state regulatory costs and to help non-gaming tribes.

Reach Michelle DeArmond at (951) 368-9441 or mdearmond@pe.com.

Bee Capitol Bureau - 08/11/2005

Lawmakers try to boost gaming funds

Local governments want $20 million to handle services needed when casinos go up.

By Jennifer M. Fitzenberger / Bee Capitol Bureau
(Updated Thursday, August 11, 2005, 5:55 AM)

SACRAMENTO - State lawmakers want to free up $20 million for local governments to deal with the effects of Indian casinos, such as clogged roads and increased calls for police and firefighters.

Lawmakers this year asked for $50 million from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to mitigate impacts of tribal gaming.

Gov. Schwarzenegger approved $30 million in the state budget, but he put $20 million on hold, saying he didn't have enough information about how the money is spent.

Roughly 25 counties - including Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Madera - receive money from the fund supplied with money from gaming tribes. The money pays for public safety, road maintenance and other local projects.

In his veto message, Schwarzenegger said local governments did not provide reports detailing how funds were spent in previous years. But Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, said reports had been filed and that a communication snafu led to the governor receiving wrong information.

Battin said the reports have since been delivered to the governor, and he now hopes Schwarzenegger will sign his legislation to restore the $20 million.

Last fiscal year, local governments received $30 million from the fund.

"I'm pretty confident we'll get it out of the Legislature quickly," Battin said of Senate Bill 288, which is in the process of being amended. "We've got to make sure we get the governor's support."

H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the state Department of Finance, said that in future years the governor's administration wants to receive county spending reports in October, before the governor's budget proposal is released in January.

That way, Schwarzenegger will know how the money is being spent before deciding how much to make available.

Current law requires spending reports to be sent to the Legislature in April.

"If we do indeed move forward with a stand-alone bill, we'd like to have that fix," Palmer said.

Tribes give money to two state funds: the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, which gives slot-machine license fees to nongaming tribes, and the Special Distribution Fund, which sets aside a portion of gaming revenue for several purposes, including county reimbursement.

Each year, tribes in California pay about $100 million to the latter fund.

Valley tribes that contribute include Big Sandy and Table Mountain rancherias in Fresno County, Santa Rosa Rancheria in Kings County and Tule River Tribe in Tulare County.

Special Distribution Fund money is used for problem-gambling prevention programs, to help cover state regulatory costs and to support local governments affected by Indian casinos.

It also supplements the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund when license fees fall short of what nongaming tribes are supposed to receive.

Minus $30 million for local mitigation, the Special Distribution Fund has a balance of about $80 million. So lawmakers sought to give another $20 million to local governments.

"It's just sitting in the bank and not being spent," Battin said.

Valley officials said they'd love to receive extra Special Distribution Fund Money, which is distributed through special committees formed in each county.

In Tulare County, more money is requested for projects than is available, spokesman Eric Coyne said.

Last fiscal year, Tulare County received $410,265 from the fund. The money was used for several needs, including repairs on Reservation Road and the purchase a firetruck in Porterville.

"There is a home for twice as many dollars as are available," Coyne said.

Fresno County received $1.3 million from the fund last year. It was used to improve Friant Road; purchase tattoo-removal equipment for youths in juvenile hall; and buy supplies for a sheriff's drug- and gang-resistance program for kids.

Kings County, which received $536,500, upgraded firefighting services, and Madera County, which received $311,846, held school field trips and after-school programs and enhanced law-enforcement and firefighting services.

The reporter can be reached at jfitzenberger@fresnobee.com or (916) 326-5541.

TRIBAL LEADERS TO GOVERNOR: GIVE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS GAMING MONEY

Indian gaming has gone a long way to improve conditions at police, fire and rescue facilities in California, proponents of Indian gaming in that state said, and they staged a demonstration last week to prove it.

According to a report in Palm Springs' Desert Sun, tribal leaders and local officials from throughout the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire displayed public safety equipment to show what their share of casino gaming dollars has bought. Additionally, they called upon the governor to restore a $20 million appropriation from the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund to the state budget.

In signing a new state budget recently, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed $20 million out of $50 million in tribally paid funds that the Legislature had approved for 25 counties to use for public safety, traffic control and other services.

The new police and sheriff's vehicles, fire trucks and other public safety gear purchased with gaming funds is only a part of the story, Lynn Valbuena, a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, told the paper. Valbuena, who chairs the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, said the revenues also helped put 30 new sheriff's deputies and local police officers on Coachella Valley, Inland and Santa Barbara community streets.

The demonstration also served as the introduction to the Web site, www.StrongerCommunities.com, which will provide information about the Special Distribution Fund and offer a way for Californians to e-mail Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers to urge the $20 million be returned to the 2005-2006 state budget.

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund was created through the 1999 Tribal State Compact, and is fully funded by the 26 tribal governments that were operating more than 200 slot machines as of September 1999.

Proceeds from the funds are earmarked for programs that include local governments and special districts that are impacted by Indian gaming, gambling and addiction programs, regulatory costs and for providing revenues for nongaming tribes.

-Matt Connor

Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations - 08/4/2005

RELEASE: August 4, 2005

Source: Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations
Contact: Jacob Mejia, (951) 675-0586

TRIBAL GAMING HELPS TO PUT PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST
AS BENEFITS FLOW TO INLAND EMPIRE COMMUNITIES

New equipment, police recruits, children's programs
funded by tribal government gaming revenues

Banning, CA, August 4, 2005 - For one time only today, brand new police and sheriff's vehicles, fire trucks and other public safety equipment - all of it purchased with the proceeds of tribal gaming - will come together from all over the Riverside and San Bernardino area. State and local officials, fire and police chiefs, and tribal leaders will also be on hand to show first hand the public benefits from tribal gaming, and to urge the governor to take the necessary steps to make sure these funds continue to flow to local agencies.

The impressive assembly of public safety equipment is only part of what cities and county agencies throughout the Inland Empire have acquired with the funds that local tribal governments have contributed to the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund (SDF). Many of the 30 new sheriff's deputies and local police officers that have been hired with SDF support will also be on hand for today's event in Banning.

"Supporting our local communities has always been a priority for us," said Lynn Valbuena, a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians who chairs the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN) which sponsored the event. "We fought hard to get the funds we pay to the state returned to the local communities in order to put more police officers on the streets, enhance fire protection services, support children's programs and improve road conditions."

The event will take place Thursday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the police parking area of the Banning police station, located at 125 E Ramsey, Banning, CA 92220.

Funding for local governments from the SDF became available for the first time in 2003. A total of $13,002,725 was provided in the 2003/04 fiscal year to Inland and Santa Barbara communities to add 30 sheriff's deputies and police officers; purchase 21 fully-equipped police and sheriff's vehicles, two fire engines, an ambulance, and acquire breathing apparatuses for more than 100 firefighters. And that is only part of the list. See the attached detailed breakdown. Almost $16 million will be provided for communities in the three counties in the current fiscal year.

"These projects are only the beginning," said Patrick Murphy, Jr., TASIN Secretary and member of the Pechanga Development Corporation. "TASIN member tribes project their contributions to the SDF will exceed $1 billion through 2020."

Unfortunately, part of the SDF funding for the coming year has been stalled at the state level. At today's event, state lawmakers, tribal and local government leaders will call on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to restore a $20 million SDF appropriation for local governments that was inadvertently removed from the 2005-06 state budget. They will unveil a website (http://www.StrongerCommunities.com/) that will provide information about the SDF and include features that allow Californians to email Governor Schwarzenegger and state legislators to urge them to return these critical dollars for Southern California communities.

"Tribal governments in the Inland region have honored their commitments to their neighboring communities," said Marion Ashley, Chairman of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. "We hope the governor will do the right thing and restore the funds so that we can continue to build on the progress we have made together."

The Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund was created through the 1999 Tribal-State Compact and is fully-funded by the 26 tribal governments that were operating more than 200 slot machines as of September 1999. Proceeds from the fund are earmarked for specific programs that include local governments and special districts impacted by tribal government gaming, gambling addiction programs, regulatory costs, and for providing critical revenues for non-gaming tribes.

Priorities for disbursements include local law enforcement, fire and other emergency services, environmental impacts, water supplies, behavioral health, land use, public health, roads, recreation, youth and child care programs.

"We're proud that our contributions are putting more police officers on the streets, enhancing fire protection services, and improving road conditions," commented Rosemary Morillo, Treasurer of TASIN and a Council Member for the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians.

"We're honoring our commitments under the compact and are helping to build stronger communities," stated Barbara Lyons, Vice Chairman of TASIN and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

NOTE TO TELEVISION NEWS EDITORS: Tribal leaders will be available for satellite interviews and b-roll footage will also be available through our satellite service, Media Link. Please contact Jacob Mejia at (951) 675-0586 for details.

NOTE TO PRINT EDITORS: Tribal leaders will be available for telephone interviews following the event. Photos from the event will also be available via e-mail. Contact Jacob Mejia at (951) 675-0586.

About the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations
The Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN) is an association of federally recognized tribal governments located within Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Barbara counties. It was formed in 1995 to protect and promote tribal sovereign governmental rights, as well as the cultural identity and interests of federally recognized tribes in the region. Since its inception, TASIN and member tribes have been at the forefront of nearly every major policy initiative in Indian Country.

# # #

Equipment and projects financed in the 2003/04 Fiscal Year for communities in Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Barbara Counties by the Indian Gaming Special Distribution Fund
(Arranged alphabetically by tribal government)

How a portion of Agua Caliente's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $42,597)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $121,951)

• Funded the addition of a sheriff's deputy and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

The City of Cathedral City (total: $78,002)

• Funded a portion of the purchase of 70 sets of protective "turnout" clothing and "wildland" firefighting boots
  
• Funded 12 pieces of firefighter cardio equipment

The City of Desert Hot Springs (total: $10,000)

• Funded 200 hours of police officer overtime dedicated to traffic enforcement

The City of Palm Springs (total: $897,062)

• Funded two uniformed police officers to serve as "Casino Officers"
  
• Purchased two police bicycles
  
• Purchased lap top computers for police department
  
• Purchased police radios and other necessary equipment
  
• Funded 50% of additional fire department staffing and a higher level of emergency medical service
  
• Funded a portion of the Palm Springs Police Drug Prevention Program
  
• Funded a portion of the "Downtown Experience"
  
• Funded 64% of a replacement fire engine
  
• Funded a civilian drug prevention officer in the Palm Springs Police Drug Prevention Program
  
• Funded one civilian PAL officer in the Palm Springs Police Activities League
  

The City of Rancho Mirage (total: $121,951)

• Provided reimbursement of Rancho Mirage casino police enforcement costs
  
• Funded the purchase of four vehicle mounted radar units and four handheld Lidar units and training for police officers not certified in the use of these units

How grants co-sponsored by the Augustine Band of Mission Indians are working (Note: these funds were made possible by the 20% non-nexus, non-paying portion of the SDF, which is paid for by Agua Caliente, Cabazon, Cahuilla, Morongo, Pechanga, Soboba and Twenty Nine Palms)
Riverside County Fire Department (total: $100,000)

• Funded the purchase of 25 new high pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity
  

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $528,244)

• Funded the addition of a sheriff's deputy per shift and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

Riverside County Transportation Department (total: $253,703)

• Paid for the installation of a traffic signal and addition of left turn lanes on Route 86

City of Coachella (total: $540,191)

• Funded an addition of a motorcycle officer 24 hours per day, seven days per week
  
• Funded a 42-hour shift for the Coachella Police Department
  
• Provided reimbursement for a portion of the cost of a traffic signal at Harrison and Avenue 54

City of Indio (total: $485,136)

• Funded a portion of the installation of a traffic signal and related work at the intersection of Indio Blvd. and Van Buren Street, including road widening at each leg to accommodate the full roadway
  
• Funded the development of the Indio Youth Master Plan that included costs associated with the Search Institute Youth Survey and aggregate report of middle and high school students; fees associated with consultants to monitor development of plan; expenses associated with community meetings, supplies, advertising and promotional events; personnel costs related to the Youth Coordinator position

City of La Quinta (total: $177,250)

• Funded the portion of a motor officer to assist with increased traffic

How a portion of Cabazon's contributions are working
City of Indio (total: $260,041)

• Funded a portion of a Type-I Ladder Truck

How a portion of Morongo's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $275,000)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos
  

Riverside County Emergency Medical Services (total: $450,000)

• Funded the placement of one ambulance staffed with one accredited Paramedic and one certified Emergency Medical Technician I at Casino Morongo

Riverside County Fire Department (total: $400,000)

• Funded the purchase of 100 new high-pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity. The larger cylinder allows firefighters to remain inside smoke-filled areas for an extra 15 minutes

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $528,244)

• Funded the addition of one sheriff's deputy per shift and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

Riverside County Transportation Department (total: $647,705)

• Financed modification and improvement of Main Street Interchange at I-10 that includes preparation of a project study report, development of a more refined construction cost estimate, and preparation of preliminary environmental work

City of Banning (total: $870,317)

• Purchased one new fire engine and associated fire suppression equipment
  
• Purchased six fully-equipped black and white units, three unmarked units, and two police motorcycles for the Banning Police Department. These purchases constitute a 40% increase in patrol vehicles for the Banning Police Department
  
• Purchased 15 handheld radios, 10 shotguns, and 10 handguns for the Banning Police Department
  
• Funded beautification and maintenance efforts on Ramsey Street

How a portion of Pechanga's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $340,979)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos

Riverside County Fire Department (total: $200,000)

• Funded the purchase of 50 new high-pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity. The larger cylinder allows firefighters to remain inside smoke-filled areas for an extra 15 minutes

Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $541,450)

• Funded the addition of one sheriff's deputy per shift and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

City of Temecula (total: $1,804,049)

• Funded a portion of the Wolf Creek Fire Station
  
• Funded a portion of the I-15/State Route 79 South Interchange Project

How a portion of San Manuel's contributions are working
San Bernardino County Fire Department (total: $299,225)

• Funded a portion of the replacement of an ambulance, fire engine and equipment for the Havasu Landing area

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department: (total: $578,501)

• Funded the addition of five sheriffs deputies and a fully-equipped patrol vehicle

City of Highland (total: $309,199)

• Funded street improvements to the intersection of Highland and Victoria

City of San Bernardino (total: $578,501)

• Funded the creation of a new "police beat" that included two fully-equipped police vehicles, seven officers and one sergeant
  
  

How a portion of Santa Ynez's contributions are working
Communities in Santa Barbara County (total: $1,104,559.42)

• Projects include sewer equipment for the Santa Ynez Community Services District, additional law enforcement, firefighter and paramedic personnel, and road improvements

How a portion of Soboba's contributions are working
Riverside County Sheriff's Department (total: $276,172)

• Funded the addition of three sheriff's deputies and a fully-equipped 4x4 patrol vehicle

City of San Jacinto (total: $276,142)

• Funded fire department services addressing casino-related needs. This contribution represents 6.25% of the fire department contract budget
  
• Funded completion of the design for the Ramona Expressway Road Improvement Project, including the reconstruction and minor widening of Ramona Expressway from State Street to Lake Park/Main Street
  
• Funded police department services related to casino incidents

How a portion of Twenty Nine Palm's contributions are working
Riverside County District Attorney's Office (total: $38,434)

• Provided a contribution toward the Tribal Liaison Unit, which investigates and prosecutes crimes connected to or affecting tribal casinos

City of Coachella (total: $78,910)

• Funded the upgrade of a firefighter position to a paramedic position on each shift
  
• Increased police patrols during break periods (i.e., Friday and Saturday nights)

City of Indio (total: $78,910)

• Funded the purchase of up to 19 new high-pressure Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses with a 50% larger cylinder capacity. The larger cylinder allows firefighters to remain inside smoke-filled areas for an extra 15 minutes

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 07/24/2005

New S.B. County prosecutor unit to focus on casinos

CRIMES: A prosecutor will take on cheats and those who victimize nearby residents.

12:54 AM PDT on Sunday, July 24, 2005

By RICHARD BROOKS / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - In terms of crime, an Indian casino near San Bernardino is similar to a small town, generating felonies and misdemeanors that range from trespassing and vandalism to car thefts and counterfeiting, officials say.

With 107 documented crimes last year in and around the casino, state officials have issued a $178,842 grant so that San Bernardino County district attorney's officials can assign a prosecutor full time to crimes reported at the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians' gambling parlor and the nearby neighborhood.

The money comes from a state fund designed to offset the costs that local governments incur because of Indian gaming. Tribes that run casinos pay into the fund, and nearby governmental agencies can apply for grants, many of which are for additional law enforcement.

The tribe fully supports this grant. There is no sense in making arrests if the resulting court cases aren't effectively prosecuted, said Jerry Paresa, the tribe's executive director of governmental operations.

In Riverside County, the district attorney created a Tribal Liaison unit in January. Its prosecutors have filed cases on more than 100 felonies and 100 misdemeanors, ranging from employee embezzlement and pickpockets to people who pass counterfeit cash and use devices that trick slot machines into paying off.

"I started filing cases about a week ago," said San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Carl LeBlanc. "So far, I've been doing a lot of (cases involving) drugs, identity theft, counterfeiting, some stolen cars."

LeBlanc plans to personally handle all felony prosecutions. But he'll also file the misdemeanor cases, which then will be prosecuted by other attorneys. Misdemeanors include trespassing on Indian land.

"San Manuel is a sovereign nation. They have a right to ban anyone they want," said LeBlanc. "If someone shows up (at the casino) drunk and belligerent, the tribe might throw them out and ban them.

"If they come back, they're arrested for trespassing, and we'll file the charge."

About a block from the casino, seven-year resident Sonya Scheffler is mainly concerned about the traffic congestion that she says the gambling Mecca has brought to her neighborhood.

But she likes the idea of a full-time criminal prosecutor for the area.

"Our vehicle was broken into and some change and some cassette tapes were stolen," Scheffler recalls. "We had a sago palm stolen off our front porch ... and our neighbor's house was broken into and jewelry was stolen."

Scheffler tells of men urinating in public and dumping alcoholic beverage containers in the street and on lawns.

Assistant District Attorney Jim Hackleman has heard many similar reports.

"These are the kinds of things that a community prosecutor can help" solve, he said.

The effort also will benefit the casino, he said.

"Las Vegas is very successful dealing with casino cheats," he said. "These people are finding better pickings in California. There's no one casino they focus on, but it's a growing concern."

Reach Richard Brooks at (909) 806-3057 or rbrooks@pe.com

Prosecutor grant

107 crimes in and around the San Manuel casino were reported last year

The district attorney has appointed a full-time prosecutor to handle those crimes

The cost is covered by a state grant

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 07/19/2005

Little time is left to receive cash

RESTORE: Legislators still say they'll get $20 million in Indian gaming money back from the state.

07:23 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 19, 2005

By KIMBERLY TRONE / The Press-Enterprise

COACHELLA - Two state lawmakers Monday said they intend to speed up legislation aimed at restoring $20 million in Indian gaming revenue to communities affected by casinos.

Gov. Schwarzenegger slashed from $50 million to $30 million the amount of gaming revenue Riverside, San Bernardino and other counties would receive in this year's budget. The cut cost Riverside County an estimated $8.5 million and San Bernardino County about $1.2 million.

With the legislative session scheduled to end Sept. 9, the lawmakers told members of the Riverside County Tribal Task Force on Monday that they are working against the clock.

"We have a 2 ½ week period to mount some pressure," Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, said. "We don't want $20 million to get raided by the state down the road."

Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, said he and Garcia hope to identify an existing bill that could be amended to restore the money to local governments.

The money generated by tribal gaming is used to help cities and counties pay for public safety and road improvements.

In addition to restoring the funding, Battin said their bill would spell out where county governments are supposed to send reports on how gaming revenue is spent.

Riverside County sent its report to a number of state agencies but did not send it to the California Gambling Control Commission. Nothing specifies that county reports must go to the commission, Battin said.

As a result, Battin said, the governor cut $20 million for the county and some smaller California counties whose reports did not reach the commission.

"You're going to get the money. It's just a matter of time," Battin pledged.

Cathedral City Councilman Greg Pettis said Republican and Democratic legislators failed to educate the governor about the importance of the gaming revenue and to head off problems with this year's allocations.

On Monday, some tribal leaders said they were skeptical that the $20 million would make its way back to the local level.

"I am not confident about much," said Maurice Lyons, chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. "I will believe it when I see it."

Reach Kimberly Trone at (951) 368-9456 or ktrone@pe.com

Sacramento Bureau - 07/12/2005

Inland snubbed on budget

CUT: The governor vetoes money lawmakers added to pay costs associated with tribal casinos.

12:01 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 12, 2005

By JIM MILLER / Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - Inland local governments will lose out on almost $10 million for dealing with increased traffic and other burdens of tribal casinos because of a paperwork dispute with the Schwarzenegger administration.

Last week, lawmakers sent Gov. Schwarzenegger a budget bill that allocated $50 million in casino revenue to Riverside and San Bernardino counties and other communities affected by tribal gaming -- $20 million more than last year.

On Monday, Schwarzenegger signed the $117.3 billion spending plan -- minus the additional tribal gaming money. Administration officials said the reduction stemmed from local governments' failing to explain how they spent the roughly $30 million they received last year.

Inland officials and tribal leaders reacted angrily to the reduction. Riverside County would have received an estimated $8.5 million of the $20 million under a 2004 funding formula, while San Bernardino would have gained about $1.2 million.

The county has turned in all of the necessary reports on time, said Supervisor Roy Wilson, chairman of the county committee that distributes the money to cities and county agencies.

"We're dumbfounded. If that is the reason, he is getting some bad staff advice," Wilson said.

Under the 2004 law, counties need to tell the Legislature by April 1 how they spent the casino mitigation money. Riverside County projects in 2004-05 included purchasing fire trucks, new traffic signals, and hiring prosecutors to focus on crimes committed on Indian reservations.

Administration officials gave the following timeline:

On April 29, the California Gambling Commission checked with the Legislature to learn which county reports had arrived. Officials were told none had.

Meanwhile, a Senate budget committee increased the casino mitigation money from $30 million to $50 million.

Because of the missing county reports, however, the administration decided there was no justification for the $20 million increase.

But Riverside County spokesman Ray Smith said the county sent its report to several state offices by express mail on March 31. Return receipts show the packages arriving early April 1, he said.

Inland tribal leaders criticized the governor's action.

"This $20 million reduction is unfair to local governments and seems unsubstantiated," said Lynn Valbuena, chairwoman of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Nations and a member of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

"Tribal and local government leaders worked very hard to secure disbursement of these monies for police, fire, traffic relief, and other critical services. We will continue our efforts to secure this appropriation for our local communities," she said.

The money stems from a statewide fund created by the 1999 compacts that legalized Las Vegas-style gaming in California.

Most gaming tribes -- including seven in Riverside County and one in San Bernardino County -- pay into the account. A 2004 law directs some of the money from the fund to surrounding communities. Other money goes to non-gaming tribes and to run the state's compulsive gambling program.

In 2004-05, Riverside County received $12.7 million of the $28.5 million distributed to counties. San Bernardino County received $1.8 million.

Monday, Riverside County officials estimated that they would have received about $8.5 million of the additional $20 million, if it had been part of the budget. San Bernardino County would have received about $1.2 million.

The additional $20 million inserted into the budget last week reflected a surplus in the Indian gaming fund, known as the special distribution fund.

State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, authored the 2003 law.

"Those funds are restricted. So not funding it just leaves a surplus in there," Battin said.

"I can't speak for the other counties. But I know Riverside County has been real good about filing," he said.

Contact Jim Miller at (916) 445-9973 or jmiller@pe.com

Budget signed

Highlights of the 2005-06, $117.3 billion state budget:

Includes no new taxes and no new borrowing.

Reduces the expected deficit in 2006-07 to $7.5 billion.

Spends $61 billion on education, including K-12 and higher education, and increases per-pupil funding to more than $10,000.

Adds $1.3 billion for road projects.

The final budget bill was trimmed by $190 million through line-item vetoes by Schwarzenegger.

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/28/2005

Tribe signs contract with police agency

SOBOBA: This could be the first such official agreement in the state of California.

11:50 PM PDT on Tuesday, June 28, 2005

By WES WOODS II / The Press-Enterprise

The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department signed a contract for police services Tuesday that could be the first official agreement between an Indian tribe and a law enforcement agency in California.

"That's our understanding," Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle said in a telephone interview Tuesday evening. The contract takes effect Friday.

Doyle said the San Diego Police Department had one officer acting as a liaison to various Indian tribes, but this was the first contract signed for police services.

Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening. Doyle said the contract was for five years with a one-year-out clause if either party wants to cancel it.

There will be two deputy sheriffs assigned to the reservation who will work 80 hours a week. The contract will cost the tribe approximately $387,000 a year, he said.

Doyle said the tribe approached the department to discuss "supplemental enforcement" in fall 2004.

"This is new territory. That's one of the reasons it took a long time," he said.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department had been negotiating with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians for similar services, Doyle said.

"They got busy and they expanded their casino operations and hotel. Currently, there are no active meetings going on regarding that service," he said.

He added that the department has an arrangement that is not contractual where the Morongo Band of Mission Indians pays the department for additional services on their reservation through "an extra duty situation."

Reach Wes Woods II at (760) 837-4405 or wwoods@pe.com

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/8/2005

Cal State project adds finishing touch

SAN BERNARDINO: The San Manuel tribe helped fund the $18-million student center.

11:36 PM PDT on Wednesday, June 8, 2005

By LISA B. McPHERON / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - At least 150 people were on hand Wednesday afternoon to see the last beam installed in Cal State San Bernardino's Santos Manuel Student Union building.

The topping-out ceremony commemorated the work that has gone into the $18 million endeavor and the $1 million contribution the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians made toward the construction project.

"It's really a historical event here to have the center named after him," said James Ramos, great-great-grandson of Santos Manuel.

On most college campuses the student union is often the heart of student activity. The renovations will more than double the size of the pre-existing building.

It's a great honor that the building is named after Santos Manuel who, with his tribe, was forced out of the San Bernardino Mountains by militia forces from San Bernardino in 1866, Ramos said.

"Our leader Santos Manuel, his name, is going to live on in an educational institution," Ramos said.

Ed Crisostomo / The Press-Enterprise
Albert Karnig, Cal State San Bernardino's president, speaks to the audience at the Santos Manuel Student Union's topping-out cere-mony. Funding for the structure came, in part, from a campus fee.

Funding for the project predominantly came from a campus fee increase students approved in 2001.

Alise Clouser, a 24-year-old master's student, was working on her bachelor's degree when she voted for the student fee hike.

Like many others Wednesday, Clouser signed her name to the 3,000-pound beam before ironworkers used a crane to raise it to the roof.

"Since I've have been here since '98, I get to see all this great stuff," she said, also referring to new student parking, housing and a recreation center.

The student union will have a 200-seat theater, meeting rooms and a large atrium.

Construction

Cal State San Bernardino's Santos Manuel Student Union is expected to open in November.

The renovations cost $18

million and will more than double the size of the original student union center.

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donated $1 million for construction, $1 million for diversity programs housed at the union and $1 million for student scholarships.

Source: Cal State San Bernardino Public Affairs Office

Desert Sun Sacramento Bureau - 02/2/2005

Tribal deals fall far short of projections
Governor predicted $300 million in revenue this year, but challenge to compacts clogs gains

Jake Henshaw
Desert Sun Sacramento Bureau
February 2, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribal gambling hasn't turned out so far to be the economic boon for the state that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once predicted, and senators will be asking why in a hearing Wednesday.
The governor had predicted that the state would get $300 million this year in revenue from deals with five tribes and that they also would back a bond to provide $1billion for transportation projects.

Instead, the state now expects to get $16 million this year and another $34 million next year in fees from new slot machines installed under the renegotiated agreements known as compacts.

The transportation bond is hung up because of a lawsuit challenging the way the compacts were approved by the Legislature. Until the court case is resolved, the bond can't be sold, according to the treasurer.

Gene Raper, a consultant for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of Palm Springs, said the compacts renegotiated so far have had "zero" impact on gambling tribes in the Coachella Valley.

"The governor has made a very big deal that he negotiated these compacts and made these promises and I look forward to seeing if they are going to come true," said Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, chair of the Governmental Organization Committee that will conduct the hearing.

State finance and gambling officials, including Treasurer Phil Angelides and representatives of the governor, are scheduled to testify.

The revised, lower revenue estimates are the result of a "better estimating methodology," said H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance.

"The governor would like them (legislators) to focus on urgent issues facing California like his reforms rather than second guessing good faith estimates," added Vince Sollitto, a spokesman for the governor.

But Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band, who has been at odds with the Schwarzenegger over gambling policies, said the real problem is the governor overreached.

"It's just like we've been saying all along, the money they were expecting is not there," Milanovich said.

Under the original 1999 compacts that govern most casinos, tribes don't have to pay anything to the state, though they do pay to help small and nongambling tribes and to offset the impact of their casinos on nearby communities.

Schwarzenegger has negotiated new or revised compacts with 10 tribes requiring them to pay the state for the first time in return for the chance to operate more slot machines than the 2,000 allowed for each tribe under the original compacts.

Eight of the compacts have been approved by state and federal officials and a ninth compact is still pending with federal officials, according to the Gambling Control Commission.

A 10th compact, which would lead to the state's first urban Indian casino, has been controversial and is still awaiting legislative approval.

The governor's staff has said he's still negotiating with other tribes, but so far has not been able to reach additional agreements.

Several tribes like the Agua Caliente and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians have offered to negotiate new compacts to pay the state but have been unwilling to accept the governor's nonrevenue terms giving the state and local officials a greater role in casino and off-reservation operations.

The Agua Caliente and Morongo last fall backed an unsuccessful ballot initiative to expand tribal gambling on reservations while requiring tribes to pay the equivalent of the state corporate tax.

Despite criticism from the governor during the 2004 campaign that tribes were ripping off the state, Milanovich Tuesday said his and other tribes still are willing to discuss new compact terms that could help the state with revenue and allow tribes to meet market opportunities.

"Tribes don't have bad feelings against anybody, especially the governor," Milanovich said. "Tribes don't understand why he can't sit down and discuss (issues) with us."

Palmer said gambling tribes with renegotiated compacts are on schedule with payments to the state that include $7.1 million to the general treasury and $2.6 million to small and nongambling tribes.

The first five tribes to renegotiate compacts also paid $25.2 million as required by Jan. 1 as a quarterly payment toward the $100 million they owe annually to support the $1 billion bond that the governor wants to use to repay loans from transportation accounts to balance the state budget.

"We have received all that and it is in the bank," said Fred Klass of the Department of Finance. "The tribes were very timely."

Howard Dickstein, attorney for several tribes with renegotiated compacts, said tribes have met their obligations as far as he knew and that the hearing isn't about the tribes.

Florez agreed, though he said interested tribes could comment today if they wish.

But Florez said he wants to take an especially close look at the bond since it could affect the timing of 109 highway projects.

Angelides has said the actual yield from the bonds is likely to be closer to $800 million for transportation.

As an alternative for transportation funding while litigation is pending, the treasurer has suggested selling $1.2 billion still unused from the $15 billion bond sold last year to balance the budget.

The administration hasn't endorsed this approach.

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 01/01/2005

No stopping Inland growth

Analysts see bright spots in housing, jobs, retail

Inland Southern California's economic boom isn't expected to go bust in 2005.

Strong home sales, job growth and retail expansion that marked 2004 should continue throughout the new year, according to economic forecasters.

Here is a look at what likely will dominate business news for the next 12 months:

Housing Boom Stays Strong

Most real estate analysts predict the Inland housing market will remain strong in 2005, although an unexpected sharp jump in interest rates could upset their forecasts.

"The lynchpin of the market is interest rates," said Robert Kleinhenz, senior economist for the California Association of Realtors, noting that any big increase in interest rates could discourage buyers.

Kleinhenz said he is expecting no more than a 1-percen- tage-point increase in mortgage rates. He predicts that will slow home sales by about 2.5 percent statewide, less in the Inland region, which continues to have one of the hottest housing markets in the nation.

Analysts say the Inland area's strong job growth and generous availability of lower-cost land that produces lower-priced homes give it an advantage over the rest of the region. As a result, home builders and buyers continue to pour in from the coastal counties, especially San Diego and Orange counties.

This upcycle is lasting far longer than normal for the real estate industry, Kleinhenz said, in part because of the demand from aging and affluent baby boomers throughout Southern California for move-up houses and second homes in the desert and mountains.

John Karevoll, an analyst for DataQuick Information Systems, said his firm suspects that nonincome sources of wealth, such as the cashing in of home equity, are providing the sustaining momentum.

Karevoll said he still believes that the 30 percent appreciation in housing values that the Inland region saw in 2004 cannot be sustained and will fall to the high teens next year.

Steve Johnson, a director of MetroStudy, a Riverside-based real estate consultant, said he expects the inventory of resale houses, which has expanded greatly since June, will keep growing as would-be sellers seek to cash in equity. He predicts that competition from the resale market will cause builders to limit their price increases to the single digits.

"Next year we anticipate a5 percent to 6 percent increase in the median price of new homes in the Inland Empire," Johnson said. He also said first-time buyers will find opportunity in 2005 as builders break ground with more condominium and high density housing priced below $300,000.

Airport Developments

Inland airports should see a construction boom as large companies build distribution centers in 2005.

Stater Bros. Markets, the Inland region's largest private employer, plans to start construction on its 1.2 million-square-foot headquarters and distribution center near San Bernardino International Airport. The 160-acre project is expected to employ 2,500 people and reach 2.2 million square feet upon build out.

The airport, formerly Norton Air Force Base, also should see the construction of the 600,240-square-foot Pep Boys automotive-parts distribution center at the AllianceCalifornia industrial park adjacent to the airport.

To the west, retailer Target will build a 1.6 million-square-foot distribution center in Rialto near the city's municipal airport.

In 2005, package delivery company DHL will be building its air hub at March Air Reserve Base with developer March GlobalPort and the base's civilian joint-powers authority. The 382,000-square-foot project is expected to open by the end of the year, according to Gregory Diodati, managing partner for the airport's private developer, March GlobalPort.

DHL will be working in the next few months with Riverside County as the company hires a work force of 300.

The DHL hub likely will make the hot real estate along Interstate 215 even hotter as development companies like Majestic and Lennar start to build their projects.

"The whole 215 corridor will become very valuable because of the proximity to the hub," Diodati said.

More Upscale Retail on Way

Popular retail chains are expected to continue discovering Riverside and San Bernardino counties in 2005.

Among those to arrive this year at the recently opened Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga: The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Sisley Italian Kitchen, Sephora and White House/Black Market. All are new to the Inland Empire.

Fifteen miles south on Interstate 15, the planned Dos Lagos retail center in Corona is expected to take off with tenant announcements early in the year, according to city and company officials. Hopes for the more than 500,000-square-foot project include high-end retailers, such as Williams-Sonoma, that once ignored the Inland area.

In Riverside, the planned 800,000-square-foot Canyon Crossings should announce its leases this year and start construction on a Wal-Mart Supercenter, said Michael Beck, assistant city manager. The center, which sits at the junction of Interstate 215 and Highway 60, is surrounded by several retailers that have popped up in the past year or two, including Pier 1 Imports, Target and Lowe's.

What was the Villaggio in downtown Riverside should re-emerge in 2005 as a four-block project made up of shops, restaurants and upstairs condominiums. Four proposals to develop the downtown area along Market Street, from Mission Inn Avenue to Fifth Street, are being reviewed by city officials.

By the end of 2005, construction should be close to starting on the project's first phase, Beck said.

Which stores will make up the expansion at Riverside's Galleria at Tyler mall should be revealed by this summer, said marketing director Paula Emanuele. Construction on the $65 million addition, called The Shops at Tyler, should start shortly after.

The Shops will add another 200,000 square feet to the Galleria, making it Riverside County's largest mall. Emanuele has said the new stores and restaurants will be of Williams-Sonoma and P.F. Chang's China Bistro caliber.

After years of struggling to attract shoppers and keep its tenants, the Moreno Valley Mall will add a 16-screen movie theater by Arizona-based Harkins late in 2005. The theater, already under construction, will take up a space long intended to be the mall's fifth major tenant.

"We think once the theater opens up, that will help with the leasing," Emanuele said.

The first stages of a major remodel of the Redlands Mall, purchased this year by General Growth, are expected to get underway this year. Much of the enclosed mall would be converted to open-air with about 60,000 square feet added to its existing 186,000, said Ralph Megna, the city's redevelopment advisor.

Like the Galleria, the Redlands Mall addition should draw the Restoration Hardwares of the world, Megna said. He expects construction to start in 2006.

Job Growth Seen

Job creation in San Bernardino and Riverside counties moved closer to where it needs to be in 2004, and the early estimates are it will continue that climb in 2005.

Economists say the two-county region needs about 35,000 new jobs a year to keep current and future residents working locally and not clogging the freeway to other areas. The Inland Empire added about 30,000 new jobs last year and should do a little better in 2005.

The region is expected to keep adding coveted technical and managerial positions. According to the state's statistics, this seemed to be happening in the fall of 2004.

As more people with jobs paying $50,000 to $100,000 move east to escape astronomical housing costs on the coast, Inland economists say, employers will be increasingly likely to follow with offices and labs.

The Inland Empire Economic Partnership, under new leadership that took over last year, will attempt to flood the national media with Inland nuggets in 2005, hoping to attract these good jobs. But officials don't expect the campaign to yield new companies until 2006 or 2007.

On the Workers' Comp Front

Employers enter 2005 with hopes that workers' compensation insurance reforms of the last year yield promised savings.

Insurance premiums have soared since the late 1990s to more than double the former rates. By last year, workers' compensation costs in California were the highest in the nation by far and more than twice the national average.

Seeking to slash costs, Gov. Schwarzenegger pressed legislators to pass a sweeping reform bill. The new rules, which critics say will strip away worker protections, passed in April but have yet to yield significant savings to businesses.

On average, insurers are reducing rates by about 5 percent or less heading into 2005. Experts say it could take several years for the savings to fully reach businesses. Proponents of last year' reform bill said they sought to reduce costs in the$20 billion-per-year system by at least $5 billion.

Some lawmakers and opponents of last year's reforms are urging additional legislation, including rate controls, if data in 2005 suggests that insurers are pocketing money saved from reductions in workers' compensation benefits to injured employees.

Recovery at Inland Airport

Ontario International Airport will enter 2005 after posting record-breaking passenger numbers in 2004.

The result marks the first time that the airport will show it has fully recovered from the terror attacks and economic recession of 2001 that hurt air travel nationwide.

The airport should get a further boost for its future.

In the coming year, the Federal Aviation Administration is expected to approve the controversial master plan for Los Angeles International Airport.

Experts say the plan, which includes a growth cap for the airport, will shift more emphasis to Ontario International. Los Angeles World Airports, which owns both airfields, also is working on a master plan for Ontario.

The master plan will guide development at Ontario International for the next two decades. By 2030, the airport is projected to handle approximately 30 million passengers per year.

The Guidant Takeover

Over the past 20 years, a lot of mergers have translated into bad news for employees, particularly those of companies bought out by larger firms.

For that reason, a lot of eyes are on Temecula in 2005, where Guidant Corp. employs about 3,000 people. It's one of the largest Inland Southern California work forces under one roof, and it will become a Johnson & Johnson Inc. property if the $25.4 billion buyout closes, probably in the third quarter.

Ronald Dollens, Guidant's president and chief executive, who plans to retire when the deal closes, publicly said the Temecula plant, which makes bare-metal stents, will be a critical asset for J&J.

Guidant workers know how to manufacture bare stents. J&J is further advanced in the production of the drug-coated stents and already owns a subsidiary that makes them. It remains to be seen whether company officials believe there'll be too much overlap within the merged firms and whether it makes sense to trim any operations.

Changing Face of Banking

As Inland Southern California grows, small- and medium-size banks have become the target of larger companies and megabanks that want an Inland presence. But with few homegrown banks left, it has become harder to find takeover targets.

Nevertheless, a couple of Inland banks could find it difficult to turn down attractive buyout offers in 2005, so the industry could lose even more local institutions.

At the same time, two banking groups - one in Riverside and one in Palm Desert - began the process of forming new institutions in late 2004. If all goes well, they might get state regulatory approval in 2005 and open for business in 2006.

One interesting development will be the metamorphosis of the former Valley Bank from a small Moreno Valley institution into the lynchpin of an effort by Mexican banking giant BBVA Bancomer to penetrate the U.S. Hispanic market.

Next year will also see more aggressive growth by area credit unions, especially the two largest, Arrowhead Credit Union and Altura Credit Union, which are offering more services to a greater variety of people in order to compete with banks.

A Strong RV Market

The $12 billion recreational vehicle industry, which struggled though the 1990s, appears to be in the midst of a rebound that isn't expected to end anytime soon.

While 2004 saw high gas prices and weather-related setbacks in the form of four successive hurricanes in Florida, overall revenue numbers are high and wholesale RV shipments are expected to set a quarter-century record of nearly 365,000 units.

Industry trade groups, manufacturers and retailers say the boom began after Sept. 11, 2001, when more American travelers decided to stay closer to home.

The trend has continued as baby boomers have begun to retire with money to spend.

Riverside-based Fleetwood Enterprises, once of the nation's largest RV makers, said it expects to earn a profit at the end of its 2005 fiscal year, while Moreno Valley-based Thor California, part of Ohio's Thor Industries, is earning record income.

Perris-based National RV Holdings, while going through some changes, also will work on making improvements to its bottom line in 2005.

Tribal Gaming to Stay Hot

A massive wave of expansion at American Indian-owned casinos and resorts took hold in 2004 as four tribes - Pechanga, Morongo, Cabazon and San Manuel - completed or nearly completed major projects throughout the Inland area.

Next year could see more growth from the Torres-Martinez tribe, which is building a small casino and truck stop near Coachella; the Soboba Band, which just bought a golf course near San Jacinto, where it will consider building a hotel; and the Twentynine Palms Band, which has been mulling expansion of the Trump 29 Casino.

There is no question that tribes in Riverside and San Bernardino counties have become major job creators, employing thousands of people.

But working conditions will continue to be debated, both by labor unions, which would like to organize more casinos, and by state government, which made the subject a priority in negotiating recent gaming compacts in other counties.

Desert Economy to Bloom

While the nine cities in the Coachella Valley are very different, they all will struggle with how to manage their astounding growth in 2005.

Some of the biggest issues will arise in Palm Springs, which is preparing for the completion of a greatly expanded convention center and the possibility of major new development by the Agua Caliente tribe just east of downtown.

Palm Desert could see a lot of development around the planned Desert Gateway, a controversial 700,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter, and the growing campus that includes extension buildings belonging to UC Riverside and Cal State San Bernardino.

Both Coachella and Indio, which has a new mayor, will continue to see an influx of new residents looking for more affordable housing on the eastern end of the valley.

Indio will continue to be a player in the world of economic development as well, having lured several companies away from nearby cities in 2004.

Unions to Get Aggressive

The 99 Cents Only Stores Inc. is sort of a Wal-Mart Lite. The Southern California-based deep discounter has a steady flow of customers - and 18 Inland stores - but nothing near the power of world's largest retailer.

Wal-Mart has used this power to remain virtually impenetrable by unions across America. Not so 99 Cents Only Stores, which signed a contract with Teamsters-represented truck drivers on Dec. 19.

Next year, the Teamsters plan to organize workers at four of the chain's distribution centers.

Teamsters leaders say a coordinated effort will be mounted with the United Food and Commercial Workers, which wants to unionize store shelf stockers and cashiers.

99 Cents Only Stores had a troubled 2004, falling far short of earnings projections. Its CEO, who founded the company, is not in good health and is retiring.

Another labor situation will concern the major grocery chains. The contracts with Teamsters warehouse workers expire in October.

The tenor of the negotiations might indicate how well Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons have recovered from the disastrous 2003-04 strike, and how much clout organized labor still carries.

Staff writers Leslie Berkman, Adam Eventov, Paul Herrera, Jack Katzanek, Jonathan Shikes and Devona Wells contributed to this report.

PRESS ENTERPRISE - 11/11/2004

Pechanga casino doubles down

GROWTH: The expanded resort employs 5,100, the county's second-largest private work force.

By ROCKY SALMON / The Press-Enterprise

PECHANGA INDIAN RESERVATION - When the Pechanga Resort & Casino opened in 2002, tribal members sent out news releases, offered tours and posted billboards along the freeways.

Things were a lot quieter Wednesday when the tribe officially opened an expansion that more than doubled the casino's floor space.

The addition makes the resort the second-largest private employer in Riverside County, trailing only the 5,600 of Colton-based Stater Bros. Markets, according to the 2004 Book of Lists, as published by the Business Press.

"Yesterday, Pechanga employed over 3,200 Californians and contributed $460 million to California's economy," said Mark Macarro, tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, in an e-mail.

"With our new expansion opening today, Pechanga now employs over 5,100 people and will contribute over $500 million of economic impact to California's economy. This is great for California's economy."

The 100,000-square-foot addition includes a bar, a steakhouse, a cafeteria-style dining area, hundreds of slot machines and card tables. It also has video-lottery machines whose legality has sparked a debate with the state.

The casino was built in 2002 and had an 88,000-square-foot casino area, with 2,000 slot machines and 85 table games. The 14-story hotel has 522 rooms.

The expansion extends toward Pechanga Parkway, and the central area has an elevated bar overlooking the casino floor. The second floor houses a poker room.

Jennie Schultz met a few friends at the casino for food and gambling. She wandered into the new area before sitting at a slot machine.

"It's so bright," the 29-year-old Riverside woman said of the casino..

"I feel like I am in Vegas, and it's a shorter drive."

Frank O'Connell was looking over the new steakhouse's menu.

His wife began clapping when she spotted the nonsmoking section.

"This is top-notch," the 58-year-old San Diego man said.

"I wouldn't even have known this was new except for everyone telling me."

Staff writer Tim O'Leary contributed to this report.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/22/2004

DA to add prosecution team

TRIBAL LAND: Money from a casino-impact fund aids the effort against crimes on Indian land.

By BETTYE WELLS MILLER / The Press-Enterprise

Crimes that occur or begin on Riverside County's Indian reservations soon will be prosecuted by a special team in the district attorney's office, thanks to a $697,000 grant from Inland gaming tribes.

That grant is one of several totaling more than $4.7 million the county Board of Supervisors accepted from the Riverside County Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee on Tuesday.

Legislation enacted last year established a method for distributing $25 million from a special fund that gaming tribes finance to reduce the impacts of their casinos. Local governments apply for funding through local committees.

"Our intent is to handle all Indian crime," District Attorney Grover Trask said of the special unit the grant will fund.

The team will be a model for other California counties, he said in a telephone interview.

"This is not just about gaming and its impact on public service," Trask said. "It's much broader in dealing with all crime coming off Indian lands."

California is one of six states the federal government authorized to handle law enforcement on Indian reservations. But tribes asserting their sovereignty have not always cooperated with local law enforcement agencies trying to investigate crimes or serve subpoenas on reservations, Trask said.

Some crimes leave reservations, he said, such as when people drink too much in a casino and crash a vehicle outside tribal boundaries, or when thieves follow casino patrons into residential areas and rob them.

"What we're seeing with nine casinos in Riverside County is thousands of people utilizing gaming facilities," he said. "This creates, unfortunately, a haven for criminal activity, whether it's drugs, gaming, theft or prostitution."

The special prosecution unit will be operational by September, Trask said.

Other county recipients of gaming grants include:

The Sheriff's Department, which will receive $1,996,061. The department will add 19 deputies and at least six vehicles to patrol around several of the major casinos.

The Transportation Department, which will get $901,408. That money will fund engineering work to reconstruct the Interstate 10-Main Street interchange east of Casino Morongo in Cabazon and to install traffic signals on Highway 86 at Avenue 62 in Coachella, George Johnson, director of transportation said by phone. "We didn't have any funding for either one of these projects," Johnson said.

The county Fire Department, which was awarded $700,000 to buy 175 high-pressure, self-contained air tanks for firefighters assigned to stations near casinos and their resorts. Fire Chief Tom Tisdale said by phone that the new tanks will triple the amount of time firefighters can battle blazes inside smoke-filled buildings.

The public health department, which will receive $450,000 for an ambulance and crew that will be based at Casino Morongo.

"Each casino averages over 200 calls per year" for medical aid, Susan Harrington, director of public health, said by phone. The addition of a fourth ambulance in the Pass area will improve response times, she said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/17/2004

City gets casino impact aid

SAN JACINTO: The $276,000 from an Indian tribe fund is designed to help area communities.

By HAN KWAK / The Press-Enterprise

SAN JACINTO - San Jacinto was awarded more than $276,000 from an Indian gaming fund earlier this week to help offset the effects of the neighboring Soboba Casino.

The money will be used toward San Jacinto police and fire services as well as help fund the Ramona Expressway design.

"We're right next to them, so we have a direct impact," Mayor Jim Ayres said.

Ayres said the tribe supported giving the money.

San Jacinto was one of many cities, along with Riverside County, to share about $10.3 million from a special distribution fund in which Riverside County tribes that operate casinos participate.

The aim of the fund is to help offset impacts on communities that are neighbors of casinos. A percentage of gaming profits is set aside for the fund.

Ayres said the money strengthens the relationship between the city and the casino.

"It's a shared responsibility that we have with Soboba," Ayres said, adding he didn't believe San Jacinto could have gotten as much money without Soboba support.

A representative of the Soboba Tribal Council could not be reached for comment.

The San Jacinto City Council and the tribal council will hold a meeting Thursday to discuss development issues.

Unincorporated Riverside County that borders the Soboba Indian Reservation got an amount matching the city's.

Almost $60,000 of San Jacinto's $276,000 award will go to repaving parts of Ramona Expressway, which motorists use to get to the casino.

About $56,000 will be spent on fire services, and $160,123 will be allocated for police services.

Rick Hoffman, legislative assistant for Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley, said he did not think Hemet received a portion of the fund.

"You actually have to border the reservation," Hoffman said. East Hemet is technically unincorporated Riverside County.

Hoffman said this is the fund's first year, and that providing the money will be an annual process.

"I think the (Indian gaming tribes) recognized their impacts and stepped up to minimize them," Hoffman said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 06/15/2004

Casino profits allotted

SPECIAL FUND: Proceeds will help offset the effects of Indian gaming on nearby communities.

By STEVE MOORE / The Press-Enterpise

Temecula gets about $1.4 million for improving an interchange at Interstate 15/Highway 79.

Banning gets about $803,000 for a new fire engine, squad cars and everything from shotguns to hand-held radios.

And Riverside County gets money for more deputies, district attorneys and to outfit firefighters with the latest self-contained breathing apparatus.

It's all part of money awarded Monday from gaming profits set aside in a special fund to offset the effects of tribal casinos on neighboring communities. A committee of tribes and municipal and county officials determined the allotments and announced them at a meeting Monday in Banning.

In all, about $10.3 million has been awarded this year from a special distribution fund that pays for police and fire services, road improvements and emergency medical services.

Cities and Riverside County were grateful for the money, which will be available by the end of the month.

Riverside County got 46 percent and cities received 54 percent of the funds.

Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley said after the meeting at Banning City Hall: "I'm very satisfied with the monies we received. This is a very robust start."

Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden said the gaming proceeds will save the jobs of six firefighters and add to police officers at a time when his city is considering how to cut costs.

But some say the money isn't enough to offset increased traffic, additional demands for more police and fire protection and other effects of Indian gaming.

Cheryl Schmit heads Stand Up For California, a watchdog group on statewide gambling issues.

"Ten million dollars might sound like a big number to a lot of folks, but it's just a drop in the bucket," she said by phone. "That's not enough money to cover all the impacts."

Schmit says the whole process of tribes awarding grants to city and county governments "makes a charity out of local government" and forces them to "go begging hat-in-hand" to the Indians.

"It's not a fair, balanced or just process," she said.

City and county officials at Monday's meeting said they don't feel beholden to the tribes. They said a good relationship exists with tribal governments. And they pointed out it's the first year the gaming funds have been distributed.

"I think the city of Banning has a very strong working relationship with the Morongo tribe," said Banning Mayor Art Welch.

"Could we have used more money? Absolutely."

Many look forward to more money in the future.

Tribes began paying into the state-managed account in 2002. They pay on a percentage basis based on the number of slotmachines they had as of Sept. 1, 1999.

The top two payments came from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians at about $4 million and the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians at about $3.7 million, officials said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 05/25/2004

First casino awards made

GAMING: The bulk of the $10.4 million impact fund will not be allocated to local projects until June.

By STEVE MOORE / The Press-Enterprise

BANNING - The big pot could be awarded next month.

Cities and Riverside County got a small portion Monday of $10.4 million in casino profits set aside in a special fund to offset the effects of tribal casinos on neighboring communities.

A committee of city, county and tribal representatives awarded a total of $456,296 from the Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indians and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians.

Money went for everything from helping Indio build a new fire station to funding district attorney's office liaison/coordinators who will work with tribes. The money should be received by late June, officials said.

Committee members scheduled a 3 p.m. meeting for June 14 at Banning City Hall to consider awarding nearly $10 million left in the special distribution fund.

Further study will be done before awarding the money, including discussions with tribes that sponsored various projects, said County Supervisor Roy Wilson. He is the chairman of the group making the awards, the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee.

Tribes began paying into the state-managed account in 2002. Money in the fund goes for such needs as police and fire protection, road improvements, and emergency medical services.

On Monday, the committee delayed awarding money from the tribes that have paid the most into the special fund.

Topping the list at $3.96 million is the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, followed by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians at $3.6 million, records show.

The committee's staff is recommending that Banning receive about $1.9 million for its police department from the Morongo tribe. The money would pay for new police cars, motorcycles, guns and handheld radios. About $1.9 million also is recommended for the Sheriff's Department in the San Gorgonio Pass.

Those funds would hire and outfit five sheriff's deputies, including new vehicles and equipment.

An additional $793,000 from the Morongo Band is still available for use in the Pass. It could put one ambulance at Casino Morongo and add code enforcement officers focusing on Ramsey Street, the main drag through Banning.

Temecula could be eligible for about $1.1 million, and the money could be used to improve the Interstate 15/Highway 79 South interchange.

Riverside County also could be eligible for about $1.1 million from the Pechanga tribe.

The money could go for everything from hiring and equipping new sheriff's deputies to buying new high-pressure, self-contained breathing apparatus for the Riverside County Fire Department.

Some of the money also could go to the district attorney's office to hire liaison/coordinators to work with tribes.

An additional $722,000 is also available in the Temecula area from the Pechanga Band.

That money could go for an ambulance at the Pechanga Resort & Casino and to help Temecula build the Wolf Creek Fire Station.

There are nine Indian casinos in Riverside County.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 05/13/2004

City to tap fund for gaming impacts

Temecula will soon be able to tap much of a $3.6 million purse from a state fund the Pechanga Indian tribe pays into to offset impacts from its casino and hotel, City Councilman Ron Roberts announced Tuesday night.

Proposals to ease traffic woes and improve public safety will receive most of the Pechanga casino revenues, said Roberts, who serves on the seven-member Indian Gaming Local Benefit Committee.

A preliminary funding plan for the first year of the revenue-sharing program is expected to be finalized late this month or next month, Roberts said. The plan calls for about $1.6 million to help improve the Interstate 15 interchange at Highway 79 South in Temecula. More than $1 million would be earmarked for additional law-enforcement patrols and improved paramedic services at the casino and in the south Temecula area, he said.

More than $10.5 million is available in Riverside County in the program's initial year to offset impacts to cities and unincorporated communities that are affected by nearby Indian casinos. The $25 million available statewide is part of a fund the gaming tribes pay into and will be shared by nongaming tribes, by groups that help addicted gamblers and by designated government agencies.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 05/05/2004

Casino fund to aid police

COUNTY: It will allow two departments to beef up their patrols near the San Manuel Band's facility.

By KAREN GAUDETTE / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - Proposals to enhance public safety near the San Manuel tribe's casino won a lion's share of $1.5 million that the county received from a state fund paid into by many tribes to ease the impacts of casinos.

Carl Winter, head of a neighborhood group opposed to the tribe's casino expansion, called Monday's decision by the county Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee a good first step.

But he said he hopes negotiations between San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles and tribal officials will produce additional improvements to the pollution, litter, noise, crime and other problems that he says plague his neighbors.

The San Bernardino Police Department will receive roughly $578,500 when the new fiscal year begins in July to beef up patrols of the residential neighborhood that borders San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino in the foothills.

The committee awarded roughly $309,000 apiece to the county and the city of Highland, which is also near the casino. The county's share will be spent on more sheriff's deputies, according to its grant application. Highland plans street improvements along Highland Avenue to ease congestion from traffic heading to the casino.

San Bernardino Councilman Neil Derry, the lone vote against the overall proposal, said he believes more of the money should have gone to build sound walls and similar improvements closer to the casino.

He called on grant recipients to detail how and when they will spend the money to ensure it goes to help the neighborhood and isn't spent on other needs as local governments statewide grapple with budget deficits.

The committee also approved spending nearly $300,000 for a new firetruck that will serve the Lake Havasu landing area near the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe's casino.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 04/09/2004

Groups benefit from tribe

HELP: The Agua Caliente Band distributes more than $1 million to agencies and nonprofits.

By DAVID HERMANN / The Press-Enterprise

RANCHO MIRAGE - Hospice of the Desert Cities will be able to provide grief counseling to the families of the terminally ill.

Ninth-graders in the Palm Springs Unified School District will get new science books.

Palm Springs police officers will be donning new bullet-resistant vests.

These changes and many more will be financed by checks from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which gave out just over $1 million to more than 70 Coachella Valley government agencies and community organizations Friday during its annual Tribal Donation Ceremony.

"This money means everything to us," said Dee Clark, executive director of Desert Blind and Handicapped, after receiving a check for $30,000.

"This means we can get caught up with our bills and keep providing services to the community," Clark said.

Tribal Chairman Richard Milanovich presided over the morning ceremony at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage.

"It makes me feel good knowing that we do give back," Milanovich said. "It's very sad to know there is such a need in our beautiful valley. In our small way, we try to alleviate some of that suffering."

Many of the charities that received money from the tribe on Friday, groups with familiar names such as United Way, the American Legion and Special Olympics, had received thousands of dollars at ceremonies in years past.

But it was the first time for some groups, such as the Enduring Freedom KIA Fund. The Palm Springs-based charity, which gives $1,000 grants to the widows of U.S. service members killed in action, received $5,000 from the tribe on Friday.

The group's founder and president emeritus, Bill Byrne, said the money will be a big help. He said the fund has already given money to the families of 50 servicemen killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he said, he expects that number to climb because of the violence going on overseas.

"It doesn't mean as much to us as it does to the widows," Byrne said. "We have no paid staff, we're all volunteers, so whatever money we get goes directly to the families."

This is the ninth year that tribal leaders have held the donation ceremony. It comes at a time when the Agua Caliente and other gaming tribes are being called on by Gov. Schwarzenegger to pay what he has called their "fair share" as the state is facing massive budget shortfalls.

Schwarzenegger has been meeting with Indian leaders to renegotiate gaming pacts that allow the tribes to operate casinos in California.

Milanovich said the $1,054,500 that the tribe handed out Friday was just a part of the money that the tribe is giving back to the community. He said the tribe has paid $8 million into a statewide fund created by state legislators to help pay for what Milanovich called the "supposed impact" of casinos on surrounding communities.

Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden said the tribe has been and continues to be a generous supporter of the community.

"If there's any program that says something about the Agua Caliente's relationship with the community, it's this one," Oden said just before the start of the ceremony. "This is something that they don't have to do. But they say we are a part of the community and then they put their money where their mouth is."

Largest donations
Assistance League of Palm Springs - $60,000
Braille Institute - $50,000
College of the Desert - $50,000
Mizell Senior Center - $50,000
Palm Springs Fire Department - $80,000
Palm Springs Unified School District - $60,000
SOURCE: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 02/24/2004

Tribe donates $4 million to UCLA

The Press-Enterprise

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will give UCLA School of Law $4.05 million to support a center for understanding the life, law, culture and history of Indians, a university spokeswoman said.

The Tribal Learning Community and Educational Exchange will enable "students and the members and leaders of tribal communities to be able to use this knowledge to build and govern their own nations," said law professor Carole Goldberg, who heads the effort. The center opened last year, she said.

A San Manuel statement on Monday said the gift would be the largest ever by an Indian tribe to a university. San Manuel Chairman Deron Marquez could not be reached Monday. In August he told Indian Gaming Business magazine the donation was $4 million.

In the article, Marquez said the tribe wants to familiarize Native American children with university life so that they will be more comfortable with the idea of going to college.

"One of the biggest problems for our native kids is the intimidation factor of a place like UCLA or Cal State San Bernardino. Our goal is to curtail that somewhat," he told Indian Gaming Business.

The goal is to create a center of knowledge about the Indian tribes of Southern California, Goldberg said.

The center will help Native Americans prepare for college so that more Indians might attend and enhance their professional development, and will offer new courses on the history of California tribes, culture and policies, Goldberg said.

Last May, the tribe gave $3 million to Cal State San Bernardino to expand the student union and provide programs, scholarships and internships.

The tribe also makes substantial political donations, handing out $760,124 in 2003, a tribe document on file with the county said.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 02/10/2004

Tribe chips in for skate park

DONATION: A $250,000 contribution will help build the long-awaited facility in Banning.

By KARIN MARRIOTT / The Press-Enterprise

BANNING - The city is half way to getting a skate park.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians on Tuesday donated $250,000 toward construction of the 16,000-square-foot facility planned for George Street and San Gorgonio Avenue.

A group formed to raise funds for the skate park plans to raise $500,000 to build the facility.

"When I grew up here, we had nothing," Maurice Lyons, tribal chairman, told the Banning City Council when he presented the check. "This skate park will be here forever. All of the kids from the Pass area . . . will use this."

It has been four years since a group of skaters asked the council to build a safe and legal place for them to practice their sport. The city did not have funds to build the park but set aside $20,000 for construction drawings for the park.

A task force comprised of city officials and skaters was formed to raise funds by selling pizza and T-shirts and holding a skating exhibition. The group fizzled.

"It's All About the Kids," a new group including Mayor Arthur "Art" Welch and Councilwoman Barbara Hanna, now is raising money for the project.

Hanna said Robertson's Ready Mix has committed to donating materials or money. Other businesses also have offered services or donations.

Last month, the City Council approved a master plan for a skate park that was larger than initially planned, Chris Millen, community services manager, said by phone before the meeting.

The master plan calls for 10,000 square feet of skating surface in a 16,000-square-foot park. Originally, the skating surface would have been 7,000 square feet, Millen said.

A vertical half-pipe, two bowls with a transition connecting them, grinding rails and fun boxes are planned, Millen said.

Construction is estimated to cost $370,000.

Tyqui Harrison, 18, of Banning, was among a group of skaters who cheered Monday when Lyons presented the check to the city. Harrison said he began to doubt a skate park would be built after hearing about it for so many years.

"It wouldn't be nothing but nice, really," Harrison said. "Now we don't have to skate on people's property."

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PRESS ENTERPRISE-01/23/2004

Gaming benefit panel to be named

By KAREN GAUDETTE
SAN BERNARDINO - County leaders on Tuesday will name five area officials to a committee that will distribute $1.5 million of tribal money to help ease the environmental affects of the San Manuel casino on surrounding communities.

Dennis Hansberger, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, is recommending himself along with San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles, San Bernardino City Councilman Neil Derry, Highland City Councilman Larry McCallon, and Katherine Mitchell, a Hansberger field representative who has worked with area officials and tribal leaders.

The five would serve on the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee to represent affected areas. Residential neighborhoods of both the city and county of San Bernardino border the San Manuel reservation, and casino patrons must first motor through Highland to reach tribal land in the San Bernardino foothills.

The $1.5 million is the first installment of tribal money that is designated for public works projects and other services to mitigate the effects of casinos on surrounding communities. County officials say it will be allocated based on how near a jurisdiction is to the reservation and whether it maintains a main thoroughfare to the casino.

Many residents say a casino expansion under way will worsen traffic jams, air and noise pollution, and crime. Leaders of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians say expanding the tribe's casino is essential to remaining competitive and ensuring financial security for future generations.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 01/16/2004

Communities eyeing pot of gambling profits

CASINOS: Government and tribal representatives will meet to determine how to allocate funds.

By MICHELLE DeARMOND / The Press-Enterprise

PALM SPRINGS - Riverside County communities struggling to deal with the increased traffic and burdens created by tribal casinos soon will get to make their pitch for part of a $10.6-million pot of Indian gambling profits, officials said Thursday.

A special committee with representatives from local governments and tribes in Riverside County will meet for the first time Jan. 26 to begin planning how to allocate the money.

Riverside County is believed to be the first county in the state to form such a committee and hopes to be the first county to get its share of this year's $25 million statewide fund.

"Riverside County is being looked at as a model throughout the state," Barbara Dunmore, deputy county executive officer, said Thursday at the Western Indian Gaming Conference. "I believe the goal is to be the first county in the state to submit an approved list" of uses for the money.

Communities throughout the state are struggling to address the effects of bustling tribal casinos on their infrastructure and police and fire departments. Many local governments expect to receive money from the state-managed account, known as the special distribution fund, which tribes began paying into in 2002.

In San Bernardino County, which will get $1.5 million this year, the board of supervisors voted last week to form its own committee to handle the distribution of the money. San Bernardino County has two Indian casinos, including the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians' facility near Highland.

Riverside County is home to 10 casinos, several of which are being expanded, and will receive the largest portion of the fund of any county in the state. Residents and officials from Coachella to Temecula have complained about the need for additional money to help mitigate the effects of gambling on their communities.

The Legislature didn't approve the fund's disbursement until late last year, under a bill by Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta.

The legislation requires counties receiving money from the fund to form committees made up of county, city and tribal representatives. The committee then will field requests from local governments and must submit a list of approved grants to the state controller by June 30.

Riverside County's committee is made up of county Supervisors Roy Wilson and Marion Ashley, Banning Mayor Art Welch, Temecula Councilman Ron Roberts, Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden, Soboba tribal Chairman Robert Salgado and Agua Caliente Vice Chairman Barbara Lyons, Ashley said.

Butch Murphy of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians will serve as an alternate committee member.

Ashley spoke at the annual conference of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association at the Palm Springs Convention Center, where he praised tribal leaders and said he expects the projects approved by the committee to have terrific benefits for the area.

"We know we're walking through uncharted territory," he said. "This is going to be hard work."

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SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SUN - 05/09/2003

Cal State gets donation from tribe

SAN BERNARDINO: The San Manuel Band may get naming rights to the new student union.

By LOUISE KNOTT AHERN

SAN BERNARDINO - Cal State San Bernardino's new student union might bear the name of a revered tribal leader thanks to a $3 million donation from the San Manuel Indians.

On May 13, Cal State Board of Trustees may approve naming the center the Santos Manuel Student Union in honor of the namesake of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Santos Manuel led the Serrano Indians of the San Bernardino Valley to safety during a month-long campaign by settlers to kill all Indians in 1866.

The university approached the tribe about the donation in exchange for the naming rights to the building, said Cal State San Bernardino President Al Karnig. Such solicitations are common practice in college fund-raising.

"This is part of a very, very long partnership that we've had with them," Karnig said. "It's quite a remarkable gift."

The San Bernardino campus is expanding its existing student center from 40,000 square feet to 84,000 square feet. Officials said the university will break ground on the project next fall, and the building should be ready within two years.

A third of the tribe's money will pay for an expansion of the union's cross-cultural center, which offers multicultural programs for students and the community. The other $2 million will be placed into endowment and used for student scholarships and internships, said Karnig.

"The tribe truly believes that education is key," said Jill Eaton, tribal spokeswoman. "The tribe understands the importance of continuing education and wanted to provide an environment where students can come together and exchange cultural and educational experiences."

Aside from the $1 million donation from the tribe, the $15 million union expansion is funded by student fees.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 12/05/2003

Casino bucks go to Inland high schools

By JAMIE AYALA / Press Enterprise

TEMECULA - Buying sports equipment and handing out additional scholarships will be easier this year for area high schools.

Thanks to a $250,000 donation they received from Pechanga Resort & Casino Friday, five schools from Temecula, Lake Elsinore and Murrieta will be able to provide more to their students. Each high school received $50,000, an increase of about $25,000 from previous years. Next year, the two area high schools will be added to the list of recipients.

"Because it's significant, we're going to try to broaden the impact," Temescal Canyon High School Principal Patrick Kelleher said.This year some of the money is earmarked for ASB to divvy it up among student programs like choir, drama and student technology. Tom Blanchard, 17, said the money Temescal has received has helped him in academics because of new computers.

Last year, Murrieta Valley High School used its money to purchase a $14,000 softball scoreboard, pool upgrades and football helmets.

"Without the donation, we would have to have a whole bunch of car washes," said Dave Zirkle, the school's athletic director. "It was a nice wake-up call to see that we'd get more this year."

About $20,000 could go to athletics, Zirkle said. He said weights and track equipment were needed and more money could be used on transportation costs, but he still needed to meet with coaches to see what else was needed. The school has 22 sports plus cheerleading, which equates to more than 1,000 athletes.

On Friday, John Palinkas, president of the Pechanga Development Corp. said most of the money tends to got toward extracurricular activities.

"That's a crucial element to becoming a well-rounded person," he said. "Something that we look for in our kids who attend these schools and those who graduate and may someday come work for us."

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 11/04/2003

Tribe helps Thanksgiving come early

By JOHN WELSH / The Press-Enterprise

SAN BERNARDINO - They said it was a perfect time for an early Thanksgiving meal.

Members of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians offered hundreds of hot turkey meals to wildfire evacuees at the San Bernardino International Airport on Monday.

The tribe, whose reservation is near Cabazon, also announced a $1 million donation to the Riverside County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the largest single donation in the tribe's history.

That presentation followed the earlier announcement by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of plans to donate $1 million to local charities.

Sam Schmidt, forced by fire to leave his Waterman Canyon home in San Bernardino County, appreciated the tribe's efforts.

As Morongo Tribal Council member Anne Hutton dished out omelettes, Schmidt grabbed a cup of joe. He wanted coffee that wasn't John Wayne-like, as he'd had earlier in the week. "You had to bite the bullet to get it down.

"It was so strong -- I don't care how much cream you put in it" said Schmidt, 55, a security guard who has been at the center for more than a week. "You could not get it down."

Later Monday, Morongo Tribal Chairman Maurice Lyons presented a blanket to Riverside County Red Cross Chairwoman Brenda Lorenzi as a symbol of "warmth and family to the people without homes right now." Lorenzi wore the black blanket with tribal patterns as a coat.

"Now that we're in a position to do these things, we're going to do them," Lyons said minutes prior to the presentation. "We're not going to stop. When people are in need, the American Red Cross does not say no. They get there and they help you."

The relief effort mounted to aid victims of the Southern California brush fires has already cost $6 million, said Mark Robitaille, director of development for the Riverside County chapter.

Many cots inside the hangar had been removed or were empty because many evacuees were allowed to return home Sunday. But there were still hundreds remaining and the hangar buzzed with the ambient sound of people's voices echoing in the large chamber.

It also smelled like stuffing because tribal volunteers were already getting ready to serve turkey lunches.

The $1 million pledged by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians included $500,000 to a soon-to-be-developed disaster relief fund organized by San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles; $200,000 in aid to employees of the tribe who have lost their homes; $100,000 to a local American Red Cross chapter; $100,000 to the Disaster Relief Fund for Tribes established by the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and $100,000 for future disaster relief efforts.

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PRESS ENTERPRISE - 09/20/2003

Tribe gives to tune of $20,000

CONCERT: The Morongo band's gift to Beaumont High students helps get them to Carnegie Hall.

By STEVE FETBRANDT / The Press-Enterprise

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians struck a joyous note with Beaumont High School band members this week by contributing $20,000 toward their once-in-a-lifetime chance to play at Carnegie Hall.

The 44-member band, one of seven student ensembles chosen to appear on the Carnegie Hall stage on April 13, has until March to raise the $50,000 the band needs to cover travel and lodging expenses.

Students have been holding fund-raisers so they can travel to New York and perform at the Second Annual New York Wind Band Festival. Up to this week, they had collected nearly $18,000, including $5,000 from the city of Beaumont.

The Morongo tribe's contribution brings the band closer to its goal.

"It means the world to these kids," band director Jack Poster said Friday. "I'm just overwhelmed with joy and flabbergasted. The Morongo tribe literally has made this trip for the kids."

Poster said nearly $1,000 in additional contributions, mostly personal checks ranging from $5 to $20, also came in during the past week as a result of a recent newspaper article.

"One person walked in and handed us $500," he said.

The band has its last car wash fund-raiser scheduled for Oct. 4 at the Sun Lakes Village shopping center on Highland Springs Avenue in Banning. Students also will sell candy and water at the nearby Albertson's market, while Carl's Jr. has agreed to donate 25 percent of its profit that day, Poster said.

In addition, the band hopes to earn at least $500 by performing at the Beaumont Harvest Festival on Nov. 2.

Beaumont city officials sent an e-mail to local housing developers two days ago, challenging them to match the city's contribution. So far, the developers have not responded, Poster said.

Waltona Manion, the Morongo tribe's publicist, said the Tribal Council approved the request at its meeting Tuesday along with another $60,000 in donations for other charitable causes.

Welfare once ran high on the Cabazon-based reservation, but Indian gaming has changed the tribe's fortunes, making it self-sufficient. Where once the Morongo band received up to $500,000 annually in federal funds, it is now the largest employer in the Pass with more than 1,500 people working in its casino and non-gaming businesses.

In turn, the tribe has built a reputation for sharing its wealth with others, especially local schools. Earlier this month, the tribe donated $54,000 in new playground equipment to Cabazon Elementary School.

The tribe's Outreach Committee typically reviews requests for more than $100,000 in contributions at its quarterly meetings, Manion said.

"The tribe is trying to focus support on the local level," she said. "It's very rare where the Tribal Council has not approved the committee's recommendations."

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