Back to Basics

After several years of hearings that began in 2003, with haggling, cajoling, coercing, threatening and payoffs, the proposed $1.2 billion Casino-Hotel-Resort at Richmond’s water front, has been given the last rites for the Richmond, Point Molate gambling rights. Even though the voters overwhelmingly made their opposition clear, the tribe of Guidivillle Band of Pmo Indians,  with gambling profiteers behind the proposal, were determined to push this on the people. These tribal casinos were hatched by the mob using white guilt of past injustices to the Indians to gain traction for the scheme,  in this case.the Guidiville Band of of Pomo Indians in front of the project.

Indeed at one of the hearings that this writer attended, one speaker who opposed the casino felt obligated to state that this was nothing against the Indians, he had no prejudice towards them etc. etc. etc.  So white people were shoe-horned into a position to be called racists if they didn’t approve the Indian Casino because Indians were running it.  Clever move on the part of the mob.

Millions upon millions of dollars of cash in the stash motivated by the speculation that the casino would take in $1 billion a year AS PROFIT!. This is of course serious money that would propel one to use any means necessary to accomplish the goal. That includes generous bribes and bribe offers.

And, there were takers, even though they knew in their hearts that this would be wrong for the city of Richmond, a city of constant violence, crime and murder. Still, they sold out their own values for bucks. Except for one man in particular who stood his ground in opposition as pressure was mounted against him to accept a bribe and publicly endorse the game plan.

Rev. John Anderson runs the Bay Area Rescue Mission in Richmond, a homeless shelter with 325 beds. His is a compassionate ministry which provides for the needs of the downtrodden. With case loads increasing due to the economic crisis, the mission is constantly in need of funds. Not enough, however, for Rev. Anderson to sell out his integrity

To deal with their opponents, the casino backers promised huge amounts of money EACH YEAR if the measure passed, and this included charity organizations like Rev. Anderson’s Bay Area Rescue Mission.

Slight pause for this observation: Gambling consists of games of chance (they say). So [if] it is by chance, how would the casino operators be able to state the exact amount of money, in the millions, that they could pay out if the measure passed?

The operators know for certain that a casino like the one proposed would take in over a billion dollars a year (their profit). They know that for fact. So is it really a game of chance? Or is it rigged to only pay out so much money? Just remember that those fancy hotels and glitzy casinos were not built by you winning!

Rev. Anderson went to the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, where the measure would be discussed.