Animals
Jackson County Supervisor Frank Leach sent a letter to Denson this week asking for a public meeting to discuss his plans.
"My hope is that the voice of Jackson County will be heard and be respected," said Leach. The county had an agreement with Martin to walk away from the casino if the vote was against it, and Leach said, "I think he spoke for the tribe." Just as the current Jackson County supervisors abide by actions of previous boards, he feels Denson should honor Martin's commitment.
Leach is against the Choctaw casino and said he wants to ask Denson to do some type of positive development with the property that would be pleasing to the majority of Jackson County residents.
Unlike casinos in Harrison and Hancock counties that pay 8 percent of their earnings to the state and up to 4 percent in local taxes, with a tribal casino in Jackson County, "We are not guaranteed anything," Leach said. The most the county could hope to receive is some payment for infrastructure, he said, and he doesn't want the citizens of Jackson County paying the costs for the casino. "We have not heard from the people yet," he said
They're going to have to listen to what the county wants," said Jan Vos of Ocean Strings. To put a casino on U.S. 57 the Choctaws would have to use county roads and services and therefore have to work with the county. "I believe they bought that land about 10 years ago," he said, so it isn't traditional tribal land.
That is also the position of the U.S. Department of Interior, which would have to approve the off-reservation casino before it could be built 200 miles from the Choctaw reservation.
Read the complete article in The Sun Herald. Reasons to vote NO to the casino
- Residents Of Jackson County Not Allowed To Voice Their Opinion On Choctaw Casino
In 1990, about 60 percent of the county voters rejected gambling. Now the Choctaws want to ram it down our throats. If they want a casino on the Gulf Coast, why don't they put it in Harrison or Hancock County where the residents voted FOR GAMBLING?...
- Denson Hasn't Announced Whether He Is In Favor Of The Casino, But Said The Decision Should Be Made By Choctaws, Not By Jackson County Voters.
What a new chief will mean to Jackson County is uncertain. The Choctaws have announced plans to build a casino on tribal land near exit 57 of Interstate 10. Casino owners in Harrison and Hancock counties are strongly opposed to that proposal, saying the...
- Coast Residents Don't Want Casinos
The tribe has been battling Coast residents to get a $375 million casino resort approved in Jackson County on tribal land (it's not tribal land, it's land the tribe bought and it's in a County that voted no to casinos), a move local casinos...
- Reasons To Vote No To Choctaw Casino
Before they can build the proposed casino, the Mississippi Band of Choctaws will have to gain approval from two government bodies, the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Mississippi governor's office said Jason Giles,...
- Vote No On Casino Issue
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians remains committed to developing a casino in Jackson County and welcomes a non-binding referendum on the proposal, the tribe said in a statement. I am a resident of Jackson County and I don't want the Choctaw's...
Animals
Denson: Casino up to Choctaws
Jackson County Supervisor Frank Leach sent a letter to Denson this week asking for a public meeting to discuss his plans.
"My hope is that the voice of Jackson County will be heard and be respected," said Leach. The county had an agreement with Martin to walk away from the casino if the vote was against it, and Leach said, "I think he spoke for the tribe." Just as the current Jackson County supervisors abide by actions of previous boards, he feels Denson should honor Martin's commitment.
Leach is against the Choctaw casino and said he wants to ask Denson to do some type of positive development with the property that would be pleasing to the majority of Jackson County residents.
Unlike casinos in Harrison and Hancock counties that pay 8 percent of their earnings to the state and up to 4 percent in local taxes, with a tribal casino in Jackson County, "We are not guaranteed anything," Leach said. The most the county could hope to receive is some payment for infrastructure, he said, and he doesn't want the citizens of Jackson County paying the costs for the casino. "We have not heard from the people yet," he said
They're going to have to listen to what the county wants," said Jan Vos of Ocean Strings. To put a casino on U.S. 57 the Choctaws would have to use county roads and services and therefore have to work with the county. "I believe they bought that land about 10 years ago," he said, so it isn't traditional tribal land.
That is also the position of the U.S. Department of Interior, which would have to approve the off-reservation casino before it could be built 200 miles from the Choctaw reservation.
Read the complete article in The Sun Herald. Reasons to vote NO to the casino
- It would not be taxed. The residents of Jackson County could wind up paying for the infrastructure while getting very little in return.
- Denson has demonstrated he doesn't feel bound by Martin's agreements with Jackson County. Any agreement we work out with Denson could be voided by a new chief.
- This is not traditional tribal land, it is 200 miles from their reservation.
- Denson has stated that he only wants Choctaws to hold high paying management positions.
- Jackson County would face increased traffic.
- Jackson County would face increased drunk driving around the casino.
- The location is near the current Jackson County Soccer Complex, several schools and the proposed Ocean Springs Sportsplex. A casino does not belong in an area geared toward family activities and schools.
- The impact on wetlands.
- The possible flooding of nearby residents.
- The impact on the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge.
If the Choctaws want a casino on the Gulf Coast they should build it in Harrison or Hancock County where casinos are welcomed and play by the same rules as the other casinos.
- Residents Of Jackson County Not Allowed To Voice Their Opinion On Choctaw Casino
In 1990, about 60 percent of the county voters rejected gambling. Now the Choctaws want to ram it down our throats. If they want a casino on the Gulf Coast, why don't they put it in Harrison or Hancock County where the residents voted FOR GAMBLING?...
- Denson Hasn't Announced Whether He Is In Favor Of The Casino, But Said The Decision Should Be Made By Choctaws, Not By Jackson County Voters.
What a new chief will mean to Jackson County is uncertain. The Choctaws have announced plans to build a casino on tribal land near exit 57 of Interstate 10. Casino owners in Harrison and Hancock counties are strongly opposed to that proposal, saying the...
- Coast Residents Don't Want Casinos
The tribe has been battling Coast residents to get a $375 million casino resort approved in Jackson County on tribal land (it's not tribal land, it's land the tribe bought and it's in a County that voted no to casinos), a move local casinos...
- Reasons To Vote No To Choctaw Casino
Before they can build the proposed casino, the Mississippi Band of Choctaws will have to gain approval from two government bodies, the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Mississippi governor's office said Jason Giles,...
- Vote No On Casino Issue
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians remains committed to developing a casino in Jackson County and welcomes a non-binding referendum on the proposal, the tribe said in a statement. I am a resident of Jackson County and I don't want the Choctaw's...