Animals
Promises made, not promises kept
The election of a new chief of the Choctaw Tribe has brought to light some facts the people of Jackson County need to fully understand. Chief Martin, whom everyone believed spoke for the entire tribe, said it would be "up to the voters of Jackson County to decide if they put a casino on their land on Highway 57."
Now, newly elected Chief Beasley Denson says it will not be the citizens of Jackson County who will make this decision but it will be a "Choctaw decision."
We, the people of Jackson County, have no legal rights in any issues with the Choctaw tribe. If a citizen has a legal dispute on tribal lands; if a citizen has a dispute over a payout in a tribal casino; if a citizen, including a vendor, is owed money by the Choctaws, the matter is not under the protection of our courts but will be at the sole discretion of the Choctaw tribal court.
Please understand this: A reservation is a foreign nation. They pay no sales tax, no property tax and are not bound by county or state laws. What happens on reservation land might just as well be happening in another country.
No doubt developers are chomping at the bit to see a casino come into the county and will probably roll out grandiose plans for condos, hotels, and housing developments based on the proposed benefits from a casino. But is any of this worth it if we are giving up total control? In the long run such a casino could bring us higher taxes, possible loss of jobs for the 7,000 Jackson County citizens who now work at Biloxi casinos, and could diminish our sales tax base with unfair competition. Is this worth the so-called "promise" of compensation the chief made to our elected officials? And how are our elected officials going to collect promised compensations if any chief, current or future, changes his mind or neglects to ante up? Be wary of any elected official who sees the proposed Choctaw casino in Jackson County as a good investment.
We now know that the word of one chief is not binding and can change with the election of a new chief.
If someone tells you they support a Choctaw casino coming into Jackson County, that person either is not aware of the facts or has a vested interest in unloading some marshland.
ELEANOR 'CISSY' JORDAN Latimer
- Choctaw Chief Beasly Denson Wants To Ram The Casino Down Jackson County Resident's Throat
Newly elected Choctaw Chief Beasley Denson has said he will not abide by the Jackson County referendum. He said it is an issue to be resolved between the Mississippi Band of Choctaws, the governor's office and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Under...
- 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...
- 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...
- Choctaws Could Change Agreement If New Chief Elected
Chief Martin has pledged that if a nonbinding referendum shows Jackson County residents don't approve of the plans, the casino won't be built. Whether that agreement would be honored by another chief is the question. Jackson County Supervisor...
Animals
Sun Herald Letter to the Editor by Cissy Jordan
Promises made, not promises kept
The election of a new chief of the Choctaw Tribe has brought to light some facts the people of Jackson County need to fully understand. Chief Martin, whom everyone believed spoke for the entire tribe, said it would be "up to the voters of Jackson County to decide if they put a casino on their land on Highway 57."
Now, newly elected Chief Beasley Denson says it will not be the citizens of Jackson County who will make this decision but it will be a "Choctaw decision."
We, the people of Jackson County, have no legal rights in any issues with the Choctaw tribe. If a citizen has a legal dispute on tribal lands; if a citizen has a dispute over a payout in a tribal casino; if a citizen, including a vendor, is owed money by the Choctaws, the matter is not under the protection of our courts but will be at the sole discretion of the Choctaw tribal court.
Please understand this: A reservation is a foreign nation. They pay no sales tax, no property tax and are not bound by county or state laws. What happens on reservation land might just as well be happening in another country.
No doubt developers are chomping at the bit to see a casino come into the county and will probably roll out grandiose plans for condos, hotels, and housing developments based on the proposed benefits from a casino. But is any of this worth it if we are giving up total control? In the long run such a casino could bring us higher taxes, possible loss of jobs for the 7,000 Jackson County citizens who now work at Biloxi casinos, and could diminish our sales tax base with unfair competition. Is this worth the so-called "promise" of compensation the chief made to our elected officials? And how are our elected officials going to collect promised compensations if any chief, current or future, changes his mind or neglects to ante up? Be wary of any elected official who sees the proposed Choctaw casino in Jackson County as a good investment.
We now know that the word of one chief is not binding and can change with the election of a new chief.
If someone tells you they support a Choctaw casino coming into Jackson County, that person either is not aware of the facts or has a vested interest in unloading some marshland.
ELEANOR 'CISSY' JORDAN Latimer
- Choctaw Chief Beasly Denson Wants To Ram The Casino Down Jackson County Resident's Throat
Newly elected Choctaw Chief Beasley Denson has said he will not abide by the Jackson County referendum. He said it is an issue to be resolved between the Mississippi Band of Choctaws, the governor's office and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Under...
- 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...
- 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...
- Choctaws Could Change Agreement If New Chief Elected
Chief Martin has pledged that if a nonbinding referendum shows Jackson County residents don't approve of the plans, the casino won't be built. Whether that agreement would be honored by another chief is the question. Jackson County Supervisor...