MIWOK CASINO OPPOSITION GROWING VS

PLANS HAVE ONLY RECENTLY BEEN ANNOUNCED, BUT OPPOSITION IS ALREADY GROWING AGAINST THE 1ST INDIAN CASINO BEING BUILT JUST ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE, IN SAN BENITO COUNTY, NEAR HOLLISTER. SOME HOLLISTER RESIDENTS SAY THEY DO NOT WANT TO SEE BIG CASINO GAMBLING IN THEIR SMALL TOWN, WHILE OTHERS ARE RAISING ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. THE LAND INTENDED FOR THE CASINO, CONSISTS OF OVER 200 ACRES THAT IS ZONED FOR AGRICULTURAL USE ONLY, AND IS PART OF A PROJECT AIMED AT PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE PAJARO RIVER BASIN.
THE STOCKTON BASED CALIFORNIA VALLEY MIWOK TRIBE IS REPRESENTED BY A GROUP OF BUSINESSMEN IN THE VENTURE WHO ARE NOT TRIBE MEMBERS. THE MIWOKS CONSIST OF ONLY 5 KNOWN MEMBERS AT THIS TIME, WHO ALREADY RECEIVE $200,000 A YEAR IN CASINO REVENUE SHARING MONEY. OF COURSE WITH THEIR OWN CASINO THE GROUP STANDS TO MAKE MILLIONS MORE.