By Carolyn Dryer | The Glendale Star
Why did Councilmembers Ian Hugh, Gary Sherwood and Sam Chavira co-sign a letter addressed to Kevin Washburn, assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, Secretary of the Department of Interior, chastising their own City of Glendale for its court battles against the Tohono O’odham Nation proposal to build a casino resort at 91st and Northern avenues? (See attached pdf file, “Letter to Washburn” for its full contents.)
Hugh said, “The reason I signed on with it, I agreed with Sam and Gary and figured it was time to do something.
“I think the worst thing that could happen is if HR 1410 (U.S. Congressman Trent Franks’ bill that would disallow the construction of the casino until the year 2024) passes. If that passes, I’m confident Department of Interior is going to come back with a decision designating the land reservation land, which would make it eligible for a casino site. If HR 1410 passes, it becomes reservation land, but no casino. They couldn’t develop it. Everything stops if that bill passes. And I can’t think of a worse-case scenario.”
Why?