Showing support for our Chumash neighbors
Feb. 25, 2007
By Trent Benedetti/Guest Commentary
Committee INC, the Committee to Improve North County, is an organization of concerned citizens interested in enhancing the quality of life in North Santa Barbara County. Our group has had an active voice in many issues since the 1980s.
Committee INC fully supports the Chumash Casino Resort. The Chumash have contributed to the economy of the North County by providing jobs and spending millions of dollars with local businesses.
The Chumash Indians have had to overcome tremendous adversity. Before Indian gaming became a reality, the tribe existed in poverty, living in substandard housing. Many did not even have running water. The development of the Chumash Casino Resort brought dramatic changes, resulting in a better life for the Chumash tribe.
In the process, the entire community has benefited from jobs, economic growth, and from contributions to non-profit groups and charities made by the Chumash.
The Chumash Casino Resort is the largest employer in the Santa Ynez Valley, providing 1,500 jobs, and a payroll that exceeds $52 million annually. The Santa Maria Valley and Lompoc provide about 1,000 of the employees. The rest are from the Santa Ynez Valley and the South Coast.
They are paid well, receive good benefits and the Chumash provides bus service for them to commute to work. That equals over a thousand less trips a day from cars that could be clogging our freeways and polluting our air. The Chumash are very concerned about our environment and demonstrate it through their policies. How many other employers provide a similar service and are willing to do it without taxpayer subsidy?
There are other important economic factors. Local businesses benefit directly from much of the $74 million that is spent annually on goods, services and supplies for the Chumash Casino. In addition, thousands who travel to the reservation also visit the Solvang/Buellton area, bolstering the tourism industry. The UCSB Economic Forecast agrees by saying: “The Santa Ynez Valley's economy has been significantly more dynamic than that of the County as a whole. This is a direct result of the Chumash Casino.”
From a community standpoint, the Chumash Casino has been extremely generous. To date, the tribe has donated over $10 million to schools, environmental organizations, cultural groups, and for other community needs. Recipients include Central Coast Firefighters, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs, Rape Crisis Center, Guadalupe Dunes Center, Santa Maria Public Library, Marian Medical Center, Korean War Veterans, Solvang Theatre, Lompoc Pops Orchestra, and over a hundred other local non-profit organizations. Chumash funds have also been used for various city and county projects, including the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Sheriff's Department as well as for road improvements and maintenance.
Committee INC is pleased to be on record in supporting the Chumash Casino Resort. We understand that some people oppose the Chumash Tribe and have individual concerns. Yet what successful operation doesn't have a few detractors? The Chumash Casino Resort is an excellent employer, a positive economic contributor, and a good community neighbor.
Trent Benedetti is a local business owner, a long-time Santa Maria area resident, and president of Committee INC.