Money Versus Neighbors

I don’t have a dog in the fight since I live in Carpinteria, but here are some observations that I have after watching the supervisors’ meeting about the Chumash Camp 4 agreement on community TV.

The groups supporting the agreement were those that got money from the casino. Labor unions with casino contracts like the electricians. Activist political nonprofits that are funded by the casino such as SBCAN. And politicians who get campaign money from the tribe, such as supervisors Steve Lavagnino and Das Williams (who in turn gave money to Joan Hartmann).

The groups fighting the agreement were those directly impacted by growth on Camp 4 — neighboring homes, farms, and ranches.

Of course, in the end, it was the supervisors funded by the casino who voted to make the agreement happen.