Shawn Hendricks Round-Up

I really did appreciate that Shawn took the time to be interviewed on the show. Hopefully, after more pieces to the puzzle are out there, we can have him back.

In any event, I think we had several bits of information confirmed or presented:

1. The Resort will not be up and running "tommorrow," so it is incredibly important that the BOS maintain a fiscally conservative approach to the budget--or we may not still be here when the Resort comes.

2. If the State and the Tribe cannot reach a compact (which Shawn said he really would like to do), the Tribe will still go with a Class II. Despite the surrounding competition, they think they still could have a successful venture.

3. Shawn considers the Governor to be a "friend" to the Tribe, and will keep working with the State to come to some resolution of these issues, but he also believes that the Tribe will be able to address the impacts the Governor raised.

4. The Tribe will not give up its sovereign rights in return for a commercial casino license.

5. Shawn stated that the jobs at the casino will not be just minimum wage jobs, and that there are many jobs at the casino that will be paying good wages.

6. Shawn explained that the Resort means a lot to the Tribe in the sense that it will permit them to govern themselves, provide health care, and to provide educational opportunities to his people. He makes no bones about the fact that his main concern is his Tribe and their future.

7. Finally, Shawn explained that the way the region will get "their piece" is to put pressure on their State Reps and the Governor to make sure that the revenues from the Tribal casino are properly distributed to those places where the impacts are actually felt. It doesn't create a warm fuzzy feeling to be relying on the State, but that is the avenue that the region needs to go. Shawn also said that he would push for the revenues to go to the right areas.