Not trying to bash here... but just one more reason that the commercial fishing needs to stop...time to teach the little ones to fish with hook and line and not nets...

dont understand how all this works but the article says if this land goes into trust no more county propert tax... Wish I could own just one thing that I dont have to pay Friggin taxes on.....

Tribe buys racetrack property in Auburn

By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times staff

Washington's biggest horse-racing track, Emerald Downs, has a new landlord: the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

The 1,750-member tribe signed an agreement with the Segale family to purchase the 157-acre property last month. The deal, for an undisclosed price, has been approved by the tribal council and is set to close in January.

The purchase agreement raises a number of questions, from whether the tribe one day will run a casino at the track to whether it might someday take over its operations, now run by rival Northwest Racing Associates.

The purchase puts the tribe at the forefront of the entertainment industry in King County: It owns a major bingo hall as well as the largest, most profitable Indian casino in the state; it is opening a $30 million outdoor concert amphitheater in June, and it soon will own the Emerald Downs property.

"We have the casino; it's big and employs a lot of people. The amphitheater is going to be big. And now with the track included, it's more like Muckleshoot is a destination," said Tribal Council Chairman John Daniels Jr.

Jack Hodge, vice president of Northwest Racing Associates, which operates Emerald Downs, said he sees no change at the track in the near term. "It's business as usual."

Northwest Racing Associates had first right of refusal on purchase of the property.

"But we couldn't respond to that, or we would be in the position the tribe is," Hodge said.

Track owners first learned of the pending sale yesterday, Hodge said, adding, "We are still digesting it."

The company operates the track under a lease agreement that expires in 2010. At that time, the first of nine five-year optional extensions of the lease could begin.

The Muckleshoot tribe typically has sought to put land it buys into trust. That legal designation offers several important advantages for the tribe: trust land can't be foreclosed against, and it is exempt from county property taxes and local land-use laws.

Asked if the tribe planned to seek trust status for Emerald Downs, Rob Otsea, attorney for the tribe, said, "If it's possible, I'm sure the tribe will eventually do it; that is the tribe's general policy."

But converting off-reservation property to trust land is a convoluted process and requires the approval of the U.S. secretary of interior.

Under current state law, the site would have to be trust land before the tribe could place any electronic slot machines at Emerald Downs or put a casino there.

Neither activity is under discussion at this time, according to Daniels: "I don't think we are looking at doing anything different than what's there right now. Only the future will tell.

"That's a pretty good piece of ground, it's a good investment, and I don't think it is going to depreciate."

The sale does not change the picture at Emerald Downs — for now, said Pat Le Pley, chairman of the Washington State Horse Racing Commission.

"In the short term, it doesn't mean anything," Le Pley said. "But in the long run, I can't imagine somebody would buy the land and being in the gaming business like they are, not wanting to wind up with the track."

And if the tribe ever put gaming machines at Emerald Downs, it would be good for horse racing, bringing more players to the track, Le Pley said.

"Everywhere that gaming machines have gone in, the quality of racing has gone up, the number of owners and breeders using the facility has gone up and the quality of the facility has gone up. It's a huge plus, and this is a state where the sport should really flourish.

"Emerald Downs should be the premier racing facility in the Northwest region."

The track opened six years ago with much fanfare. It was the successor to Longacres, the Renton oval now home to Boeing office buildings. When Emerald Downs opened in June 1996, the $81 million investment was seen as a boon to Washington's struggling thoroughbred industry, which employs about 12,000 people.

The state has no say over the sale of the property, but it would have to approve any change in the license for operating the track. The Muckleshoots have been that route before, without success.

Racetrack interests, including operators of Emerald Downs, waged a two-year battle against the Muckleshoot Tribe's attempt to take over the license of the Playfair race track in Spokane. The three-member Horse Racing Commission in 1998 denied the license request, concluding the tribe's ownership of a casino was a conflict of interest with the operation of a racetrack.

No matter what happens, the purchase of the Emerald Downs site is a coup for the tribe. It is a major piece of commercial property in Auburn.

The tribe also will receive revenue from the lease, which allows for higher rent payments if the track's revenues rise. As the landowner, the tribe will also be able to protect its interest in its new amphitheater, by blocking any attempt to stage competing shows or events that could compete with the Muckleshoot concert venue.

And if the Legislature allowed electronic slots off reservation land — a change now being sought by a consortium of bars, restaurants and other entertainment interests — the tribe could also block competing gambling action at Emerald Downs.

The Muckleshoot casino is less than 5 miles southeast from the track. And the tribe's amphitheater, just down the road from the casino, is set to open in June.

The tribe's casino proceeds have made its economic advancement possible. The Muckleshoots are buying more land every week, Daniels said, to address a chronic shortage of land for economic development and housing for tribal members.

The tribe or its members own 57 percent of the land on its reservation; nontribal members own the rest.

The Muckleshoots also have important holdings off the reservation, including 100 waterfront acres on Vashon Island, acquired to ensure access to tidelands for shellfish harvest.

But the Emerald Downs property is one of the tribe's most visible acquisitions to date.

"I feel good," Daniels said. "But sometimes it's kind of hard to believe going from a little smoke shop to all of a sudden owning a property like this."

Why dont they use a little bit of all this money they have to clean up their f*ing reservation!

The trash I see down there makes me sick!

Where does the money come from? It must ultimately come from the federal government.

Gambling- same as Las Vegas.

Yep, when you place a five-spot down at the blackjack table, just remember you're adding to the down payment on their next prime piece of real-estate.

I wouldn't go into an aborigini casino to use the toilet; I'd sheet my pants first.

Sorry if that sounds racist, but I can't stand that whole sovereign nation crap. They are not a displaced race, they are a conquered nation. It's time we started treating them as such. If you're going to live in America, then, by God, live AS an American.

Good points Jerry and 4Salt. Good to see that they are making wise investments. There is an awful lot of money in gambling, just look at Las Vegas with all its glitter and charm. It's that way because people love to leave them big bucks on the gaming tables. Hopefully it will continue to brighten the lives of the tribes here in our State. I don't care if the hand that takes my money is red. You see I have more respect for the Native American than I do for the Native Fish. Just glad to see that there are still some fighting to be at the top in their home land. :p You see I'm a fan of the underdog. I will cheer for Native Amerians to continue to dare be what they choose to be and not what we choose for them. Until you walk a mile in their shoes,you have no way of knowing what its like for them. Racism is a very sick way to deal with other human beings.

Not looking to flame but I just get so tired of the Indian bashing crap.

I can understand why there is so much resentment on the west side but on the east side we work together and help the enhancement. The Duck

i still miss Longacres...

John Lee Hookem,
So you see the indians as underdogs? I'm going to have to ask you for an explaination. How can they be underdogs when the enjoy all of the same rights as the rest of us plus a whole lot more. I sure wish I could go out to the country and build a giant casino when no one else can. And what about the free money? or the non tax status? What about the monopolies granted to them by these treaties. I'm not a racist but I am jealous. You see I was raised up thinking that in this country, "all men are created equal". These "native americans" were born in america just like most of the rest of us but they are certainly not equal. The regular native americans (like me born in america) who look at this super-citizen status and scratch their heads are not the racist here the treaties are! So tell me again about the underdog thing?

OOps. Thought I was going to show a quote of just the part where he said "walk a mile in their shoes". My point exactly. Are their any indians alive now that were involved in the past conflict or takeover or whatever you want to call it? I wasn't. I just get to feel the effects of it. Steady checks from the government. Fish, hunt,etc. I had a friend of mine tell me the other day that his son was getting a grant for college from the government because his wife is half indian. Does his son deserve that for his hardship? How bout my son? All this stuff just really bothers me. Won't rattle on anymore. (I could). There's my 2 cents worth.

native anmericans are cool

To everyone. They did not buy the race track , they bought the ground it was built on for 70 million. Far as I know the track is still going to run but not by the Natives. The Duck

P.s. You're cool Bardo

prepare to make up for the lost property tax revenues with an increase in your property tax

I love this crap when I see people bashing my people! Nothing has changed just the years! Time will show that we were always right.
Shame on you!

You're right, nothing has changed in all these years. They still are getting everything handed to them on a silver platter, they still look the "gift horse" in the mouth, they still can't maintain and care for their own land, and the still refuse to meld in with the rest of society and become Americans.

I don't think the shame lies with us.

So what do some of the board members want here...take away Indian Casinos, racing tracks, etc., and put tribal members back on welfare and full time commercial fishing?

Growing up in Washington in the 70's the attitude was "lazy indians why don't they get of welfare and get a job". So now in the 2002 the attitude is "damn those native americans for having jobs and being successful?"

I'm a white guy who worked for the Tulalips for 3 years. It's true you really don't know what the hell your talking about until you get to see up front the strugles of reservation life.

Just remember the Tulalip Bubble is a sportfishery that is just given to non -tribal sport fishermen. There is no gain for the Tribe here financially except to the folks who own the marina in Tulalip Bay.

The Tulalip have spent millions of dollars improving the upper drainages of the Stilly and Snohomish river systems. This was not part of required mitigation required to erase a "wrong doing" in the past. This was giving up big money to help take out salmon blocking culverts.

I'll be taking my $100 to the craps table at Tulalip this weekend and I know some of the money if I am to lose it, will help salmon recovery efforts. How many non-tribal mini casinos in WA are contributing to restore salmon and their habitat...."0"!

My .02 cents.

BD

No, I don't think that is the general consensus here. I certainly don't begrudge the tribes for making smart business decisions. It's the extra advantages afforded the tribes that are causing the feelings of discontent.