TRIBE: Beware offer of 'gifts'

Thursday's story "Idaho official objects to pact" missed the mark of the actual story. The author wrote, "There are currently no plans (tribal spokesman Helo Hancock) said, for payments to include the Tribe's financial support to educational programs and schools, mandated by a gaming compact with the state." "That hasn't been discussed," he said.

The draft agreement paints a different story. The document was written by the Tribe and presented to the county by Helo Hancock. It clearly states "The County agrees to credit payments made by the Tribe to ... any taxing district located within the county and exterior boundaries of the Reservation, during each fiscal year as partial payment for the PILT for the next fiscal year."

The gaming compact between the Tribe and the state requires 5 percent of the net profit be distributed to schools and education programs. If those dollars are given to a school (a taxing district), payments would clearly reduce the amount of the "payment in lieu of taxes" for every tribal member's taxable home the following year. This is as disingenuous as the Tribe patting themselves on the back for being benevolent when they "give" a school some money, even though it was an agreed requirement for being able to operate a casino.

The county has looked at this document for two years now but was oblivious to this double counting of payments until I brought it to their attention. Commissioner Tondee understood the newly discovered problem, but assured me that the county might have caught it. That it is possible but doubtful, given that the document has been thoroughly examined by the former BOCC and the Prosecutor's office and nobody noticed the problem.

Next time the Tribe sends their spokesman to sell a document they want the county to agree to, we would all be better off if our elected officials would just read the agreement and try to figure out what the Tribe is really trying to gain, rather than what they say they want to accomplish. In this case the MOU, as offered by the Tribe, would have resulted in cancellation of all tribal member's property taxes that are needed to pay for the services the tribal members receive, like road plowing, EMS, Fire, etc. Contrary to public misconception, growth actually does pay for itself, but if the Tribe was able to get the county to sign this agreement, their members wouldn't.

LARRY SPENCER

Director

Idaho Property Owners Association