Former Minnesota Gov. Ventura rips Schwarzenegger over Indian remarks
Tuesday, November 2, 2004 at 02:10AM
TheSpook
A Southern California tribe is airing a television ad in which former
Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura attacks Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for
remarks that American Indian tribes were "ripping off" California.
Schwarzenegger said "Indians are ripping us off" while campaigning
against two gambling propositions on the Nov. 2 ballot. Propositions 68
and 70, trailing badly in polls, would wipe out deals Schwarzenegger
struck with 10 tribes to pay the state as much as 25 percent of
gambling revenue in exchange for operating more slot machines than
currently allowed. "Didn't the governor promise a balanced budget
without raising taxes?" Ventura asks. "I guess it's OK to rip off
Indians." The ad started airing statewide Tuesday and was paid for by
the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. It alluded to Proposition 70,
which the tribe supported with more than $10 million, but tribal
officials said criticizing Schwarzenegger was its main intent.
Proposition 70 would require tribes to pay 8.84 percent - the same
income tax rate paid by California corporations - of their gambling
revenues in exchange for operating an unlimited number of slot machines
and games now banned in the state, including roulette and craps. [more]
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