Congressman
Trent Franks
Lately, Councilmember Alvarez has been pushing the Tohono O’odham agenda before Glendale City Council-to no avail. A majority of them are not biting. Perhaps it’s because they accept that the city is still in litigation with them and one does not fraternize with the opposing party of a lawsuit. That obviously does not bother Councilmember Alvarez. On May 2, 2013, our favorite non-newspaper, the Glendale Star, published Alvarez’ Letter to the Editor entitled Franks supports East Valley interests over will of West Valley voters…again. You can read the entire Letter to the Editor with this link http://www.glendalestar.com/opinion/editorials/article_36e063a8-b1ba-11e2-912b-001a4bcf887a.html
I dare to venture that my recent series of blogs about the casino may have prompted the TO to try to get out in front in an 
attempt to neutralize my comments. They certainly have been pushing on Councilmember Alvarez of late to try to get their message out, first at council meetings and now with this Letter to the Editor. The TO poured thousands of dollars into the recent election campaigns of Alvarez’ chosen candidates and now it’s time for her to carry their water.
Did she write the piece? That’s for you to judge and as you do so, reflect on her public comments at council meetings which have not been nearly as polished. If I were a betting person, I would bet that her Letter to the Editor was ghosted by one of the lovely ladies at TriAdvocates, a consultancy firm hired by the Tohono O’odham. It certainly provides TriAdvocates something to do for their $180,000 annual retainer.
Alvarez berated Congressman Trent Franks for doing what he should be doing for his West Valley constituency and that is protecting their interests as well as those of the State of Arizona by introducing H.R. 1410. He is also protecting the interests of a majority of the Tribal nations in this state that have publicly opposed the actions of the Tohono O’odham.
Alvarez cites the “overwhelming support for the project in this community, with polls consistently showing more than two-thirds of West Valley voters are in favor of the casino…”
Really? I could write questions for a poll right now that would demonstrate that two-thirds of West Valley voters are NOT in favor of the casino. Conveniently two factors are ignored. One is that a poll can be written and utilized to back up any point of view. In most cases, they are meaningless. Secondly, I know that a majority of those Glendale residents immediately impacted by the casino do not support it. The further away one is from it and especially if one lives in another town or city the resistance to this casino diminishes. For those who live in Sun City, for example, the casino is merely a convenience with less travel time. What does someone in Peoria care if it costs Glendale millions of dollars to support a casino? It’s not in their backyard and they will not bear the costs.
Alvarez then goes on to say, “The West Valley should currently be enjoying the 3,000 permanent jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars per year this project will bring to our community.”
If you had read any of my previous blogs, the professors and researchers I cited make very clear that the jobs created by a casino will be in 
part, “displacement” jobs. In other words, instead of someone working at a Denny’s that person will take a job at a casino. Keep in mind, 25% of the jobs will go to Native Americans. There is nothing wrong with that but now those alleged 3,000 jobs becomes 2,250. In my blogs I offered factual information that the number of jobs that will be created is vastly over stated. As for the hundreds of millions of dollars per year that will come to Glendale my question is from what? It can’t be from taxes because the TO will pay no tax of any size, shape or description to anyone. Perhaps Alvarez is referring to the 8% of the state-mandated 12% tribes must allocate through grants to non-profits? If so, it would take years and years and years to even come close to her “hundreds of millions of dollars per year.” So much for offering factual information.
Lastly Alvarez says, “Making matters worse is that H.R. 1410 seeks to re-write the voter-approved Arizona Gaming Compact, a document that was written and signed by 17 sovereign nations and the State of Arizona.”
Tohono O’odham Chairman
Ned Norris Jr.
This statement earns a Woo Hoo for today. Prior to bringing the compact to voters all of the state tribes spent several years negotiating and approving among themselves the framework of a compact. It was a gentleman’s/gentlewoman’s agreement among the tribes. Did the TO agree with fingers crossed behind their backs? It appears so. It raises the question of, if you will renege on a promise to your fellow Tribes who else will you renege on?
That framework was then negotiated with the State resulting in Proposition 202 that the voters of the state approved. In an attempt to persuade voters to approve the compact it was clearly stated that the number of casinos in the Phoenix Metro area was limited to seven. That is the number of casinos that exists today without the proposed TO casino. Franks’ bill seeks to do the very thing the TO refuse to do and that is protect the intent of the Arizona Gaming Compact.
No, Councilmember Alvarez, your attack on Congressman Franks is misguided and seemingly managed by your “friends” who do not live in Glendale. The Congressman is to be commended for protecting our interests and we do live in Glendale.
Kudos to you and Trent Franks, who continue to support the will of the residents of Yucca District and Glendale as a whole. Sure glad your retirement doesn’t equate to inactivity. If I were a suspicious person, I’d think that Alvarez is sucking up to the TO with the goal in mind to ‘Indian feather her nest’ when she loses the Council salary. Again Joyce, take a little time to enjoy communing with coi, but keep up the good work. B. Schwind
Funny, I read two sentences of the “Norma’s” letter to the editor and stopped because, in my mind I thought “she didn’t even write this.” Now that’s transparency for ya!
When I read Norma’s op-ed for the first time the other day it made me chuckle because it was quite obvious she didn’t write it. And if she did write it she was parroting the same old advertising points the Tohonos have been pushing since they first went public with their plans.
However upon reading it again I noticed an ominous tone in it when she said:
“Continuing to stand in the way of this project may ultimately prove to be a poor choice come election time… just ask now former Councilwoman Joyce Clark.”
That to me was making a veiled threat that if Mr. Franks did not back off from his legislative attempts to stop the casino, that Ms Avarez and her newly found Tohono “friends” and their casino money would go after his seat come next election cycle.
It’s become quite clear that Norma Alvarez has been “bought” by the Tohonos. I truly wonder if her constituents in the Ocotillo District she’s supposed to represent realize they’ve elected an individual who’s vote is for sale?? And I wonder if the other residents of Glendale now realize how a Native American tribe with no ancestral ties to their part of Arizona has decided to muscle their way into their lives and doesn’t care who they step on in the process.
Kudos to Norma Alvarez in fighting city hall and supporting Tohono O’odham Nation…Glendale has wasted so much money on this fight…money Glendale does not have…as for being bought…it is interesting to note that Congressman Daniel T. Kildee, a Democrat from Michigan, is co-sponsoring Franks’ bill.
“Kildee was elected to his congressional seat after his uncle, former Congressman Dale Kildee, retired this year. Kildee’s now-retired uncle works for Akin Gump, an international powerhouse of attorneys, consultants, and lobbyists.
Surprise, surprise: Akin Gump is the well-paid lobbyist for the Gila River Indian Community. GRIC paid the firm about $2.55 million in 2012 for lobbying expenses alone, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. ”
also please note that Franks is making a mess of his litigation with the boundary lines he has for the metro area…a strategical drawn line..Franks’ bill seems to arbitrarily define the Phoenix metro area with an imaginary line described in his bill as “north of latitude 33 degrees, 5 minutes, 13 seconds north…this line excludes the Ak-Chin Maricopa Reservation and its casino, Harrah’s Ak-Chin, out of Phoenix area…which means there are only 6 casinos in the metro area…this is where Franks and company argument falls apart…they keep harping on the Indian Compact of 2002…only 7 casinos in metro area…hello fellows you just said yes to the 7th…welcome Tohono O’odham Nation
Hi Bernadette,
I don’t agree with your position. It looks like you have bought into the Alvarex/TO rhetoric but I respect your right to express yourself.
I would have to ask Burnadette if she thinks the Tohonos haven’t pumped similar amounts of monies into their backdoor scheme of getting their casino is okay??
Monies to Ms. Alvarez….. monies to Mr. Chivara (for who Ms. Alvarez had chaired his campaign…. monies to the Goldwater Institute (who for some reason began touting the Tohonos as a business partner to Glendale in 2011).
But I think I already know what that answer will be.