John Fund of OpinionJournal.com on Indian Givers:
Things are bad in California. Some legislators want to make them worse.
California's Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante drew rare criticism from fellow Democrats last week when he used a dubious loophole to accept more than $2 million in contributions from Indian casino interests. "It creates a bad impression in the media, and it could have been avoided," said state Democratic chairman Art Torres. That's unfair. The Oct. 7 recall election is making the political pressure in California too intense to avoid at least a few unseemly political contributions. Several Indian tribes know their interests coincide with the elevation of Mr. Bustamante, whose brother Andrew is general manager of an Indian casino owned by the Mono tribe. They apparently intend to counter the impact of any negative publicity by pouring money into ads promoting Mr. Bustamante or touting his opposition to Ward Connerly's Racial Privacy Initiative. The Indian contributions are a reward for a politician who has been a compliant supporter. As Assembly speaker he once took to the floor and asked for a moment of silence to mourn restrictions on tribal gambling. It's also part of a larger effort to influence officials in Sacramento–an effort that is already paying off. This week Democrats plan to pass legislation that will ensure windfall profits for tribes that sell tax-free cigarettes.
This entry also posted on Topica – Proposition 54.