UT on the Jamul Casino...

In yesterday's Union-Tribune, there was an article talking about the pros and cons of situating casinos in San Diego's backcountry.  The proposed Jamul Casino was mentioned:

Jamul is not unique. The debate playing out in the backcountry town has consumed rural communities throughout the state since voters approved Nevada-style slot machines on California reservations in 2000. San Diego County has more Indian reservations, more casinos and more tribes with state gambling agreements than any other in the nation.

While tribes point to the casinos’ economic benefits to the community, many residents bemoan the change to their rural lifestyle.

A drive into Dehesa Valley east of El Cajon illustrates just how a community can be affected. There, the Sycuan band of the Kumeyaay Nation has built an economic juggernaut fueled by a sprawling casino with 2,000 slots, an expansive bingo hall and 40 tables of blackjack, craps and roulette, along with what it bills as the county’s largest poker room.

Read the whole thing...