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Editorial: We must protect ourselves from our addictions The (McMinnville) News-Register The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde struck out in the high-stakes game for a major league baseball park - and a major league casino - in Portland. Gov. Ted Kulongoski, whose approval for an off-reservation casino is essential, delivered the telling pitch, ending the game. And that's a good thing. For the Grand Ronde, which had boosted its financing offer from a $150 million loan to a $350 million ballpark free and clear, it was worth a gamble. Portland is ravenous for a stadium suitable for a major league team. It's dubious how such financing would translate into "community support," one of the benchmarks in deciding where the Montreal Expos will end up next year. The payoff for the tribe, even on the surface, could have been huge. To a degree, the offer sought a multimillion-dollar insurance policy against approval of a casino in Cascade Locks, which would draw tourists and Metro residents away from Spirit Mountain. An underlying theme is Oregon's financial dependence on gambling. The Lottery subsidizes education, protection of wildlife habitats, beach access, economic development and countless low-on-the-radar services. We should become less, not more addicted to gambling revenue to finance public services. The Lottery already is a regressive method of paying for government services, and we don't need to expand on that through huge casino payoffs. The state started down that path in 1984 with a constitutional amendment, overwhelmingly approved, to authorize a state lottery. Legislators, empowered to write the rules, rapidly accelerated the pace by agreeing to more and more games beyond the original, simple tickets. Never, in the succeeding 20 years, have Oregonians had a public dialogue about the role of the Lottery and the state's increasing dependency on gambling. We need that debate. The Grande Ronde Tribe runs a class operation at Spirit Mountain, without a hint of corruption tainting its reputation. It shares generously with other groups, public and private, while improving conditions on the reservation for their members. Even so, a close relationship between gambling and baseball is unpalatable. The governor waffled somewhat in his rejection of the casino-stadium package, saying he opposes linking the issues of the stadium and Portland casino but hasn't yet made up his mind about off-reservation gambling. He should do that, with a firm "No way." This proposed deal would breach two long-standing policies: one casino per tribe and casinos only on reservation lands. Those are criteria worth upholding. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -