March 2, 2017
Volume 47 - No. 09
by lyle e davis
Ray Alto is a fine man . . . a top restaurateur in Escondido, owns both the Jalapeno Grill and La Tapatia . . . both restaurants with a Mexican motif, flavor, and menu . . . but Ray isn’t Mexican. He’s a Kumeyaay Indian.
The reason that’s important to know is because Ray and his extended family members of about 60 persons, have lost about $36 million over the past five years.
Why? Because the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians say the Alto family is not Kumeyaay. The Alto family has been disenrolled by the Enrollment Committee of the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians who own and operate Valley View Casino. Alto and his family are just part of over 2,500 California Indians who have been “disen rolled” from their tribes.
You see, Valley View makes a ton of money . . . an estimated $3,307,500 net income per month. From that net profit the tribe pays out 60% in “per capita payments” to enrolled members of the tribe. How did we arrive at those figures, given the fact that the tribal governments that operate casinos are not required by law to release financial statements, audited or otherwise?
We learned from reliable sources inside the tribe, as well as accountants who prepare state and federal tax returns, that enrolled members aged 18 and over receive an average of $10,500 per month. There are 189 enrolled members in the San Pasqual Band. You do the math:
189 x $10,500 per month = $1,984,500 per capita payout/monthly (per family member over the age of 18).
If 60% of x = $1,984,500 then x must equal $3,307,500 net revenues per month generated by Valley View Casino. And that, my friend, is how the cow ate the cabbage.
(This figure is a conservative estimate based on information from informed sources. It may be much higher. Casinos are not required to provide audited financial statements. One has to take information available and extrapolate to arrive at an educated estimate). At least 2,500 Indians have been disenrolled by at least two dozen California tribes in the past decade, according to estimates by Indian advocates and academics.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/us/ california-indian-tribes-eject-thousands-of-members.html)
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Photo ID’s: Top left, Allen Lawson, Chair, San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, Bottom left, Tracy Emblem, Attorney, representing Ray Alto and family; bottom right, Ray Alto
In the past, tmembers of a tribe were shunned) when (they) committed an offense of some sort, but it was rarely permanent. These days, it’s happening more and more – often by wealthy casino tribes. Less people in the tribe, more money for remaining members. And, unlike in the past, these decisions aren’t being reversed. http://fusion.net/story/4985/something-isthreatening-native-americans-and-its-calledtribal-disenrollment/ At least 39 tribes in California and several tribes from 15 other states have disenrolled some segment of their population. (Ibid). The money in organized casino gaming is so huge that the average reader has no idea of the financial impact on the local community, on the state, and on the
Obituaries Memorials Area Services Page 12
national stage as well.
As Brian Frank reported on the Original Pechanga blog (http://www.originalpechanga.com/2016/01/californias-tribalcleansingtacit.html)
$25,500 respectively, monthly. That translates to about $126,000 and $306,000 respectively, annually. Those are not salaries for work performed. Those are “per capita” payments made to enrolled members of each tribe.
Within San Diego County, The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, in Riverside County, award their enrolled members with about $10,500 and
Absent any independent forensic examination of the tribal financial statements, it would be difficult to build a case. Still, with that large amount of money the tempation is there for all types of ques-
“Vegas-style gaming, including slot machines, is illegal in California. But Indian tribes have a complicated relationship with the state and federal governments. Each tribe has its own agreement with the United States that determines just how far its sovereignty extends, but in general a tribal government has the final say on many of the laws that affect routine affairs on its land.”
With the amount of money involved there are consistent allegations of racketeering, including skimming of profits, using casino revenues as personal banking accounts, and manipulation of tribal members to gain more money per enrolled member by decreasing the tribal pool via a technique known as “disenrollment.”
The Disappearing Indians Continued on Page 2