February 20, 2003
Gambling on Baseball?
Well, I've completely avoided the issue of major league baseball in Portland. While it's the only professional sport I actually enjoy, we do sort of have more pressing matters requiring public money these days. So of course along comes yet another strange twist:
In exchange for backing construction bonds to finance the building of a professional baseball stadium, the Grand Rhonde Tribe wants the opportunity to build a huge casino in metro Portland, KGW has learned.
Tribe leaders tell KGW they will lend their support to building a $350 million dollar Major League ballpark in downtown Portland in exchange for the right to build an off-reservation Grand Rhonde Casino, which would be the first of its kind in Oregon.
Apparently, the Governor has been considering allowing off-reservation gaming in Oregon, so this obviously plays into that as well.
Could the baseball story possible get any more convoluted?