Seminoles in Florida to Negotiate with Crist Over Full Gambling

A Tamarac, Florida resident posed a question to Governor Charlie Crist concerning negotiating with the Seminole Tribe of Florida to have full casino action in the state of Florida with the profits to be used to fund real insurance and property tax reform.

Governor Crist, R-Florida, answered that it is not inevitable that full casino action is definite, but he did say that "it's only smart for us to negotiate with the Seminole Tribe. Two governmental entities have input in this process ... it is the U.S. Department of Interior and the state of Florida.

If I were to decide not to negotiate with the Seminoles, more than likely the Department of Interior would do so directly. And the effect of that would be that we couldn't negotiate for any of the resources, the monies, to come to the state to be used for the people as a whole. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. So, I have indicated I am willing to negotiate, and we have actually begun [the process] now. My chief of staff, George LeMieux, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, is heading that up ... so that is moving forward.

In addition, I met with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Dick Kempthorn, and expressed our desire to negotiate as a state with the Seminoles, and he was very respectful of that. I don't know the exact time frame ... maybe by the end of the year we'll have some resolution, if not sooner."



2007-05-26