Buckdog

Just outside of Niagara Falls, NY there is a fairly large Reservation with a variety of retail outlets offering discount prices, and yet gas stations and smoke shops do manage to remain open. Really what it comes down to is whether it is actually worth it to drive to where the cheap gas, or does going out of your way nullify your savings? Businesses adjust, just as they would if there was a Walmart opening in the vicinity.

Also I support anything that pisses off the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

I'm with you on that one dan!

Here's the pathetic little whimperings of David McLean and the local right wing extremists at the CTF. (why do I always feel dirty after I read their crap)?

I lived about 5 minutes away from the Morongo Reservation in southern California for roughly 16 years.

There are a huge resort-hotel-casino, gas stations, fast food outlets, an outlet shopping mall with everything from CorningWare to Anne Klein, restaurants, etc there.

It has not killed the economy or tax-base of Palm Springs one little bit. In fact, most of the country could fall into the ocean and it is highly likely Palm Springs and surrounding areas would continue to chug along.

Sounds like much ado about nothing.

Mama your comments on this are both timely and helpful.

Our Indian population here in my home province are working hard to advance economic development through some excellent businesses and commerical ventures. It gives work to people in the band and is simply beneficial to an overall integrated economy and society.

This group of right wingers (the Taxpayers Federation) does NOT want to recognize the treaties signed with the First Nations and the government, it wants to do away with them, get rid of the reserves and leave these people to fend for themselves in a utopian free market.

Our First nations citizens were not even allowed to vote in Canada until 1960. They weren't allowed to leave their reserves and move to any cities without permission.

Their children were taken from them and put into residential schools where a lot of sexual abuse and physical abuse occurred. They were punished if they spoke their native languages in the schools.

In my province, they went to jail well into the 20th Centurey if they practiced their religion (Sun Dance, etc).

This group of right wingers feel that it is time to forget about the past and is doing nothing but spreading negativity and twisted rhetoric - as usual.

I can use your experience near Morongo to help dispel these right wing myths.