Cunning County Fast one pulled for Conaway Ranch

By Jim Nielsen
Daily Democrat, May 24, 2005


The actions of Yolo County supervisors over the past few weeks are captured
in this mock classified ad.

FOR SALE: Yolo County Land

Price: Best Offer

Includes: Land, water, gas, mineral rights, farm lands suitable for
conversion to golf courses, recreational uses, development, division and
sale.

Contact: Yolo County Supervisors

Last week, Yolo County supervisors stood united in a press conference
shamelessly announcing a "Historic New Partnership" with the Rumsey Band of
Wintun Indians. The county gets Cache Creek Casino money or backing to
bankroll its $60 to $80 million eminent domain seizure of the Conaway Ranch.
The Rumsey Band gets unprecedented inclusion as a member of the temporarily
defunct Conaway Ranch Joint Powers Authority (if authorized by legislation).


Adding to the shamelessness this "partnership" was consummated but two weeks
after the county and the tribe married up in a sweetheart deal to break a
Williamson Act contract for only the second time in county history. Without
the required withdrawal penalty but with a million dollar "donation" to the
county, the Cache Creek Casino can now build a golf course on prime
farmland. Does anyone believe there is no connection?

At a community forum sponsored by Woodlanders For Responsible Government one
questioner asked Supervisor Frank Sieferman, "Do you think you'd have had
that press conference (with the Rumsey Band) yesterday if you had not
approved the golf course last week?"

Supervisors Sieferman and Dwayne Chamberlain could not explain any terms of
the agreement, lamely offering, "Nothing is worked out yet." Would any
prudent business person or an accountable elected official proceed with a
financial obligation of this magnitude with no business plan, with no
financing terms secured and no management structure in place or in process?
The county is going to owe the Rumsey Tribe a whole lot for
underwriting/funding the $60 to $80 million Conaway hostile take over. The
golf course deal is not going to be enough.

The deafening silence about the terms of the "Historic New Partnership"
emulates the secrecy throughout the Conaway Ranch eminent domain action and
related to the Joint Powers Authority. Supervisors and Joint Powers
Authority members have consistently professed an appalling lack of knowledge
about relationships, responsibilities, liabilities and obligations related
to the Conaway Ranch as well as about documents that were generated to
apprise supervisors of their options and opportunities.

Just what are the common interests of Yolo County and the Cache Creek
Casino? County documents dealing with the Conaway Ranch assets that the
county covets as well as the joint county/tribe press release affirms lusty
mutual goals; 125,000 cumulative acre-feet of water rights, ground water
access, gas wells and land. Anyone who thinks the "partners" are motivated
to preserve agriculture need but ponder the county's Williamson Act action
to allow the casino to build a golf course and the non farming uses of
Conaway Ranch assets the county's own documents disclose.

Over the months the county has failed, really not even tried, to demonstrate
any reasons why public ownership is superior to private. This is
particularly proven by county documents that suggest the county is
considering exactly what they accuse private owners of possibly doing.

By accepting the tribe as a financing partner by the means and on terms
undisclosed, preceded by the "golf course" deal, the county shreds the last
vestige of its carefully sewn cloak of noble purpose. This has and will
remain about money. The county needs budget money and assets. It is clear
that the Cache Creek Casino needed Williamson Act land, will benefit from
county indebtedness, from the tangible, particularly water, resources of the
Conaway Ranch and from being the first tribe to achieve local government
status.

The citizens of Yolo County deserve to know the financial and legal
liabilities they, as taxpayers, will be subjected to. They deserve
disclosure of agreements some county supervisors are negotiating. They
deserve the opportunity to review and comment on any agreements these
supervisors are committing to and public votes of supervisors on the
agreements.

This "historic" scam should raise eyebrows all over California. Local
government is leaping into land speculation invoking (misusing) eminent
domain to acquire preferred private property and effectively selling shares
to unqualified outsiders to finance the deal. In the future will anyone's
property be safe?

Citizens, particularly property owners, throughout California should be
alarmed at the precedent. What other fiscally mismanaged counties will now
cut deals with deep pockets partners on the guise of good deeds?

It appears our supervisors will have to, at least, vote to proceed with this
deal. I am hoping for three no votes.

It appears state legislation will be required to accord the tribe
qualification status to join the JPA. I am hoping the legislature and the
governor reject such ill-founded and dangerous public policy.

I have an alternate idea for our supervisors. Many public stadiums have sold
"naming rights" to private investors. Why not just drop the name Yolo County
and rename this place Cache Creek Casino County?

- Jim Nielsen is a former state senator who writes for The Daily Democrat.
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