Gambling on a lark
CHRIS MERCIER was studying to be a journalist in 1995 when his tribal nation, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, built Spirit Mountain Casino. Before then, the area between Portland and Eugene was sparsely populated, and the tribal government, which was funded by grants and timber sales, operated out of offices in single-wide trailers.
“I watched the profound impact it has had,” said Mercier, now the vice chair of both the Grande Ronde Tribal Council and the Oregon Tribal Gaming Alliance. Using casino revenues, the government funded infrastructure and services for its members, including public housing, administrative buildings, a healthcare clinic, police and security payments to elders. “All of our wealth is shared throughout our community. It’s been revolutionary out here, how it has changed the quality of life for our members.”
But over the past year, Mercier has witnessed what seems like a slow-motion train wreck. An obscure state agency in charge of horse racing is shepherding something
