Broken Arrow Opposition

Pruitt shows effective leadership

Attorney General Scott Pruitt has not only voiced his opposition to a casino in Broken Arrow, he is taking actions to correct this injustice.
That stands in stark contrast to a host of city and national politicians who say they oppose the casino and yet have taken no steps that have a chance of halting its opening.
Pruitt filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tulsa against Kialegee Tribal King Tiger Hobia and others to stop construction of the Red Clay Casino at 111th Street and 129th East Avenue in Broken Arrow.
Even without the approval of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the tribe and its nontribal partners are busy preparing the site for gambling operations.
Broken Arrow city officials started acting as though they opposed the casino after nearby homeowners rose up to stop its construction. Apparently, city officials and members of the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce knew about the coming casino before it was public knowledge yet did nothing to stop it.
The casino is across the street from Tulsa Tech, a block or two from residential neighborhoods, down the street from a church and very close to the site of a proposed new public elementary school.
In other words, a terrible place to build a casino (as if any place was suitable for a 24-hour gambling den).
It is uncertain if Pruitt’s lawsuit can stop the casino but at least he is trying an approach that has a chance for success.
Writing letters to federal bureaucrats won’t get the job done when millions of dollars are backing a casino that Broken Arrow families don’t want.