Did anyone notice I was right? It’s OK; I understand that the scrawling of a coffee-swilling, deadline-crunching canary isn’t at the top of everyone’s list. But still, I was right.
Last week I warned that President Donald Trump would probably hear from the legislative branch of the government after his spate of executive orders. According to more than one federal judge, Trump’s travel ban violates the Constitution. You know, our founding document or whatever.
You’ve got to expect a response. Especially when you’re trying to do something big. I’ll keep saying it: You’ve got to expect a response.
I’m sure the Bureau of Indian Affairs knew full well that Santa Barbara County would respond with legal action once the decision to annex Camp 4 to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians was finalized. Or maybe the bureau was acting in reaction as well. The Board of Supervisors met in closed session on Jan. 10 and voted to file an injunction against the feds should they annex the land.
Anyone think it was a coincidence that just 10 days later the bureau did just that? Of course, the county gave its response on Jan. 28, filing an injunction in federal court.
This isn’t uncharted territory. The Chumash have had land annexed by the feds in the past, most recently in 2012, when 6.9 acres of county land was added to the reservation.
But, that’s not the same as 1,400 acres—which is the size of Camp 4. Some of the public response to the annexation back in 2012 was “emotional,” according to Sun reporting at the time. If it was that way over so small a parcel, what do you think it will be like over 1,400 acres?
You’ve got to expect a response.
There are numerous residents in the Santa Ynez Valley who have a deep-seated resentment and suspicion of the Chumash. You can hear it in the way they talk, often referring to them simply as “the tribe,” regaling us with stories of what a rural paradise the valley was before the casino came around.
Their fears aren’t totally unfounded. The Chumash recently expanded the Chumash Casino Resort, now a monolithic structure that towers over the hillocks and oak trees there. The expansion can now house more guests, more cars, and more gaming. But the Chumash maintain that Camp 4 is for housing and tribal administration only, but residents and county government still express skepticism.
It’s worth noting that the county wouldn’t be in this mess if they could’ve just sat down with the Chumash and draft a plan from the start. But the county dragged its feet for years, refusing to meet with Chumash officials, so much so that the U.S. Congress ordered the county to meet with them, or the annexation would move forward. Since then, the supervisors’ ad hoc subcommittee on Camp 4 has canceled meetings, and most recently appointed the board’s newest supervisors—who are largely unfamiliar with the years’ worth of proceedings on the project.
All that wasted time may come at a high price.
The county and its supervisors should consider one more thing regarding the appeal: Fighting the feds in court may end up costing more than the tax monies they hoped to save on the land by keeping it. The supervisors ultimately decided to give up the 6.9 acres in 2012 without a fight, with current supervisor Steve Lavagnino voting not to appeal at the time.
But this is a different time, a different board of supervisors, and Camp 4 is a different parcel of land. And going against the feds is a different tack for the county as well.
They’d better expect a response.
The Canary doesn’t get enough responses. Send your thoughts to canary@santamariasun.com
This article appears in Feb 9-16, 2017.