Tribe strikes back

JOHN SOWELL, jsowell@newsreview.info
August 25, 2005

Shammel said much of the tribe's animosity toward Van Slyke came as a result of comments the commissioner made on a local radio program several months ago. He said Van Slyke compared the tribe to Nazi Germany.

Van Slyke on Wednesday apologized for the remarks, which he said were "poorly chosen words on my part."

He said he had tried that day to use an analogy when asked whether the good things done by the tribe as a result of the 6 percent of casino profits in Canyonville that were given to area schools and charitable groups — several million dollars a year — negated the effect of lost property tax revenues from land in trust.

"I think it was a poor example when I said you can look back and even the Nazi regime did good things. But you had to look at the entire effects," Van Slyke said.

That statement angered Chuck Spindel, who resigned earlier this week as Canyonville mayor and who supports the tribe and its efforts in that South County town. He rose from his seat in the audience and challenged Van Slyke.

"As a Jewish person, I resent that," Spindel yelled, pointing at Van Slyke. "What did they do that was positive?"

"I'm saying it was bad. You could look back and say just because they created a job didn't make them good. No, they were bad in their entirety," Van Slyke said. "Where it was bad, though, was to try and compare it to this relationship with the tribe."