Maggie's Farm

"Elizabeth Warren is helping a checkered tribe"

I don't really have a problem with Indian tribes building casinos. What I do object to is their preferential tax treatment. They are Americans!! Treat them equally not preferentially. It is so past time to end the reservation system and bring the Indians into the 21st century. We should deed their lands to them as a corporation ending the "tribal" or "reservation" system and deed land owned by individual Indians to them and not to a tribe. Stop treating them like dependents or non-citizens both the negative and positive aspects of which continue to distance them from the rest of America. Like it or not they are Americans.

Additionally I would change the regulations/laws such that if anyone can build a casino then everyone can. Either we have equality or we do not.

Like pets or zoo animals. We structure their existence so that they must stay on the reservation to get the "goodies". Free health care, no taxes, food stamps, free education, did I mention no taxes. But leave the reservation to try to live a normal life and the government takes that away. The tribe will in fact take your status as a "reservation Indian" away if you leave. Why? Because there is more free stuff left for those who stay. But is it a good life or is it child abuse disguised as a traditional culture? Poverty (they aren't really poor but since every thing is handed to them they value nothing and often have nothing). Drugs, alcohol, rape, domestic violence, child abuse, tribal demands and traditions that often result in violence and homicide.

They cannot live like they once did and in fact if it were possible for them to hunt and forage they don't want to. They want their monthly stipends and cradle to grave care because that's all they have ever known. The left likes to think that they are living a traditional "native American" lifestyle but they are not. Some do quite well, their share of profits from the casinos puts them in the upper middle class and they pay no taxes on any of it. Others live no better than the homeless that we all drive by in the city. Why???

If any child between the ages of birth to 18 lived as most reservation Indian children live Child Protective Services would take them away from the parents and probably charge the parents with a crime. This is what we preserve!!!

What should be done is create corporations to own and control the lands. Give each resident of the reservation an equal share and voting rights. Allow individuals to own their own land deeded and transferable if they wish so they could live where they want to. Allow the state the same jurisdiction over the land within their borders as the state has over any private or corporate lands to include legal and police jurisdiction. Correct or change any laws or regulations that allows them to not live under the same laws as the rest of Americans live under. Bring them into the 21st century for crying out loud.

Indians living on the reservation pay no taxes, period! It does not matter how many citations you look for that is a fact. Indians living off the reservation, living like the rest of Americans do, do pay taxes.

The treaties where made for different times and different people. Arguably not only the Indians but all Americans living on the frontier where hunter gathers living a proud self sufficient lifestyle. Not today. Today what you see on reservations is no future, no life worth living and outright abuse, child abuse and domestic violence. It is a welfare, drug and alcohol lifestyle that is killing them. This is what you want to maintain. Why? Because 150 years ago two men signed a paper in an effort to solve the problems of 150 years ago. Wake up! It's 2018.

You are wrong. They are exempt from federal, state and local taxes. I don't know where you are getting your information from but it is wrong.


"the Indians themselves would have to decide. It's called self-determination."

I am OK if they decide to squat in the dust. BUT we/our government should stop supporting them. No more free healthcare, food stamps, education, and they would start paying taxes. THEN they can come to the table and negotiate a way into the 21st century. If, as you seem to think, they wish to squat in the dust then so be it. But I suspect once the free stuff is gone they will be eager to come to the table. It's time the liberals let them live like humans.

A lot of exceptions there. In other words you agree they do not pay federal, state and local taxes.

YOU ARE WRONG. I do not even understand why it seems important to you to win this that you feel the need to cover up unless it is just the left wing knee jerk reaction. Indians who live on the reservation pay no federal income taxes (or state or local taxes of any kind) Simple as that. Your "exceptions" and citations are convoluted and do not address "personal" taxes. Individual Indians residing on reservations do not pay taxes!!!