Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes Indian gambling mitigation

San Diego — Two weeks ago Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger used his line-item veto to slash $30 million from the state budget earmarked for city and county governments for use in dealing with adverse impacts of Indian gambling casinos. The cuts followed a July report by the state auditor alleging that many counties, including San Diego, were misspending the money. "For instance, the sheriff's department in San Diego County received over $149,000 to purchase a device to analyze chemicals from arson and other crime scenes and suggested that in the future some of these investigations may occur in the area around the casino. Use of this device is not intended to be limited to casino-related incidents; it will be used for cases throughout the county." For their part, local officials say they deserve even more money, not less, given the county's burgeoning Indian gambling industry.