By KRWG News
Las Cruces – The Pueblo of Jemez received a letter from the Department of Interior Friday denying its application to place land into trust for a casino project in Anthony, New Mexico.
Here is the statement issued by The Pueblo of Jemez:
The sole basis given for the denial in the letter is that the Pueblo would not be exercising sufficient jurisdiction over the land because the Pueblo entered into an Intergovernmental Services Agreement with Do a Ana County for police, fire and ambulance services.
On the very day when the headlines in major newspapers across the country are reporting dismal job growth in the U.S., a stagnant economy, and an August jobs report that is one of the worst showings in recent history, it is difficult to understand the Department's decision to deny an application that will create thousands of jobs on such a technicality.
In addition to ignoring the need for jobs, the decision also ignores the express terms included in the Intergovernmental Services Agreement. In the Agreement, the Pueblo expressly reserves the right to provide all the services, thereby exercising total jurisdiction over the land. The Agreement does exactly what the letter says is lacking.
The Pueblo of Jemez is reviewing the letter and evaluating its options.