High Noon at Pechanga 3: All's Quiet After Layoffs

Stopped by the parking area of Pechanga today at High Noon. The number of available spaces were 2021! Could the Layoffs be the reason why?

In a previous post, I noted that there were 577 empty spaces, that turns out to only be on ONE level. That level had 657 empty spaces today, an increase of 14% over the end of June. Now, with 700 employees less than just a few years ago, less people can afford to go to Pechanga.

Would reconciliation of exterminated tribal members and a restoral of business ethics help Pechanga be all that it can be?

Pechanga's Layoffs aren't the WHOLE Story

Pechanga has announced layoffs of 400 team members from a total of 4700. What they didn't announce was that they have been letting people go for some time.

A Press Enterprise article from 11/24 has a quote from Mark Macarro that says that Pechanga "employs 5100 people." That means that with all the prosperity, employee ranks had already shed 400 spots before this announced layoffs.

No wonder the profits were big enough to give a per capita of $30,000 per month. Eliminate EMPLOYEES AND Tribal Members. It's not just an "internal matter" anymore is it? 800 employees GONE from Pechanga.

Pechanga Layoffs: FBI Contact information UPDATED

UPDATE: The comment section has some interesting reading and I'm moving this post forward so that readers can see them and take part. There's a good comment on reconciliation.

To all Pechanga Employees facing layoffs and who have already been terminated. If you have information to share about what you've seen, heard and know, here is the contact information for the FBI:

FBI Los Angeles
Suite 1700,
FOB 11000
Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90024-3672
losangeles.fbi.gov
(310) 477-6565

FBI San Diego
Federal Office Building
9797 Aero Drive
San Diego, California 92123-1800
sandiego.fbi.gov
(858) 565-1255

They have been investigating for quite a while and now is a good time for you to help them wrap up the investigations with the Department of Justice. Pechanga obviously doesn't have your job to hold over your head anymore. Give them a call. I'm sure they are interested in what you've seen and what you know.

Pechanga Per Capita REDUCED? Did this lead to Pechanga Layoffs?

Teetilawuncha has a blog post up asking that question. Tribal members seem to be below the $30,000 mark. This is AFTER they have added new machines. Seems like the 400 weren't the only ones let go? How many more have to go before they are no longer the #2 employer in Riverside County? Time to go to PALA or another casino.

Maybe it WOULD BE better if the tribe loses the casino. It's has produced money, but not happiness.

Casino Work Forces Shrinking

Whether 400 layoffs at the Pechanga Resort & Casino are an indicator of things to come at the region’s American Indian casinos is an intriguing question.
Management at casinos contacted by the Business Journal last week said they did not anticipate layoffs; some said they were reducing staff through attrition.

The Pechanga Development Corp. , which operates a casino just over the San Diego-Riverside county line, said July 22 that it planned to lay off as many as 400 of its 4,700 employees. High gas prices, a housing downturn that has hit Riverside County hard and other factors have hurt business, tribal leaders said.
A softening economy has affected people’s discretionary spending, said Robert Livingston, an executive with Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort near Valley Center.
“The market’s down in the casino business. It’s down in every sector you can think of, retail-wide,” Livingston said.
But he said his venue, which had 1,785 employees at the end of 2007, is not anticipating layoffs. “We run a tight ship,” Livingston said, saying he hopes for an economic turnaround by 2009.
He said Harrah’s has cut employment through attrition

Story Here

Agua Caliente and Morongo Pay State for Gaming

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and Morongo Band of Mission Indians — on Thursday shed light on the revenue checks that were just relayed to the state.
The following payments flowed to the California General Fund, as a result of amended compacts to expand gaming:
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, operating the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs and Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, sent over a $9.3 million check to Sacramento this week. That's on top of the $4.2 million already paid, bringing the total to $13.5 million.

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians, operating the Morongo Casino Spa in Cabazon, sent over $12.5 million. With its $8.1 million payment made in May, the total comes to $20.6 million. Additionally, the tribe sent over $400,000 for the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund.