Blogger fnemecek @ Great Lakes Politics informs:
$900,000 Coming to Chippewa County12.02.04U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) today announced that the Bay Mills Indian Community and Community College will receive $906,000 to construct a PLASTICS technology research, testing, manufacturing and training center. The funds were awarded through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.“This investment is great news for the economy of Northern Michigan,” insists Ms. Stabenow. “These funds will create good paying jobs in Chippewa County and help bolster economic development throughout the community.”
The PLASTICS venture was introduced at a Bay Mills General Tribal Council meeting in November 2004 as reported in the Bay Mills News:
...The council discussed the possibility of funding a joint-venture into a plastics business located in Kinross. Parker said it has the potential to be more profitable than the casino, and the wages in the manufacturing field are better than those associated in the service industry at the casino. The tribe would have to purchase a license to get into plastics manufacturing, but does not have the cost of the license as of yet. The tribe would supply the labor, training, and day-to-day operations, as well as minority status to the business, Parker said. A motion to approve joint-venture funding was approved unanimously...03.24.05
Parker said the council will schedule a General Tribal Council (GTC) meeting to discuss the Charlotte Beach and Port Huron issue.
As subsequently reported in a Bay Mills News article reporting on a recent General Tribal Council meeting:
PLASTICS BUSINESSAccording to the watchdog group, Center for Responsive Politics at opensecrets.org, Michael Malik and his casino syndication partners contributed more than $113,000 to Senator Stabenow's 2006 re-election campaign prior to the Senator's announcement of the near $1 million grant to finance the startup of the PLASTICS business.
...Parker [Jeff Parker, Bay Mills Chairman]said that Mike Malik is involved in the PLASTICS BUSINESS because the tribe did not want to expend any tribal funds on the project. He said the initial concept is to have the business in Kinross until the planned creation of an industrial park on tribal properties at I-75 and M-28.
..Another member said that it was his understanding that Malik would invest $1.3 million into the company and would own 49 percent of it, while Bay Mills would own 51 percent. He also recommended a committee be put together to investigate some of these allegations and report back to the GTC with their findings. Parker said he would like to have the tribe do the venture on their own, but said that they did it this way so they would not be out any money.
You may also want to review these posts:
The Verifiable Truth: Michigan Senator's re-election realizes $113,000 from Detroit syndicators after she introduces plans for their Port Huron Indian Casino
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The Verifiable Truth: Six bills in Congress, over six years & political gifts in the six figures: That's what Ilitch Family has invested in Port Huron Casino deal
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