Friday, February 16, 2007

Veteran Lansing-based GOP political consultant slams "The Verifiable Truth"

Lansing-based GOP political consultant slams ”The Verifiable Truth;” a blog that chronicles the activities and interests of Detroit-based casino syndicators exploiting circumstances and individuals in order to expand their empire outside the MotorCity.

Tom Shields, president of award-winning Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing GOP political/marketing agency, was compelled to confess he’s been franticly lurking around The Verifiable Truth and left this revealing backhanded endorsement (we do appreciate it) of what he most certainly recognizes as an effective, source backed, honest, internet Blog that tells the other half of the story he conveniently excludes:

uncensored


Marketing Resource Group, Inc

Lansing, Michigan


From the desk of Tom Shields


The lies, misinformation and misrepresentations on this blog are too numerous to mention and don't deserve the time it would take [to] respond. Someone has obviously spent a lot of time and money in an attempt to malign the character of the people being attacked here. It's no wonder the author is anonymous.

If you want the truth and the facts about the Barstow Casino resort project, the Shinnecock Tribe or the Port Huron Casino Resort proposal...you won't find them here. Go to barstowcasinosandresorts.com or contact me at
toms@mrgmi.com.


We won't hide behind some anonymous blog.


Tom Shields



Tom, you’ve got it all figured out. You’re so smart. You're right, you (and Mr. Malik) can't hide any longer -- the world today is much too exposed and transparent. But you're a bonafide 21st Century Communications Maestro and you know that already. Now, about that static Website of yours with the outdated content and mostly broken links

Typically Shields and company are able to make use of bullying, threats, intimidation and the Ilitch family’s bankroll and cache to “win friends and influence people.” But not here. Not anymore. The editors of TVT have come together with one common goal ... the desire to make sure the whole story is out there for people to consider.

It’s amusing that Shields would have us believe he is The Beacon of fact and truth dismissing the following representative sources and resources for verifying truth.

  • Federal Election Commission
  • Secretary of the U.S. Senate

  • Clerk of the House

  • The Library of Congress

  • The Congressional Record

  • Bureau of Indian Affairs

  • Department of Interior

  • National Indian Gaming Commission

  • Securities and Exchange Commission

  • Standard & Poor’s

  • Moody’s

  • Various state and local agencies responsible for elections, lobbying, corporate registration, natural resource protection, Native American Affairs, licensing and real estate

  • Video footage and transcripts of public hearings

  • Minutes of City Council meetings, Tribal Council Meetings and Gaming Commissions

  • Marketing Resources Group’s static Web site and its reliable content

  • Archives of local, regional and nationally respected media outlets from the New York Times to the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Crain’s Detroit Business; Newsday, Forbes and the San Diego Union Tribune; PRNewswire and the Bay Mills News

  • Google Earth

  • Mapquest

  • Citizens for Responsive Politics

  • Opensecrets.org

  • SourceWatch

  • PoliticalMoneyline for Congressional Quarterly

  • Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

  • Center for Public Integrity

  • And scores of TVT’s readers and sources from coast to coast who’ve forwarded documents, links, pictures and detailed information we’ve included in our posts


Tom Shields, Michigan’s conservative GOP political ad man who’s worked

  • for school vouchers,

  • against teachers’ unions,

  • for privatization of K-12 education

  • for mineral and mining interests

  • against environmental protection

  • for packagers and packaging manufacturers

  • for aluminum smelters, and petroleum pipeline companies

  • exploiting Native American interests

  • but mostly as gatekeeper for Detroit’s powerful casino maven Marian Ilitch and her “bull dog” business partner & 21st Century political “bag-man” Michael J. Malik, Sr.


Marketing Resource Group, Inc is described as:

a full service communications firm, providing public relations, political consulting, marketing, advertising and crisis management. Our mission is to provide our clients with clear, effective communication that motivates consumers and influences public policy.”

"Michigan’s premier Republican full-service political-consulting firm. For over 20 years, hundreds of candidates for state and federal offices have trusted MRG …“

MRG’s political consultants have managed the advertising campaigns of:

  • Governor John Engler,
  • Secretary of State turned Member of Congress Candice Miller
  • Republican majorities in both the Michigan House and Senate.
  • MRG has also managed the non-partisan campaigns of Michigan Supreme Court Justices Stephen Markman, Cliff Taylor, and Bob Young.


Note the trio of Engler, Shields and Candice Miller Is it all coming together now? Did someone say political flip-flop and unprecedented effort to relocate yet a third casino for the Bay Mills Indian Community 350 miles away to Port Huron in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District represented by Member of Congress and aspiring U.S. Senate candidate Candice Miller.

No comments:

TVT has welcomed more than 178,000 unique vistors

TVT, founded in December 2006, has averaged more than 20,000 visitors annually. It is produced with the support of scores of individuals from coast-to-coast, each a volunteer citizen activist/jounalist, who review tips and compile the verifiable details and documents that are the hallmark of our content.

Since our first post, more than 178,000 visitors have accessed the details compiled uniquely at TVT.

The citizen activists behind TVT wish to extened a big "THANK YOU" to all those who have provided "tips" -- contributed pictures, documents, link suggestions, leads, reports, insight and comments. Your trust and confidence in TVT has allowed us to create a comprehensive resource that thousands of others -- including bloggers, journalists, Members of Congress and other local citizen activists around the country -- have come to rely upon.

We invite feedback and constructive comment and want you to know you are welcome to do that here in "comments" or by contacting us directly and confidentially via allverifiable@gmail.com

Google News: Indian Gaming

NEWS: Bay Mills Indian Community & Casino Proposals

NEWS: Shinnecock Indian Nation (Gateway Casino Resorts) Casino Proposals

NY Times: Shinnecock Indian Nation

NEWS: Los Coyotes Indian Tribe

NEWS: Los Coyotes / Barwest Barstow Casino Proposals

NEWS: Michael J. Malik, Sr.

NEWS: Marian Ilitch

Muckety.com: Mapping Social Networks

Play with the interactive tool here or visit Muckety.com

TIP: Search for multiple entries in the Muckety.com database simultaneously by separating their names with the word and

certainly must reads!

Ilitch has backed loosing sports teams and pizza, but casinos in Detroit? Forbes.com 10.09.06 ● Marian Ilitch #1 on "25 Most Powerful People" to Watch 2006” global gaming business o1.oo.o5 ● My Kingdom for a Casino Forbes 05.08.06 ● Big Lagoon’s casino dream awakens north coast journal 07.28.05 ● Shinnecocks launch legal claim to Hamptons land newsday.com 06.16.05 ● Ilitch Plans to Expand Casino Empire RGTonline.com 07.05.05 ● Ilitch outbids partners MichiganDaily.com 04.14.05 ● Ilitch enmeshed in NY casino dispute detnews.com 03.20.05 ● Marian Ilitch, high roller freep.com 03.20.05 ● MGM Mirage to Decide on Offer for Casino in Detroit rgtonline.com 04.16.05 ● Secret deal for MotorCity alleged freep.com 02.15.05 ● Los Coyotes get new developer desertdispatch.com 02.08.05 Detroit casino figure to finance Barstow project LasVegasSun.com 07.07.03 ● Indian Band trying to put casino in Barstow signonSanDiego.com 06.04.03 Pizza matriarch takes on casino roles detnews.com 10.23.02 ● Vanderbilt gets short straw in negotiations for a casino Lansing Journal 10.06.02 ● Indians aim to drive family from tribe in vicious dispute san diego union tribune 04.09.00 ●Malik owns 2000 Michigan Quarter Horse of the Year Michigan.gov 01.01.00 ● Detroit Team to run Michigan’s newest Indian casino detnews.com 05.23.99 Tiger ties tangle Marian Ilitch detnews.com 04.29.99 ● Three investors must sell their Detroit casino interests gamblingmagazine.com 04.25.99 ● Partners’ cash revived election; They say money was crucial to Prop-E detnews.com 04.25.99 Investors have troubled histories las vegas review journal 04.27.99 ● Investor served probation for domestic assault on 12 year old boy detnews.com 04.25.99 Can a pair win a jackpot?: local men hope to... crainsdetroit.com 03.17.97

The Verifiable Truth