Friday, September 14, 2007

Is it possible that Las Vegas powerhouse MGM Mirage is lobbying AGAINST a Port Huron casino?


Is it possible that MGM Mirage dumped MotorCity Casino on Marian Ilitch in April 2005 for $525 million (a year later MotorCity's credit ratings were downgraded and then given a negative outlook by Standard & Poor's and Moody's); then the Las Vegas powerhouse turned around and sunk $765 million into a rennovation and expansion of MGM Grand Detroit (three times what Marian had to spend renovating MotorCity Casino); and on top of it MGM Mirage turned around this year and spent another $160,000 lobbying, possibly AGAINST a Bay Mills casino in Port Huron (a venture Ilitch 's partner Michael Malik has reportedly convinced her to dump $10 million into the last decade)?

Earlier reports by Associated Press seemed to imply that the MGM Mirage lobbying expense may have been in support of a Bay Mills Casino in Port Huron, 350 miles from its reservation; but subsequent off-line reports are that MGM Mirage was lobbying AGAINST the off-reservation casino and using Kai Anderson, a former deputy chief of staff for Nevada Senator Harry Reid (now Senate Majority Leader) to do the lobbying. Anderson was an aide to Reid when the Nevada Senator reportedly blocked similar measures to win congressional approval of the Port Huron casino scheme.

In January, Ilitch/Malik spokesman Tom Shields said it was his understanding that Senator Harry Reid no longer opposed the Malik/Bay Mills casino scheme. If MGM Mirage is against the Bay Mills scheme and has hired one of Reid's former top aides to lobby on MGM's behalf; how likely is it that Nevada's Senator Reid (Senate Majority Leader) has switched his position and now supports the Malik/Bay Mills scheme?

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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

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