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| citizensforabetterway.com |
Hawaii lobbying disclosures reveal that Citizens for a Better Way, LLC, (CFBWllc) a for profit enterprise organized on April Fool’s Day 2011 and purported to be a grassroots citizens’ committee, actually spent nearly $40,000 on a lobbying & advertising activity during March and April 2011. The group was formed by gambling industry lobbyist John Radcliffe and associates at the Capitol Consultants of Hawaii lobbying firm. Then they hooked up with Liz Hata-Watanabe, to help advance the lobbyists’ schemes intended to secure approval for a gambling syndicate from Detroit to develop and operate a Las Vegas-style commercial casino in Waikiki.
But when Jim Dooley (HawaiiReporter.com) queried them in April about their sneaky last minute efforts, Radcliffe and Watanabe danced around, played coy and Radcliffe told him they were spending “very little.” That's not the only lie he told in this conspiracy -- but more on that in the coming days.
But when Jim Dooley (HawaiiReporter.com) queried them in April about their sneaky last minute efforts, Radcliffe and Watanabe danced around, played coy and Radcliffe told him they were spending “very little.” That's not the only lie he told in this conspiracy -- but more on that in the coming days.
In its infancy, CFBWllc spent very aggressively, and that catapulted the newbie to a place on the list of Hawaii's Top Five Biggest Spenders – 5th out of approximately 230 entities that spent money lobbying. Only four others spent more: trial lawyers, soft-drink beverage producers, Philip Morris and the teachers association -- notoriously big spenders across the country!
Hawaii's Top 5 Biggest Spenders | Lobbying Expenses |
1. Hawaii Association for Justice (trial lawyers) | $119,424.04 |
2. American Beverage Association (soft-drink beverage producers) | $90,585.95 |
3. Altria Clients Services Inc. and its affiliates (Philip Morris) | $51,925.61 |
4. Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) | $41,210.18 |
5. Citizens for a Better Way, LLC | $39,093.10 |
TheVerifiableTruth.com (TVT) has uncovered details, some which have already been shared, suggesting gambling lobbyist John Radcliffe -- a confidante of Gov. Neil Abercrombie -- and Radcliffe’s associates at Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, are the driving forces behind CFBWllc, their so-called "grassroots" "citizens" group; and Watanabe is their tool.
Lobbyists at Capitol Consultants count among their clients a Detroit Casino syndicate (Michael Malik, Marian Ilitch/MotorCity Casino, Marketing Resource Group) and the publicly traded Boyd Gaming Company which has casinos in Las Vegas and across the U.S. and currently shuttles patrons back-and-forth from Hawaii to its California gambling halls. Both entities have significant investments and interests in Hawaii's gambling market.Despite proof to the contrary, Radcliffe and Liz Hata-Watanabe, a person identified as the group’s founder, deny involvement by their gambling industry friend from Detroit and Las Vegas. Then again, they have yet to disclose who is behind the group, truly. After all, $40,000 isn’t a drop in the bucket -- especially since Watanabe has since filed bankruptcy.
CFBWllc was organized in a way to specifically avoid disclosing where the funding is coming from – at least for now. As structured, CFBWllc is only required to disclose expenses and even then, not detailed expenses, but buckets of spending as allocated into pre-established spending categories. Then again, that current simplified standard of reporting may be what contributes to their eventual downfall because they are amateurs with delusions of Jack Abramoff!
The next round of disclosures won’t be required until after the New Year.
Radcliffe and Watanabe have failed to be forthcoming and instead have, possibly with the participation of others, conspired to mislead and even deceive Hawaii's journalists, voters, public officials and legislators. Examples like theirs contribute to the public's general mistrust of government and a belief, by many in our democracy, that corruption is the prevailing standard.
To review related content, click on the "Labels" found under social media share buttons at the bottom of this post or review these select posts:
The next round of disclosures won’t be required until after the New Year.
Radcliffe and Watanabe have failed to be forthcoming and instead have, possibly with the participation of others, conspired to mislead and even deceive Hawaii's journalists, voters, public officials and legislators. Examples like theirs contribute to the public's general mistrust of government and a belief, by many in our democracy, that corruption is the prevailing standard.
To review related content, click on the "Labels" found under social media share buttons at the bottom of this post or review these select posts:
- Failed Nightclub Owner is a Shameless Self-Promoter
- She Said: Here's what Hata-Watanabe had to offer after a recent visit to TheVerifiableTruth.com
- Failed Nightclub Owner is a Shameless Self-Promoter
- Really? She's Treasurer of the Honolulu County GOP Committee?
- Hawaii's 'Citizens for a Better Way' isn't a 'Citizens' Group After-all
- Lobbyists Spent $40,000 Manufacturing So-Called 'Citizens' Group Support for Oahu Casino Scheme
- There Can Be No Doubt Detroiters' Hawaii Lobbyist John Radcliffe Created Pro-Casino So-Called 'Citizens' Group'
- Citizens for a Better Way, a Group Fronting for Detroit Casino Syndicators in Hawaii, Establishes Digital Media Channels With Poor Result
- Capitol Consultants of Hawaii: Double Dipping Gambling Conflicts, Resume Padding Lies or Harboring Secret Partners?
- Strange Bedfellows: Hawaii's Former Governor & Detroit's Gambling Promoter?
- Founder of tax-exempt nonprofit produced 'Hawaii's Big Deal: Poker Tournament' the 'closest thing to legalized gambling in The Islands'
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