What would a 40-mile radius 'competition-free' zone around downtown Los Angeles look like?

People asked what a 40-mile radius competition-free zone around dowtown Los Angeles might look like. We've created this Google Earth map for context in understanding the massive nature and special privileges extended to Barwest and its tribal partners in unprecedented gaming compacts that include such competition-free zones around future their future Barstow Casinos and mega-Resorts.

click: for larger image

You may also want to review these other radius maps: Compare 40-mile radius competition-free zone provided in Barstow Casino agreements

Compare 40-mile radius competition-free zone provided in Barstow Casino agreements

Links to maps (compliments of Google Earth and MLive) with visual overlays representative of the 40-mile radius (80-mile wide) "COMPETITION-FREE Zone" negotiated by Detroit-based Barwest LLC that would surround Barstow as provided for in yet to be ratified gaming compacts for the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Bands of Indians.

1. Twin circles: 40-mile radius around Barwest Casinos site and the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation. (static smaller pictures) Google Earth
   
2. Proposed 80-mile wide competition-free zone (5,044 square miles) around the Barwest Casinos site in Barstow, CA provided for in the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Band of Indians pending gaming compacts. (static larger picture) Google Earth
   
3. A 40-mile radius circle around the Los Coyotes Reservation in northeast San Diego County representative of the competition-free zone in the Barstow compacts. There are approximately 20 casinos open or in development within 40-miles of the Los Coyotes Reservation -- they compete every day; the newest set to open in March less than 10 miles from the Los Coyotes Reservation -- still others are expanding or planning plans to open new casinos. (static larger picture) Google Earth
   
4. LATEST ! Link to MLive Search semi-interactive map of Southern California and Humblodt County casinos. (semi-interactive: street, satellite or hybrid maps) MLive. LATEST!
   
   This MLive "collection" of placemarkers can be saved to your own computer for future reference or mapping.

Casino developer's fear of competition drives them to push for Barstow

Fear of competition is what drives Detroit-based Barwest’s Quest for Twin Casinos in Barstow

"The wealthy tribes have opposed this primarily for economic reasons," said Tom Shields, Michigan-based representative for BarWest Gaming and a spokesman for the San Diego-based Los Coyotes Indians. He insists it’s this fear of competition in others that motivates their opposition to his client’s plan to relocate tribes to Barstow so his client Barwest can build and manage the Las Vegas-style casinos for the tribes.

According to Sigmund Freud, projection is a psychological defense mechanism whereby one "projects" one's own undesirable thoughts, motivations, desires, feelings

It’s ironic that Barwest & partners try to pin the fear of competition on the shoulders of those who oppose their plan for Barstow. A closer look at circumstances would indicate it’s Barwest’s fear of competition that drives their desire to be in Barstow.

In a preliminary deal Shield’s clients struck with staff in the Governor’s office, they’ve been granted extra special unprecedented protections from likely competitors: they would have an 80-mile wide virtual cone of protection centered over Barstow and spreading out for more than 5,044 square miles to keep any competition at least 45 minutes to an hour away on the western side of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains.

The truth is, Barwest fears competition. Those behind the Barwest syndication are certainly aware that if they were to develop a casino on the Los Coyotes’ San Diego reservation it would have at least 18-20 estalished competitors within a 40-mile radius; the newest San Diego casino would be less than 10 miles from the Los Coyotes Reservation and a Harrah’s managed casino approximately 15-20 minutes away.

At a Senate Hearing on the Big Lagoon compact last spring, Virgil Moorehead, one of Barwest’s Indian partner, said they’d asked for a 66-mile radius zone -- 132-miles wide (an area equal to 13,682 square miles). Dan Kolkey, the Governor’s negotiator indicated at the same hearing that Barwest had pushed him for an even broader zone around Barstow virtually guaranteeing gaming would not creep over the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountain ranges but Kolkey said he refused.

As it is now, the Detroit Developer’s generous competition-free zone, an area equal to 5,044 square miles, extends into Kern and Los Angeles Counties as well as San Bernardino County and could include Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead Resort areas high up in the San Bernardino Mountains/Angeles Forest.

Southern California’s tribes compete head-to-head every day in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties for guests with multiple neighboring properties located 15-30 minutes away. So-called “fear of competition” has not kept existing casinos from undergoing major expansions or new Southern California casinos from springing up.

Fear of competition is what drives Barwest to Barstow.

Take a look at this map below and you can see who has the exclusive competition-free market – a Detroit casino syndication and tribes who have no history in the Barstow area. Why have they been given such generous advantages? Why them? Why not another less fortunate Indian tribe, a tribe even more remote?

click to see larger version:

Eastern casino syndicator fears competition & seeks protections; not tribes

If SoCal Tribes feared competition, they would be endorsing plans to move Los Coyotes’ Casino to Barstow

If fear of competition was the primary motivator, Southern California’s established gaming tribes would be endorsing plans to relocate two tribes and their casinos to Barstow, in the middle of the Mohave Desert but they aren't.

Spokesmen and lobbyists for Detroit-based casino syndicators say established gaming tribes in Southern California oppose their plan to build and manage dual Indian Casinos in Barstow simply because the established tribes are afraid of competition.

However, a look at a map suggests if “fear of competition” was motivating the established gaming tribes, those tribes would be endorsing any plans that might move a Los Coyotes casino to Barstow; and out of the San Diego/Riverside County area.

There are seven casinos located along the Hwy 76 corridor primarily in northern San Diego County and including the Pechanga Casino in Riverside County. Those casinos are within 30 miles of the Los Coyotes Reservation with the closest being less than 10 miles away. And most of those seven casinos are within 5 miles of one or two other casinos. If fear of competition was the primary motivator for the established tribes, casinos at Pechanga, Pala and Harrah’s Rincon among others would be endorsing a plan to re-locate the Los Coyotes' casino outside their territory, but they are not.

More likely, it’s Barwest’s fear of competition that resulted in abandoning any plans the tribe might have had for a casino on their San Diego County reservation. Barwest would have to compete with those seven casino and a dozen more.

In Barstow, the Detroit casino syndicators are virtually guaranteed there won’t be another casino within 50 miles (or an hours drive) of their dual casinos mega resort.

At home in Detroit, the people behind Barwest bankrolled a 1996 statewide ballot measure that voters narrowly approved, which ensured they would be given preferences in a competition to see who would build and own one of three commercial Las Vegas-style casinos in Detroit. As soon as they had things up and running, they helped bankroll another ballot measure to protect their casinos by virtually prohibiting any new competition from entering into the Michigan marketplace without statewide voter approval; casinos, racetracks, lotteries or otherwise.

Governor Schwarzenegger's negotiators confirmed last March (2006) that it was Barwest's interests and not the state who pushed for the unprecedented 5,044 square mile competition-free zone around a future Barwest casinos mega resort included in the Barstow gaming agreements the Governor negotiated in 2005..

Malik, Hollywood Park, Commerce Club round up cash for Sen Wiggins sponsor of SB 157

Michael Malik lead commercial gaming interests, BNSF, a few unions and business contacts linked to the Ilitch Family who raised almost $30,000 for Senator Wiggins on Oct. 21, 2006

Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) received commercial gambling money late in the campaign reporting cycle from Detroit casino syndicators Michael Malik, Commerce Club Casino, Hollywood Park Casino and others.

On October 21, 2006 Patricia Wiggins collected more than $14,000 bundled in multiple checks from Michael J. Malik, Malik’s MJM Enterprises & Development; three commercial casinos that Malik may have had a hand in recruiting

--Hawaiian Gardens Casino,

California Commerce Club, Inc., and

Hollywood Park Casino –

and the California Restaurant Association, a group Malik’s partner Marian Ilitch, co-founder of Little Caesars Pizza, has connections to.

Senator Wiggins is the lead sponsor of SB 157, do-over legislation rejected in 2006 intended to ratify agreement that would give Malik and Ilitch the exclusive rights to develop and manage two Indian casinos in Barstow with tribal partners from opposite corners of the state; and an unprecedented 5,044 square mile competition-free zone.

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
HAWAIIAN GARDENS CASINO		MONETARY	HAWAIIAN GARDENS	CA/90716
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$1,000.00		10/21/2006	10/26/2006	1212900-A1485

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
CALIFORNIA COMMERCE CLUB, INC.		MONETARY	COMMERCE	CA/90040
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$1,000.00		10/21/2006	10/26/2006	1212900-A1487

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
HOLLYWOOD PARK CASINO		MONETARY	INGLEWOOD	CA/90303
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$1,000.00		10/21/2006	10/26/2006	1212900-A1488

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
MICHAEL J. MALIK, SR TRUST		MONETARY		CA/
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$2,000.00		10/21/2006	10/26/2006	1212900-A1489

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC		MONETARY	SACRAMENTO	CA/95814
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
890231
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$2,000.00		10/21/2006	10/26/2006	1212900-A1490

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
HAWAIIAN GARDENS CASINO		MONETARY	HAWAIIAN GARDENS	CA/90716
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$1,000.00		10/21/2006	1/31/2007	1236771-A1485

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
CALIFORNIA COMMERCE CLUB, INC.		MONETARY	COMMERCE	CA/90040
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$1,000.00		10/21/2006	1/31/2007	1236771-A1487

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
HOLLYWOOD PARK CASINO		MONETARY	INGLEWOOD	CA/90303
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$1,000.00		10/21/2006	1/31/2007	1236771-A1488

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
MJM ENTERPRISES & DEVELOPMENT (Michael Malik’s Company)		MONETARY	DETROIT	MI/48201
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$2,000.00		10/21/2006	1/31/2007	1236771-A1489

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR		PAYMENT TYPE	CITY	STATE/ZIP
CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC		MONETARY	SACRAMENTO	CA/95814
ID NUMBER	EMPLOYER		OCCUPATION
890231
AMOUNT		TRANS. DATE	FILED_DATE	TRANS #
$2,000.00		10/21/2006	1/31/2007	1236771-A1490

Note: This post pushed Tom Shields’ buttons enough that he left his “cut & paste” shallow boilerplate protest below. Here are some of the other posts that got Shields’ attention as well…

· Publicist shines spotlight on Senator Stabenow & Rep. Miller after his clients invested $200,000 in their campaigns

· Barstow Casino Billboard - picture's worth a thousand words

· PR flack denies Malik's suddenly a top contributor to Senator authoring SB 157, a bill to approve client's Casinos

Google Earth Maps make it clear why Detroit Casino Syndicators won't settle for anything other than their Barstow location

A Picture (or Google Earth Map) as they say, is Worth A Thousand Words ...

Why have Detroit casino syndicators refused to bankroll casinos on the Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes Reservations or at least within their traditionally recognized ancestral homelands

Well, as they say, a picture's (or these maps are) worth a thousand words.

These 3 Google Earth maps below -- Big Lagoon Rancheria, Barstow and Los Coyotes Reservations -- are shot at the same scale, 43 miles. The yellow line on each map is representative of approximately 45 miles distance, as the crow flies. Each map notes the approximate location of nearby casinos existing or under development today.

The Detroit casino syndicators pushing to relocate the Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes casinos to Barstow, Calif. have shown no interest in financing projects on their partners' existing Reservations or within their traditionally recognized ancestral territories. It is important to realize they came to Barstow seeking to expand their Michigan gaming empire and then sought out Indian tribal partners who would relocate casinos to that community.

The Detroit casino syndicators negotiated an unprecedented 4o-mile radius exclusive non-compete zone around Barstow as part of gaming compact agreements with Governor Schwarzenegger's office. The Governor's former negotiator has indicated these shrewd gaming operators pushed for an even wider exclusivity zone during negotiations.

Big Lagoon Rancheria, Trinidad (Humboldt County) - there are four existing tribal casino operations within close proximity (less than 40 miles) of the existing Big Lagoon Rancheria 20-acre reservation. There are no major urban population centers or larger airports in close proximity to the Rancheria lands nor any high volume traffic corridors. The location is approximately five hours by car to either Sacramento or San Francisco.

Barstow (San Bernardino County) - there are no casinos today within a 50-mile radius of Barstow. The Nevada casinos are located at least 100 miles, as the crow flies, from Barstow and the San Manuel Casino in Highland, Calif., is located 75 miles by car, or slightly more than a one hour car ride away from Barstow. Barstow is located along the high traffic I-15 corridor with an estimated 60 million travelers going through the Barstow area annually enroute to Las Vegas, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and beyond. Although Barstow is not considered a highly urban area it is located 1 - 1.5 hours by car from the Anaheim, Riverside and San Bernardino areas and 2 - 2.5 hours by car from Las Vegas, Los Angeles or San Diego.

Los Coyotes Reservation, Warner Springs (San Diego County) - within a 40-45-mile radius of the 25,000-acre Los Coyotes Reservation there are approximately 20 casinos in operation or under development today; six of those are located within 10-20 miles of the Los Coyotes Reservation. They include some of the largest and most established Indian casinos in the U.S. San Diego County has one of the highest concentrations of casinos in the U.S. The Reservation is approximately 1.5 - 2 hours by car from Anaheim, Los Angeles, Riverside or San Diego. It is not located adjacent to a major interstate nor between any major destination points. There is a casino being developed within 8-10 miles of the Warner Springs area on the Santa Ysabel Reservation.

You may also want to review these posts:
The Verifiable Truth: News contradicts Ilitch, Los Coyotes say about prospects of northeastern San Diego County casino development
The Verifiable Truth: Tribes doing what Los Coyotes Neighbors describe as impossible