President/Chairman Parker, Longtime Crony of Detroit Gambling Promoter Michael Malik, Tossed Out by Bay Mills Indian Community Voters

Jeff Parker held the Presidency of the Bay Mills Executive Committee for a total of 20 years coinciding with Detroit gambling promoter Michael Malik's influence over the Bay Mills Indian Community (Brimley, MI). In an election held today among Bay Mills voters, Parker was tossed out of office losing his re-election bid to newcomer Kurt Perron, 54% to 46%.

Parker and Malik had pursued failed schemes to develop an off-reservation casino in Port Huron (MI) for a generation. Malik's various syndicated affiliates (Blue Water Resorts, etc.) have spent millions lobbying in Lansing and Washington, D.C. and attempting to buy influence with key politicians.  Recently they opened a small slots casino in Vanderbilt (MI) which was subsequently ordered closed by court order.

They had announced an intent, albeit hollow, to similarly open a casino in Flint Township. Attempting to shore up credibility with Bay Mills voters, Parker had made several high-profile PR appearances in Flint Township suggesting he was on the verge of opening the casino there and as such, bringing increased economic prosperity to both Flint and the Bay Mills Indian Community.

Perron defeats Parker for chairman's seat

11.02.2011

BAY MILLS — A new face will head up Bay Mills Executive Council as a result of the Nov. 2 General Election. Kurt Perron defeated incumbent Jeff Parker 321 [54%] - 273 [46%]. Perron will be joined by another fresh face on the council, as Joe LeBlanc defeated Allyn Cameron 313-280 for the vice chairman's seat. Incumbents Richard LeBlanc, John Paul Lufkins, and Dwight "Bucko" Teeple will remain on the council.

Another upset this election was the seat of chief judge. Incumbent Shelly Deuman lost to Levi Carrick, Sr.

Taking seats as appellate judges will be Shannon (Lufkins) Belk and Justin Teeple.

See also:

• Bay Mills President Parker in Nov 2 General Election Run-Off; He's Controlled the Tribe for 20 Years
• It's an Election Year and Bay Mills Chairman Jeff Parker Wants Constituents to See Him as Good for the Economy both on and off Reservation
• Same 20-Year-Old Story, Bay Mills Chairman Teasing Business Leaders with Hopeless Casino Plans
• Scandal Continues to Plague Political and Lobbying Activities of Detroiters Bankrolling Casino Plans
• Michael Malik: The Latest Life & Times of a Detroit Casino Syndicator
• Compendium of 12 past posts regarding Bay Mills Indian Community's plastics ventures
• UPDATE: Posts set context and detail schemes, conflict$ behind Detroiters' off-reservation casino proposal
• Tribe to borrow $4 million to fund federal grant requirement, other investments in Malik’s Plastics venture

Bay Mills President Parker in Nov 2 General Election Run-Off; He's Controlled the Tribe for 20 Years

A Primary Election at the Bay Mills Indian Community was held Oct. 19. The following results have been announced and those in bold are headed to the General Election run-off Nov. 2:

Executive Council President: Jeff Parker* (208), Kurt Perron (189), Terry Carrick (94)

Vice President: Joseph LeBlanc  (181), Allyn Cameron (189), Corrine Cameron (119)

Secretary: Richard LeBlanc* (225), Sherri Schofield (118), Greg Parker (147)

Treasurer: John P. Lufkins* (252), Diane Teeple (126), Paula Carrick (110)

Councilperson: Dwight "Bucko" Teeple* (196), Jason A. LeBlanc, Sr. (70), Alexander Easton (144), Brenda Bjork (82)

Chief Judge: Shelly Deuman* (114), Leah M. Parish (84), Arthur J. LeBlanc (26), Levi D. Carrick, Sr. (226), Robert Passage (46)

Appellate Judge: Lynda Parrish-Pesola (172), Tim Kinney II (90), Randy Touchtone (116), Shannon Belk (281), Justin Teeple (214)

* incumbent

Terry Carrick,current Vice President, had challenged incumbent President Jeff Parker in the primary.

Further General Election details (early balloting requests, etc.) are available via Bay Mills News.

Jeffrey Parker: 20 year Grip on Bay Mills Council

Jeff Parker was first elected President of the Bay Mills Executive Council in 1989.  In 2001 he was defeated by L. John Lufkins but Parker won back the seat and has held onto the President’s office since 2003.  Parker and Malik had their grip on the Bay Mills Indian Community for 20 of the last 22 years!  Having Parker as president of the Council and Tribal Chair is critical to the business schemes of controversial Detroit Wheeler-Dealer Michael Malik.

For nearly two decades Mike Malik has been in cahoots with Parker, using Parker to front for his taxpayer funded schemes.  

It’s really Malik and his non-Native American cronies who have been spearheading and financing the decades long quest to establish a Bay Mills casino off-reservation – namely schemes for Port Huron (MI). The Michigan Gaming Commission rejected Malik's involvement in Detroit's MotorCity Casino in 1999. He can't get a license allowing any affiliation with a commercial casino which is his primary motivation behind the Bay Mills Indian schemes. Malik and his financial syndicates have spent millions on lawyers, capitol hill lobbying and political contributions trying to get special treatment that would lead to a casino but their numerous schemes have failed.  It’s predictable that each election season they resurrect their casino schemes and suggest to reporters and constituents that approvals are right around the corner. NOT! 

During the past decade Malik has used Parker’s Native American status to qualify for thousands, and perhaps millions, in federal grants and assistance.  Those schemes have funneled hundreds of thousands to questionable business ventures that Malik is secretly behind.  Most recently a supposed “plastics venture.” Malik and his pals have given thousands to Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow; in 2006 she announced nearly $1 million in federal taxpayer funds would go to the plastics venture in which Malik owns at least  49%.

After TVT and others began raising questions about the plastics venture and Malik’s involvement in the scheme, any references to Malik, his casino entity Blue Water Resorts, International Composite Institute of Michigan, Polycomp, Inc., Integrated Composites, L.L.C. and other related entities were purged from the archives of the Bay Mills News. Before that we had learned that at a 2005 Bay Mills Council meeting, members raised questions about this venture and Malik’s involvement at the meeting, those questions and comments went ignored and unacknowledged by Parker.

It has been rumored the FBI is investigating the Parker/Malik ventures.

See these related posts:

• Jeff Parker, Bay Mills' plastics ventures rumored to be subject of FBI investigation
• Compendium of 12 past posts regarding Bay Mills Indian Community's plastics ventures
• Jeff Parker re-elected Bay Mills President; beats former President John Lufkins
• Another battle between Parker and Lufkins for presidency of Bay Mills Indian Community
• UPDATE: Posts set context and detail schemes, conflict$ behind Detroiters' off-reservation casino proposal
• Tribe to borrow $4 million to fund federal grant requirement, other investments in Plastics venture
• Tribe's chair reported two members were hired for its plastics business
• UPDATED: Tribal leader admits lobbyists were trying to sneak casino plans through Congress without alerting opposition

Bay Mills' Property in Flint Township not 'Indian Lands,' not Sovereign; Not Exempt from Taxes, Codes & Regulations

Flint Township shouldn’t fall under the spell of the The Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) – and certainly not yet. 

So why have BMIC officials launched a whirlwind public Romance with Flint Township? Beware, it doesn't benefit Flint Township.

BMIC Tribal Chair Jeffrey Parker | Not being honest with
Flint Township voters so he can get re-elected at Bay Mills.

Could the motivations be (1) political? You bet!  If BMIC Tribal Chair Jeff Parker could get an agreement or the suggestion of an imminent agreement with Flint Township, that might help him win re-election on Nov. 2.  Parker has had a firm grip on the tribe for a generation and now many are displeased with his schemes and promises.  He was challenged in the tribe’s primary where he got just 42% of the vote.  He eeked out another candidate by just 19 more votes and now he’s got to run against that candidate in the General Election next month.

But more importantly, could the motivations be (2) intended to give the tribe and its secret backers special and unnecessary financial advantages? Most likely. Could it be designed to (3) cheat the town out of rightful property taxes that fund not only emergency services but also local schools and other public services?  Most certainly!

There is no need to rush into an emergency services agreement that gives the tribe special treatment and accepts something less than the usual property taxes everyone else pay.  Despite representations by BMIC, Parker and other mouthpieces for the tribe’s developer, the property in Flint Township controlled by BMIC is not exempt from the usual property taxes today.

The property in Flint Township acquired by BMIC last year isn’t sovereign “Indian Lands” despite representations and therefore that property is not exempt from the usual taxes.  Indian “owned” does not necessarily mean “Indian Lands.”

In shutting down the Bay Mills rogue casino in Vanderbilt last Spring, the Court (Judge Maloney) ruled that the property in Vanderbilt, 100 miles away from the tribe’s Upper Penninsula reservation, does not qualify as “Indian Lands.” If that's the case in Vanderbilt, it's the case in Flint Township. Specifically from that ruling (pgs 10-11):

Section 107(a)(3) authorizes the earnings of the Land Trust to be used for two specific purposes: (1) improvements on tribal land and (2) the consolidation and enhancement of tribal landholdings. Bay Mills does not suggest or argue that the Vanderbilt Tract constitutes an “improvement on tribal land.” Bay Mills defends the purchase as authorized by the second purpose. In the context of this provision, the statutory language has a plain and obvious meaning. The word “consolidate” means “to bring together or unify.”9 The word “enhance” means “to improve or make greater” or “to augment.”10 Obviously, the purchase of the Vanderbilt Tract is an enhancement of tribal landholdings, as the additional land augmented, or made greater, the total land possessed by Bay Mills. However, the statute does not authorize every enhancement. The statute uses the conjunction “and” between the word “consolidation” and the word “enhancement.” The use of the word “and” cannot be ignored. See Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 404 (2000) (“It is, however, a cardinal principle of statutory construction that we must ‘give effect, if possible, to every clause and word of a statute.’”) (citations omitted). In order for the purchase of land to be an “enhancement” authorized by the § 107(a)(3), the purchase must also be a “consolidation.” The statute requires any land purchase to be both a consolidation and an enhancement. Under §107(a)(3), Bay Mills may use the earnings from the land trust to acquire additional land next to, or at least near, its existing tribal landholdings. The statute does not allow Bay Mills to create a patchwork of tribal landholdings across Michigan.

BMIC is cheating Flint Township if it doesn't pay the usual taxes. And this is no way to start a relationship.  Lying and cheating from the beginning.  Misrepresenting yourself.  If this is their way of business today, imagine what you can expect a year or two down the line when things get rocky. 

Given Judge Maloney’s ruling, it is reasonable that property taxes should be levied and collected on the BMIC property just like any other taxpayer.  Why give BMIC special treatment or defer payments today when there are too many unknowns?  But even more, why get locked into an agreement on property that might not be developed for ten years or more. Circumstances could change during that time. Consider that the people in Port Huron have been promised a BMIC casino time and time again, over the course of two decades, and still there’s nothing.

Why even spend time and money negotiating an agreement with BMIC right now?  Flint Township leaders should wait until the tribe resolves its related legal issues.  And since Parker is on record saying he wants to be the town’s good faith partner, then BMIC should start paying timely property taxes now and stay current with payments just like every other taxpayer is expected to do without seeking special treatment. And Parker should immediately stop misrepresenting his Flint Township property as sovereign land.  Represent the truth.

Flint Township residents, civic and business leaders shouldn’t get their hopes up for a BMIC windfall.  If history is any gauge you’ll only get your heartbroken time and time again. Ask the people of Vanderbilt now that payments have stopped.  Ask the people of Port Huron. And worse yet, expect you/ll get left standing alone at the alter and having to pay all the costs of a wedding and reception anyway.

It's an Election Year and Bay Mills Chairman Jeff Parker Wants Constituents to See Him as Good for the Economy both on and off Reservation

Bay Mills Indian Community official speaks to West Flint Business Association, fills in details about proposed development

10.19.2011

By Kayla Habermehl

FLINT TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Although still fighting a legal battle about whether a northern Michigan gaming facility is on "Indian land," the Bay Mills Indian Community chairman told a gathering of area businesses he believes a Flint Township casino will be a reality.

Jeff Parker, chairman of the executive committee for Bay Mills, spoke during the West Flint Business Association's monthly luncheon today in Flint Township. The potential facility is expected to be about 200,000 square feet, half of which would be gaming space, and could bring about 700 jobs to the area, Parker said.

Although the casino would be the "hub," Parker said Bay Mills planned to have the surrounding businesses by owned by area residents.

Many of the jobs would be minimum wage and the majority would be filled by area residents, he said.

Parker also said the tribe's attorneys were filing a motion today and three more Friday to dismiss a lawsuit that shut down Bay Mills' Vanderbilt facility earlier this year.

“We believe we’ve covered all the bases and we can go forward,” Parker said of the legality of the Vanderbilt facility.

Bay Mills purchased 28 acres in December at the northeast corner of Lennon and Dutcher roads in Flint Township.

Earlier this year, Bay Mills appealed a federal judge's ruling that forced the tribe to close a small casino in Vanderbilt, a slots-only gaming operation north of Gaylord, Mich. that opened without traditional approvals in place.

The lawsuit was filled by the state attorney general and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. They claimed the casino was illegal and running without necessary approvals.

Parker also planned to meet with township officials today to begin discussions about contracting for services such as police and fire. Called a payment in lieu of taxes, it would provide 2 percent of Bay Mills gross profits from the Flint Township facility to the township, Parker said.

He estimated it could result in between $2 million and $4 million for the township.

Same 20-Year-Old Story, Bay Mills Chairman Teasing Business Leaders with Hopeless Casino Plans

Some business owners are willing to take gamble on a new casino
WRJT-TV | ABC 12

FLINT TOWNSHIP (WJRT) - (10/19/11) - Some Genesee County business owners are willing to take a gamble when it comes to creating jobs.

For years, various groups have floated legalized gambling proposals in Genesee County.

Now, the Bay Mills Indian community is making a serious push to build a casino near Genesee Valley Mall. The proposed casino would go near Lennon and Dutcher Roads in Flint Township.

Jeff Parker says the tribe bought the property years ago through a land settlement act, but there are legal obstacles to clear. Bay Mills is trying to settle a lawsuit challenging whether an "off reservation casino" can be built in that area.

Wednesday, Parker answered questions from the West Flint business association about the proposed project. Some business owners are in favor of building a casino.



Blogger's Note:  For more than 20 years Parker and a controversial Detroit Wheeler Dealer Michael Malik, have been romancing residents of Vanderbilt, Port Huron and the Flint / Flint Township area with false plans for Indian casinos -- teasing them with jobs, millions in new funds for local government and more. In many cases these communities have been sidetracked by the schemes and that's had greater negative economic impacts. Everyone of their schemes has failed.  Last year, without necessary approvals, they opened a rogue 1,600 square foot slots casino in Vanderbilt and then in March the Courts closed it down and it sits shuttered, embroiled in a complex legal challenge.

Politics at Bay Mills Indian Community has Parker (Mike Malik) Cranking Up the Volume on Economic Development Dreams

Wondering why it was that Bay Mills Tribal Chair Jeff Parker fueled speculation about a Bay Mills casino in Flint Township (MI) and  appeared at the Flint Township Board of Trustees meeting or enabled (maybe encourage) the Port Huron Times Herald columnist Mike Connell to wax, Parker says casino will open next year, or the Flint Township View to report, Bay Mills casino developers want police, fire agreements?

Could it be this...

10.06.2011

Primary election to narrow field of candidates in Bay Mills

The Primary Election for Bay Mills Indian Community will be held on Oct. 19. Please note: The election will be held at the Armella B. Parker Senior Center from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any member of Bay Mills Indian Community who is 18 years or older may vote in the Primary and General Elections. The following people are running for office:

Executive Council President: Jeff Parker, Kurt Perron, Terry Carrick
Vice President: Joseph LeBlanc, Allyn Cameron, Corrine Cameron
Secretary: Richard LeBlanc, Sherri Schofield, Greg Parker
Treasurer: John P. Lufkins, Diane Teeple, Paula Carrick
Councilperson: Dwight "Bucko" Teeple, Jason A. LeBlanc, Sr., Alexander Easton, Brenda Bjork Chief Judge: Shelly Deuman, Leah M. Parish, Arthur J. LeBlanc, Levi D. Carrick, Sr., Robert Passage
Appellate Judge: Lynda Parrish-Pesola, Tim Kinney II, Randy Touchtone, Shannon Belk, Justin Teeple

Any registered voter who will not be able to cast their ballot in person may request the election Committee to issue them an absentee ballot. Such request may be made in person or by mail and signed by the person requesting the ballot. In any case, the request must be made 36 hours before the election. Reason for requesting absentee ballot must be given, as absentee ballots are for individuals unable to vote in person. Direct your request to Bay Mills Tribal Office, 12140 W. Lakeshore Dr., Brimley MI 49715 ATTN:Election Committee

If you have any questions, please call the tribal office for more information. The telephone number is 906-248-8100, ask for Kathi Carrick or Andrea Kinney. 

Politics 101A strategy employed by Mike Malik/Tom Shields and crew:  Pump up the volume on anything that looks like economic development -- even make believe, pie-in-the-sky stuff that has little, or even no chance of materializing. Just say it does!

Don't believe it? Take a look at news coverage during Port Huron (CA) or Barstow (CA) local political elections for the last decade. Malik and crew roll into town and crank up the volume about local economic development hopes. Make your constituents think you're bringin' home the bacon. Then as soon as their political pawns are re-elected, Marian's boys head home to Detroit or back to the Manhattan Penthouse or the Hamptons hide-a-way or their Palm Beach party crib or wherever.

Malik had Jeff Parker re-installed as Chairman about a decade ago, and during the last couple of Bay Mills election cycles tribal members have challenged his leadership and his ongoing "relationship" with, and "business ties" to the controversial Michael Malik. Tribal members are anxious for something real, not the continual economic carrots that Parker/Malik have dangled for a decade.

See these related posts:

• Jeff Parker, Bay Mills' plastics ventures rumored to be subject of FBI investigation
• Jeff Parker’s Business Partner is a Controversial Detroit Wheeler-Dealer
• Bay Mills Tribal Leader Parker Misleading Flint Township
• It's an Election Year and Bay Mills Chairman Jeff Parker Wants Constituents to See Him as Good for the Economy both on and off Reservation
• UPDATED: Parker admits lobbyists were trying to sneak casino plans through Congress without alerting opposition
• Another Detroit Sanctioned Tribal Leadership Coup; plus Lawsuits, Arson, Blackwater and "Bonfiglio?"
• NY Governor Cuomo Latest To Reject Campaign Contributions from BMIC’s Gambling Partner Michael Malik
• Fire Fighters and Local Residents have concerns about Bay Mills Casino Plans in Flint Township
• Despite Financial Woes, Mike Malik Obsessed with Buying Million Dollar Luxury Watercraft
• Proof that Mike Malik was in bed with Ponzi Scheme Fugitive Jack Utsick
• More than Two Dozen Malik / Ilitch Gaming Affiliates Pursue Casino Plans in CA, MI & NY
• Scandal Continues to Plague Political and Lobbying Activities of Detroiters Bankrolling Casino Plans
• Michael Malik: The Latest Life & Times of a Detroit Casino Syndicator
• Compendium of 12 past posts regarding Bay Mills Indian Community's plastics ventures
• UPDATE: Posts set context and detail schemes, conflict$ behind Detroiters' off-reservation casino proposal
• Tribe to borrow $4 million to fund federal grant requirement, other investments in Malik’s Plastics venture

UPDATED: Details posted for House Natural Resources Hearing on Michigan off-reservation casino schemes

The House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

H.R. 2176 (Stupak): To provide for and approve the settlement of certain land claims of the Bay Mills Indian Community.

H.R. 4115 (Dingell): To provide for and approve the settlement of certain land claims of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

Subject:
House Natural Resources Committee
Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2176 and H.R. 4115

When:
Wednesday, February 6, 2008, at 2:00 p.m.

Where:
Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building

Witnesses:
The Honorable John D. Dingell (D-MI)
The Honorable Bart Stupak (D-MI)
The Honorable Carolyn C. Kilpatrick (D-MI)
The Honorable Mike Rogers (R-MI)
The Honorable Candice S. Miller (R-MI)
The Honorable Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
The Honorable John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) added
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) added

Panel 1
The Honorable Carl Artman, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Indian Affairs, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

Panel 2
The Honorable Jeffrey D. Parker, President of Executive Council, Bay Mills Indian Community, Brimley, MI
The Honorable Aaron Payment, Chairman, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Sault Ste. Marie, MI
The Honorable Alan R. Lambert, Mayor, City of Romulus
The Honorable B. Mark Neal, Mayor, City of Port Huron deleted

Mr. Karl Tomion, City Manager, City of Port Huron, MI added

Panel 3
The Honorable Kwame Kilpatrick, Mayor, City of Detroit
The Honorable Fred Cantu, Chief, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Mr. Joe Conroy, Director of Government Operations, City of Flint, Flint, MI


The hearing will be webcast live on the Committee's Web site at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov.

originally posted 2.05.08; 8:05 AM

Ilitch Consigliere fined and under investigation by California's FPPC; investigations warranted elsewhere

Late last year (10.24.06), California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) fined BarWest L.L.C. (a casino syndicate controlled by Michael J. Malik and Mrs. Marian Ilitch) on two counts of failing to comply with California's political reform laws. Malik had failed to report that his Detroit-based BarWest L.L.C. made a contribution of $26,600 in October 2004 to the San Joaquin County GOP Committee. As it was, then-GOP Congressman Richard Pombo, who also happened to be chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee that oversees Indian gaming matters, was from San Joaquin County.

Malik paid a fine of $6,500.

As that 2004-2006 investigation was coming to a conclusion, Michael Malik was again making other contributions to the campaign committees of individual members of the California legislature (primarily between July 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006) and failing to report those contributions as required under California's political reform laws.

In fact, it appears Malik may have contribute $25,000 or more to 15 or more political committees during that time and failed to report those contributions as a major donor under California law.

TVT understands the FPPC has been conducting an investigation for the better part of 2007 into Malik's failure to report these contributions and other matters involving payments by BarWest LLC, Michael Malik and lobbyists Malik employed in California.

One must consider that if Mr. Malik blatantly violated political campaign laws in California, it's possible he has also been violating political reform laws and lobbying disclosures in Michigan, New York, Washington, D.C. and elsewhere.

Certainly if California's FPPC finds Malik and his associates violated laws once again in California, it would be responsible for authorities in other states and Washington, D.C. where Malik is involved with political contributions and lobbying payments to investigate his giving practices.

Malik has partnered with Marian Ilitch and the Ilitch family on various casino syndications and development projects over the last 15 years. However, Malik failed to win approval for a gaming license in Michigan in 1999 and was forced to transfer his shares in Detroit's MotorCity Casino to Marian Ilitch. Since then, throughout their various partnerships, Malik appears to have played the role of political "bag-man" or "bad cop" to Marian Ilitch's "good cop."

Some suggest Malik plays the role of Marian Ilitch's "Consigliere." It has been reported that there is a doorway that connects Malik's office to Marian Ilitch's office providing him with direct access into her private domain.

A business venture that involves Michael Malik and the Bay Mills Indian Community, a federally funded enterprise involved in the research and manufacturing of plastic parts and devices, is rumored to be under investigation by the FBI.

It would seem appropriate for the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to revisit Mr. Malik's close association and affiliation with Marian Ilitch and the Ilitch Family.

Bay Mills renews casino contract with Mike Malik through 2010

10.03.07

Tribe inks new deal with Blue Water Resorts, LLC

By Kalvin Perron
Staff Reporter

BAY MILLS - According to Bay Mills Indian Community Tribal Chairman Jeffrey Parker, the tribe and Blue Water Resorts, LLC have renewed their contract for a casino in Port Huron. The Bay Mills Executive Council approved the new arrangement on Monday, Sept. 24. The new contract will expire in 2010.

Parker said that the new contract is a consulting arrangement, whereas the previous one had been a management contract for five-years. Blue Water has been paying the monthly option on the property in Port Huron, the location of the Thomas Edison Inn, since 2002. Under the terms of the new contract Parker said the tribe would be able to pay back any money borrowed for the development of a casino in Port Huron in a 20 to 30 year time frame. Under the previous contract, the tribe would have had to pay back any money borrowed in five years, he added.

"Based on the compact we have, this could result in up to 48 million dollars for the tribe," Parker said. "There is a big difference between five years and 20 to 30."

Although the tribe recently signed a new contract, Parker is quick to point out that it does not mean a Port Huron casino is in the immediate future for Bay Mills. Because of the U.S. Trade and Intercourse Act, which states that tribes cannot dispose of property without an act of Congress, Parker said that Bay Mills would still need a settlement agreement with their land claim to Charlotte Beach to go through Congress.

But even though the odds of a settlement agreement making it through Congress unscathed may seem farfetched to some, Parker said recent developments have given him, and the tribe hope that it will happen soon.

"Senator Carl Levin has publicly supported our project," he said. "Levin, by virtue of his years of experience, gives some impetus to getting this done. We've now got both Senators from Michigan and both Congresspeople supporting this. That's something we've never had before."

And although he is excited that the tribe now has both Michigan Senators in Levin and Stabenow publicly supporting their project, Parker said Bay Mills would have never gotten this close to developing a casino in Port Huron had they not had the support of one certain member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Bart (Stupak) has been our champion all along," Parker said. "He has been very supportive, not just to the people in our tribe, but for the people in his district, for the benefit of everyone."

Jeff Parker, Bay Mills' plastics ventures rumored to be subject of FBI investigation

Several sources have contacted TheVerifiableTruth.com (TVT) to indicate that Mr. Jeff Parker, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community is under investigation by the FBI for white collar crimes associated with the various federally subsidized Bay Mills plastics enterprises.

Last year Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Carl Levin both annouced federal grants for the plastics enterprises totalling nearly $1 million. Both Stabenow and Levin are beneficiaries of political campaign funds contributed by Mr. Michael J. Malik and his frequent gaming partners Mike & Marian Ilitch. Malik reportedly "owns" 49% of the Bay Mills plastics enterprises.

For more than 15 years, Malik and members of the Ilitch Family have also backed plans for an off-reservation Bay Mills Indian casino 350 miles from the reservation in Port Huron, Michigan. The casino proposal is to be heard by the House of Representatives' Natural Resources Committee this coming Thursday (11/15). The tribe has two casinos on its Brimley, Michigan reservation.

It has been reported to TVT that during the recent Bay Mills Indian Community election cycle, Mr. Parker's opponents circulated flyers with details about the FBI investigation but TVT has not received copies of any such flyers.

Anyone with additional knowledge of this rumored FBI investigation, or possessing documents related to the investigation, or which can confirm or verify the investigation, is encouraged to contact TVT confidentially at allverifiable@gmail.com.

Compendium of posts regarding Bay Mills Indian Community's plastics ventures

The following are posts made previously to TVT related to the various plastics business enterprises (Integrated Composites LLC, Polycom Inc., Great Lakes Composite Institute, International Composites Institute of Michigan, etc.) involving Anthony Andary, the Bay Mills Indian Community, Jeff Parker and Michael J. Malik, Sr.:

• Jeff Parker, Bay Mills' plastics ventures rumored to be subject of FBI investigation
• BIA approves Bay Mills land-in-trust application for plastics venture
• Tribe to borrow $4 million to fund federal grant requirement, other investments in Plastics venture
• Tribe's chair reported two members were hired for its plastics business
• International Composite Institute of Michigan pitched to EUP Workforce Development Board
• Bay Mills plastics venture awarded $906k U.S. Commerce Dept. grant
• Bay Mills GTC ignored tribe members request for investigation into structure of plastics venture
• Gaming Tribe seeks to diversify while developer still pushing off-reservation casino
• Concerns raised about Malik & Bay Mills Tribe's Plastics Business long before $900k federal grant awarded
• Bay Mills & Malik get into Plastics; Senator Stabenow announces they'll get $900,000 federal jumpstart
• UPDATE: More Money (post election) to Sen. Stabenow brings total to $117,200 from Malik & the Ilitch Family
• Bay Mills Indians have received more than $35 million in federal grants since 2000

BIA approves Bay Mills land-in-trust application for plastics venture

3.21.07

BIA puts Bay Mills property into trust

Kalvin Perron
Staff Reporter

BRIMLEY - "This is something that doesn't happen very often," said an ecstatic Bay Mills Indian Community Tribal Chairman Jeffrey Parker after learning that the Bureau of Indian Affairs had agreed to put 110-plus acres of tribally-owned property into trust. The site, located at M-28 and I-75, will be used for the construction of the Great Lakes Composites Institute. "Based on the circumstances, this is a very significant event," said Parker.

One of the circumstances Parker was referring to in that statement was how rare it is for the BIA to actually approve a tribe's land-into-trust application, even if they plan on using the land for non-gaming purposes. In addition to how rare they are granted, Parker said there are currently no timelines imposed on the BIA, which basically means they can take as long as they want to complete the application process. Applications can and do pile up on shelves collecting dust without so much as being glanced at and some tribes have even waited over a decade before ever receiving an answer, he added. What makes the event even more significant is the fact that non-gaming applications take the back burner to applications for gaming acquisitions, which the BIA currently has given a higher priority to.

Not wanting Bay Mills' land-into-trust application to suffer the same fate as some of the less fortunate tribes who were stuck waiting for a response from the BIA, Parker said he journeyed to the BIA's central office in Washington D.C. last fall to meet with the Associate Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior James E. Cason. At the meeting, Parker not only presented Cason with product samples from the Great Lakes Composites line, but he carefully laid out the business plan for the institute and explained how the tribe's current land base couldn't sustain an economic development of that magnitude.

At that meeting with Cason, Parker said as the BIA meticulously looked over the tribe's business plan and future plans for the 110-acre parcel of land, and were impressed with the fact that the tribe's proposed development wasn't focused on gaming. According to Parker, the tribe's sophisticated economic development plans, in a sector other than gaming, is ultimately what swayed the BIA to put the land into trust. He added that the overwhelming support Bay Mills received from the local community, most notably a resolution of support from the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners, was also a major factor in their decision.

"Other entities, outside of our own tribe, are looking at what we're doing and are impressed with the initiative we took and want to get involved," Parker said. "The bottom line is - the land went into trust because people believed in our project."

With Bay Mills already having received notification that they had received a $906,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration of the United States Department of Commerce for the construction of the Great Lakes Composites Institute, Parker said getting the land put into trust was the last major hurdle the tribe had to overcome to begin the project. With both out of the way, Parker said the groundbreaking for the 25,000 square-foot building would begin in the spring. If all goes according to plans, Parker said the structure should be completed by December.

NOTE: It was previously reported that Detroit-based casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr. owned 49% of the Bay Mills' plastics enterprises.

Saginaw Chippewa tribe and others oppose off-reservation casinos in Port Huron & Romulus

11.10.07

Casino legislation resurfaces
Tribes are seeking land for gambling houses

BY TODD SPANGLER
FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF

WASHINGTON -- Two proposed American Indian casinos -- one in Romulus, the other in Port Huron -- got new life Friday with federal legislation providing land for both suddenly reappearing in Congress.

They are sure to stir controversy.

With word Friday that the proposals were added to the list of legislation the House Natural Resources Committee is to consider next Thursday, a rival Indian tribe, the Saginaw Chippewa tribe that owns Soaring Eagle in Mt. Pleasant, was already knocking the plans down as illegal under federal law.

At the same time, at least one official in Romulus praised the economic help gambling houses might bring to the city.

"It's no secret the city has been interested in developing large-scale entertainment," said Tim Keyes, Romulus' economic development director.

In the past, the proposals -- which grew out of land-claim settlements made with the two tribes by then-Michigan Gov. John Engler in 2002 -- have seen plenty of opposition, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick among them. His position hasn't changed, a spokesman said.

The proposals were last seen three years ago when they died in the House committee.

Engler signed the deals to settle land claims made by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa and Bay Mills Indian Community on land in the Upper Peninsula, but they must be approved by Congress.

The deal described in the bill sponsored by Rep. John Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat whose district includes Romulus, calls for the Sault Ste. Marie tribe to be given land there. Other legislation sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak, a Menominee Democrat, and cosponsored by Rep. Candice Miller, a Harrison Township Republican whose district includes Port Huron, calls for the Bay Mills tribe to be given land in that city.

Both tribes run other casinos in Michigan and the Sault Ste. Marie tribe is a part owner of Detroit's Greektown Casino.

"This is encouraging news," Jeff Parker, tribal chairman for Bay Mills, said Friday.

Contact TODD SPANGLER at 202-906-8203 or at tspangler@freepress.com

Find this article at: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071110/NEWS07/711100312

Jeff Parker re-elected Bay Mills President; beats former President John Lufkins

11.08.07

Parker elected Bay Mills President
Carrick re-elected as V.P., Perron returns as secretary

BAY MILLS - Jeffrey D. Parker was successful in his re-election bid, defeating challenger L. John Lufkins, 308-231 for the top post in the Bay Mills Indian Community General Election on Wednesday. (Full Story)

Note: Parker is allied with casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr. Among other things, they have partnered in a government funded plastics venture. Malik previously had an affair with John Lufkins' daughter Heather. The woman later admitted she helped Malik shield assets in a bitter divorce settlement; later, as revealed in court documents, Malik failed to transfer property to Ms. Lufkins as she said he'd promised during this previous divorce proceedings.

Another battle between Parker and Lufkins for presidency of Bay Mills Indian Community

Bay Mills primary results

Parker leads bid to retain Bay Mills president post

BAY MILLS - Yet another horse-race between Jeff Parker and John Lufkins over the tribal president's job is in the wind after the pair finished first and second in the Bay Mills Tribe's primary, held Tuesday.

Parker, the incumbent, appeared to hold the advantage with tribal voters as he finished with 199 votes to Lufkins' 140 in a distant second-place finish. The two will face off once again for the tribe's top job in the general election Nov. 7.

In the same president race, Andrew LeBlanc Dr. placed third with 44 votes, followed by three other also-rans, Roberta Lyons, Sherri Schofield and Kurt Perron with a single vote each. Only the top two in the primary qualify for a spot on the general election ballot.

In the run for tribal treasurer, Michael Willis held a comfortable advantage over Dwight “Bucko” Teeple, 171-116 after the primary ballots were counted Tuesday. Clifford “Pete” Shaw placed a strong third with 97 votes and Kalvin Perron, Anthony Teeple and Tim Kinney Jr. brought up the rear with a single vote each.

In the tightest race on Tuesday, Kurt Perron outpolled Greg Parker 117-95 to fill out the general election ballot for secretary. Richard LeBlanc finished just out of the money with 92 votes, followed by three other candidates well down in the count. Jennifer Touchtone collected 48 votes, Simon Jahnke pulled in 34 votes and Robin Teeple had one.

In another crowded race for the final seat on the tribal council, Alexander Easton nosed out Ken Perron 136-114, though both candidates will be on the Nov. 7 ballot for councilperson. Five other candidates did not make the ballot cut for councilperson: Diane Teeple had a strong showing with 74 votes; Robin Bedell was well back and tied with Joshua Parish at 22 votes each and Daniel Teeple polled 16 votes. Angela Johnson had a single vote for the councilperson position.

In the Bay Mills Indian Community's governmental structure, the tribal council is made up of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and councilperson.

In the only other contested race in Tuesday's primary, Corrine Cameron held a comfortable 186-100 advantage over Shelly Deuman for chief tribal judge. Both will face off again in the general election. Eliminated from the race by a slim two votes was Abigail Parish at 98 and Julie Timmer at one.

Three other Bay Mills tribal posts will be decided in the Nov. 7 general election. Terry Carrick and Angela Johnson were the only two candidates for tribal vice-president and face each other next month. Similarly, Paula Carrick faces Ruby Hatfield in the run for appellate judge and three candidates will vie for four available seats on the Bay Mills conservation committee. Dan Tadgerson, Tony LeBlanc and Brian Haskall are all on the ballot for the conservation committee and all are assured a seat on that board.

It was not immediately clear how the fourth available conservation seat will be determined.

Tribe to borrow $4 million to fund federal grant requirement, other investments in Plastics venture

from a report of the 3.12.07 Bay Mills Indian Community Executive Council meeting published at BayMillsNews.com:

The next agenda item to be discussed was the authorization to borrow funds from National City Bank. Chairman Jeffrey Parker said the money the tribe is looking to borrow, between $3 and $4 million, would serve several different purposes.

Although Parker said the money would be used primarily to refinance the tribe's current debt, he added that a portion of it ($650,000) would be used to fund assets the tribe will be acquiring from FiberForm for the Great Lakes Composites Institute, in addition to any future licenses it may need. Another portion ($600,000) is needed for the match on the Economic Development Administration Grant the tribe was recently awarded for the construction of that institute, he added.

Parker said the purchasing of the equipment for the institute is a necessity since there are already a number of applications for research and development services "waiting in the wings." He added the money could possibly be used to buy out one of PolyComp's shareholders within the next couple of years should the opportunity arise.

Bay Mills Chief Financial Officer Mike Brooks said the amount requested would cost the tribe $35,700 for the first two years, after which they could renegotiate. After a brief discussion, a resolution to borrow the funds from National City Bank was approved.

Funds borrowed by the tribe are said to be directed toward these and other possible entities:

1. Fiberform, Inc. (development of processes, equipment and production of specialty fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials) was incorporated in 2004 by:
   
• Timothy L. Collins, President
• Joel A. Dyksterhouse, Vice President
• Anthony E. Andary
  


2. Great Lakes Composites Institute is not registered with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.



3. Polycomp, Inc. was incorporated by R. Charles Balmer of Royal Oak, MI, in 1998; his attorney was Gregory Kudela. From 1999-2003, the corporation filed documents indicating Balmer was President and Treasurer; Joel Dyksterhouse was Secretary. In 2004 it was noted Dyksterhouse had become President; Jane Balmer was Secretary; and Timothy L. Collins was Vice President & Treasurer. Jane Balmer was dropped in 2005.


In May 2007, documents were filed naming Allyn J. Cameron as President and resident agent of Polycomp Inc. at an address in Brimley, MI.


4. International Composites Institute of Michigan was formed in November 2004 by:
   
   • Anthony E. Andary; and
   • Joel Dyksterhouse
   
   Andary is recorded as president in a 2005 filing.



5. Integrated Composites, LLC was formed in September 2003, by Jeffrey Parker. Anthony Andary was managing member in 2004, 2006 & 2007. Jeffrey Parker was managing member in 2005.

NOTE: It was previously reported by Bay Mills General Tribal Council Chairman Jeff Parker that Michael J. Malik, Sr. owns 49% of the tribe's plastics venture. It is not clear which entity(ies) Malik is bankrolling.

you may also want to review these additional posts or click on the "labels" below for other related posts:

• Bay Mills GTC ignored tribe members request for investigation into structure of plastics venture
• Tribe's chair reported two members were hired for its plastics business
• Bay Mills plastics venture awarded $906k U.S. Commerce Dept. grant

Was it a law firm that first proposed Charlotte Beach land claims idea?

from an account published in the Bay Mills News of a General Tribal Council meeting held in November 2003, shortly after the Tribe's elections:

During a section of the meeting set aside for "Tribal Member Concerns" there was a dialogue about management practices and funding as well as past and future legal services, and this...

"Jeff [a reference to then newly elected tribal Chairman Jeff Parker] said that it was Peninsula Legal Services, who came to the tribe with the Charlotte Beach idea. If successful, they would have gotten a percentage of revenue as a fee for five years."

Peninsula Legal Services P.C. (PLCPC) was originally formed in 1996 for the purpose of providing "representation involving Native American issues and related topics." These attorneys founded and continue as part of PLCPC:

• Robert Golden
• Armand Kunz
• Anthony Andary
• Prentiss Brown

You may also want to review these posts or click on the "labels" below for related details:

• Michigan Courts tossed out Bay Mills tribe's land claims to Charlotte Beach subdivision
• Why would attorney for Tribe's Port Huron casino developer be acquiring property up north in Charlotte Beach?
• Senators told Attorney proposed exploiting Charlotte Beach land claim not tribe
• Tribesman recognized Bush administrations opposition to off-reservation gaming
• Is the Bay Mills Tribe using Charlotte Beach land claims solely to leverage developer's off-reservation casino plans?
• Tribe hoped language slipped into 2004 Transportation Bill would grant approvals for Port Huron casino
• UPDATED: Tribal leader admits lobbyists were trying to sneak casino plans through Congress without alerting opposition
• Gaming Tribe seeks to diversify while developer still pushing off-reservation casino

Is the Bay Mills Tribe using Charlotte Beach land claims solely to leverage developer's off-reservation casino plans?

The following report of comments by Bay Mills Indian Community Chairman Jeff Parker would suggest that tribal leaders have pursued the Charlotte Beach land claims solely for the purpose of creating leverage they need to acquire land for an off-reservation Indian casino in Port Huron.

The comments reported by Parker and the tribe's attorney Candy Tierney would suggest that a financial settlement of the tribe's claims to lands in the small Charlotte Beach subdivision in a rural area on the eastern edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula isn't an objective at all.

reported by the Bay Mills News as proceedings of the Bay Mills General Tribal Council meeting of April 20, 2006:

Tribal Chairman Jeff Parker "updated the GTC on the Charlotte Beach land claim. He said Bay Mills was having the same problem other tribes were having with their land claims. In order to disclose on the Charlotte Beach property it would take an act of Congress. Parker said the tribe has been attempting for years to get that language included in past bills, but to no avail. He said that very recently, in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal, Bay Mills learned that another tribe had spent millions of dollars to make sure this settlement didn't take place. Parker added that other congressmen have said they supported the project and said the council plans on a stand alone bill - The Bay Mills Land Claim Settlement Bill of 2006.

"A tribal member asked if it would be plausible to "ruffle some feathers," so to speak, to speed up the settlement process. Parker said that if the tribe were to go that route, the only settlement the tribe would get would be cash and not land. Tribal Attorney Candy Tierney echoed Parker's statement, adding that the damages paid would be similar to a medical malpractice suit and that the compensation would be cash and not land..."

It's also interesting to note that Parker attempts to create a boogeyman in Jack Abramoff as the excuse his tribe has yet to have its scheme approved and references the "millions of dollars" spent lobbying against the Bay Mills plan but never references the millions in political contributions and lobbying expenses that have been spent advancing the Bay Mills off-reservation casino plans the last decade .

Tribe's chair reported two members were hired for its plastics business

reported by the Bay Mills News as proceedings of the Bay Mills General Tribal Council meeting of April 20, 2006:

Tribal Chairman Jeff Parker said "that two tribal members had accepted positions at the tribal plastics company and are currently being trained in the technology and production line. The company will be producing a green tape that will be used as a cufflink on black corrugated pipe. The business has sparked a lot of interest from other businesses and tribal organizations, Parker added."

you may also want to review these additional posts or click on the "labels" below for other related posts:

• Bay Mills GTC ignored tribe members request for investigation into structure of plastics venture
• Bay Mills plastics venture awarded $906k U.S. Commerce Dept. grant
• Tribe to borrow $4 million to fund federal grant requirement, other investments in Plastics venture

UPDATED: Tribal leader admits lobbyists were trying to sneak casino plans through Congress without alerting opposition

Desperate to win Congressional approval of a third casino (this one in Port Huron 350-miles away from the two already in operation on the tribe’s Brimley area Reservation) Bay Mills Indian Community tribal leaders and their developer Michael Malik are hoping to devise some stealth strategy to slip through an Act of Congress needed as part of approvals for their off-reservation casino scheme without ever showing up on opponents’ radar screens.

As reported in the Bay Mills News:

12/14/2006

Charlotte Beach land dispute remains unsettled
Tribe’s agreement still in need of ratification from U.S. Congress

"So in order for Bay Mills to relinquish any interest it has in the Charlotte Beach land, we need an Act of Congress," said [tribal chair Jeff] Parker … One of the problems with going to Congress to get this settlement ratified is that the tribe has met considerable opposition in the matter. From the City of Detroit, to the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe in Mount Pleasant, as well as other tribes … During the recent lame duck session of Congress the tribe had been working to get the land claim ratified, without notifying the opposition that something was going on … "We didn't want to forewarn them and get them to get their forces to rally and defeat us." Parker went on to refute the speculation that the tribe is hiding issues from the membership by not publishing information on specific issues…

The irony is that those behind the Bay Mills Tribe’s casino plan have damned other Michigan tribe’s and politicians exploiting those tribes' unfortunate business relationships with former lobbyist Jack Abramoff; and yet Michael J. Malik, Sr., Tom Shields and other white men behind (bankrolling) the Port Huron proposal aren’t ashamed of using Abramoff-like tactics themselves.

This two-faced effort should not only be a red-flag for those who oppose the Bay Mills Tribe’s Port Huron proposal but also those concerned about any projects being bankrolled by Detroit casino syndicators Michael J. Malik, Sr., Mrs. Marian Ilitch and their friends.

You may also want to review these posts:

• Michigan Courts tossed out Bay Mills tribe's land claims to Charlotte Beach subdivision
• Tribe hoped language slipped into Transportation Bill would grant approvals for Port Huron casino
• Tribal leader admits lobbyists were trying to sneak casino plans through Congress without alerting opposition
• Young used a generic highway earmark as vehicle to slip through approval of Michigan Indian casino
• A-Team lobbyist's firm was quietly paid $665k to lobby Young on behalf of Michigan casino scheme