Citizens for a Better Way, a Group Fronting for Detroit Casino Syndicators in Hawaii, Establishes Digital Media Channels With Poor Result

Citizens for a Better Way is a so-called "grassroots" citizens group organized in Honolulu by lobbyist John Radcliffe, Liz Watanabe and others fronting for the interests of Detroit Casino Syndicators (Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch) who are taking renewed steps push legalized gambling in Hawaii. The Detroiters' goal: win approvals to develop and operate a Waikiki Casino.

Earlier this year, the professional lobbyists retained by the Detroiters, set up a website at citizensforabetterway.com, and a Facebook page to promote their agenda. In September they created a YouTube Channel, CFBWHawaii.

citizensforabetterway.com

The website features:

• Template to capture email addresses and contact details of interested parties, 
• News room and archive, 
• Three videos featuring the Detroiters' paid advocates and produced using a public affairs roundtable discussion format plus schedules detailing when those videos will air on local cable television channels, and 
• Revised 2010 Impact Study prepared by Jacob Miklojcik, the same Michigan consultant who created their 2000 Impact Study.  

The newsroom features reprints of letter-to-the-editor and op-eds that have been published promoting the Detroiters' agenda.  It's interesting to note that among the authors are those who've been previously paid to represent Detroiters' interests.

CFBW on Facebook

The real difference between the 2000 and 2010 studies: the earlier study considered two Oahu casinos and the latest study considers one Oahu casino. Miklojcik produced similar studies in the 1990s that helped the Detroiters win voter approvals needed to legalize gambling and establish casinos in Detroit. The projections were optimistic and by all accounts implied that legalized gambling would be the jackpot that would help turn Detroit's circumstances around.

Detroit's Las Vegas-style casinos opened their doors more than ten years ago; and yet, in recent months Forbes ranked Detroit the #1 Most Dangerous City in America and workers at Marian Ilitch's MotorCity Casino were forced to start paying healthcare expenses or face job losses.  Detroit's casinos haven't been the blessing local taxpayers had hoped for.

CFBWHawaii on YouTube

The Facebook page was created in April, and the website promotes the Facebook page with a button/link, at this point it could be considered a failure with just 13 fans or users who "Like" the CFBW Facebook page and relatively little regular engagement among that handful of fans, with the exception of one male, Lawrence Ujimori.

On average, the videos posted to CFBW's YouTube channel are being watched on average, once daily, and that's likely by those who are paid to advocate for the Detroiters' interests or people who land their by chance.

As an exercise in organic grassroots social media, the so-called citizens group has failed to get any traction or attract an engaged constituency who would support their gambling agenda. Absent some significant change in circumstances, they'll be using paid advertising and manufacturing the appearances of "grassroots" support should Radcliffe's lobbying efforts require that during the 2012 legislative cycle.

Group Backing Detroiters' Push for Casino Gambling in Hawaii Establishes YouTube Channel

Citizens for a Better Way | YouTube

So-called "Citizens for a Better Way," a third-party advocacy group manufactured to support Detroit gambling interests and their agenda to legalize commercial gaming and develop a casino in Honolulu, HI, has established a YouTube channel with videos featuring long-time Hawaii-based advocates for the Detroiters (Marian Ilitch, Michael Malik, etc.).

After one month, the number of views of the channel and its videos are minimal and most likely a result of visits by those who established the channel and uploaded the videos.

Tour the small Bay Mills' Vanderbilt Casino as it was Originally Opened

Here's a peek inside the Bay Mills Indian Community's Vanderbilt Casino the day after it first opened (11.04.11).  The very small facility opened with just 38 slot machines.  The tribe completed and expansion of the facility early in 2011 reportedly more than doubling the square footage of the facility.

click arrow below to view video here

Ilitch makes rare TV appearance; takes credit for whatever's good in Detroit right now

Christopher Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. made a rare appearance on CNBC this week. The Ilitch family had hoped their Detroit Red Wings would win the 2009 Stanley Cup and Little Caesars pizza is celebrating its 50th annivesary. Ilitch appears to be Detroit's only voice of optimism these days. He's a one man band when it comes to promoting Detroit. He claims his family's business are the one thing that brings hope to Detroiters otherwise terminal economy.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Chair of Middleboro Selectmen & leading advocate for Mashpee Wampanoag casino plan resigns

Adam Bond, Chairman of the Middleboro Board of Selectmen resigned this week. He cited the influence of tribal interests on the rest of the Board as a primary reason.

Click the arrow to watch Bond's resignation speech

Bond was tied to plans advanced by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and its developers Herb Strather, Sol Kerzner and Len Wolman to develop a large casino resort in Middleboro. Bond was out front as an advocate of the plan and brought in attorney Dennis Whittlesey to help him negotiate a contract between Middleboro and the Tribe and its developers.

The mega-casino project has not been without controversy. At times opponents of the gambling proposal accused Bond of being in the pocket of the tribe and its developers.

Then in December, a former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, Glenn Marshall, was charged by the U.S. Justice Department with various counts of fraud and illegal campaign finance activity. Marshall has indicated he will plead guilty on all charges and will assist the Justice Department in its ongoing investigations. The case is one of the branches of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal that has unfolded in Washington D.C. in recent years.

According to the Cape Cod Times:

Since mid-December, when former Mashpee Wampanoag Chairman Glenn Marshall admitted to federal corruption and fraud charges, Bond has been pushing fellow board members to seize the opportunity to sweeten the casino deal. Bond has repeatedly said Marshall’s crimes could constitute a breach of contract with the town because Marshall was the person making promises to the town on the tribe’s behalf.

His fellow board members resisted, calling only for a meeting with the tribe’s new leaders who will be elected Feb. 8.

Last Wednesday, Bond lashed out at the board on his blog, specifically citing Selectman Mimi Duphily for contacting the tribe’s political consultant, Stephen Graham, and other tribe members.“I am concerned that the town’s interests and/or strategies are being overlooked (and leaked) for some esoteric and emotional reason relating to how certain individuals feel about the tribal members on a personal level,” Bond wrote.

YouTube: A promotional video for Olympia Entertainment, an Ilitch Holdings Inc. company

Promotional video of Olympia Entertainment a division or subsidiary of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. that manages Detroit's Fox Theater, Cobo Arena, Comerica Park, Joe Louis Arena, Hockeytown Cafe and other area entertainment venues.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jMAvMrMRWFU

Tribes launch ad campaign to push Barstow casino; ignore fact that Prop 5 allows on-reservation casinos not off-reservation

9.05.07

Tribes launch TV campaign for Barstow casinos

Joe Nelson, Staff Writer San Bernardino County Sun

Two California Indian tribes launched an 11th-hour media campaign Wednesday with a televised ad they hope will prompt state Legislators to ratify their gaming compacts so they could build casinos in Barstow.

Big Lagoon Rancheria of Humboldt County and the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians in San Diego County negotiated gaming compacts with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2005, but the compacts have remained in limbo ever since.

No hearings on the compacts have been scheduled in Sacramento.

"My family was used as the face of Indian poverty in the campaign to pass Proposition 5," said Los Coyotes tribal member Francine Kupsch, referring to a 1998 televised ad that featured her and her children sitting in their trailer on the reservation, reading a book by oil lamp light. "But a decade later, the wealthy tribes are using their gambling dollars to keep poor tribes like Los Coyotes from having the same opportunity to succeed."

With only a week to go before the 2007 Legislative session ends, the clock is ticking.

Both tribes are hoping a public rallying cry will draw attention to their cause.

If not, the tribes are likely to go their separate ways, with Big Lagoon considering a casino or hotel somewhere on their 20-acre reservation off the Pacific Coast and Los Coyotes continuing its push for a Barstow casino.

Both tribes want to open a joint casino - the Barstow Casinos and Resort - that could pull an estimated 60 million cars traveling to and from Las Vegas to the casino, a venture that could mean millions of dollars in new revenue to Barstow and about 1,700 full-time jobs.

An ad posted on YouTube on Wednesday and expected to run on cable television in the next several days in Sacramento, the Bay Area and in Los Angeles shows a snippet of the 1998 televised ad featuring Kupsch and the message for California voters to "Stand up to the greedy tribes" and to "Call your legislative leaders" to support the tribal fairness bill.

Some gaming tribes including the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians are fighting the move by Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes to build casinos in Barstow, calling it an encroachment on Serrano ancestral lands.

But Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon believe San Manuel and other gaming tribes are more concerned about competition.

San Manuel spokesman Jacob Coin said that while he had not yet seen the YouTube ad or was aware of the news conference the tribes held at the state Capitol, San Manuel's position was still status quo.

Moving so they can have a better market location is just not what we promised the voters would happen," Coin said, referring to Big Lagoon Rancheria, whose reservation lies more than 700 miles northwest of Barstow.

San Manuel also hit a roadblock getting its amended compact ratified this year when the tribe refused to sign a side agreement that would make the compact more palatable to some Assemblymembers.

The compact would allow the tribe to add 7,500 more slot machines to its casino near Highland and would generate $45 million a year in state revenue to start.

Big Lagoon spokesman Jason Barnett said the lack of progress Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes have made in Sacramento in the last two years is an "unfortunate commentary on how much power the big tribes have in Sacramento."

"We've been locked out of the game for months. We can't even get an informational hearing, let alone an up or down vote," Barnett said.

Contact staff writer Joe Nelson at (909) 386-3874 or via e-mail at joe.nelson@sbsun.com

PRESS RELEASE: Detroit Billionaires failed at lobbying so launch political ad campaign in California to push gaming scheme

9.05.07

PRESS RELEASE

Tribes Fronting for Detroit Billionaires Launch Media Campaign to Urge Passage of Barstow Compacts
Legislators, Environmental & Tribal Leaders Appeal to Legislative Leadership

DETROIT, Michigan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tribal leaders from the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians and Big Lagoon Rancheria today unveiled a media campaign, funded by Detroit billionaires, urging legislative leaders to ratify the Barstow compacts. (Note: the television advertisement unveiled to the news media may be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvipfS9MVPo)

Last Fall, the California Fair Political Practices Commission fined the promoters behind this advertising campaign for two counts of violating California's Political Reform Laws when they failed to report a $26,6000 contribution they made to the San Joaquin County GOP Committee in 2004.

While compacts for the richest California tribes have been passed by the State Assembly and Senate, there have been no hearings or any consideration of the Barstow compacts. With compacts set to expire on September 17th and only days remaining in the legislative session, the Tribes were left with no option but to make their case directly to Californians.

"My family was used as the face of Indian poverty in the campaign to pass Proposition 5," said Francine Kupsch, Los Coyotes tribal member. "But a decade later, the wealthy tribes are using their gambling dollars to keep poor tribes like the Los Coyotes from having the same opportunity to succeed." [Prop 5 did not approve of off-reservation casinos like those promoted by Detroit billioaire Marian Ilitch].

Opposition from the state’s richest gaming tribes has been a roadblock to the legislature’s timely consideration of the Barstow compacts, preventing even an informational hearing on this issue from occurring. Given the upcoming deadlines, direct action is needed from Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.

"Now is the time for our state’s legislative leadership to stand up and fight for all Indian tribes," said Virgil Moorehead, Chairman of Big Lagoon Rancheria. "The future of our people is truly in the hands of Speaker Nuñez and President Pro Tem Perata. Without your leadership, the environment at Big Lagoon will be jeopardized."

Big Lagoon Rancheria’s homeland is located along the environmentally sensitive Big Lagoon and is one of two remaining naturally functioning coastal lagoons left in California. The lagoon has long been recognized as an important natural habitat area, and the State of California has asserted it has a legitimate interest in protecting it. It was the State of California who asked the Tribe to consider moving its proposed gaming facility elsewhere. As part of the compact agreement, Big Lagoon Rancheria agreed to forgo commercial development at the lagoon.

"This is the last opportunity we have to avoid development on an environmentally sensitive habitat in Humboldt County," said Senator Wiggins." If the legislature doesn’t ratify these compacts, the Big Lagoon Rancheria will have the sovereign right to negotiate for gaming rights on their tribal land."

Signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in September 2005, the Barstow compacts are a model for tribal-state gaming agreements in California. The agreements include: significant revenue sharing for the State of California; provisions for labor unions to organize and bargain collectively; mechanisms for independent audits of casino revenues; and systems to enforcement payments of child support. These provisions have been hailed by legislators, labor unions and good government advocates as positive benefits for the State of California.

The City of Barstow has approved Municipal Services Agreements with both tribes that are expected to generate millions of dollars of revenue for the desert community. The compacts will also generate hundreds of good-paying permanent jobs.

"The compacts represent a tremendous partnership that meets the needs of the Tribes, the community of Barstow and the State of California and we hope legislative leaders will do the right thing to pass the compacts immediately," said Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale.

The Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon have submitted land-into-trust applications to the federal government and the Bureau of Indian Affairs is currently preparing a draft environmental impact statement to identify potential environmental impacts of the project. California lawmakers must pass legislation to approve the compacts, the final state step in proceeding with jointly developing the casino resort.

(Note to news media: High Definition versions of the commercial are available. Please contact Toby Allen at 517-372-4400 or tobya@mrgmi.com to request a copy.)

Last Fall, the California Fair Political Practices Commission fined the promoters behind this advertising campaign for two counts of violating California's Political Reform Laws when they failed to report a $26,6000 contribution they made to the San Joaquin County GOP Committee in 2004.

The Barstow Casinos and Resort are designed to capture some of the market of an estimated 60 million cars that travel through the community on their way to and from Las Vegas each year. The projects will support approximately 900 construction jobs and 1,700 full time positions at the casinos. It is expected that the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon tribes will contribute to the local community government yearly and generate millions of dollars in new revenue for the Barstow economy. The Barstow community has lagged behind the state in economic development with more than 35 percent of the residents on public assistance. More than 2,000 local residents signed postcards addressed to the Governor asking him to negotiate the compacts. More information is available at www.barstowcasinosandresort.com.

Barstow official & Barwest attorney kept their knowledge of reported Chemehuevi campsite in City of Barstow hush-hush

Although publicly denying any awareness of a Chemehuevi archaeological site in Barstow at City Council meetings and in Sacramento, a string of 2005 e-mails obtained by TVT clearly indicate that Barstow Economic Development Director Ron Rector and Barwest attorney Lance Boldrey as well as others in the City of Barstow and associated with Barwest LLC were fully aware of the remains of a former Chemehuevi campsite within Barstow City limits -- less than one mile from the proposed Barwest/Big Lagoon Rancheria/Los Coyotes Band of Indians casinos and resorts.

Boldrey and others speaking on behalf of Barwest LLC and its tribal partners have repeatedly insisted in public testimony that no modern-day tribes have any ancestral histories in Barstow.

They may have kept this information from Governor Schwarzenegger's representatives as well while they were negotiating agreements in 2005 that would give Detroit-based Barwest LLC the right to develop and manage two side by side casino resorts in Barstow and earn up to 30% of the net proceeds of the two Indian casinos.

Curiously, The City of Barstow has been delaying public participation in the legally mandated update of its ten year old General Plan, last updated in 1997.

* * *

FROM: Ron Rector (Barstow Economic Development Director)
SENT: February 23, 2005
RE: HCED Listserve Draft Tribal Consultation Guidelines Regarding Local Land Use Planning

Lance:
Looks like the Chemehuvis’ [sic] may get a shot at you yet.

------

FROM: Boldrey, Lance R. (attorney, Barwest LLC)
SENT: February 23, 2005
RE: HCED Listserve Draft Tribal Consultation Guidelines Regarding Local Land Use Planning

I would not necessarily jump to that conclusion, although I’d be interested to get Scott’s [Priester, then-Barstow Planning Director] perspective after he’s reviewed the materials and gone through the workshop (if he’s going).

First, these appear to be triggered only upon adoption or amendment of “general” or “specific” plans. I defer to you guys and the CEQA experts as to whether that is required by our development and a new MSA.

Second, and more to the point, these require consultation only when a tribe has a “cultural place” within the city’s limits. As I read the definitions and examples of such sites (page 4 of the supplement document), the asserted Chemehuevi “place” does not appear to fit. “Cultural place” appears to be intended to capture those sites of either permanent habitation or of particular religious significance, with the caveat that the term also includes sites listed or eligible for listing in the CA Register of Historic Places. The Chemehuevi “site” within the city’s limits was only a campground on a trading route from, I believe the late 1800’s. We also do not know if any historical evidence has actually established it as such. (All we know is someone from the City contacted the tribe several years ago to see if this campground was linked to them, and they of course agreed that it was.)

As you know the historical research we commissioned from experts in the field shows that the Barstow area was inhabited historically by a band that is now extinct. Any other tribal ties to the area would have been tenuous ties from tribes essentially just passing through. Accordingly, I would not conclude that the Chemehuevi will have standing to weigh in even if a new or amended “general” or “specific” plan is required.

(From an outside perspective, I think this bill is likely to lead to real chaos, as many tribes will undoubtedly “overclaim” the protections of the act to demonstrate power over larger areas of territory. If there is no real independent check to determine if a site is, in fact, a “cultural place” expect a nightmare.)

Finally, this issue does present one potential problem with moving the site for the gaming development, if, in fact, the parcel that Argovitz is pursuing is the same parcel that the Chemehuevi had optioned, the Chemehuevi’s fee-to-trust applications asserts that the so-called Chemehuevi campsite is actually located ON THIS PARCEL. This could complicate matters if different tribes seek to have the land placed into trust ...

------

FROM: Scott Priester (Barstow Planning Director)
SENT: March 03, 2005
RE: Lance Boldrey Comments

Thoughts/comments on Lance Boldrey’s comments

1) I am not attending the workshop – it’ll likely be in northern California;
2) The destination resort project is located in the adopted Lenwood Specific Plan area. Depending on the details of the development that will be off federal lands, an amendment to the specific plan may be needed to carry out the project (the devil’s in the details).
3) It doesn’t appear to matter if there is a “cultural place” in the City – if their name is on the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) list, we’re subject to it. I have requested a list from the NAHC of the tribes with whom the City will have to consult. It was faxed to NAHC in Sacramento today, so stay tuned.

All in all, I don’t necessarily think this will be a way to tube a project, but it could cause delay, mitigation negotiations, etc. on certain projects.

A desperate Tom Shields was compelled to fly to Barstow in the middle of Summer to attack TheVerifiableTruth.com

Tom Shields, spokesman for Detroit's Ilitch Family
and their casino syndication partner, 8.06.07

Tom Shields, a public relations and political consultant from Lansing, Michigan, is the spokesman for the Ilitch Family and their casino syndication development partner Michael J. Malik for projects and properties throughout Michigan and across the United States.

Shields flew to California this week to defend his clients' stalled casino plans before the Barstow City Council meeting.

Rather than admit his clients' plans and approach have been flawed from the beginning, or address any of the circumstances or concerns raised by TVT, Tom Shields cast his billionaire Detroit casino syndicator clients as the victims.

In scripted remarks he resorted to desperate attacks on Southern California's Native American tribes, a local citizen activist Larry Halstead and TheVerifiableTruth.com.

In particular and as one would expect, Tom Shields used unfounded allegations, manufactured circumstances and lies to attack TheVerifiableTruth.com.

In closing his remarks he indicated that he wasn't sure if TVT may or may not be effective. It seems Shields can't believe a few volunteer citizen activists could be a match for his venerable Lansing-based public relations/political consulting agency Marketing Resource Group.

TVT submits that if Mr. Shields flew half-way across the country to attack TVT at a City Council meeting in Barstow, CA - a midsummer journey to the middle of the Mojave Desert, home of "Death Valley" -- it is a clear indication that TheVerfiableTruth.com is more than effective.

Thank you once again Mr. Shields for the acknowledgements!

Note: Shields' clients have formed Barwest LLC; adopted tribal partners the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians; and are pushing a scheme to locate the tribes' two casinos, one as far as 750 miles away from a tribe's existing reservation, to Barstow, California. The Detroit casino syndicators are desperate to get a foot in the lucrative California gaming market. Their efforts have been without regard for Southern California's legitimate tribes and have completely ignored the tribes' concerns.

YouTube: Citizen Activist urges Council to abandon Mayor's failed casino strategy

Barstow Citizen Activist Larry Halstead 6.04.07

Mr. Larry Halstead, a citizen activist and former candidate for City Council who frequents the Barstow City Council meetings; rose during the July 16, 2007 Council meeting to challenge City leaders to acknowledge Mayor Lawrence Dale's failed six year Indian Casino strategy.

The activist challenged the Council to identify any independent third parties not under the influence of Detroit-based Barwest or either of its two tribal partners who express confidence that the parties will get their plans approved by the California legislature as Halstead reports he has found no one.

The activist put forth a challenge to the Council which has been silent on the matter following the directions of the Mayor. Halstead suggested they consider tendering their resignations when Barwest fails to win approvals by the latest deadline extension -- September 15th.

The parties have made no progress in the legislature since concluding negotiations on agreements with the Governor in 2005 nor been willing to make any changes to their plans. Their original plans for one Barstow casino owned by the Los Coyotes Tribe were denied by the Governor in 2004. The Detroit casino syndicators first began talking with Barstow officials about an Indian casino in 2001/02.

YouTube: Barstow Citizen Activist Gets It! Barwest has made no progress going to war with regional tribes

Barstow Citizen Activist Larry Halstead 6.04.07

A citizen activist frequently spotted at Barstow City Council meetings, who often sites TheVerifiableTruth.com as a reference tool and alternative source of information, speaks out on the realities of future dual Indian casinos in Barstow being bankrolled by Detroit-based Barwest LLC.

Barwest LLC began secret talks with the City of Barstow beginning in 2001/02 to develop plans and set out on the approval process to land an off-reservation Indian casino in that community; five years later, Barwest LLC and City of Barstow officials have yet to meet with leaders of regional Indian Tribes and Native American organizations to develop concensus on a direction for any possible Barstow casino resort.

Instead, Barwest's out of state casino syndicators (friends and business partners of some of Las Vegas' biggest gaming companies), have elected all out war with Southern California's established Native American casino interests and those tribes that are indigenous to the greater Barstow area. In doing so, Barwest has made very little progress toward bringing a casino project to Barstow the last 3-4 years.

YouTube: Olympia Entertainment Promo Video

as posted 5.30.07 at YouTube.com

Olympia Entertainment promo video on YouTube.com

Located in the heart of Detroit, one of the leading entertainment markets in the country, Olympia Entertainment is one of the industry's most diverse sports and entertainment companies, owning and operating Detroit's fabulous Fox Theatre, as well as booking and operating Joe Louis Arena, Comerica Park, Cobo Arena and City Theatre.

A division of Ilitch Holdings, Olympia Entertainment is owned by Detroit entrepreneurs Mike and Marian Ilitch and is affiliated with The Detroit Red Wings, The Detroit Tigers, Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line Distributing, Little Caesars Pizza Kits and Uptown Entertainment.

www.olympiaentertainment.com

YouTube: DCCC hammers GOP suspects with "Law & Disorder" TV spot

If you found humor in our previously uncovered post "Bad boys, bad boys" -- a take off on the FOX TV show "Cops" -- take a look at the latest out of the DCCC Rapid Response Team, it's a rip-off of NBC's hit show "Law & Order."

Law & Disorder

YouTube: See just how concerned Detroit Casino syndicators are about the environment & preservation of "pristine natural resources"

In California, Michael J. Malik, Sr. and Mrs. Marian Ilitch have encouraged environmentalists who say the Detroit casino syndicators should be allowed to build twin casino resorts in Barstow in order to protect Humboldt County's Big Lagoon and the surrounding nature areas from the kind of negative impacts that are inevitable if the Detroit pair's Indian partners are allowed to build a modest casino on their existing Big Lagoon Rancheria, instead.

However, 3,000 miles away in New York the pair of Detroit business people shows much less concern for the environment and they are bankrolling plans to build a large scale Shinnecock Indian off-reservation casino resort on the Long Island shores of the Great Peconic Bay National Estuary and within the fragile and unique Long Island Pine Barrens-Peconic River zone; showing very little regard for what the Nature Conservancy has called one of the "Last Great" places in the Northern Hemisphere.

The following video is an excerpt from a longer feature opponents of the Shinnecock Casino Resort had produced to explain their concerns about the environment, traffic, crime, etc. (note: it references the tribe's previous financial partner/developer Ivy Ong).

When it comes to the environment, Detroit Casino syndicator is two-faced with "green"

In California where they seek approvals for twin casino resorts in Barstow, Detroit casino syndicators argue it wouldn’t be prudent to build a casino resort on the shoreline of what’s said to be an environmentally sensitive and significant lagoon; but in New York they’re bankrolling plans that would develop a larger casino resort on the shores of the Great Peconic Bay – part of the Long Island Sound ecosystem. It's all about "green" but not Al Gore's "green."


Playing the "green" card
Detroit casino syndicators lead by Marian Ilitch and Michael J. Malik, Sr. are bankrolling plans for twin casino sites in Barstow by arguing that even a modest Big Lagoon Rancheria Casino on the tribe’s existing reservation in Humboldt County would disturb the ecosystem of the Big Lagoon and “would potentially result in significant adverse impacts to off-reservation lands and resources…” They have failed to mention that the Big Lagoon is a former military bombing target practice range that remains on clean up lists maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

They are exploiting environmental concerns to justify turning plans for one casino on the Big Lagoon Rancheria into a twin casino resorts jackpot in Barstow. That spin might be enough to persuade some that environmental protection is a sincere objective on their part…until you consider the following:

Without regard for "green" off Long Island Sound (WATCH VIDEO)
In New York these same Detroit gambling interests are bankrolling a billion dollar lawsuit ultimately intended to win approvals for the Shinnecock Indian Nation to develop the only casino resort, on Long Island’s East End (that’s the posh resort area called The Hamptons); that property (off reservation lands) sits along the shore of the Great Peconic Bay National Estuary and within the fragile and unique Long Island Pine Barrens – Peconic River Complex. The only development in the surrounding area today is low density residential similar to the Big Lagoon situation.

The Great Peconic Bay is the body of water between the North Fork and the South Fork of Long Island. It is bordered on the West by Flanders Bay and on the east by the Little Peconic Bay. The dividing line between the Great and Little Peconic Bays is Robins Island. The Shinnecock Canal provides access from the Great Peconic Bay to Shinnecock Bay. And it’s all part of the larger Long Island Sound ecosystem

The Nature Conservancy has named the East End of Long Island one of the "Last Great Places of the Western Hemisphere." The Peconic Bay system is recognized as one of 28 nationally significant estuaries and has been named as one of the nation's "Aquatic Great Places." The Pine Barrens is not only a unique and fragile ecosystem but a critical watershed supplying Eastern Long Island's sole water supply.

Nevertheless, the same developers who say they should be awarded the privilege to build two casinos in Barstow in order to preserve the environment in Northern California are fighting to build an unprecedented casino resort without regard for the environment on the East Coast raising serious credibility issues.

It seems the only thing "green" that these casino developers care about is made by cutting down trees and can be deposited in their bank accounts. These people are clearly comfortable talking out of both sides of their mouths.

• YouTube: See just how concerned Detroit Casino syndicators are about the environment & preservation of "pristine natural resources"


• Peconic Estuary Program


• Nature Conservancy - Peconic Estuary


• Pine Barrens Society


• New York State Central Pine Barrens


• Saving the Last Great Places of Long Island

YouTube: Doolittle - Abramoff "Bad boys, bad boys"

The suburban Washington, D.C. home of Republican John Doolittle (CA-04) was recently raided by the FBI. Rep. Doolittle and his wife have been under investigation for their relationship with convicted GOP super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Abramoff now resides in federal prison on a litany of fraud, bribery, and money laundering convictions. In addition to his questionable ties to Abramoff, the Congressman also took contributions from indicted defense contractor Brent Wilkes and his associates.

In addition, investigationsn are underway to determine any wrong doing that may have occured when Abramoff's "charities" hired Mrs. Julie Doolittle (John's wife) to assist with various fundraising and event planning activities.

YouTube: Tribal chairman testifies before Senate committee in favor of amended gaming agreements

Excerpts from April 9th testimony before the CA Senate Governmental Organization Committee by Morongo Band of Mission Indians tribal chairman Robert Martin. He testified in favor of legislative ratification of amended tribal gaming agreements negotiated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ratification of the five amended gaming compacts would mean $500 million new each year for California's budget.

Schwarzenegger says California will be facing a $1.5 billion annual shortfall as it is now.