Classic Dennis Whittlesey: "obtuse and evasive" and in reality representing special interests

from a post 7.30.07 by Mark Balenger at Casinofacts.org:

Thoughts on the BOS meeting of 7/24/2007

On to the BOS [Board of Selectmen] meeting. I don't know how to describe it. It was a presentation designed to sell the agreement and discredit the opposition.

I was very disappointed in Dennis Whittlesey. He was obtuse and evasive to specific and simple questions. [Apparently retained to represent the Town of Middleborough and its citizenry on the matter of a Mashpee Wampanoag casino in their community but clearly an advocate for a Middleborough Casino].

In an unbelievable exchange, Rich Young asked Whittlesey (and Selectman Adam Bond) if they knew what the average casino hotel comp rate was. The comp rate is the amount of rooms that are given out for free for promotions and other reasons. This of course will affect the 4% we get from room taxes since free rooms are not included. When Whittlesey didn't know the answer. Rich told them the amount of rooms that will be subject to the 4% tax could be as little as 10-32%, Whittlesey accused Rich of getting the information off of the CERA website.

CERA is a group that opposes Indian sovereignty and has nothing to do with gambling or details of gambling industry hotel data. The opposition has been trying to connect us with CERA and thereby paint us being involved with a group that is regarded as racist by Indian tribes.

It was an unbelievably transparent attack on Rich and the group.

I had 3 questions I wanted answered - I got the answer to one of them. The other two were not answered and I was finally silenced by Ms. Brunelle.

The three questions were:

1. The tribe pays 2 million for new police and EMS including salary and training. I wanted to verify that this 2 million dollar "benefit" becomes a 2 million dollar "cost" when the facility comes online. At this point, Adam attacked my credibility - telling everyone that I would be against the casino no matter how much money was offered. I think I actually saw Ruth G. wince at this point. I hearby publicly admit that there is no amount of money that would make me comfortable with exposing my fellow townspeople to the ravages of gambling addiction and accompanying social damage that goes along with a gambling casino.

2. I wanted a list of communities who were forced to have casinos even after they challenged the trust process. It was bordering on impossible to decipher to the rambling answer Whittlesey provided - but I believe that he couldn't answer the question. Despite a second attempt at asking it.

3. I asked how much money we would have gotten in last agreement - the Whittlesey agreement that was rejected on July 3, 2007. Again the question was not answered and I was silenced by Ms. Brunelle.

It's nice to see that the BOS is consistent in it's treatment of the unwashed masses who dare ask salient questions. Same old, same old.

We went up against the pro-casino's best and brightest [including attorney Dennis J. Whittlesey of the Dickinson Wright law firm] and had them stymied and flummoxed with simple straightforward questions. And we weren't even trying - just trying to get information so we can do an honest evaluation of the agreement.

Gaming power play pits tribal haves vs. have-nots

7.30.07

By James P. Sweeney
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

SACRAMENTO – California's oldest and largest Indian gambling organization is in turmoil, with nongaming bands challenging the historic rule of wealthy tribes in what some say is an inevitable clash of the “haves and have-nots.”

A push by nongaming tribes for more power within the California Nations Indian Gaming Association prompted a prominent tribal leader to raise the question that has simmered for years: Should nongaming tribes even have a vote in an organization established to promote gambling?

Without changes in the organization's voting and dues structure – casino tribes largely bankroll the operation – Agua Caliente Chairman Richard Milanovich suggested his Palm Springs tribe may pull out, as it did five years ago during a previous mass exodus.

At least two other high-powered gaming tribes, Pechanga near Temecula and Morongo of eastern Riverside County, have been quietly weighing the same move as they grow increasingly frustrated with nongaming tribes' domination of the association's monthly meetings, a knowledgeable source said.

The departure of two or three big gaming tribes would leave a large hole in the organization's $1.2 million annual budget and could prompt others to follow suit. Tribes with large casinos pay up to $80,000 each in annual dues.

Some nongaming tribes say if their vote is taken away or marginalized, they also would have little reason to stay.

With Agua Caliente, Pechanga, Morongo and other prominent member tribes facing a ballot drive to overturn new gambling compacts worth billions, the discord could not come at a worse time.

"We're going through growning pains," said Anthony Miranda, chairman of the organization better known as CNIGA. “It's a large, diverse group with a lot of different interests. But the one thing I really appreciate . . . is we all respect each other.”

Kevin Siva, a leader of Los Coyotes, a remote tribe near Warner Springs that doesn't have a casino, suggested some nongaming tribes feel betrayed by the gaming tribes they stood with in the late 1990s, when all California tribes were fighting to legalize casino gambling.

“It just seems like we are becoming kind of castoffs,” Siva said.

Los Coyotes sought tribal support for its bid to develop an off-reservation casino, Siva said. Many big gaming tribes oppose the project, which has been embraced by the city of Barstow and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"This is something we are seeing across the nation, this division between gaming tribes, the haves and the have-nots basically," Siva said. "And a lot of it, unfortunately, seems to be based on the fact that they don't want the competition."

Founded in 1988, the California Nations Indian Gaming Association long has been a volatile mix of tribes, rich and poor, gaming and nongaming, from all over the state.

The organization bounced back from the abrupt departure of nearly 20 tribes, including at least a half-dozen big gaming tribes, during a similar internal uproar five years ago. But it never fully recovered. Gaming powerhouses such as Barona, Pala and Viejas of San Diego County left and never returned.

The association remains a political force that commands attention and respect in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. The organization has 65 members, 35 with casinos and 30 without. The organization historically has welcomed all federally recognized tribes without regard to their gaming status.

"This was something that had to happen," said David Quintana, political director of the rival California Tribal Business Alliance and a former CNIGA staffer. “This is an organization that is supposed to stand for an industry, yet half the people in the organization aren't involved in the industry.

"Now, I don't know whether that is good or bad, but it's not good for that organization."

Insiders say some of the association's latest troubles are rooted in the federal indictments of former Coyote Valley of Pomo Indians Chairwoman Priscilla Hunter and her son, Michael. Hunter and her son face charges stemming from the alleged misappropriation of tribal funds.

With trials approaching, Michael Hunter continues to serve as the association's secretary. Both he and his mother also hold positions on CNIGA's powerful, eight-member executive committee.

North Fork, a nongaming tribe from central California, has been pushing to rewrite the association's rules so one of its leaders could succeed Priscilla Hunter and represent nongaming tribes on the powerful, eight-member executive committee, sources said.

It was that move that reportedly angered Milanovich, who declined requests for an interview.

Miranda, the association's chairman, confirmed that "there have been discussions regarding people's right to vote and at what level."

Miranda said the organization also is reviewing its fee structure, which charges nongaming tribes $650 a year. It costs more than $5,000 per tribe to conduct the association's meetings throughout the year, Miranda said.

"We've talked about a dues structure that is more realistic in terms of the industry and the state," he said, noting that nongaming California tribes and those with very small casinos receive at least $1.1 million annually in revenue sharing from gaming tribes.

Regardless, Sycuan Chairman Danny Tucker, a former longtime CNIGA chairman, said gaming tribes continue to do what they can to help those without casinos.

"If they were castoffs, we wouldn't be still negotiating compacts that have revenue sharing," Tucker said.

"The stuff they're going through now is stuff they've been going through for the longest time. It's not tribe against tribe. It's what are the principles of CNIGA? Where is it supposed to be going?"

Matt Franklin, chairman of the 700-member Ione band, a landless tribe seeking a new reservation where it could build a casino, said he and his tribe have been thrust in the middle of the debate.

"I respect the gaming tribes. They paved the road for us to get into gaming," Franklin said. "But at the same time . . . I don't want them to look at any tribe any differently just because it has an economic base.

“A tribal leader is a tribal leader. It doesn't matter how big their bank account is.”

Franklin said he warned the organization's members that if they raise dues too high, or take away nongaming tribes' votes, tribes will leave.

Los Coyotes' Siva said he and his tribe aren't going anywhere, no matter how disappointed they may be at times.

"There are going to be other people in California that want what these tribes have and they have the political power to affect things, just like the tribes do," Siva said.

"When that happens, and it probably will happen, Los Coyotes will still back Agua, San Manuel, Pechanga, Sycuan and every other tribe . . . and I dare say every other nongaming tribe in California will do the same thing, regardless of how we feel.

"It's kind of like your brother is your brother whether you like him or not."

Find this article at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20070730-9999-1n30tribes.html

Timeline: Port Huron Casino

...from a comprehensive timeline on the proposed Port Huron Casino compiled by Mike O'Connell and previously published in the Port Huron Times Herald.

July 13, 1993 - Developer Mike Malik (Michael J. Malik, Sr.; Michael Malik), a native of Clay Township, works with Harrah's Casino Hotels and the Bay Mills Indian Community on a proposal for a $60 million casino at the old Sears building in downtown Port Huron. In a casino-advisory referendum, city voters reject the proposal, 5,120 to 4,751.

May 17, 1994 - Casino Windsor opens.

August 1994 - Detroit voters approve casino gambling after having opposed it in three earlier referenda.

Sept. 8, 1994 - The Governor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Michigan Gaming recommends the legalization of casino gambling in Detroit and as many as five other cities. It calls for land-based casinos rather than riverboat gambling.

Nov. 8, 1994 - Malik, Harrah's and Bay Mills propose a casino in Port Huron Township, where voters reject the plan, 1,835 to 1,300. A similar advisory vote also fails in Flint, 18,626 to 17,695.

June 25, 1995 - Gov. John Engler announces he will not support off-reservation casino gambling anywhere in Michigan.

Nov. 5, 1996 - Michigan voters approve Proposal E, which authorizes the development of three casinos in Detroit.

Dec. 20, 1996 - Engler appoints the Michigan Gaming Control Board to regulate casinos.

Dec. 14, 1999 - MotorCity Casino opens in Detroit.

April 18, 2000 - Point Edward Charity Casino opens and in its first year draws more than a million visitors, 70% of them Americans.

Nov. 10, 2000 - Greektown Casino opens in Detroit.

October 2000 - Don Reynolds, owner of the Thomas Edison Inn in Port Huron, forms a casino committee with the support of Richard Cummings of the St. Clair County AFL-CIO.

June 26, 2001- In an advisory vote, Port Huron voters approve a casino at the Thomas Edison Inn, 3,111 to 2,628.

July 9, 2002 - Malik and Bay Mills commit to helping develop the Edison Inn casino.

Aug. 23, 2002 - Engler and the Bay Mills tribe settle a long-standing controversy over land rights in Charlotte Beach. As part of the deal, Engler signs off on the Thomas Edison casino.

September 2002 - U.S. Rep. Dave Bonior and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, both Democrats, introduce bills in Congress that would grant the required federal approval for the Thomas Edison casino.

Sept. 25, 2002 - Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick publicly pledges to fight a Port Huron casino.

November 2002 - Bonior's bill fails to pass before the House adjourns for the year. Stabenow's bill dies in the Senate after Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., says it would set a bad precedent.

Dec. 19, 2002 - Engler writes to President Bush in support of a Port Huron casino.

Dec. 30, 2002 - Engler, in one of his final acts as governor, makes a deal with the Sault Chippewas for casino rights in Romulus and Vanderbilt in exchange for the tribe dropping its Charlotte Beach claims. The Soo, with 31,000 members and a 90% stake in Detroit's Greektown casino, is larger than Michigan's other 11 Indian bands combined.

Feb. 13, 2003 - U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, and Rep. Don Young, D-Alaska, introduce legislation to authorize the Thomas Edison casino. Miller and Stabenow also attach legislation to a spending bill for the Department of Interior.

May 8, 2003 - Five Republican members of Michigan's congressional delegation block Miller's bill.

December 2003 - Casino advisory vote passes in Romulus.

February 2004 - Reid, the powerful Nevada senator, meets with Stabenow and reportedly drops his opposition to a Port Huron casino.

March 2004 - Casino projects in Port Huron and Romulus are attached to a major transportation bill.

April 1, 2004 - U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, kills the Port Huron-Romulus amendment. Miller blames gaming interests in Detroit and Nevada, saying, "They want every toy in the sandbox."

June 24, 2004 - House Natural Resources Committee holds a hearing on another Miller casino bill.

July 2005 - It is reported that Malik and business associate Marian Ilitch, wife of pizza magnate Mike Ilitch, have been underwriting efforts to develop casinos in Shinnecock Hills, N.Y., and Barstow, Calif. for several years.

August 2005 - Promoter Tony DeFeo approaches City Manager Tom Hutka with a proposal for a casino in downtown Port Huron.

December 2005 - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, blocks Miller's bill. DeLay is a close friend of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whose clients included the Saginaw Chippewas. The Saginaw band, whose ancestors once had a 1,287-acre reservation in what is now Port Huron, oppose the Bay Mills casino.

Dec. 9, 2005 - Port Huron's city attorney calls on DeFeo to cease and desist issuing marketing documents that suggest the city is endorsing his project.

March 6, 2006 - DeFeo's team makes a public presentation to City Council for a casino, resort hotel and water park in downtown Port Huron. DeFeo also seeks to take over management of McMorran Place.

November 2006 - DeFeo moves his casino proposal from downtown Port Huron to a site adjacent to the Horizon Outlet Center in Kimball Township.

December 2006 - City Manager Karl Tomion urges Stabenow to push for quick approval of the Thomas Edison casino as partial compensation for the damage the federal government will do to the city's tax base by expanding the Customs Plaza at the Blue Water Bridge.

May 3, 2007 - U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, introduces a bill, H.R. 2176 to allow the Bay Mills tribe to build a casino at the Edison Inn. It is referred to the House Natural Resources Committee.

Middleborough voters approve Mashpee Wampanoag casino agreement

7.29.07

Middleborough goes 'all in' Town OK's casino by 2-to-1 vote Volunteers counted the ballots inside Middleborough's high school. There were more than 3,700 ballots to count. (JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF) By Sean P. Murphy and Christine Wallgren, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent | July 29, 2007 MIDDLEBOROUGH -- By a vote of 2,387 to 1,335, Middleborough residents yesterday approved a deal to bring the state's first casino to this mostly rural town south of Boston, capping a sometimes acrimonious local debate and dropping the future of casino gambling in Massachusetts into the lap of Governor Deval Patrick. Within minutes of the final tally, the five members of the Board of Selectmen signed a 21-page legal agreement that binds the town to support a $1 billion casino when the casino developers go to the state and federal governments for approval. "The town just took a giant step forward to preserve and enhance the town for its residents and their children," said Wayne Perkins, a longtime selectman. Glenn Marshall, Wampanoag tribal chairman, said it was "an exciting day for everyone. Now, it's time to sit down and negotiate with the governor." Noting that the ancestral grounds of the tribe include Middleborough, Marshall said, "We now have a home. The tribe's coming back home and I can't say how happy we are." Related content: Middleborough goes 'all in' PHOTO GALLERY: Voices of the voters It was a big decision for a small town Next steps PHOTO GALLERY: Middleborough rolls the dice In exchange for its support, the casino developers are promising the town $7 million a year in cash payments, plus revenues from a 4 percent lodging assessment when a planned 1,500 room hotel opens on the site. The tribe has also promised to make improvements in town roads and other infrastructure for the benefit of the casino, and to make a onetime $2 million payment for police and ambulance services. Middleborough, a town of about 22,000, is in dire financial straits. The town collects only $3.5 million in commercial and industrial annual taxes and is currently facing a $700,000 budget deficit. A Proposition 2 1/2 tax override for additional school funding was defeated in June. The $7 million would represent about 11 percent of the town's current $64 million budget. And if the lodging assessment tax produces another $4 million a year, the casino's contribution would be about 17 percent of the budget. (Complete Story )

Labor Union, Racetracks seek statewide vote on slots

7.28.07

Union, tracks seek slots vote
Tribal gambling expansion threatens jobs, doesn't help workers, they say.

By Peter Hecht - Bee Capitol Bureau

Representatives for hotel and casino workers and two leading California horse racing tracks Friday announced a petition drive to force a statewide vote on four major tribal gambling expansions in Southern California.

Officials for the UNITE HERE union and the Hollywood Park and Bay Meadows racetracks filed papers with the state attorney general's office late Friday seeking a Feb. 5 referendum on agreements that would add 17,000 new casino slot machines.

If the groups succeed in gathering 443,971 valid signatures of registered voters by Oct. 10, Californians can count on one of the most expensive and combative ballot fights in recent years.

"We are doing this because the largest single expansion of gambling in American history does not provide appropriate worker rights," said Jack Gribbon, political director for UNITE HERE. "It's clear these compacts just make a small gambling cartel in Southern California rich and do nothing for poor Indian tribes."

The referendum seeks to overturn controversial gambling agreements that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed and the Legislature approved for four tribes: the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.

In a statement Friday, Pechanga tribal Chairman Mark Macarro called the referendum effort "an attack on the people, an attack on the governor and an attack on both houses of the Legislature.

"We will do what it takes to protect our agreement with the state," he added.

Under the agreements, the four tribes can each install between 3,000 and 5,500 new slot machines. They each now operate 2,000 slot machines, earning $200 million to $425 million each, according to 2005 financial reports.

Union activists are furious that the governor and the Legislature didn't require the tribes to accept provisions allowing workers to organize by collecting signed cards instead of holding secret ballot elections. Such language was included in accords signed in 2004 with other gambling tribes.

Meanwhile, racetrack owners have long fumed that burgeoning Indian gambling is severely shrinking their business.

Greg Larson, a spokesman for Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park, charged in a statement that the gambling agreements threaten the jobs of 50,000 racetrack workers.

He said the fact that tribes have an exclusive right to operate Nevada-style slot machines has "a negative impact on horse racing" and harms the California industry's ability "to compete with racetracks in other states."

Patrick Dorinson, a spokesman for the Morongo tribe in Riverside County, said Friday that state coffers would suffer dearly if the gambling agreements were overturned by voters.

"California voters need to know that without these compacts, California's current budget deficit will only grow," he said. "These compacts provide a new source of revenue for critical programs such as health care and the environment."

Schwarzenegger, in signing gambling compacts with five major tribes last year, said the gambling deals could generate $13.4 billion to $22.4 billion in tribal revenue-sharing payments to the state over 25 years.

One of the tribes -- the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in San Bernardino -- is still awaiting approval in the Legislature for its bid to add up to 5,500 new slot machines.

"The governor stands by his compacts. He believes they are good for the state, the tribes and the local communities," the governor's spokeswoman, Sabrina Lockhart, said Friday.

Representatives for other major casino tribes -- including the United Auburn tribe near Sacramento and the Pala tribe in San Diego County -- participated in discussions on the ballot referendum to block the Southern California casino expansions.

But Howard Dickstein, an attorney for the tribes, said Friday they haven't decided on whether to participate or financially support the ballot effort.

Bye, bye Tiger Stadium?

7.27.07

Detroit gives group OK to tear down old ballpark

DETROIT (AP) -- The City Council on Friday authorized a public-private partnership to take control of Tiger Stadium with the option of tearing down the historic ballpark.

On a 5-4 vote, the council gave the Detroit Economic Development Corp. the authority to demolish the park.

The decision ends years of debate over what to do with the stadium, which housed the Detroit Tigers for more than 80 years.

Earlier, Hall of Fame sportscaster Ernie Harwell made his case for saving Tiger Stadium from the wrecking ball, telling City Council members he would be willing to mediate between them and groups wanting to preserve the venerable ballpark.

Harwell asked the council to postpone any decision on the stadium's future until after the council returns in September.

However, council members decided to vote on whether to turn over the stadium project to the DEDC.

Harwell said he preferred a scaled-down version of the stadium that would seat 8,000 to 10,000 people and be used for high school baseball, soccer and lacrosse games. He also suggested a music museum to highlight the city's music heritage.

"Tiger Stadium has meant a lot to generations," Harwell said. "If we can't (save part of it), we'll have to keep Tiger Stadium in our memory, our mind and our heart, and cherish it that way."
The council long has tried to decide what to do with the ballpark.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has sought to demolish part of it to help redevelop a neighborhood in need of new stores and homes.

Tiger Stadium -- under several names -- has stood at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull since 1912. It has been empty since team owner Mike Ilitch moved the ballclub to Comerica Park in 2000.

City officials have said security and maintenance costs Detroit $25,000 each month.

EDITORIAL: The first of Mike Malik's failed attempts to develop a Marina on Harsens Island

According to an Editorial published in the Port Huron Times Herald on 07.24.2007:

...Mike Malik, a former Algonac city councilman is a close associate of Detroit's influential Ilitch family.

Malik is the chief promoter of a proposed casino at the Thomas Edison Inn in Port Huron. He also has big plans for the 430 acres he controls on Harsens Island. For starters, he wants to dig a boat basin and surround it with scores of McMansions and townhouses.

Fifteen years ago, Malik and wealthy toolmaker Fred Smith of Mount Clemens proposed transforming old Camp Drusilla Farwell into a Victorian-style resort called Grande Pointe Marina. The $100 million development would have included a hotel, 18-hole golf course and a sprawling marina with at least 1,150 boat slips.

The Harsens Island Preservation Association, led by A.J. Feeney, put up spirited opposition. On March 4, 1992, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the public-comment portion of its permit process, it had received 275 letters of opposition and only 12 in favor of Grande Pointe Marina. The project died...

Is Michael Malik renewing interest in online gambling ventures?

MJM Interactive Venture, LLC was formed by William Serwer, Michael J. Malik, Sr.'s business attorney, in October 2004 and while there was no activity registered with the Michigan Departmen of Labor & Economic Growth since; however, Serwer renewed MJM Interactive Venture March 8, 2007.

Malik's former partner and fellow founder of Detroit's MotorCity Casino, Herb Strather, has recently renewed his involvement in, and found a way to exploit opportunities with, internet gaming. Is Malik renewing his interest in online gambling ventures too?

Although both Malik and Strather are considered founders in MotorCity Casino and were reportedly instrumental in the campaign that narrowly won voter approval of gaming in Detroit; Malik and Strather were among a handful of business people who were denied gambling licenses by the Michigan Gaming Control Board and as a result were forced to sell their "shares" in MotorCity Casino before the gambling hall opened for business.

Online gambling perhaps is void of the same stumbling blocks those like Malik and Strather faced when licensing was required.

And, if Malik's entering the world of online gambling, who might his business partners be? His previous syndication partnerships have involved Detroit's Ilitch Family, Harrah's, Mandalay Resort Group, Circus Circus and others.

Malik's California casino partner Virgil Moorehead had previously entered into an agreement paving the way for his tribe, the Big Lagoon Rancheria, to set up an online gambling venture.

You may want to review these additional posts:

• Herb Strather behind new online slots featuring Motown Legends
• Michael Malik, a casino syndicator, has never been approved for gaming license
• Mashpee Wampanoag backers initiated gambling in Detroit but were never licensed
• Mashpee Wampanoag, Strather involved with Abramoff and associates
• Six dropped from Atwater Casino Group
• Three investors must sell their Detroit casino interests
• Investors have troubled histories

Big Lagoon Rancheria chairman intended to operate online gambling venture

Records on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicate that Virgil Moorehead had previously entered into a contract with InterBet, Inc., a Nevada based corporation, to have the Big Lagoon Rancheria licensed to conduct internet gaming; namely online Bingo for cash and possibly other games as might be allowed under IGRA.

InterBet agreed to pay all costs associated with the establishment and operation of the enterprise, and to pay to the Tribe no less than sixty percent (60%) and no more than seventy percent (70%) of net proceeds.

So-called "Homemaker" Marian Ilitch was inducted into Michigan Women's Hall of Fame as a Business Leader

Although Marian Ilitch lists here occupation simply as "Homemaker" on federal political contributions records, here's what's posted on the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame Web site regarding 2001 inductee Marian Bayoff Ilitch:

"Marian Bayoff Ilitch (1933 - )
Inducted: 2001 (along with seven other women including Aretha Franklin)
Era: Contemporary
Area(s) of Achievement: Business

Marian Bayoff Ilitch, in partnership with her husband Michael, founded a booming business, sports, and entertainment conglomerate that has fueled the economic growth of the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. Marian’s considerable business acumen helped expand one Little Caesars’ Pizza restaurant in Garden City into one of the top pizza chains in the world.

Success in the fast-food business allowed the Ilitches to enter the Motor City sports and entertainment world. Marian has been the driving force and financial whiz behind these investments. As co-owner of the Detroit Red Wings, Marian has been gratified by the city pride generated by Stanley Cup wins. Passionate about preserving urban Motown, Marian saw development potential when others were fleeing the city. This prompted her to recommend the purchase of the abandoned Fox Theatre and the adjoining office building by the Ilitch family. She personally oversaw their successful restorations. Immediately following the renovations, the Little Caesars’ world headquarters moved downtown to further revitalize the urban center. In 1999 Marian and her partners built the Motor City Casino in Detroit, bringing more business to the metro area.

In 1993 Marian was the only female invited to the White House to discuss the needs of Detroit and the President’s empowerment zone concept. In 1994 Marian was named the number one female business owner in the nation in Working Woman magazine. In 1990 Marian and Mike received the National Preservation Award for the restoration of the Fox Theatre presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In addition, she was honored by the Greater Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners as one of Michigan’s Top 25 women business owners in 1994. And if this were not enough, Marian achieved another impressive accomplishment; she raised seven children during her business career.

Marian and Mike’s business ventures have offered employment opportunities for tens of thousands of employees nationwide and have provided the foundation for successful franchises throughout the United States, as well as internationally. Their charitable activities are also expansive. The Little Caesars’ Love Kitchen has fed more than 1.5 million hungry people and disaster victims nationwide and in Canada."

Since she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, Marian Ilitch purchased all outstanding shares of MotorCity Casino from Mandalay Resort Group/MGM Mirage and others to take 100% ownership interest of MotorCity Casino making it the #1 Woman owned casino in the United States.

She has also bankrolled plans for two casinos in Hawaii, two Indian casinos in California and an Indian Casino in the Hamptons resort area on New York's Long Island; and lobbied for yet another Indian casino in Port Huron, Michigan.


Marian, her family and her business partner Michael J. Malik, Sr. contributed more than $900,000 to political candidates and commitees primarily between 2003 & 2006; often listing her employer & occupation (details required by law) as " N/A & Homemaker." If she's willing to play blatant games like that, what other games is she playing that aren't so obvious?


Shame on Marian Ilitch for trying to mask the truth!


You may wish to review these additional posts:

• Vice Chairwoman of a private company Forbes ranks at #316 reports she's a "homemaker" on political disclosures
• Discrepancies in Ilitch contributions to President Bush's 2004 re-election committee
• FEC Should look into why it is Marian Ilitch mascarades as a "Homemaker"
• Do these people really believe Marian Ilitch is a "homemaker" or are they playing along with the game
• Casino backers deny thousands in contributions intended to influence U.S. Senator
• Publicist shines spotlight on Senator Stabenow & Rep. Miller after his clients invested $200,000 in their campaigns
• Michigan’s Political Ménage à Trois

KGO ABC7 Video: Indian Tribe Battles To Build Casino (7/24)

Indian Tribe Battles To Build Casino (7/24) There is a battle taking place over a pristine aquatic sanctuary on the california north coast. it's a place called Big Lagoon, north of Eureka, and it's home to small tribe of native americans who want to build a casino and the clock is ticking. what's holding up the protection of one of california's coastal treasures. You'll need a version of Windows Media Player 7 or higher to view the video. If you need to download it, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer/en/default.asptarget=_blank The video player is supported by Microsoft IE 5.0 and above.

Editorial: Islanders need to help decide merits of bridge

7.24.07

EDITORIAL

The state's decision to deny a permit for a bridge across the North Channel of the St. Clair River comes as good news, if only because it's still unclear where most Harsens Islanders stand on the issue.

It is the islanders, after all, whose lives and land values will be most affected.

Many of them sought out Harsens Island for its slow-paced charm. "It's neat to feel like you're four hours away from the city and only be one hour away," islander Steve Levrick said in a 2004 interview with the Macomb Daily.

Of course, the island hasn't always been so laid-back. In the first half of the 20th century, Detroiters flocked to Tashmoo Amusement Park and filled the island's hotels and restaurants.

Depending on one's point of view, a bridge - and the development it might bring - would either destroy Harsens Island's lifestyle or restore it.

The idea for a bridge is not new. In 1980, for example, East Detroit hair stylist Steve LaRue tried to form a private corporation, the Harsens Island Bridge and Tunnel Association Inc., to raise money for a 70-foot-tall suspension bridge.

The current proposal is rather better funded. The bridge would be built by 80-year-old Matty Moroun, a trucking tycoon who already owns the Ambassador Bridge.

Moroun's next-door neighbor in Grosse Pointe Shores is Mike Malik, a former Algonac city councilman and a close associate of Detroit's influential Ilitch family.

Malik is the chief promoter of a proposed casino at the Thomas Edison Inn in Port Huron. He also has big plans for the 430 acres he controls on Harsens Island. For starters, he wants to dig a boat basin and surround it with scores of McMansions and townhouses.

Fifteen years ago, Malik and wealthy toolmaker Fred Smith of Mount Clemens proposed transforming old Camp Drusilla Farwell into a Victorian-style resort called Grande Pointe Marina. The $100 million development would have included a hotel, 18-hole golf course and a sprawling marina with at least 1,150 boat slips.

The Harsens Island Preservation Association, led by A.J. Feeney, put up spirited opposition. On March 4, 1992, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the public-comment portion of its permit process, it had received 275 letters of opposition and only 12 in favor of Grande Pointe Marina. The project died.

Last week, state officials rejected Moroun's plan to build a 1,950-foot bridge near the foot of Island Drive, west of the Champion's Auto Ferry landing. At midstream, the structure would include a 130-foot bascule bridge, similar to the railroad drawbridge across the mouth of the Black River in Port Huron.

The state Department of Environmental Quality based its rejection of the permit on issues such as riparian rights and healthy fisheries. Public opinion wasn't a relevant factor, but perhaps it should be.

Local endorsement of the bridge is unnecessary, legally speaking, but it presumably would carry weight with elected leaders and the larger public.

It only seems fair and proper to ask islanders for their opinion on such a vital issue, perhaps via a nonbinding advisory referendum similar to the 2001 casino vote in Port Huron.

Assembly GOP Whip urges colleagues to oppose Ilitch driven Barstow gaming compacts

Assembly
California Legislature

ANTHONY ADAMS
FIFTY-NINETH DISTRICT

REPUBLICAN WHIP

April 18, 2007

Dear Colleague:

I urge you to reject SB 157 (Wiggins, Ashburn), a bill to ratify the proposed tribal/state gaming compacts that would establish a casino in the City of Barstow by Barwest LLC and the Ilitch Family of Detroit under the auspices of Indian Gaming. These developers are trying to abuse the intent of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act for their own private benefit.

Although I understand the desire of the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon Indian tribes to pull themselves out of poverty, these proposals stray from the spirit of the law and undermine the goodwill expressed by the California electorate when it authorized Tribal gaming. Opponents of Indian gaming tried to scare the voters by telling them “casinos would spring up everywhere,” and SB 157 will bring that claim to reality.

Tribal gaming should be conducted on Indian lands and near their reservations. These two tribes are moving across the State to create new reservations, exercise governmental jurisdiction, and build casinos on lands 700 and 120 miles away from their existing reservations. This is not what we voted for; this is not what the Tribes promised.

I understand the need to protect the environment near the Big Lagoon, but I am certain there is a 20-acre parcel of land within the homeland of the Big Lagoon tribe that they can use for gaming. In regards to the Los Coyotes Tribe, I see no prevailing public policy reason to move them from their existing reservation in North County San Diego just for a better market location.

Furthermore, you should reject SB 157 on the grounds that the proposed gaming locations are NOT INDIAN LANDS. Neither of these tribes exercises governmental jurisidiction over the property in Barstow, nor have they ever exercised such jurisdiction in their history.

Ratifying these compacts is bad public policy and sets a bad precedent in our State. How many more tribes will seek compacts to move from their remote reservations to more lucrative markets? We need to end reservation shopping now.

For all the reasons above I urge you to oppose SB 157.

Sincerely,

Anthony Adams
Assemblyman 59th District


Facsimile of original "Dear Colleague" letter

You may also want to review these posts:

• DOI Associate Secretary encourages Big Lagoon Rancheria to re-consider casino location closer to reservation; discourages Barstow scheme
• DOI Associate Secretary encourages Los Coyotes to reconsider on-reservation casino; discourages Barstow scheme
• After two years, Sen. Roy Ashburn only legislative advocate for ill-conceived Barstow Compacts
• Barwest's partners signed Compacts under false pretense; knew they would never make the May 31, 2007 deadline
• Tribe's casino pointman can't pinpoint location of proposed casino on map
• Sacramento lawmakers and journalists aren't getting the whole truth from Los Coyotes tribe's elder nor her partners

Indianz.com: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe reaches casino deal

as posted 7.23.07 at Indianz.com:

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the town of Middleboro, Massachusetts, reached a sizable casino agreement on Friday.

The tribe agreed to share revenues from the proposed casino. . The base payment starts at $7 million and will increase by 3.1 percent annually or by the rate of the consumer price index, whichever is higher.

The tribe agreed to collect a four percent tax on hotel rooms. All proceeds will be turned over to the town.

Up front, the tribe will pay for $250 million in infrastructure improvements. They include: $172 million in transportation upgrades; $13 million in electric upgrades; $12.4 million in natural gas upgrades; $22.5 million in water upgrades; and $26.3 million in sewer and wastewater upgrades.

The tribe also agreed to buy two police cruisers and two ambulances and pay for the hiring and training of eight police officers and 16 firefighters, a cost estimated at more than $2 million. The tribe will finance a compulsive gambler program every year.

The 43-page document will go before voters this Saturday. Even if it passes, the tribe must still gain approval from the state to conduct Class III gaming.

Get the Story:

• Casino foes say document being withheld (The Boston Globe 7/23)
• Two meetings to discuss casino impact (The New Bedford Standard-Times 7/23)
• Sweetened casino deal gains ground (The Boston Globe 7/21)
• Tribe, town reach deal: Casino proposal still faces several hurdles (The Boston Herald 7/21)
• Tribe, Mass. Town To Pitch Deal To Voters (The New London Day 7/21) Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianzcom
• Wampanoag tribe lands tentative deal with Middleboro on casino payments (The Providence Journal 7/21) Username: indianz@indianz.com, Password: indianz
• Casino deal one of richest in U.S. (The Brockton Enterprise 7/20)

Herb Strather behind new online slots featuring Motown Legends

as posted 7.20.07 at Casino-News-Online.com:

Online casino software developer Atlantis Internet Group Corp (ATIG) recently announced the launch of a new online slots casino featuring legendary entertainers called Motown Legends Casino.

The online slots games will have 1960s music legends like The Four Tops and The Miracles used on the casino games. Real estate magnate and co-founder of Detroit’s land-based MotorCity Casino, Herb Strather, has also joined in the deal and will help to develop the online site.

ATIG specializes in online casino games and slot machine software and said that the new site will showcase modified online casino games alongside jukebox-style slots where players can listen to music while playing.

"This is a part of our latest product line that allows players to visit our online casino, play their favourite casino games and listen to their favourite hits at the same time,” said Donald L Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of ATIG.

Although Strather is considered among the founder of MotorCity Casino and was reportedly instrumental in the campaign that narrowly won voter approval of gaming in Detroit; Strather, Michael Malik and several others were among a handful of notable business people who were denied gambling licenses by the Michigan Gaming Control Board and as a result were forced to sell their "shares" in MotorCity Casino before the gambling hall opened for business.

Online gambling perhaps is void of the same stumbling blocks those like Strather and Malik faced when licensing was required.


You may want to review these additional posts:

• Motown Museum brings trademark charges against Strather, Hitsville
• Is Michael Malik renewing interest in online gambling ventures?
• Michael Malik, a casino syndicator, has never been approved for gaming license
• Mashpee Wampanoag backers initiated gambling in Detroit but were never licensed
• Mashpee Wampanoag, Strather involved with Abramoff and associates
• Big Lagoon Rancheria chairman intended to operate online gambling venture
• Six dropped from Atwater Casino Group
• Three investors must sell their Detroit casino interests
• Investors have troubled histories