To Whom Does a Left Coin or Token Belong?
07.25.06
Gaming News - casinocitytime.com
DETROIT, Michigan -- As reported by the Sun Herald: "On a Tuesday morning five years ago, Stella Romanski set out to have lunch with her girlfriends. Now she's in the U.S. Supreme Court defending a judgment in her favor of $600,779. And 5 cents.
"...Judge Eric L. Clay of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit has spelled out the facts:
"'On Aug. 7, 2001, Romanski, then 72 years old, and her friends Dorothy Dombrowski and Linda Holman, went to the MotorCity Casino in Detroit to gamble and enjoy the buffet. ...During her walk, she noticed a 5-cent token lying in a slot machine's tray. Seeing no chair at the machine, she picked up the token and returned to the machine at which she had earlier played, intending to use the token there.
"'Soon a uniformed male casino employee approached her and asked that she accompany him to the office. She asked why, but he did not answer.
"One of the guards, Marlene Brown, displayed her casino badge and began to explain the casino's policy on abandoned tokens.
"...According to Brown, the more she tried to explain, the more Romanski became "loud and belligerent."' ... they forcibly took a nickel away from Romanski; they photographed her, copied her Social Security card and driver's license, and finally ordered her banned from the casino for six months.
"... Naturally, she (Romanski) sued under Section 1983 of the U.S. Code, i.e., she charged that Brown, as a rent-a-cop, had been acting under color of state law.
"...The 6th Circuit Court, voting 2-1, cut the punitive damages to $600,000, but sustained the rest. Ms. Brown and the casino naturally want the judgment overturned.
"...Judge Clay made his indignation clear: The casino's treatment of this little old lady was 'inexplicable and egregious.'..."
http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentID=159983
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Veteran Lansing-based GOP political consultant slams "The Verifiable Truth"
Lansing-based GOP political consultant slams ”The Verifiable Truth;” a blog that chronicles the activities and interests of Detroit-based casino syndicators exploiting circumstances and individuals in order to expand their empire outside the MotorCity.
Tom Shields, president of award-winning Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing GOP political/marketing agency, was compelled to confess he’s been franticly lurking around The Verifiable Truth and left this revealing backhanded endorsement (we do appreciate it) of what he most certainly recognizes as an effective, source backed, honest, internet Blog that tells the other half of the story he conveniently excludes:
uncensored
Marketing Resource Group, Inc Lansing, Michigan From the desk of Tom Shields The lies, misinformation and misrepresentations on this blog are too numerous to mention and don't deserve the time it would take [to] respond. Someone has obviously spent a lot of time and money in an attempt to malign the character of the people being attacked here. It's no wonder the author is anonymous. We won't hide behind some anonymous blog. Tom Shields |
Tom, you’ve got it all figured out. You’re so smart. You're right, you (and Mr. Malik) can't hide any longer -- the world today is much too exposed and transparent. But you're a bonafide 21st Century Communications Maestro and you know that already. …Now, about that static Website of yours with the outdated content and mostly broken links…
Typically Shields and company are able to make use of bullying, threats, intimidation and the Ilitch family’s bankroll and cache to “win friends and influence people.” But not here. Not anymore. The editors of TVT have come together with one common goal ... the desire to make sure the whole story is out there for people to consider.
It’s amusing that Shields would have us believe he is The Beacon of fact and truth dismissing the following representative sources and resources for verifying truth.
- Federal Election Commission
Secretary of the U.S. Senate
Clerk of the House
The Library of Congress
The Congressional Record
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Department of Interior
National Indian Gaming Commission
Securities and Exchange Commission
Standard & Poor’s
Moody’s
Various state and local agencies responsible for elections, lobbying, corporate registration, natural resource protection, Native American Affairs, licensing and real estate
Video footage and transcripts of public hearings
Minutes of City Council meetings, Tribal Council Meetings and Gaming Commissions
Marketing Resources Group’s static Web site and its reliable content
Archives of local, regional and nationally respected media outlets from the New York Times to the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Crain’s Detroit Business; Newsday, Forbes and the San Diego Union Tribune; PRNewswire and the Bay Mills News
Google Earth
Mapquest
Citizens for Responsive Politics
Opensecrets.org
SourceWatch
PoliticalMoneyline for Congressional Quarterly
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Center for Public Integrity
And scores of TVT’s readers and sources from coast to coast who’ve forwarded documents, links, pictures and detailed information we’ve included in our posts
Tom Shields, Michigan’s conservative GOP political ad man who’s worked
for school vouchers,
against teachers’ unions,
for privatization of K-12 education
for mineral and mining interests
against environmental protection
for packagers and packaging manufacturers
for aluminum smelters, and petroleum pipeline companies
exploiting Native American interests
but mostly as gatekeeper for Detroit’s powerful casino maven Marian Ilitch and her “bull dog” business partner & 21st Century political “bag-man” Michael J. Malik, Sr.
Marketing Resource Group, Inc is described as:
“a full service communications firm, providing public relations, political consulting, marketing, advertising and crisis management. Our mission is to provide our clients with clear, effective communication that motivates consumers and influences public policy.”
“MRG’s political consultants have managed the advertising campaigns of:"Michigan’s premier Republican full-service political-consulting firm. For over 20 years, hundreds of candidates for state and federal offices have trusted MRG …“
- Governor John Engler,
- Secretary of State turned Member of Congress Candice Miller
- Republican majorities in both the Michigan House and Senate.
- MRG has also managed the non-partisan campaigns of Michigan Supreme Court Justices Stephen Markman, Cliff Taylor, and Bob Young.
Note the trio of Engler, Shields and Candice Miller … Is it all coming together now? Did someone say political flip-flop and unprecedented effort to relocate yet a third casino for the Bay Mills Indian Community 350 miles away to Port Huron in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District represented by Member of Congress and aspiring U.S. Senate candidate Candice Miller.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Bay Mills' Charlotte Beach land claims dispute stalled, still needs Act of Congress; Tribe's chair says they can't give up, they owe it to ancestors
12/14/2006
Charlotte Beach land dispute remains unsettled
Tribe’s agreement still in need of ratification from U.S. Congress
By Shannon Jones
Staff Reporter
BAY MILLS - Once again the settlement concerning the Bay Mills Indian Community's Charlotte Beach Land Claim will go on for another year, but not due to any disagreement of the parties involved. The issue at hand remains that the tribe is not allowed to dispose or relinquish claim on tribal lands without an act of Congress, something Chairman Jeff Parker and his predecessors have been working on for quite some time.
BMIC and the State of Michigan currently have a settlement agreement in place, but it cannot be acted upon until ratified by Congress. The agreement will give the Charlotte Beach property owners a clear title and give BMIC the ability to purchase property of equivalent value in Port Huron in exchange.
Bay Mills has faced a number of hurdles on the Charlotte Beach issue over the years, including misconceptions about how the problem arose. According to Parker, the problem with Charlotte Beach goes back more than 100 years to the 1855 Treaty of Hay Lake (aka Charlotte Beach). When the tribe acquired that parcel of land, purchased with annuities money, it was deeded to the governor of the State of Michigan.
"We were told at that time this was a way to protect the property so you wouldn't lose it," said Parker.
Ironically, a state-owned reservation exists today in Athens, Mich., as a tribe there did the same thing around that time. But for BMIC the property was "lost" to back taxes in the 1880s when Chippewa County decided to assess taxes on it. Despite appeals from the tribe to the federal government and the state, BMIC ancestors were removed from the property and the land was foreclosed on. Today, a number of non-Natives reside there and have built homes on that property, but hold cloudy titles as the land settlement issue remains up in the air.
To clear the dispute in Charlotte Beach, then Gov. John Engler, recognizing the legitimacy of the claim, entered into a settlement with BMIC to resolve the claim.
However, because of the Trade and Intercourse Act, tribes are not allowed to dispose of property without an act of Congress. That law remains on the books today.
"So in order for Bay Mills to relinquish any interest it has in the Charlotte Beach land, we need an Act of Congress," said 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, a battle has been waged against BMIC over the settlement since the outset. The Saginaw-Chippewas even paid recently convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff a reported $14 million to work against Bay Mills and make sure the land claim was not ratified by Congress.
"That tribe also testified against us, as did other tribes in Michigan, even though we have a legitimate land claim that was recognized and entered into by the governor of the State of Michigan," said Parker.
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. "Anyone that is willing to spend $14 million to fight us in my book is an enemy," said Parker. "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.
"Our paper is nationally read, it goes all over the country; our paper is well respected. And there are people who read our paper to get information to use against us," he said. "And we are all for having a free press, but you have to remember that a free press has legitimate things that they cannot publish. For example, the Free Press does not publish articles on how to build a nuclear bomb, or things that are going on within the State Department. If anyone wants to know anything, they can come talk to the Executive Council during their meetings, they can come to an informational meeting that we host the third Wednesday of every month, or a GTC. Really, any of the information we have is free and open to any tribal member with some exceptions, such as medical records and employee personnel files."
If Bay Mills drops the issue now, the tribe will lose any claim on the Charlotte Beach property. The settlement that is in place also cannot be renegotiated at this time. If and when the settlement is ratified, BMIC will discuss the next step.
"Our ancestors pooled their annuity money and went without for a length of time to get this property," said Parker. "We have an obligation to our ancestors to see this through."
http://www.baymillsnews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=121&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=&S=1
Sen Stabenow restates her support for third Bay Mills casino, after Ilitch Family contributes $114,000 toward her re-election
02.14.07
Stabenow to support area casino project
By MIKE CONNELL
Times Herald
Efforts to bring a $300 million casino and resort hotel to Port Huron got a lift Tuesday when one of Michigan's top lawmakers said she'll push for congressional approval of the project.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said a casino could help the city recover from the economic damage it faces from the proposed expansion of the Blue Water Bridge Plaza.
"I am very concerned about the impact of the (plaza) expansion project on the city," she said in a statement provided to Gannett News Service.
It was one of several developments Tuesday in the controversy swirling around the half-billion-dollar highway project. Elsewhere:
- City Manager Karl Tomion said he has been promised a March meeting to discuss the plaza project with a top-ranking official of the Federal Highway Administration.
- The Greater Port Huron Area Chamber of Commerce renounced its endorsement of the project. A chamber official said efforts to accelerate land purchases in the city before an environmental-impact study is finished had caused the the group to reassess its position.
The Michigan Department of Transportation expects to buy 156 homes and businesses in an area bordered by the Black River, Scott Avenue, 10th Avenue and Hancock Street.
City officials are concerned about losing population and $32 million in the tax base as well as the environmental implications of expanding the plaza to accommodate scores of idling trucks. In terms of commercial traffic, the Blue Water Bridge is the second-busiest crossing on the 5,525-mile U.S.-Canadian border (the mileage includes the Alaskan frontier).
In December, Stabenow visited Port Huron and toured the affected neighborhoods with Tomion, who grew up near the plaza. He asked if she would revive efforts to win congressional approval of a casino at the Thomas Edison Inn.
"Given the financial impact of the expansion on the community, I agree that everything possible needs to be done to support economic development in the region, including the approval of a Port Huron casino," Stabenow's statement said. "I am working with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to resolve the land-claim issue as soon as possible."
Deal remains on hold
The land-claim issue involves a dispute over 110 acres at Charlotte Beach, a community on the St. Marys River south of Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula.
In December 2002, just hours before he wrapped up his third term, Gov. John Engler signed off on a deal giving the Bay Mills Indian Community - a Chippewa or Ojibwa tribe - the right to build a casino in Port Huron if it relinquished its claim to the Charlotte Beach tract.
The agreement came as a surprise because of Engler's long record of opposition to casino gambling.
The deal still requires congressional approval, but several attempts to obtain it have been blocked. Stabenow introduced a measure five years ago that was stymied by U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Tom Shields, a spokesman for casino developer Mike Malik, said he has been told Reid, who became Senate majority leader last month, has dropped his opposition. Shields also noted Stabenow, who won a second term in 2006, has gained political clout with the Democratic takeover of Congress.
"We've appreciated her support from day one," he said. "With the new Congress, we hope she can bring final approval to the land claim."
He also praised U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, for her efforts to push the project through the House.
Malik, a native of Clay Township and a business associate of the Ilitch family, has been working with the Bay Mills. If the casino wins approval, Malik expects to receive a contract to develop the casino and to manage it for about five years.
More than a casino
If approval is received, Shields predicted it would take less than two years for the casino to open. He declined to give specifics on how large the casino would be or how many people it might employ, but he described past estimates as reliable.
"The plan may be re-evaluated since it's three or four years old," he said. "We'll take a new look, but (the past estimates) are probably a safe number."
Cliff Schrader, a former city councilman and a member of the Thomas Edison Casino Committee, said Malik is proposing a $300 million development that would include a 120,000-square-foot casino and a hotel with at least 350 rooms.
"We're talking about an entertainment complex," he said. "It would be much more than just a casino. It's much more ambitious than what the Canadians have done across the river (at the Point Edward casino)."
Richard Cummings, president of the Michigan Machinists Council and another member of the casino committee, said he has been told the casino would provide 2,500 to 3,000 permanent jobs as well as 600 to 650 construction jobs.
"I like it that our representatives - Senators Levin and Stabenow and Congresswoman Miller - are fighting this battle for the people of Port Huron," Cummings said. "We've been fighting for five years to get this done and create 3,000 jobs for this community, which is in a severe depression."
Cummings said he estimates Port Huron's true unemployment rate at 18%. That includes people who have run out of unemployment benefits and are no longer counted in the government's jobless rate calculation.
"I would hope the rest of Michigan's congressional delegation would get behind this," he said. "We're trying to enhance Port Huron, to diversify its economy and build up tourism."
Pledge for union jobs
Cummings, a former president of the St. Clair County AFL-CIO, supported the casino ahead of a successful advisory vote in June 2001. In exchange for that support, Malik and co-developer Marian Ilitch agreed that the casino would pay union wages.
They also promised to contribute 5% of the casino's net revenues to the city and 3% to the United Way of St. Clair County.
"It would make a real difference for our community," Cummings said. "Studies have shown that a payroll dollar turns over seven times before it leaves town."
Shields echoed the thought that a casino could help replace economic losses caused by plaza expansion.
"It encourages development," he said. "It's a real boost to other businesses."
Chamber backs up
Vickie Ledsworth, president of the Greater Port Huron Area Chamber of Commerce, said the group hopes to meet with Malik soon and decide whether to endorse the casino. 
She also said the chamber has rescinded a decision it made last November to support "Alternative 4," or expanding the plaza in the city rather than moving it to Port Huron Township.
"The whole scope of this project has changed, and changed very quickly in the past few weeks," she said, expressing concern over MDOT's request for an SEP-15, or "special exemption project," from the Federal Highway Administration.
The exemption would let MDOT use about $40 million in federal funds to buy property for the project before an environmental impact study is wrapped up in the fall of 2008. In the past, officials said they would not make a final decision on how to proceed until the environmental review was finished.
"As a result, the (chamber) is reconsidering our position of support for Alternative 4," Ledsworth said.
Meeting likely in March
James Steele, the Federal Highway Administration's top official in Michigan, said last week he wanted MDOT and the city to work out their differences before he would sign off on an exemption for the plaza expansion.
Tomion said he was disappointed Monday when he called Steele and could not get a promise that the exemption never would be approved.
"The only commitment I could get from him was that he thought a meeting could be scheduled some time the first week in March, and that the agreement would not be signed until we had a chance to meet and discuss it again," the city manager said.
A March meeting would follow the next session of the influential Michigan State Transportation Commission, which is scheduled to meet Feb. 22 in Lansing.
Tomion repeated his dismay over the idea of buying land and in effect starting the project before environmental questions are answered.
"After years of telling us about how their agencies plan to involve the community in the planning and construction of this project, it is clear that this was only talk," he said.
He said city officials expect to meet with elected officials in Lansing and Washington.
"The mayor, City Council and staff have made it clear that if MDOT and Federal Highway continue forward with their plans, this will lead to a crisis," he said.
'Corridor' moves ahead
While the plaza expansion is mired in controversy, the less controversial half of the $500 million project appears to be moving ahead smoothly.
Steele said he would approve an exemption to begin buying property for the so-called "corridor," which includes a nine-lane bridge over the Black River and improvements to Interstate 69/94 in Port Huron Township.
A massive transportation bill signed into law by President Bush in 2005 included about $40 million for buying property in the Port Huron area.
"If the (SEP-15) is approved, MDOT's first priority for using federal funds to acquire properties would be for those parcels located within the corridor and not the plaza," said Bill Shreck, MDOT's director of communications.
Mike Connell is a reporter and columnist for the Times Herald. He can be reached at (810) 989-6259 or mconnell@gannett.com.
...see what they're saying in the Times Herald reader Forum
http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/NEWS01/702140302/1002
You may also want to review these posts:
- The Verifiable Truth:
Malik, Hollywood Park, Commerce Club round up cash for Sen Wiggins sponsor of SB 157
Michael Malik lead commercial gaming interests, BNSF, a few unions and business contacts linked to the Ilitch Family who raised almost $30,000 for Senator Wiggins on Oct. 21, 2006
Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) received commercial gambling money late in the campaign reporting cycle from Detroit casino syndicators Michael Malik, Commerce Club Casino, Hollywood Park Casino and others.
On October 21, 2006 Patricia Wiggins collected more than $14,000 bundled in multiple checks from Michael J. Malik, Malik’s MJM Enterprises & Development; three commercial casinos that Malik may have had a hand in recruiting
--Hawaiian Gardens Casino,
California Commerce Club, Inc., and
Hollywood Park Casino –
and the California Restaurant Association, a group Malik’s partner Marian Ilitch, co-founder of Little Caesars Pizza, has connections to.
Senator Wiggins is the lead sponsor of SB 157, do-over legislation rejected in 2006 intended to ratify agreement that would give Malik and Ilitch the exclusive rights to develop and manage two Indian casinos in Barstow with tribal partners from opposite corners of the state; and an unprecedented 5,044 square mile competition-free zone.
| HAWAIIAN GARDENS CASINO | MONETARY | HAWAIIAN GARDENS | CA/90716 | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $1,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 10/26/2006 | 1212900-A1485 |
| CALIFORNIA COMMERCE CLUB, INC. | MONETARY | COMMERCE | CA/90040 | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $1,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 10/26/2006 | 1212900-A1487 |
| HOLLYWOOD PARK CASINO | MONETARY | INGLEWOOD | CA/90303 | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $1,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 10/26/2006 | 1212900-A1488 |
| MICHAEL J. MALIK, SR TRUST | MONETARY | | CA/ | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $2,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 10/26/2006 | 1212900-A1489 |
| CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC | MONETARY | SACRAMENTO | CA/95814 | |
| 890231 | | | ||
| | ||||
| $2,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 10/26/2006 | 1212900-A1490 |
| HAWAIIAN GARDENS CASINO | MONETARY | HAWAIIAN GARDENS | CA/90716 | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $1,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 1/31/2007 | 1236771-A1485 |
| CALIFORNIA COMMERCE CLUB, INC. | MONETARY | COMMERCE | CA/90040 | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $1,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 1/31/2007 | 1236771-A1487 |
| HOLLYWOOD PARK CASINO | MONETARY | INGLEWOOD | CA/90303 | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $1,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 1/31/2007 | 1236771-A1488 |
| MJM ENTERPRISES & DEVELOPMENT (Michael Malik’s Company) | MONETARY | DETROIT | MI/48201 | |
|
| | | ||
| | ||||
| $2,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 1/31/2007 | 1236771-A1489 |
| CALIFORNIA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC | MONETARY | SACRAMENTO | CA/95814 | |
| 890231 | | | ||
| | ||||
| $2,000.00 | | 10/21/2006 | 1/31/2007 | 1236771-A1490 |
Note: This post pushed Tom Shields’ buttons enough that he left his “cut & paste” shallow boilerplate protest below. Here are some of the other posts that got Shields’ attention as well…
· Barstow Casino Billboard - picture's worth a thousand words
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