Columnist Reports Ilitch IS behind Bay Mills Casino Schemes in Port Huron

Port Huron Times Herald Columnist Mike Connell suggests that despite denials, a constant dance of semantics, from Ilitch spokesman Tom Shields, Detroit’s Ilitch Family (fronted by Ilitch agent Michael J. Malik), have been behind schemes to build a Bay Mills Indian Community Casino in Port Huron (MI)

A tale of 2 cities: Motown vs. PoHo

10.16.2011

...THE TUG OF WAR also reached editorial pages, where Port Huron casino supporters asked for the chance to compete with gaming facilities in Point Edward and Sarnia. No other American border town, they noted, has been denied this opportunity to participate in free trade.

Detroit pundits scoffed at these arguments. Even the editorial page of The Detroit News, a champion of free enterprise and conservatism, dismissed the notion of Port Huron being allowed to compete in the casino marketplace.

"Gaming works best for the region and the state when the casinos are concentrated downtown," The News intoned.

The failure of the bill nipped a blossoming partnership between a pair of billionaires -- Jim Acheson and Marian Ilitch -- who had completed blueprints for a spectacular development at Desmond Landing.

The casino was the anchor. Without it, there would be no hotels, hockey arena, commercial aquarium, indoor water park, antique boat museum, ship-watching center, minor-league baseball park, golf course or other ideas penciled into the grand plan... (Complete Column)