Hawaii's Gambling Industry Lobbyists

Hawaii's known gambling lobbyists have numerous affiliations in common, plus intermingled business/financial interests and clients with likely conflicts of interest: (A) Boyd Gaming Company transports patrons from the Hawaiian Islands to its California casinos; (B) Casino Syndicate organized by MotorCity Casino interests wants to develop and operate a Las Vegas-style casino in Waikiki. While attempting to suggest their efforts aren't coordinated or known to one another, these amateurs have been sloppy with their fingerprints.

George A. Morris (aka G. A. Morris, G. A. Red Morris, George A. "Red" Morris, Red Morris), affiliated with Capitol Consultants of Hawaii (president) and G. A. Morris, Inc. (a partner in Capitol Consultants of Hawaii). Clients: Marketing Resource Group (MRG) for a Detroit casino syndicate organized by Michael J. Malik, Sr. and Mrs. Marian Ilitch (CCM Merger/Detroit Entertainment dba MotorCity Casino); and Boyd Gaming Company (NYSE: BYD).

John H. Radcliffe, affiliated with Capitol Consultants of Hawaii (vice president and partner) and Radcliffe & Associates. Clients: Marketing Resource Group (MRG) for a Detroit casino syndicate organized by Michael J. Malik, Sr. and Mrs. Marian Ilitch (CCM Merger/Detroit Entertainment dba MotorCity Casino). It's believed he conceived and controls Citizens for a Better Way, LLC.

Elizabeth Hata Watanabe (aka Liz Watanabe, Liz Hata Watanabe, Elizabeth C. Watanabe, Elizabeth C. Jimenez) affiliated with Citizens for a Better Way, LLC as its only member and its manage; and Hata Foundation. Previous affiliations EHW LLC, EHW-II LLC, Hawaii's Big Deal Poker Tournament. Clients: Radcliffe & Associates which represents and receives payments from MRG's Detroit casino syndicate.

Locals' Perception Local
The Detroiters know that generally, locals in most communities are likley to resist the legalization of gambling or the expansion of gambling opportunities if such proposals are championed by outsiders (Las Vegas Casino Lords, Detroit Casino Syndicates, etc.). Trust is a key factor in approving proposals and locals are less likely to trust Las Vegas or Detroit casino operators whose interests might conflict with Hawaii interests. Not to mention, Las Vegas and Detroit have reputations tied to organized crime, higher crime rates, illegal activities, corruption, etc.

Truth is Detroit and Las Vegas Gambling Interests Behind Hawaii Schemes
That MRG (a PR firm) has retained the lobbyists on behalf of its Detroit Casino Syndicate client (MotorCity Casino) is intended to bury the truth that Detroit gambling interests are bankrolling and pushing Waikiki casino development schemes -- not Hawaiians!  Further, the last time the Detroiters were successful pushing plans for casino development, they were fronting for Las Vegas Gambling Lords.  Of the many yet unanswered questions: are the Detroiters via their PR firm actually bankrolling the Waikiki casino schemes on behalf of Las Vegas partners like Boyd Gaming for instance?  You're not likely to get a straight answer from the lobbyists or the Detroiter's PR firm.

See for yourself, the lobbyists hired to push the legalization of gambling in Hawaii were engaged by and are being paid by Detroit gambling interests with ties to Las Vegas Casino Lords -- not locals!

Search lobbyist registrations via the Hawaii Ethics Commission or click on the links in the Scribd.com box below.

See also,

• Marketing Resource Group: the Tom Shields-owned Political/PR Firm is a Slave to Ilitch/Malik Affiliates
• Hawaii's newest lobbyist spent big, catapulting her into the company of 'Big Boys;' Won't reveal identities of those who bankrolled schemes
• Lobbyist John Radcliffe was the First Person to Contribute to Neil Abercrombie's Campaign for Governor of Hawaii
• Hawaii Governor's New Communications Director was Paid Lobbyist for Int'l Gambling Magnate Sol Kerzner
• Capitol Consulants of Hawaii: Double Dipping Gambling Conflicts, Resume Padding Lies or Harboring Secret Partners?
• Detroiters' Lobbyist Laying Groundwork for Waikiki Gambling
• Boyd Gaming establishing first-hand knowledge of and developing customer base in Hawaii, could prove valuable to Waikiki Gambling Hall Operator

Hawaii's newest lobbyist spent big, catapulting her into the company of 'Big Boys;' Won't reveal identities of those who bankrolled schemes

Blogger's Note: John Radcliffe (a lobbyist & career union operative who is a confidante of Hawaii's Gov. Neil Abercrombie) and Elizabeth "Liz" Hata-Watanabe, his latest recruit, have failed to be forthcoming and instead demonstrate a conspiracy to mislead and even deceive Hawaii's journalists, voters, public officials and legislators.

citizensforabetterway.com

Hawaii lobbying disclosures reveal that Citizens for a Better Way, LLC, (CFBWllc) a for profit enterprise organized on April Fool’s Day 2011 and purported to be a grassroots citizens’ committee, actually spent nearly $40,000 on a lobbying & advertising activity during March and April 2011.  The group was formed by gambling industry lobbyist John Radcliffe and associates at the Capitol Consultants of Hawaii lobbying firm.  Then they hooked up with Liz Hata-Watanabe, to help advance the lobbyists’ schemes intended to secure approval for a gambling syndicate from Detroit to develop and operate a Las Vegas-style commercial casino in Waikiki.

But when Jim Dooley (HawaiiReporter.com) queried them in April about their sneaky last minute efforts, Radcliffe and Watanabe danced around, played coy and Radcliffe told him they were spending “very little.” That's not the only lie he told in this conspiracy -- but more on that in the coming days.

In its infancy, CFBWllc spent very aggressively, and that catapulted the newbie to a place on the list of Hawaii's Top Five Biggest Spenders – 5^th out of approximately 230 entities that spent money lobbying. Only four others spent more: trial lawyers, soft-drink beverage producers, Philip Morris and the teachers association -- notoriously big spenders across the country!

Hawaii's Top 5 Biggest Spenders	Lobbying Expenses
1.       Hawaii Association for Justice (trial lawyers)	$119,424.04
2.       American Beverage Association (soft-drink beverage producers)	$90,585.95
3.       Altria Clients Services Inc. and its affiliates (Philip Morris)	$51,925.61
4.       Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA)	$41,210.18
5.       Citizens for a Better Way, LLC	$39,093.10

TheVerifiableTruth.com (TVT) has uncovered details, some which have already been shared, suggesting gambling lobbyist John Radcliffe -- a confidante of Gov. Neil Abercrombie -- and Radcliffe’s associates at Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, are the driving forces behind CFBWllc, their so-called "grassroots" "citizens" group; and Watanabe is their tool. 

Lobbyists at Capitol Consultants count among their clients a Detroit Casino syndicate (Michael Malik, Marian Ilitch/MotorCity Casino, Marketing Resource Group) and the publicly traded Boyd Gaming Company which has casinos in Las Vegas and across the U.S. and currently shuttles patrons back-and-forth from Hawaii to its California gambling halls. Both entities have significant investments and interests in Hawaii's gambling market.

Despite proof to the contrary, Radcliffe and Liz Hata-Watanabe, a person identified as the group’s founder, deny involvement by their gambling industry friend from Detroit and Las Vegas.  Then again, they have yet to disclose who is behind the group, truly.  After all, $40,000 isn’t a drop in the bucket -- especially since Watanabe has since filed bankruptcy.

CFBWllc was organized in a way to specifically avoid disclosing where the funding is coming from – at least for now. As structured, CFBWllc is only required to disclose expenses and even then, not detailed expenses, but buckets of spending as allocated into pre-established spending categories. Then again, that current simplified standard of reporting may be what contributes to their eventual downfall because they are amateurs with delusions of Jack Abramoff!

The next round of disclosures won’t be required until after the New Year.

Radcliffe and Watanabe have failed to be forthcoming and instead have, possibly with the participation of others, conspired to mislead and even deceive Hawaii's journalists, voters, public officials and legislators.  Examples like theirs contribute to the public's general mistrust of government and a belief, by many in our democracy, that corruption is the prevailing standard.

To review related content, click on the "Labels" found under social media share buttons at the bottom of this post or review these select posts:

• Failed Nightclub Owner is a Shameless Self-Promoter
• She Said: Here's what Hata-Watanabe had to offer after a recent visit to TheVerifiableTruth.com
• Failed Nightclub Owner is a Shameless Self-Promoter
• Really? She's Treasurer of the Honolulu County GOP Committee?
• Hawaii's 'Citizens for a Better Way' isn't a 'Citizens' Group After-all
• Lobbyists Spent $40,000 Manufacturing So-Called 'Citizens' Group Support for Oahu Casino Scheme
• There Can Be No Doubt Detroiters' Hawaii Lobbyist John Radcliffe Created Pro-Casino So-Called 'Citizens' Group'
• Citizens for a Better Way, a Group Fronting for Detroit Casino Syndicators in Hawaii, Establishes Digital Media Channels With Poor Result
• Capitol Consultants of Hawaii: Double Dipping Gambling Conflicts, Resume Padding Lies or Harboring Secret Partners?
• Strange Bedfellows: Hawaii's Former Governor & Detroit's Gambling Promoter?
• Founder of tax-exempt nonprofit produced 'Hawaii's Big Deal: Poker Tournament'  the 'closest thing to legalized gambling in The Islands'

There Can Be No Doubt Detroiters' Hawaii Lobbyist John Radcliffe Created Pro-Casino So-Called 'Citizens' Group'

More Proof You Can't Trust Hawaii Gambling Lobbyist John Radcliffe

BUSTED!

Sudagar Dhandapani
System Analyst
Capitol Consultants of Hawaii

John Radcliffe, a Hawaii lobbyist for Detroit casino syndicators Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch, has denied any relationship with a so-called “grassroots” citizens group that appeared last Spring and is promoting Radcliffe’s same “good economic  policy” pro-casino message; however, TheVerifiableTruth.com has learned that an employee at Radcliffe’s lobbying firm, Capitol Consultants of Hawaii (CCH), established and owns the website for the group Citizens for a Better Way (CFBW).

John Radcliffe has been identified as an on-again, off-again Hawaii lobbyist for Detroit casino syndicators Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch.  They are part of a mainland syndicate that’s tried to legalize gambling in Hawaii since 2000.  They want to develop and operate a gambling hall on Waikiki Beach.

As Hawaii’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign was getting underway, the Detroiter’s re- engaged Radcliffe for the purpose of influencing the elections and renewing the debate for legalized gambling in a new Administration.  Hawaii and Utah are the only states that do not have any form of legalized gambling.

As part of this renewed push, Radcliffe’s been promoting a message that suggests gambling would be good “economic policy” for cash-strapped Hawaii.  Last Spring, Citizens for a Better Way (CFBW) appeared out of nowhere.  Liz Watanabe, a master at self-promotion, has been identified by Radcliffe as the leader of CFBW. Watanabe is the founder of the Hata Foundation, a non-profit founded in 2009 affiliated with a reality TV poker tournament filmed in Honolulu and aired Saturdays on KHON during 2010 -- Hawaii's Big Deal. It's not clear who produced/funded Hawaii's Big Deal but Watanabe identified herself as Executive Producer. 

While both Watanabe and Radcliffe deny he created, is funding or controls CFBW; the group echoes Radcliffe’s “good economic policy” message and has produced videos that feature Radcliffe prominently.  Those videos are airing on cable TV and are featured on the CFBW YouTube channel. A media story suggested that robocalls (pre-recorded, automated telephone calls) went out to Oahu voters in the Spring of encouraging people to call their elected officials and urge them to vote to legalize gambling.  Somebody produced the videos, retaioned the robocall provider and paid for the cable TV spots. Somebody's established the social media presence.

Radcliffe and Watanabe seem naïve to the “information age” and frankly, demonstrate they and those working on their behalf are amateurs.

The truth is, that "somebody" in part is Sudagar Dhandapani, an employee at Radcliffe’s Capitol Consultants lobbying firm.  Dhandapani established and "owns" the CFBW website. TVT has received third-party confirmation of Dhandapani’s involvement from DomainTools.com.

Dhandapani, truly a computer geek, is identified as a System Analyst on the staff page of the Capitol Consultants Website and has been employed there since 2004.  His resume suggests he’s also been employed with G.A. Morris, Inc. since 2002.  That company is owned by Capitol Consultants' President George A. “Red” Morris.  Dhandapani owns other websites too.  No doubt he set up and manages the CFBW Facebook and YouTube channels because Radcliffe and Watanabe certainly don't have the wherewithal.

Amateurs!