Who is Joann Kemp? A donor to Sen. Carl Levin who failed to disclose Employer/Occupation with her $1000 check

Campaign Disclosure Record
Joann Kemp | Sen. Carl Levin

On March 30, 2007, Joann Kemp (Mrs. William R. Kemp) of Harrison Township (MI) gave U.S. Sen. Carl Levin a $1000 check for his re-election campaign. It appears after searching FEC.gov and OpenSecrets.org, to be the only time Mrs.  Kemp has ever contributed to a federal election campaign. In giving Levin the $1000, she failed to provide details about her employer/employment and occupation as required by the Federal Election Commission. Levin's campaign reported that they requested the detail but it does not appear Mrs. Kemp has ever complied. (Original Document Filed with FEC)

Ironically March 30, 2007, is the same day that Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch, proponents of a Bay Mills Indian Community Casino in Port Huron corralled family, friends, business associates, partners, agents and fellow Bay Mills Casino supporters together to help raise almost $100,000 for Levin's re-election campaign. That following summer Levin, who had been previously disinterested in the schemes to build a Bay Mills Casino in Port Huron, announced his active support.

Fast forward....

The morning of November 3, 2010, a warranty deed was recorded with Genesee County (MI) whereby Norel Enterprises Inc. transferred a 28 acre parcel of undeveloped land in Flint Township (Dutcher Rd. @ Lennon Rd.) to Joann Marie Kemp (aka Joanne Marie Kemp). That afternoon a Quitclaim Deed was recorded whereby Joann Kemp immediately turned around and transferred the same property to the Bay Mills Indian Community. It is believed the tribe and it's developers want to establish a casino on the property.

In a further twist of irony, or perhaps not... R. Thomas Vigliotti the Detroit real estate broker who reportedly handled the transactions involving Mrs. Kemp was one of those who also contributed $1000 to Sen. Levin on March 30, 2007.

See also:

• Who is Joann Kemp? A Clinton River Boat Club Member and Harsens Island Property Owner
• Who is Joann Kemp? A resident of Harrison Twp (MI) who once owned a Palm Beach Condo

Casino syndicator with history of illegal activity contributes $30k to Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

According to OpenSecrets.org, Detroit casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr. contributed $30,400 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on 6.19.09.

Previously such contributions by Malik and his casino gaming partners Mike and Marian Ilitch flowed to committees to re-elect Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin -- two who have spearheaded Congressional activity that would pave the way for Malik and his partners to develop an off-reservation Indian casino (Bay Mills Indian Community) in Port Huron, MI.

For more than a decade Malik has failed to win such Congressional approvals despite raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for those who have carried his water including Stabenow, Levin, Michigan Representative Candice Miller, Alaska's Representative Don Young and several others that have been key to Malik's schemes.

Malik and Ilitch are also behind similar off-reservation Indian casinos proposed in Barstow, CA (Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians) and Hampton Bays, NY (Shinnecock Indian Nation).

In December 2008, Malik was found guilty on firearms charges in Arizona. As a result he was forced to pay a nearly $15,000 fine and stripped of his right to hunt in a majority of U.S. states for a period of five years.

In February 2009, Malik was found to have violated California campaign finance laws and was also fined. Malik has a history of repeating such violations in California.

In April 2009, Fifth Third Bank filed a complaint in Oakland County (MI) Circuit Court claiming Malik had defaulted on a $1 million line of credit.

In May 2009, Malik entered into a settlement agreement in Florida Federal Court acknowledging that he had previously accepted at least $620,000 in fraudulent transfers (Goldberg v. Malik) as part of a Ponzi scheme. That case stemmed from a $300 million Ponzi scheme case brought by the Securities & Exchange Commission against Jack Utsick and others. Utsick has subsequently taken asylum in Brazil.

Typos hid $57,000 Ilitch contributed to DSCC & Sen. Levin during 2008 Election

According to OpenSecrets.org, members of Detroit's Ilitch Family appear to have contributed $132,300 to federal campaign committees in the 2008 campaign cycle.

But a closer examination of records on file with the Federal Election Commission reveals that Mike and Marian Ilitch each gave an additional $27,500 ($57,000 total) to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on 12.31.07. The contributions remained hidden because the DSCC recorded the contribution as from Marian Hitch (Little Caesars Enterprises Inc./Sec.) and Michael Hitch (Hitch Holdings/Chairman).

Earlier in 2007 the Ilitch Family contributed $23,000 to Michgan Senator Carl Levin's re-election committee after Levin finally endorsed a Port Huron Casino plan the Ilitch family backs. It's likely the $57,000 benefited Sen. Levin's re-election campaign.

The contributions recorded with errors to the Democratic Senatorial Committee bring the Ilitch Family's total contributions to federal campaign committees during the 2008 election cyle to $189,300.

According to OpenSecrets.org, the Ilitch Family's casino and real estate development partner Michael J. Malik, Sr. contributed $33,500 to the DSCC and another $4,600 directly to Sen. Levin. Malik and his affiliates (MJM Enterprises and Blue Water Resorts) are bankrolling the Port Huron Casino plans fronted by the Bay Mills Indian Community.

In total they contributed $90,500 to the DSCC and $27,600 to Levin's committee for a total of $188,100 that likely supported Sen. Carl Levin's re-election. During Sen. Levin's six previous campaigns for the Senate, the Ilitch Family contributed a total of just $3,900 to Michigan's Senior Senator.

Cullen, Miller & Vigliotti are partners in a Canadian residential real estate venture

While undertaking various research projects TVT has come to recognize three Detroit area Caballeros whose business ventures and civic/social activities often overlap; and now it appears the three are partners in a real estate deal over the border in the Town of Plympton-Wyoming, Ontario, Canada.

• Matthew P. Cullen, general manager of the Economic Development and Enterprise Services Group for General Motors Corp.; and one of Detroit's most connected people;

• John Charles Miller, president of J.C. Miller Construction, Inc.; and

• R. Thomas Vigliotti of Ralph Vigliotti Real Estate;

According to public meeting records, Matt Cullen, John Miller and Tom Vigliotti apparently have plans to develop an exclusive residential enclave -- “Huroncrest Estates” -- inclusive of 64 estate lots near the Lake Huron shoreline about half an hour over the border just north of Port Huron, Michigan.

Port Huron is the proposed site of a Bay Mills Indian Casino, the modified Blue Water International Bridge Crossing and possibly other ventures aimed at turning around the economy of the border community. Backers of a Port Huron Casino including Michael J. Malik, Marian & Mike Ilitch, Cullen, Vigliotti and others are among those who helped raise close to $100,000 for Michigan Sen. Carl Levin on March 30, 2007; a fundraising activity reportedly aimed at attempting to win Levin’s support of the Port Huron casino plan and possibly other things.

TVT has reviewed documents that indicate back in October 2003 the three Caballeros purchased the Canadian land parcels in the town of Plympton-Wyoming likely for $1.5 million with a mortgage on the property financed by The Private Bank.

The mortgage finance documents show an address for the borrowers at 19550 Harper Ave., Harper Woods, MI 48225 which is an address associated with these following other enterprises several of which are known partnerships involving Miller and Vigliotti, with nearly all of them listing Miller as their resident agent:

• JC Miller Construction

• Lynch Road Properties, Inc.; formerly Great Lakes Technology Center Inc.

• Lynch Road, LLC

• MV Management Corporation

• Great Lakes Dorado Boat Works, Inc.

• Advanced Construction Technologies, Inc .

However, the transfer deed of land and the land transfer tax affidavit documents indicate the address for the property owners at 742 Shelden Rd., Grosse Pointe Shores, MI 48236-1511; the residence of Matt and Karen A. Cullen. Karen Cullen is vice president Corporate Communications at Ilitch Holdings, Inc.

Public Meeting Records referencing the Cullen/Miller/Vigliotti Canadian Properties:

• May 10, 2005 Minutes; County of Lambton, Woodlot/Land Division Committee

• March 6, 2007 Minutes; County of Lambton, Land Division Committee

• March 28, 2007 Minutes; Town of Plympton-Wyoming Council Meeting

www.HuronCrestEstates.com

Originally posted 07.17.07

Levin has raised $5.7 million for re-election bid

4.14.08

Levin pulls in $667K for re-election campaign

By TODD SPANGLER • FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin reported his first-quarter fund-raising totals today, showing he pulled in just over $667,000 for his re-election campaign during the first three months of the year.

That brings the Detroit Democrat’s totals to $5.7 million in total contributions for this election cycle – $4.8 million of which is from individual donations. And the vast majority of the money he’s raised -- $4.2 million – is still in his warchest.

EDITORIAL: Gambling facility alone won't solve Port Huron's economic fortunes

2.06.08

City's casino bid deserves a fair shot
Foes' motivation questionable

The quest for a Port Huron casino should never be viewed as the answer to the city's problems. A gambling facility alone won't solve unemployment or reverse the city's failing economic fortunes.

A Port Huron casino still could be a valuable asset. Its supporters insist it could create thousands of jobs and bring new visitors to Port Huron. Most important, the casino could compete against Canadian gambling facilities across the St. Clair River in Point Edward and Sarnia - two destinations for American gamblers.

Port Huron deserves its own casino. City residents said so in a 2001 advisory vote, but Port Huron's bid for a gambling facility remains an uphill struggle.

A variety of forces, gambling foes and those who represent communities that already have casinos and see more as unwanted competition, stand in the way of Port Huron. The Bay Mills Indian Community wants to establish a casino in the city. To do so, it must win congressional approval - something that promises to see the project's opponents in full play.

Today, the Natural Resources Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives begins hearings on legislation that proposes to give Port Huron its casino. U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, introduced H.R. 2176, a bill that would settle a land claim with Bay Mills by according it land in Port Huron for a casino. A bill introduced by Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, would settle a similar claim with the Sault Chippewa, who want to build a casino near Metro Airport in Romulus.

Detroit officials, including Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Detroit, are dead set against either casino. Kilpatrick and her son, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, among others, are scheduled to testify in opposition. Despite Detroit's three casinos, the prospect of competing facilities apparently poses too great a threat to the city's narrow self-interest.

Worse is the campaign of Gambling Watch, a new organization that opposes the two casinos. Created two weeks ago by Lansing public relations expert Lori Wortz, Gambling Watch is employing a direct-mail effort to block the casinos' approval through fliers to Michigan households. They urge recipients to defeat the casino proposals and urge them to contact five elected officials - Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit; Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing; Rep. Dingell; Rep. Stupak; and Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township.

Miller has consistently supported Port Huron's casino bid. Levin and Stabenow also favor the proposal.

Wortz has admitted working for MGM Mirage, which spent at least $160,000 in lobbying efforts against the Port Huron casino in the first half of 2007, according to federal disclosure forms. Although she insists Gambling Watch is her own initiative, her past practice and the campaign's timing are suspect.

Miller will testify in favor of the casino bills. We wish her well.

Port Huron has waited long enough. This ought to be the year the city finally gets its casino.

Michael Malik and the Ilitch family have contributed more than $533,000 to "supporters" of the Port Huron casino proposal

An article published 1.24.08 in the Port Huron Times Herald indicates the following are backers of the Michael Malik/Ilitch family plan for a Port Huron casino:

• Bart Stupak
• Carl Levin
• Candice Miller
• Debbie Stabenow
• Don Young
• Jennifer Granholm

Collectively Michael J. Malik, Mike Ilitch, Marian Ilitich and other members of the Ilitch family have contributed more than $533,000 to the committees controlled by or supporting these politicians (source: Newsmeat.com). Detailed accounting

In addition, Malik and members of the Ilitch family have raised tens of thousands more for these politicians by hosting events at their homes, offices and business locations in order to leverage friends, vendors, consultants and business associates with whom they're associated. The Ilitch jet has been used to fly some of these politicians around the country.

To learn more about the relationships between Malik/Ilitch family and these politicans click on the names in the list above.

Who's behind the off-reservation casino proposed for Port Huron?

1.27.08

Casino support includes regional political leaders

People of Port Huron
In a referendum 6½ years ago, 54.2% of Port Huron voters approved the idea of locating a tribal casino within the city limits. The advisory vote had been urged by Don Reynolds, co- owner of the Thomas Edison Inn, and Richard Cummings, then the president of the local AFL-CIO labor council. They saw a casino as a way to create jobs in a struggling city with a double-digit unemployment rate. They also observed that Port Huron remains the only community on the U.S.-Canadian border where a casino exists on the Canadian side without competition on the American shore.

Following the 2001 referendum, the casino won the endorsement of the Port Huron City Council, the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners and the local legislative delegation. No organized local opposition has emerged.

Bay Mills Indian Community
Although it is one of Michigan's oldest federally recognized tribes, Bay Mills has only about 1,300 members. Many of its original members broke away in the 1970s to form the Sault Chippewa, now Michigan's largest tribe with about 31,000 members. Bay Mills is based at Brimley, a town in Chippewa County in the eastern Upper Peninsula. The tribe operates two casinos near Lake Superior.

In August 2002, Bay Mills and Republican Gov. John Engler agreed to settle a dispute that dates to the 1850s when Michigan Gov. Kinsley Bingham promised the tribe a 110-acre parcel at Charlotte Beach on the St. Mary River. Despite that pledge, the property was seized by local officials for back taxes and sold off.

The deal with Engler called for Bay Mills to abandon its claim to the 110 acres, where dozens of families own homes, in exchange for the 12½-acre Edison Inn property in Port Huron. The Edison parcel in effect would become a mini-reservation, land held in trust for the tribe by the Interior Department. The land-settlement agreement still requires congressional approval. A bill that would do that sits in the House Natural Resources Committee, where a vote is scheduled for Feb. 6.

Blue Water Resorts
Blue Water Resorts LLC is led by casino developer Mike Malik, a former Algonac city councilman. He first tried to develop a casino in Port Huron in 1993, when city voters narrowly rejected his plan to convert the old Sears store on Michigan Avenue into a gaming facility that would have been owned by Bay Mills and operated by Harrah's.

In 1995, Malik and Tom Celani bankrolled the campaign in support of Proposal E, the statewide ballot proposal that led to three commercial casinos in Detroit. Malik and another partner, billionaire Marian Ilitch, won the rights to develop one of those casinos. When Malik was disqualified from being licensed as a casino proprietor, reportedly because of tax problems, he sold his interest in the MotorCity Casino to Ilitch.

Malik and Ilitch have worked together on other casino proposals in the Upper Peninsula, Hawaii, California and Long Island. Ilitch has said she supports the Port Huron casino but has no financial interest in it.

Thus far, Malik has spent millions of dollars in lobbying, legal, architectural and other fees. It's a roll of the dice. If the Port Huron proposal fails, he loses the money. If the casino opens, Blue Water Resorts stands to receive 30% of net-win revenues for seven years through a management contract with Bay Mills. Depending on how successful the casino is, Malik's seven-year share could be in the neighborhood of a half-billion dollars.

Lobbyist Alan Wheat
The lobbying firm founded a decade ago by Alan Wheat, a former Missouri congressman, leads a large team hired by Bay Mills and Malik to secure a Port Huron casino. Wheat, who served as deputy director of President Clinton's re-election campaign in 1996, is well-connected in Washington. Federal lobbying reports indicate his firm has been paid more than $1 million since 2002 to lobby for the casino.

Congressional supporters
In 2002, the original legislation to allow a Port Huron casino was introduced in the Senate by Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and in the House by David Bonior, D-Mount Clemens. Stabenow has remained a staunch ally of the Port Huron proposal, while Bonior gave up his position as the No. 2 Democrat in the House to make an unsuccessful run for governor in the 2002 elections.

Bonior's seat was claimed by Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, who has championed the Port Huron proposal even though she is not a fan of casino gambling. Echoing Bonior, she justifies the project using economic and fair-trade arguments: Gambling already exists in the larger community, and Port Huron should be allowed to compete with the two gaming facilities on the Canadian side of the St. Clair River.

Sen. Carl Levin, a former Detroit city councilman, took no position on the Port Huron casino for many years. Last July, he came out in support of the project. Levin, D-Detroit, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is one of the most powerful figures on Capitol Hill. Without his endorsement, the project had virtually no chance of success.

The bill that would allow a Port Huron casino was introduced eight months ago by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, whose Upper Peninsula district include Bay Mills' tribal lands. Miller and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., co-sponsored Stupak bill. Kennedy's support is seen as critical because he and Rep. Dale Kildee of Flint are co-chairmen of the 99-member Congressional Native American Caucus.

Others who have spoken in favor of a Port Huron casino are Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, the leaders of the House Natural Resources Committee. Their position has been that Miller knows what is best for her district.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm
Until two months ago, it was widely assumed that the governor would not endorse the Port Huron casino.

From 1994 until 1998, when she was elected attorney general, Granholm worked as the top legal adviser to Wayne County Executive Ed McNamara, the boss of Michigan's most powerful political machine. In that role, she worked closely with Bernard Kilpatrick, who was McNamara's chief of staff. His wife and son, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, are outspoken opponents of the Port Huron casino.

Granholm came out in favor of the Port Huron casino after modifying the Engler agreement. Aides said her support is based on two factors - the millions a casino would pump into the coffers of the cash-strapped state government and her desire to use tourism as an engine to drive Port Huron's moribund economy. The new deal also gives Bay Mills the option of locating the casino at a 19.6-acre site at the foot of Court Street in Desmond Landing.

Sault Chippewa
When Engler and Bay Mills struck their agreement in August 2002, the Sault immediately condemned the deal as reservation shopping. The tribe also noted its own claim to Charlotte Beach.

The Sault changed its position four months later. On his final day in office, Engler reached a similar settlement with the tribe, which owns the Greektown Casino in Detroit. The Sault agreed to give up its Charlotte Beach claim in exchange for a casino in either Romulus, Flint or southern Monroe County.

The Sault chose a site near Metro Airport in Romulus. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, a powerful lawmaker who has served in Congress since 1955, is sponsoring legislation for the Romulus casino. His bill also is scheduled for a Feb. 6 vote.

It is widely believed that MGM Mirage and Detroit lobbyists are far more worried about the prospect of a casino in Romulus than in Port Huron.

- Compiled by Mike Connell

http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080127/NEWS01/801270315/1002&template=printart

Granholm backs Port Huron casino; congressional hearing set for Feb. 6

1.24.08

Gambling on Port Huron
Granholm's support improves the odds for a riverfront casino

By MIKE CONNELL
Times Herald

The long-stalled effort to open an Indian-owned casino in Port Huron has received a major boost from Michigan's governor, who has thrown her support behind the project.

In exchange for her endorsement, Gov. Jennifer Granholm modified the state's 5½-year-old agreement with an Upper Peninsula tribe.

The new deal would increase the state's share of gaming revenues by as much as $30 million a year. It also opens the door for building the casino at Desmond Landing rather than at the Thomas Edison Inn.

"I strongly encourage you to support this legislation," the governor wrote in a letter to Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, the leaders of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

The committee has scheduled a Feb. 6 hearing on H.R. 2176, a bill introduced eight months ago by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee. The measure would pave the way for a Port Huron casino by providing congressional approval of a land-settlement deal originally made in August 2002 by former Gov. John Engler and the Bay Mills Indian Community of Chippewa County, which is in Stupak's district.

Jeff Parker, the president of the tribe's executive council, said the agreement he and Granholm quietly signed on Nov. 13 was a crucial step.

"It's very important to have her support," he said.

Leaders back casino
Significantly, the governor's endorsement means the proposed casino has the backing of the political leaders who represent Port Huron in Lansing and Washington.

Along with Granholm, a Democrat, and Engler, a Republican, the proposal has been endorsed by Michigan's two senators, Democrats Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, whose district includes the city, co-sponsored Stupak's bill, as did Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., co-chairman of the Congressional Native American Caucus.

The casino also has the backing of the local legislative delegation, the Port Huron City Council and the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners. City voters gave their blessing in a 2001 referendum.

A final step - congressional and presidential approval of the land settlement - has proven elusive. Several bills have gone nowhere. There have been hearings in both the Senate and the House, but the issue has yet to come up for a vote before a congressional committee.

Hearing set for Feb. 6
That could change next month when the House Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to debate Stupak's bill.

Allyson Groff, the committee's communications director, said a specific date has not been finalized, but Larry Rosenthal of Ietan Consulting said the hearing will be Feb. 6.

Rosenthal, a former aide to Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Flint, is a lobbyist for the Saginaw Chippewa, whose casino in Mount Pleasant is Michigan's largest. The tribe is a vigorous opponent of the Port Huron proposal.

Rosenthal described the land-settlement deal as a ruse meant to circumvent a 15-year-old compact between Michigan's federally recognized tribes, which agreed they would not engage in off-reservation gaming unless all 12 tribes agreed. At least nine of the 12 tribes oppose the Port Huron proposal.

The Saginaw tribe includes descendants of the Blackwater River band, which had a 1,287-acre reservation from 1807 to 1836 in the frontier settlement that would become Port Huron.

"Those are the ancestral lands where the Saginaw Chippewa lived and died," Rosenthal said. "This is a scurrilous attempt to undermine the Michigan gaming compact and to undermine the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act."

MGM, Detroit oppose deal
Along with the Saginaw Chippewa, other powerful foes of the Port Huron proposal include gaming giant MGM Mirage, which operates a casino in Detroit, and the political delegations of both Detroit and Nevada.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said his city's three casinos have created nearly 10,000 jobs.

"These jobs meet the original goal that the people of the state of Michigan endorsed (in 1994) when the casinos were approved - economic self-sufficiency for Detroit," the mayor wrote in a letter to the congressional committee. "Any expansion of off-reservation gaming will not only compromise the economic strides that we've made, but will also contradict the will and intent of Michigan voters."

The mayor reportedly will be the first witness called at the Feb. 6 hearing, although Groff said she could not confirm that.

Two months ago, the 48-member House Natural Resources Committee was scheduled to debate and vote on casino proposals for Port Huron and Romulus. At the last moment, those votes were delayed, reportedly at the request of Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Detroit.

She is the mayor's mother and chairwoman of the influential Congressional Black Caucus. MGM Mirage is one of her most generous campaign supporters.

'Fair playing field'
Proponents describe the casino as a life buoy for Port Huron, which has experienced double-digit unemployment for several years. The city is one of the most economically depressed communities in Michigan, the state with the nation's highest jobless rate.

Port Huron also is the only community on the U.S.-Canadian border where a casino exists on the Canadian side without competition on the American shore.

In fact, there are two casinos across the St. Clair River. The Point Edward Charity Casino sits directly across from the Edison Inn, while Hiawatha Slots is part of a harness-racing complex in Sarnia.

The two Canadian casinos are operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission, which last week shared quarterly payments of $451,282 with Point Edward and $390,840 with Sarnia. The two communities have split about $40 million in gaming revenues in the past eight years.

"Our studies show that about 77% of that is American money," said Richard Cummings, president of the Michigan Machinists and a founding member of the Thomas Edison Casino Advisory Committee. "All we're asking for is a chance to compete on a fair playing field."

State's share rises
In a letter to the congressional committee, Granholm described the Port Huron casino as "a win-win for everyone involved."

Elaborating on that point, she added: "Approval of this settlement will resolve outstanding land claims potentially affecting 200 families in the eastern Upper Peninsula, provide thousands of new jobs in the struggling border community of Port Huron, provide revenue sources to assist the Bay Mills Indian Community in its efforts to become economically self-sufficient and provide much-needed funds to state and local governments."

Liz Boyd, the governor's press secretary, said Granholm would not have endorsed a Port Huron casino without the modifications to the 2002 agreement.

The new deal raises the state's share of so-called "net win" revenues from a flat 8% to a sliding scale of 9% to 13%, depending on how much business the casino does. "Net win" refers to the amount the casino takes in from slot machines and other electronic games, minus the amount paid out in winnings.

If the casino opens, the governor said her cash-strapped state would see its share of annual revenues increase by $20 million to $30 million, depending on how successful the facility is.

Local share is 2%
Boyd said payments also would be more stable than under the Engler deal, which subjected the state's share to possible termination if new gaming was allowed elsewhere. The agreement also provides the state with a share of revenues from Bay Mills' two existing casinos in Brimley, a resort town on Lake Superior.

Bay Mills also would be required to pay 2% of its net win to local governments. The tribe also could be asked to make other concessions.

St. Clair County's administrator, Shaun Groden, and Port Huron's city manager, Karl Tomion, said they are awaiting congressional action before negotiating with Bay Mills.

Both men have argued that congressional approval of a casino would be one way to offset the damage that seems inevitable if Homeland Security levels dozens of Port Huron homes and businesses to expand the border-inspection plaza.

Boyd said local governments have the option of creating a revenue-sharing board to receive and disburse casino funds, which are intended in part to compensate for lost property taxes.

Dispute dates to 1850s
The land-settlement deal resolves a dispute that dates to the 1850s, when Michigan Gov. Kinsley Bingham promised the Chippewas a 110-acre parcel on the St. Mary River. Despite that pledge, the property was seized by local officials for back taxes and sold off.

Today, dozens of families own property at Charlotte Beach, the disputed parcel. Under the terms of the settlement, the Indians are to surrender their claims to the 110 acres, giving clear title to the current property owners.

In exchange, the Chippewas are to receive reservations - land that will be held in trust for them by the Interior Department - in southeastern Michigan.

A complicating factor is that the Bay Mills band split from Michigan's largest tribe, the Sault Chippewa, in the late 1940s. Both tribes have claims to Charlotte Beach, and both agreed to settlements in exchange for casinos hundreds of miles from their reservations.

The Sault's deal with Engler, which also has been restructured by Granholm, allows the tribe to open a casino at one of three locations - Romulus, Flint or in Monroe County south of the River Raisin. The Sault's preference is a site near Metro Airport in Romulus.

2nd site is option
Under the 2002 deal, Bay Mills could build its casino only at the Thomas Edison Inn, a 12½-acre parcel adjacent to the Blue Water Bridge.

The new deal gives the tribe an alternative site - a 19.6-acre parcel at Desmond Landing. It amounts to about one-third of the acreage put together in the past decade by philanthropist James Acheson, who owns a mile of waterfront property on the St. Clair River between the mouth of the Black River and the Seaway Terminal

Casino developer Mike Malik said the Edison Inn remains the preferred site. He said he has an option to buy the inn and has made payments for several months to help keep its doors open.

"I have a considerable investment in the Edison Inn," he said.

Malik said Bay Mills asked the governor for an alternative site because of concerns that Homeland Security might oppose the construction of a high-rise hotel beside the bridge, one of the busiest crossings on the Canadian border.

A proposed $433 million expansion of the border-inspection plaza is expected to come up for final approval later this year. If the project goes forward as expected, it would mean five years of construction near the Edison Inn.

"We all have questions about what the federal government intends to do," Malik said.

'Nice, safe, fun city'
Malik is a Detroit native whose family moved to Clay Township when he was a youngster. He is a former Algonac city councilman and a business partner of billionaire Marian Ilitch, who owns the MotorCity Casino in Detroit. Her family holdings also include the Detroit Tigers, the Red Wings and Little Caesar's Pizza.

Ilitch supports the Port Huron casino but has said she is playing no role in its development.

If the casino opens, Malik stands to receive 30% of its revenues for seven years through a management contract with Bay Mills. In part, the money would reimburse him for start-up costs as well as the millions he already has invested in lobbying, legal, architectural and other expenses.

"Our biggest job is to get it up and running, and to pay the debts," Malik said. "I see Port Huron as a tourist destination, a great place to come for two or three hours to see the river and the boats. This is a nice, safe, fun city."

Doug Austin, executive vice president of Acheson Ventures, said negotiations with Bay Mills and Malik are ongoing.

"We still have questions," he said. "Nothing is resolved."

He said a promenade will be built from the Military Street drawbridge to the Seaway Terminal, a distance of more than a mile, to guarantee public access to the waterfront.

Austin also said any proceeds Acheson receives from the casino "will be pumped back into the community. ... The money will be used to pursue what our original stakeholders, the people who live on the south side (of the Black River), told us they wanted."

Bay Mills renews casino contract with Mike Malik through 2010

10.03.07

Tribe inks new deal with Blue Water Resorts, LLC

By Kalvin Perron
Staff Reporter

BAY MILLS - According to Bay Mills Indian Community Tribal Chairman Jeffrey Parker, the tribe and Blue Water Resorts, LLC have renewed their contract for a casino in Port Huron. The Bay Mills Executive Council approved the new arrangement on Monday, Sept. 24. The new contract will expire in 2010.

Parker said that the new contract is a consulting arrangement, whereas the previous one had been a management contract for five-years. Blue Water has been paying the monthly option on the property in Port Huron, the location of the Thomas Edison Inn, since 2002. Under the terms of the new contract Parker said the tribe would be able to pay back any money borrowed for the development of a casino in Port Huron in a 20 to 30 year time frame. Under the previous contract, the tribe would have had to pay back any money borrowed in five years, he added.

"Based on the compact we have, this could result in up to 48 million dollars for the tribe," Parker said. "There is a big difference between five years and 20 to 30."

Although the tribe recently signed a new contract, Parker is quick to point out that it does not mean a Port Huron casino is in the immediate future for Bay Mills. Because of the U.S. Trade and Intercourse Act, which states that tribes cannot dispose of property without an act of Congress, Parker said that Bay Mills would still need a settlement agreement with their land claim to Charlotte Beach to go through Congress.

But even though the odds of a settlement agreement making it through Congress unscathed may seem farfetched to some, Parker said recent developments have given him, and the tribe hope that it will happen soon.

"Senator Carl Levin has publicly supported our project," he said. "Levin, by virtue of his years of experience, gives some impetus to getting this done. We've now got both Senators from Michigan and both Congresspeople supporting this. That's something we've never had before."

And although he is excited that the tribe now has both Michigan Senators in Levin and Stabenow publicly supporting their project, Parker said Bay Mills would have never gotten this close to developing a casino in Port Huron had they not had the support of one certain member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Bart (Stupak) has been our champion all along," Parker said. "He has been very supportive, not just to the people in our tribe, but for the people in his district, for the benefit of everyone."

Jeff Parker, Bay Mills' plastics ventures rumored to be subject of FBI investigation

Several sources have contacted TheVerifiableTruth.com (TVT) to indicate that Mr. Jeff Parker, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community is under investigation by the FBI for white collar crimes associated with the various federally subsidized Bay Mills plastics enterprises.

Last year Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Carl Levin both annouced federal grants for the plastics enterprises totalling nearly $1 million. Both Stabenow and Levin are beneficiaries of political campaign funds contributed by Mr. Michael J. Malik and his frequent gaming partners Mike & Marian Ilitch. Malik reportedly "owns" 49% of the Bay Mills plastics enterprises.

For more than 15 years, Malik and members of the Ilitch Family have also backed plans for an off-reservation Bay Mills Indian casino 350 miles from the reservation in Port Huron, Michigan. The casino proposal is to be heard by the House of Representatives' Natural Resources Committee this coming Thursday (11/15). The tribe has two casinos on its Brimley, Michigan reservation.

It has been reported to TVT that during the recent Bay Mills Indian Community election cycle, Mr. Parker's opponents circulated flyers with details about the FBI investigation but TVT has not received copies of any such flyers.

Anyone with additional knowledge of this rumored FBI investigation, or possessing documents related to the investigation, or which can confirm or verify the investigation, is encouraged to contact TVT confidentially at allverifiable@gmail.com.

So far Ilitch Family and Mike Malik have contributed $143,300 to federal campaign committees in 2007

Since January 1, 2007, Mike & Marian Ilitch and their children have contributed almost $90,000 to three federal campaign committees:

• $57,000 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee*
• $23,000 to the re-election campaign of Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
• $9,200 to the campaign committee of Rep. Candice Miller (D-MI 10th)

Their associate, casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr., has contributed $53,300 toward several federal campaign committees:

• $28,500 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
• $10,000 to the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee
• $4,600 to the campaign committee of Rep. Joe Knollenberger (D-MI 9th)
• $4,600 to the campaign committee of Rep. Candice Miller (D-MI 10th)
• $4,600 to the re-election campaign of Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
• $1,000 to the leadership PAC of Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

The Ilitches and Malik contributed $27,600 to Senator Carl Levin's re-election committee this spring; and then in July the Ilitches turned around and contributed $57,000 to the NRSC which the GOP could use trying to unseat Senator Levin in 2008.

*Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is the chairman of the NRSC. The Michigan senate seat held by Democratic Sen. Carl Levin is on the ballot in 2008. AZ, CA, FL, NV, NY are among states that do not have any senate seats up for election in 2008.

Sen. Stabenow, Rep. Miller help bring more powerful colleagues on board off-reservation casino bandwagon

click for Congressional Power Rankings Lists

Congress.org rates each current Member of Congress on various criteria that demonstrates power and the ability to be effective in Congress in 2007. This results in a Power Score that ranks members for overall power in each chamber of Congress.

Visit Congress.org to see a complete ranking. In the meantime, here's how a few of the congressional players stack up who are said to be involved on one side or the other of the Ilitch/Malik backed plans for an off-reservation casino in Port Huron, Michigan.

Senate
#1 Senator Harry Reid - said to be for
#8 Senator Carl Levin - for
#42 Senator Debbie Stabenow - for

House
#22 Rep. Nick Rahall - said to be for
#91 Rep. Bart Stupack - for
#118 Rep. Jerry Lewis - supportive of Bay Mills
#140 Rep. Don Young - for
#274 Rep. Mike Rogers - against
#401 Rep. Candice Miller - for

Although Stabenow and Miller appear to rank lowest within their respective chambers; they were easier marks for the Ilitch/Malik team (recipients/beneficiaries themselves of more than $200,000 in direct political contributions) and reportedly have been effective advocates introducing bills and bringing higher ranking members on board.

Michael Malik at epicenter manufacturing behind the scenes drama in Michigan’s remote Charlotte Beach subdivision.

Michael J. Malik, Sr. has been at the center of various plans to site a Bay Mills Indian Community off-reservation casino in a lucrative urban market for at least 15 years. Sites have included, downtown Port Horon, downtown Detroit’s Foxtown neighborhood; Port Huron Township; Auburn Hills; several other places, and back to Port Huron and the Thomas Edison Inn site. The tribe already has two casinos on its existing reservation lands in Brimley, Michigan.

The following six paragraphs are excerpted from Testimony previously prepared for and presented to the United States Congress, at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs:

"From its inception, the federal [Charlotte Beach land claims] case had the air of a collusive suit. The federal complaint was filed on October 18, 1996.

"On October 10, 1996 – barely a week before suit was filed – one James F. Hadley purchased land within the Charlotte Beach claim area [specifically 3819 S. 1 Cottage Rd., Barbeau, MI 49710]...

"A few months later, on March 19, 1997, Hadley, representing himself, entered into a settlement agreement with Bay Mills...

"Mr. Hadley just happened to own some land in Auburn Hills, a Detroit suburb that he was willing to give Bay Mills in return for clearing his title to the Charlotte Beach lands, and he was also willing to sell Bay Mills land adjacent to that Auburn Hills parcel. The settlement was conditioned upon the Secretary of the Interior taking the Auburn Hills land into trust. The district court entered a consent judgment incorporating the settlement terms on March 28, 1997…

"When it became apparent that the trust approval was not forthcoming, Bay Mills moved on to pursue a different casino site, and the consent judgment with Hadley was set aside on August 16, 1999…

"The district court dismissed the federal case on December 11, 1998. The 6th Circuit affirmed this decision."

Fast forward five years …

In August 2004, Michael J. Malik, Sr. and his attorney William Serwer organize MJM Charlotte Beach, LLC with Malik as the entity’s manager.

In early November 2004, MJM Charlotte Beach acquires the Hadley/Charlotte Beach lands quietly via quit claim from the Toledo, Ohio estate of James F. Hadley for the sum of $121,301.38. It's unclear what relationship Malik or Serwer had with Mr. Hadley or his family prior to this; but understanding Malik's longterm involvement with various Bay Mills casino proposals and Hadleys role in the proposed Auburn Hills casino site, it's likely they had some prior association.

Sometime the during the year following Malik/MJM Charlotte Beach acquisition of the Hadley/Charlotte Beach properties, the parties discovered an error in the 2004 deed transfer documents regarding future division of the property and in November 2005 the parties re-executed the deed transfer documents with corrections allowing for "six divisions" of the former Hadley/Charlotte Beach property.

Two months later, January 2006, Malik signs documents on behalf of MJM Charlotte Beach, LLC transferring ownership of the former Hadley/Charlotte Beach properties to James M. Reed and Beth E. Reed of Tulsa, Oklahoma for the simple sum of $1.00 (recall that a approximately 14 months earlier, Malik/MJM Charlotte Beach paid Hadley's estate $121,301.38 for the property).

As it turns out, James M. Reed is a partner in the Hall Estill law firm’s Tulsa office and his specialties include Antitrust & Trade Regulation, Real Estate and Class Action lawsuits among others. Previously Reed acted as lead counsel for an interstate gas transmission and supply company in the successful defense of claims brought against it by the City of Detroit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, resulting in a verdict and recovery for his client TXU Energy Retail Co. in the amount of $9.4 million.

The Hall Estill law firm has approximately 113 attorneys, in four offices (Tulsa & Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Washington, D.C.). The firms experitse includes Antitrust, Banking & Finance, Energy and Natural Resources, Indian Law, Oil & Gas, Real Estate and others.

Prior to forming MJM Charlotte Beach, Serwer and Malik also formed another entity, CB Property Investments, LLC in May 2002 which acquired and retains ownership of two additional parcels in the Charlotte Beach Subdivision; both with a site address at 3915 S. 1 Cottage Rd., Barbeau, MI 49710.

It is not clear what strategic advantage, game of leverage or other true purpose these acquisitions are intended to serve today or sometime down the road but you can be sure they aren't your routine specualtive real estate investments nor the place Malik plans to build his retirement home.

Given there's been some suggestion that the Bay Mills claims are no longer admissable in cout and that only the Saginaw Chippewa have retained the right to future court claims actions, perhaps it's as simple as being a troublesome property owner if and when the Saginaw Chippewa ever did attempt to exercise their legal rights to any land claims.

Or perhaps much like Mr. Hadley, Mr. Reed or CB Property Investments LLC will find a way to resolve some other land claims matter with the Bay Mills tribe that is admissable in Court by transferring land they own somewhere else (say, Port Huron perhaps) in exchange for resolving the Charlotte Beach dispute -- land the Tribe could take into trust for the purpose of gaming? Or perhaps there's some certain precious natural resource or long term development prospects associated with the Charlotte Beach property to which only a few today are privy.

Only time will tell. But given the players invovled, you can be sure it's some sort of complex scheme to create leverage, advantage and wealth.

Note: The preceding details about land titles come from documents obtained through various public records acquisitions. (You may request copies by contacting TVT at allverifiable@gmail.com)

Lawyers.com: Hall Estill Law Firm

List of Charlotte Beach Property Owners

Click on the 'labels' below to see a selection of earlier relavent posts.

Sen. Levin's decision to publicly support a Port Huron Casino is financially motivated

Indianz.com is reporting today:

"Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan) has decided to support H.R.2176, a bill that would authorize an off-reservation casino for the Bay Mills Indian Community.

"Levin had been neutral on the issue for several years. But says he was swayed by the economic development opportunities that would be created by the casino."

H.R. 2176 (Stupak) is the seventh attempt in as many years to get Congressional approval for a Bay Mills off-reservation casino. There has been little significant difference in the economic benefits anticipated from a casino between the seven bills and economic development arguments have been prominent every time considering unemployment rates in the greater Port Huron community are double digit.

It's absurd to think that such elementary economic development arguments in favor of a casino took a man of Levin's intellect, capacity and experience more than seven years to grasp.

So what's really different now from any other time in the last 7-8 years?

The past seven years, those bankrolling the plan for an off-reservation Bay Mills casino have contributed and raised hundreds of thousands for the political campaigns and pet causes of those with decision making authority and power in Congress but never Sen. Levin -- not until this year (March 2007) when they contributed and helped raise nearly $100,000 for Levin in one day.

In explaining what's been done additionally to pursuade Levin to move away from his long-held neutral position on the off-reservation casino, today the Port Huron Times Herald offered:

"Levin also has received financial support from casino backers. In the year's first quarter, which ended March 31, the senator received at least $100,000 in campaign contributions from more than 100 donors, including [Michael J.] Malik, pizza magnate Mike Ilitch and Port Huron philanthropist Jim Acheson."

After all, Sen. Levin did say "economic development opportunities" pursuaded him to finally throw his support behind the seven year old casino plan. Did he simply forget to mention it was his own economic circumstances that have been improved?

Sen. Levin announces support for Port Huron off-reservation casino in letter to city's Mayor

8.02.07

Levin support spurs casino hopes
Senator's backing could push vote in U.S. legislature

By MIKE CONNELL
Times Herald

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, who had been neutral on the issue of a casino in Port Huron, has switched course and thrown his support behind a proposed casino at the Thomas Edison Inn.

Casino advocates, who had sought the senator's backing for five years, hailed his decision.

"Hopefully, this will get us moving," said Wallace Evans, chairman of the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners. "We either have to get on with it or get off of it, but getting Carl's support is huge. (A casino) is a no-brainer as far as what we need to get things turned around in Port Huron."

Levin, a Democrat, is one of the most influential figures on Capitol Hill. He has served in the Senate since 1978 and is chairman of the powerful Armed Forces Committee.

He voiced his support in a letter to Mayor Alan Cutcher, who had written the senator July 10, a day after the Port Huron City Council passed a resolution on the topic.

"I have been neutral toward this proposal until now, given the number of casinos already in Michigan," Levin wrote. "However, your arguments are persuasive relative to the economic situation in Port Huron, coupled with the presence of the casino in Sarnia. In light of the unique situation, I will support the federal legislation introduced by Rep. Bart Stupak earlier this year allowing the Bay Mills project to proceed if it passes the House of Representatives."

Land swap dates to 2002
Stupak's bill, which was co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, calls for Congress to approve a deal made in August 2002 by former Gov. John Engler and the Bay Mills Chippewa band of the Upper Peninsula.

As part of the deal, Bay Mills surrendered its long-standing claim to property at Charlotte Beach, a 110-acre subdivision on the St. Mary's River south of Sault Ste. Marie. In exchange, Bay Mills would be allowed to buy the Edison Inn, create a reservation and build a casino and resort hotel.

The Engler-Bay Mills agreement does not require the approval of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as is normal for Indian-run casinos. However, it does require the approval of Congress and President Bush.

The council resolution of July 9, which was introduced by Councilwoman Laurie Sample-Wynn, called on Michigan's congressional delegation to support the agreement. It passed 6-0 with Councilman Jim Fisher abstaining.

Levin's letter was dated July 23. Cutcher, who has been on vacation, was back in town Wednesday, but efforts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.

Developers ready to build
Mike Malik, a former Algonac city councilman and a close associate of Detroit's wealthy Ilitch family, is spearheading the casino development. He has spent millions of dollars on lawyers and lobbyists in an effort to push the issue through Congress.

"Carl Levin on board with this project will be a great step forward," Malik said. "He's definitely a powerful force who can move this finally to fruition."

Malik said there has been no movement on the Stupak-Miller bill, which was introduced in early May. It remains in the House Natural Resources Committee, and its prospects are unclear. On Wednesday, a committee spokeswoman said nothing is on the schedule for the casino bill.

If the legislation ultimately is approved, Malik said casino developers are ready to begin construction.

"We've been ready for years," he added.

Past bills go nowhere
For five years, Levin had neither supported a Port Huron casino nor opposed it. His ambivalence was regarded as a problem by the casino's supporters because it made it easier for other lawmakers to thwart the project.

In 2002, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., blocked it in the Senate, where he is now the majority leader. He was concerned about the precedent of bypassing the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The bill was rewritten to address Reid's concerns, but it was killed in the House by U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, a retired FBI agent. Two years ago, another bid was stymied by former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, then the House majority leader.

Earlier this year, Miller said the proposal was languishing because it lacked the support of Levin and Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"If we had a united front, it would be much more helpful," she said.

Saginaw tribe has claim
Miller and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, have led the push for a Port Huron casino despite the strong opposition of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and other Detroit officials, who see it as a competitor to the three casinos in Michigan's largest city.

Levin is a Detroit native and a former president of the Detroit City Council.

The Port Huron casino also is opposed by the Saginaw Chippewa, whose casino at Mount Pleasant is the state's largest gambling facility. The Saginaw tribe argues it - and not Bay Mills - has an ancestral claim to Port Huron. The tribe includes descendants of the Black River and Swan Creek bands, who had reservations in St. Clair County from 1807 to 1836.

Supporters of a Port Huron casino argue it would be an economic boost for the city, which has a double-digit unemployment rate and one of the nation's highest rates of mortgage foreclosures. They also argue that gambling already exists in the larger community.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission operates its Port Edward Charity Casino directly across the St. Clair River from the Edison Inn. The commission also operates and manages more than 450 slot machines at the privately owned Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia.

City desperate for jobs
Richard Cummings, president of the Michigan Machinists Council, said Port Huron desperately needs the 2,500 to 3,000 jobs a casino is expected to produce. The city, faced with a deteriorating tax base and dwindling revenues, also expects to receive a share of the casino's net revenues.

Cummings formerly led the county AFL-CIO, which endorsed the casino ahead of a 2001 advisory vote where Port Huron voters endorsed the project. In return for its support, the AFL-CIO won a pledge that a casino would pay union wages.

"Sen. Levin has high seniority and is on some very important committees," Cummings said. "Sen. Stabenow has been working on this issue all along. With both senators working together, it's a very positive step in the right direction for Port Huron."

Cummings and Evans are among the community leaders who have traveled to Washington to lobby for the casino with Levin and other members of Michigan's congressional delegation.

Levin also has received financial support from casino backers. In the year's first quarter, which ended March 31, the senator received at least $100,000 in campaign contributions from more than 100 donors, including Malik, pizza magnate Mike Ilitch and Port Huron philanthropist Jim Acheson.

FEC Should look into why it is Marian Ilitch mascarades as a "Homemaker"

Among Senator Carl Levin's contributions from individuals whose employer/occupation is "N/A/HOMEMAKER":

18. ILITCH, MARIAN

3/30/2007 - $2,300.00
DETROIT, MI 48201
N/A / HOMEMAKER
[Contribution Record]
Transaction itemized by: FRIENDS OF SENATOR CARL LEVIN

19. ILITCH, MARIAN

3/30/2007 - $2,300.00
DETROIT, MI 48201
N/A / HOMEMAKER
[Contribution Record]
Transaction itemized by: FRIENDS OF SENATOR CARL LEVIN

Why in the world would Mrs. Marian Ilitch who along with here husband Mike Ilitch is co-owner of a $1.5 billion empire list herself as "homemaker" when she makes political contributions? Is it to avoid the amount of money totaling from Ilitch Holdings executives? This "homemaker" is same Marian Ilitch who is:

• vice chairwoman of Ilitch Holdings, Inc;


• co-founder of Little Caesars Pizza;


• co-owner of the Detroit Red Wings; and


• sole owner of Detroit's $1.1 billion MotorCity Casino.

You may want to review these posts:

• Marian Ilitch's various federal campaign contributions
• Do these people really believe Marian Ilitch is a "homemaker" or are they playing along with the game

Levin pulls big money for re-election

7.13.07

Senate Democrat hopes to demoralize potential foes with huge election war chest.

Gordon Trowbridge

Detroit News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Carl Levin raised almost $1.8 million for his re-election campaign in the second quarter of this year, a total likely to place him near the top of the list nationally among 2008 Senate candidates.

Of Senate candidates who have released figures for the second three months of the year, only Minnesota Democrat Al Franken raised more money in the quarter. The radio host and former "Saturday Night Live" performer collected $1.9 million in the quarter.

A summary of Levin's second-quarter fundraising report Thursday showed him with about $2.9 million in his campaign account at the end of June, also among the top figures for '08 contenders who have announced their totals.

At this point in the 2002 race -- his last re-election bid -- Levin, D-Detroit, had $1.3 million in cash on hand, less than half of his current total.

Federal candidates have until Sunday to file their second-quarter reports.

Levin announced his re-election campaign in January and began raising money earlier than in past cycles, telling supporters he wanted to dampen Republican hopes that a small campaign account at the start of the year would make him more vulnerable to a challenger. Top-tier Republicans such as U.S. Reps. Candice Miller of Harrison Township and Mike Rogers of Brighton have declined to challenge Levin, and national analysts rank his seat among the safest Democratic Senate seats in 2008.

Former state lawmaker Andrew Raczkowski, who lost to Levin in 2002, has expressed interest in running again. Levin won that race with 61 percent of the vote, to 38 percent for Raczkowski. Levin has been in the Senate since 1979.

You can reach Gordon Trowbridge at (202) 662-8738 or gtrowbridge@detnews.com

Port Huron Columnist provides measured Q&A on Bay Mills casino circumstances

7.08.07

New attempt at casino bill is perseverance at its best

By MIKE CONNELL
Times Herald

Seven hundred years ago, the king of Scotland was on the run, his army routed by the English for a sixth time.

The king, if legend is to be believed, took shelter in a shanty on an island off the coast of Ireland, where he watched a spider try to cast its web from one beam to another. Six times the spider tried, and six times it failed. Then, on the seventh try, it succeeded.

Robert the Bruce, as the king was known, took heart, resumed the fight and won freedom for Scotland in a seventh battle.

Fable or fact, it's a wonderful tale of patience and perseverance. I was reminded of it last week when I learned that U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, has introduced yet another bill to allow the Bay Mills Indian Community develop a casino at the Thomas Edison Inn.

Six past bills - five in the House and one in the Senate - have failed for a variety of reasons. The question now is whether the casino developers, like the Scottish king, will be rewarded for their patience and perseverance, not to mention millions of dollars in legal and lobbying costs.

Here's a look at the issue in question-and-answer format:

Question: What is the status of the latest measure?
Answer: Stupak's bill (H.R. 2176) was introduced May 3 without fanfare and referred to the House Natural Resources Committee, which has taken no action. The measure is co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, whose district includes Port Huron.

Q: Are congressional hearings likely?
A: No requests for a hearing had been made as of midday Friday. There may not be much left to say. On June 24, 2004, the same committee held a hearing on a similar bill introduced by Miller.

Q: What happened then?
A: The bill ultimately was blocked by House Majority Leader Tom Delay, R-Texas, a close friend of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Saginaw Chippewas, who strongly oppose a Bay Mills casino in Port Huron, earlier had paid Abramoff about $14 million.

Q: Who supports the casino?
A: Mike Malik, a Detroit-based casino syndicator, is orchestrating the effort. The Bay Mills Indian Community of the Upper Peninsula would own it. Port Huron City Council has signed off on the idea, and city voters gave their blessings in an advisory vote six years ago. The measure passed, 3,111 to 2,628.

Q: What's in it for Port Huron?
A: Money and jobs. The city's unemployment rate was 12.1% in April, and that statistic doesn't count jobless workers whose benefits have run out. Promoters say the casino and an adjoining 300-room resort hotel would provide 2,000 to 3,000 jobs. In 2001, voters were promised those jobs would pay union wages.

Voters also were assured the casino would share 5% of its net revenues with the city and 3% with the United Way. If net revenues are $100 million a year, which seems conservative based on revenues at Point Edward, that's $5 million for the city and $3 million for the United Way. Reportedly, the county has been promised a 2% share.

It's interesting to look at literature distributed to voters by pro-casino forces six years ago. They predicted the city would desperately need the additional $5 million a year to pay for its $185 million sewer project. They also predicted McMorran Place would need $12 million in renovations by 2011. Those predictions have come to pass.

Q: Are these shares guaranteed in writing?
A: I don't believe so. Lansing's agreement with Bay Mills does guarantee the state 8% of proceeds from slot machines and other electronic gaming devices.

Q: What is Bay Mills?
A: It's a Chippewa (or Ojibwa) band of about 1,500 people based in Brimley, a town near Sault Ste. Marie. The band tried unsuccessfully to develop a casino at the old Sears building in downtown Port Huron in 1993.

Q: What is the state's agreement with Bay Mills?
A: In 2002, three months before he left office, Gov. John Engler approved a deal letting the tribe develop a casino in Port Huron in exchange for dropping its long-standing claim to 110 acres at Charlotte Beach about 15 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie.

The Soo, a much larger Chippewa band with about 31,000 members, also claimed title to the property. On the day he left office, Engler signed off on a deal giving the Soo (or Sault) the right to develop a casino in Flint, Monroe or Romulus. The Soo chose a site near Metro Airport in the latter city.

Q: Didn't Engler oppose casino gambling?
A: Yes. For years, he was outspoken in his opposition.

Q: Then why would he allow a casino in Port Huron?
A: Former U.S. Rep. David Bonior, a Democrat who represented Port Huron during the Engler years, said the governor was persuaded by fair-trade arguments.

Testifying at a Senate hearing in 2002, Bonior explained: "Port Huron, I would note, is the only U.S-Canadian border crossing in Michigan without a casino to compete. Residents in Port Huron have for years watched as residents of Michigan, about about 5,000 a day, simply cross the Blue Water Bridge with their money to the gaming facility which is located right across the bridge on the river."

Q: Who is Mike Malik and what is his role?
A: He is a Clay Township native who has become wealthy as a close associate of the Ilitch family. In fact, he works out of the Ilitches' offices at the Fox Theatre complex in Detroit.

Malik is the fellow who makes things happen, whether it's hiring lobbyists and lawyers or drumming up local support. He also guided the unsuccessful 1993 effort to place a Bay Mills/Harrah's casino in Port Huron.

For at least 15 years, he has sought to develop a huge marina on Harsens Island. His latest proposal appears to be coordinated with efforts by Matty Moroun, the billionaire owner of the Ambassador Bridge, to build a toll bridge connecting the island and Algonac. Malik and Moroun are next-door neighbors on the lakefront in posh Grosse Pointe Shores.

Q: Who opposes the casino?
A: They tend to fall in three camps - those who oppose gambling in general, those who fear a Port Huron casino would set a bad legal precedent and those who benefit from rival casinos.

Q: And who benefits?
A: You might start with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, whose city is home to three casinos just 60 miles from Port Huron. He has been a fierce and tenacious opponent. The Saginaw Chippewas, who own a casino in Mount Pleasant, and the Grand Traverse Band, who operate a casino near Traverse City, also have been outspoken foes. In fact, nine of Michigan's 12 federally recognized Indian bands are on record as opposing the Bay Mills/Port Huron project.

As an aside, that's why developer Tony DeFeo's proposal for a casino in Kimball Township seems so far-fetched. His plan requires the approval of all 12 tribes. It's difficult to imagine that happening, although quite a few investors have placed $100,000 bets that it will.

Q: What is the concern about a legal precedent?
A: The Port Huron casino involves the settlement of a land claim. The deal was approved at the state level by Engler. If it's approved by Congress and President Bush, construction could begin within weeks. It circumvents the usual process outlined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which requires an environmental review and other approvals by the Interior Department.

Also, critics say it's absurd for the Bay Mills band to establish a tribal reserve in Port Huron, which is more than 300 miles from Brimley.

Q: But wasn't there a Chippewa reservation in Port Huron at one time?
A: Yes, 200 years ago - in November 1807 - area tribes agreed to sell their lands south of White Rock in Huron County. As part of the treaty, the Mekadewagamitigweyawininiwak - or "people of the black water river" - were given title to 1,287 acres on the south bank of the Black River in what is now Port Huron. The band sold its reservation about 30 years later.

Today, the descendants of the Indians who lived here are part of the Saginaw band, which opposes the casino.

A bit of trivia: Mekadewagamitigweyawininiwak - a 28-letter tongue-twister - is the longest Indian word recorded in the Handbook of American Indians: North of Mexico, a definitive study of Native Americans compiled a century ago by anthropologist Frederick Webb Hodge of the Smithsonian Institute.

Q: Won't a casino bring crime with it?
A: U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, a retired FBI agent who in April 2004 blocked an amendment for casinos in Romulus and Port Huron, is among those who believe it will. Others disagree and argue a casino is more likely to reduce crime by creating jobs and bolstering the local economy.

In a 2001 memo, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley reported only 13 police calls in the previous six months at Hiawatha Horse Park and Entertainment Centre. Point Edward's casino, directly across the river from the Edison Inn, has reported no major problems with crime.

Sarnia and Point Edward have vibrant economies, and gambling seems to have generated jobs and revenues as promised with no adverse effect on crime rates.

Q: Why not develop a casino downtown or on the Acheson property instead of at the Edison Inn?
A: Port Huron voters approved locating the casino anywhere within the city limits, but the agreement made with Engler in August 2002 limits Bay Mills to the Edison Inn parcel. Changing the site would require the tribe to negotiate with Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a former Wayne County administrator with close ties to Mayor Kilpatrick and his family. That seems neither prudent nor likely.

Q: What happens next with the bill?
A: It's hard to say with certainty. It could be attached to a larger piece of legislation. From Port Huron's perspective, it helps that the leaders of the Natural Resources Committee - Rep. Nick Joe Rahall, D-W.Va., and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska - strongly support it.

Q: Why is that?
A: They argue it's a local issue. In the 2004 hearing, Rahall and Young made it clear that outsiders should not be allowed to overrule Congresswoman Miller in deciding what is best for her district.

At one point, Young told Rogers: "It appears to me, with 20 casinos in Michigan, it is those that have the casinos now (who) are ganging up against those that do not have and saying this in an inappropriate thing to do. And to me, that is really not quite cricket."

Q: What is the prospect of Senate approval?
A: U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, has been a strong supporter. She has said a casino might help compensate the city for the tax base and population losses likely from the proposed half-billion-dollar expansion of the bridge customs plaza.

U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, one of the most influential figures on Capital Hill, has not opposed the casino, but he has not agreed to sponsor the measure either. To Washington insiders, that suggests his support is lukewarm at best.

Larry Thornton, a retired official with the railroad carmen's union, recently wrote Levin and asked the senator to help get the bill to the president's desk. Thornton argued St. Clair County desperately needs the jobs.

In his response, Levin seemed ambivalent. His letter closed with this passage:

"I believe decisions regarding gaming should be made at the local level, through city or county resolutions where the voices of those who would be directly affected by the final decision can be heard. At the same time, lawmakers at both the state and federal level must not overlook the fact that Michigan has the second largest number of casinos in the U.S. Should this rate persist, the market in Michigan will become so saturated that the economic benefits which result from tribal gaming initiatives will be lost."


Mike Connell is a columnist for the Times Herald. He can be reached at (810) 989-6259 or mconnell@gannett.com