Still more votes have been counted in Barstow but the race for Mayor remains unchanged

For at least the fourth time since election day (11.04.08), the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters has updated the count of votes cast. In the week since election day, another 660 votes have been counted and added to the race for Mayor of Barstow. While the total vote count for each of the Mayoral candidates has increased during this period, the outcome remains the same. The Registrar anticipates another update at the end of the work day on Monday, 11.17.08. But for now, here are the most recent numbers:

Joe Gomez (Mayor-elect)
2405 votes (45.51%)

Lawrence Dale (incumbent)
1904 votes (36.03%)

Nathaniel Pickett
975 votes (18.45%)

In the race to fill two open City Council seats left vacant by the departures of Councilman Steve Curran and Gomez, candidates Tim Saenz and Carmen Hernandez hold onto their narrow leads:

Timothy Saenz
1861 votes (20.79%)

Carmen Hernandez
1826 votes (20.40%)

Willie Hailey, Sr.
1801 votes (20.12%)

Richard Villegas
1420 votes (15.86%)

Herchel Deaton
695 votes (7.76%)

Marvin Ellis
689 votes (7.70%)

Manuel Gurule
659 votes (7.36%)

San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters: 2008 Presidential Election Results

Barstow Mayor fails in re-election bid despite campaign help from Michigan casino interests

Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale appears to have been defeated in his re-election bid, losing to first-term City Councilman Joe Gomez.

Approximately an hour after the polls closed last night, the Desert Dispatch reported that "Early results favor Dale for mayor." But, while Dale won among absentee voters (typically the first ballots counted after the polls close), throughout the course of the evening, as the Registrar of Voters continued to count ballots, Gomez played catch-up and at the time this post was updated, the Semi-Final Results posted on the Registrar's Web site indicate Gomez has eclipsed Dale's early lead and is ahead now by more than 450 votes:

Joe D. Gomez (Mayor-elect)
2385 votes (45.72%)

Lawrence E. Dale (defeated incumbent)
1886 votes (35.99%)

Nathaniel H. Pickett
969 votes (18.49%)

According to reports in the Desert Dispatch, Dale outspent Gomez by margins of 4-to-1 and had hoped to benefit from a last minute wave of direct mail and robocall attacks paid for by a so-called "grassroots" group that is a front for the Michigan casino interests behind BarWest LLC.

Since Dale was first elected in 2000, he had championed Indian gaming in Barstow; however, throughout his tenure he used his mayoral powers and resorted to other extreme measures to guarantee Detroit-based BarWest would have the exclusive rights to develop any Indian casino that would be built in Barstow. Dale often battled with Gomez and other Council members as he was relentless in his attempts to block proposals by any other casino developers.

Arguably, Barstow's economy has been struggling for a generation. Dale inherited the problem but has realized little to improve things. Unfortunately, the economic development plans he hatched during his first term as Mayor had a BarWest Casino Resort as the cornerstone. And eight years later, despite false hopes and promises made to voters by Dale and BarWest over and over again, BarWest repeatedly hit road blocks, failing to get the necessary state and federal approvals for its various schemes.


originally posted 11.05.08 @ 7:46 AM; ballot counts were updated @ 12:22 PM ; ballot counts updated again on 11.10.08 when the Registrar of Voters posted another 622 votes in the race (% outcomes virtually unchanged).

Group controlled by Michigan casino interests launches dishonest robo-calls to influence Barstow elections

A so-called local grassroots campaign committee managed and funded by Michigan casino interests has launched dishonest robocalls into Barstow in an attempt to influence the outcome of Tuesday's local election for Mayor. These are the same kinds of sleazy underhanded tactics that have been used to spread lies and half-truths suggesting that Barrack Obama is really a terrorist or affiliated with Osama Bin Laden.

The pre-recorded robocall messages attempt to blame Barstow Councilman Joe Gomez for the failure by BarWest, a Detroit casino syndicator, to get a casino approved in Barstow. The caller says Gomez told legislators in Sacramento that Barstow didn’t want a casino and is responsible for losing 2,000 jobs in Barstow. That’s simply not true. Gomez’s testimony in Sacramento included no such statement. (See Transcripts). Rather, Gomez is the only candidate for Mayor of Barstow who has supported multiple competing proposals for casino development in Barstow -- not just the schemes by BarWest.

However, Gomez is challenging two-time incumbent Mayor Lawrence Dale, a politician who, since first elected in 2000, has worked tirelessly to guarantee BarWest the exclusive rights to any future casino development in Barstow. In fact, informed observers believe Dale is one of those to be held accountable for the failure to bring a casino to Barstow. Dale has repeatedly taken action to block proposals by other casino developers at all costs. Among other things, he's been called out for violating residents' first-ammendment rights, using his title and City letterhead to represent his personal interests and holding secretive meetings. The transcripts from the Legislative Hearing in question suggest that Mayor Dale's testimony may have been the most damaging to the plans for a casino.

Reports and court documents indicate the political campaign committee responsible for the robocalls, Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development, is a front group for BarWest.

In 2006, the Committee reported spending close to $200,000 in an unprecedented attempt to influence elections in Barstow; yet it reported raising less than $48,000. Of the money it raised, $40,000 (83%) came in checks from two BarWest principals Michael Malik & Marian Ilitch.

Since the June 2006 Election Primary, the Committee hasn’t reported raising any additional funds and has continued to show a debt of close to $150,000. The debt is the result of close to $150,000 paid in 2006 to vendors and consultants on behalf of the Committee by BarWest operative Tom Shields and his Lansing-based firm Marketing Resources Group (MRG).

Nearly 2.5 years later the Committees’ debt to Shields (MRG) has gone un-reimbursed. And now the Committee is engaging in new expenses.

Was Shields "reimbursed” by unreported sources and if so, who's paying the bills? Is Shields acting as creditor/lender to the Committee? Is the Committee really a "controlled committee" and if so did it fail to appropriately disclose that fromthe beginning?It's naive to think Shields (MRG), an experienced nationally recognized GOP operative, spent $150,000 on behalf of some grassroots committee in Barstow and won't get "paid back."

This isn't the first time those affiliated with BarWest have engaged in sleazy and even unlawful campaign activity. For more than a year and half, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has been investigating the lobbying and campaign finance practices of BarWest and its principal Michael Malik. BarWest was previously fined by the FPPC for failing to disclose a $26,600 contribution it made to a GOP Committee in San Joaquin.

Barstow Mayor refers to opponent as "The Mexican"

Apparently olitical name calling isn't reserved exclusivly for the Presidential candidates ...

Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale, must stand for re-election next Tuesday. Dale, a 72 year-old Kansas native, moved to Barstow in 1975 as an employee of BNSF Railroad. A registered Republican, He was first elected Mayor in 2000 when he defeat incumbent Mayor Katy Yslas-Yent. This election cycle Dale is faced with two opponents.

Locals believe Barstow Councilman Joe Gomez, a Democrat, is a formidable opponent and is the one candidate who could defeat Dale in his bid for re-election. Gomez was elected to the Barstow City Council in 2004. He was born and raised in Barstow. But despite knowing that, Mayor Dale has been overheard publicly referring to Gomez derogatorily as "The Mexican."

When a local community activist confronted Dale about his racist reference at a City Council meeting, Dale simply ignored the activist and failed to defend or deny the charges.

NOTE: Approximately 36% of Barstow's residents are Latino/Hispanic; while 43% are White.

Watch Clip Below

Barstow Mayor and Detroit Casino Syndicator under investigation; their casino plans dead in Sacramento

Both the Big Lagoon Rancheria and the Los Coyotes Indian tribes have terminated their Sacramento lobbying contracts. And while Barwest LLC engaged Governmental Advocates, Inc. last Spring; the firm, previously engaged by the two tribes, has not reported any payments from BarWest for lobbying activity this year.

This appears to suggest that all efforts in Sacramento to advance a Barstow casino have ceased.

It's reported that the BarWest double billboard, erected at one time on property the Detroit casino syndicators reportedly control in Barstow, has fallen into extremem disrepair and stands as an icon for the state of the Barstow casino project.

Barstow's Mayor Lawrence Dale stands for re-election next month. For the last eight years the Mayor has made the BarWest casino the cornerstone of his plans for economic development in the declining desert town. Now that the casino appears to be dead, what does the Mayor propose to turn around the local economy?

For nearly 19 months, the lobbying and campaign finance reporting practices of BarWest and its principal Michael J. Malik, Sr., have been under investigation in Sacramento. BarWest and its principles injected nearly $200,000 into local Barstow politics in recent years -- that's more than had been spent on politics in Barstow for the entire second half of the 20th Century.

Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale is reportedly under investigation by the San Bernardino County District Attorney.

BNSF retiree helps railroad secure funding as Mayor of Barstow

from the BNSF's Barstow LMIT employee newsletter, December 2002

Lenwood Road grade separation study coming

Despite state budget shortfalls, funds remain intact to conduct a grade separation study of the BNSF tracks at Lenwood Road. Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale, retired director LMIT, said the city’s portion of the study will be $50,000.

Preliminary work began with review of access needs for nearby businesses and residents. The study will reveal whether an overpass or an underpass will be most efficient for traffic flow. Dale said he was pleased the project moved ahead even when many similar studies in Southern California were eliminated due to budget constraints.

Completion of the study will occur sometime next year, Dale said.

You may also want to review these related posts:

• Barstow likely to lose fifth city manager in four years; Mayor blamed
• Did earmarks guarantee exclusive casino developmen...
• Federal Earmark: Lenwood Road Grade Separation, Ba...
• Barstow's Official 2008 Lobbying Priorities
• Did Wal-Mart & Detroit casino financiers influence...
• Members of Congress aren't the only elected officials flying around in the private aircraft of Detroit casino syndicators
• Barstow Industrial Park LLC acquires property with a $22,500,000 mortgage

Barstow's Mayor & his aide artificially inflate real estate values to benefit pals

In late 2000, Lawrence Dale defeated Barstow's incumbent Mayor Katy Yslas-Yent. Dale had never ran for political office but was a very loyal retiree of BNSF Railroad and a candidate of the local good ol' boys -- the Barstow area's establishment ... businessmen who've controlled things in Barstow for years and who meet every morning in Leonard Purdy's auto garage at Barstow Tire & Break.

In 2001, Dale immediately hired Ron Rector as Economic Development Director for the City of Barstow. Rector was previously executive director of a failed Hi-Desert economic development consortium.

While the turn over at Barstow City Hall has been unusually high since Dale's been Mayor; Ron Rector, despite his failure to make any measureable progress in Barstow's economic development the last seven years, has remained on the payroll.

Since 2001, Dale & Rector have used their positions to manufacture circumstances that articially inflate property values to the advantage of the local land speculators, some of whom are among the contingent of those who meet each morning for coffee and Purdy's garage.

In particular, Dale & Rector have unfairly helped their friends obtain land in tax foreclosure and bankruptcy for pennies on the dollar -- land their friends flipped to wealthy investors from outside the area for thousands more than they paid.

They've promoted public works projects that require state agencies to acquire land at inflated prices owned by their pals.

Frequently involved in their schemes are real estate broker Joseph W. Brady and real estate syndicator Quang Pham (or Pham Quang). Also involved are Santa Clarita-based intimates of Rep. Buck McKeon including Hunt Braly.

Since 2003, Dale & Rector have used the city's PR machine to suggest that Barstow would be home to a casino resort and a large Wal-Mart distribution center, plus large-scale residential real esate developments among other things -- but nothing ever materializes.

These projects have yet to be built, let alone break ground -- and in fact, the casino project has been turned down multiple times in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. There has been no official word from the Wal-Mart corporation on the future of the 1 million square feet distribution center.

But the Mayor's continued promotion of these two projects has grossly inflated land values in and around Barstow to the benefit of the Mayor's friends. And among others, the business partners and family members of Barstow City Councilman Steve Curran have benefited financially from artificially inflated real estate sales prices.

In 2006, an entity known as Barstow Industrial Park LLC acquired land from Overland Lenwood LTD near the proposed Wal-Mart facility and took out a $22.5 million mortgage to do so. The same property had a previous assessed value of just $2.8 million. Property in Barstow generally ranges from $5,000 - $25,000 and acre.

In 2004, Quang Pham (or Pham Quang), with the City's help, obtained land through tax sale for pennies on the dollar and then one year later sold it to Irvine-based National Trails Properties LLC for nearly $7.3 million. The property's assessed value is only $1.2 million.

And Dale has served as lobbyists for BNSF. Dale's made frequent trips to BNSF headquarters in Kansas & Texas but never reported any gifts or travel paid for by BNSF; and Dale's used his official capacity and title as Mayor lobbying on Capitol Hill for BNSF's benefit. It's not clear if the Barstow City Council ever officially gave Dale the authority to lobby on BNSF's behalf.

You may also want to review these related posts:

• Barstow likely to lose fifth city manager in four years; Mayor blamed
• Did earmarks guarantee exclusive casino developmen...
• Federal Earmark: Lenwood Road Grade Separation, Ba...
• Barstow's Official 2008 Lobbying Priorities
• Did Wal-Mart & Detroit casino financiers influence...
• Members of Congress aren't the only elected officials flying around in the private aircraft of Detroit casino syndicators

Advertorial: Barstow's Economic Development Schemes

The following is advertorial paid for by Barstow Economic Development Department and published in September 2007.



The City of Barstow: the Crossroads of Opportunity

Location is everything when it comes to goods movement, and Barstow is one of the premier transportation centers in the U.S. With Interstates and other highways all converging in the city, the area has become a natural location for the trucking industry. Barstow is also home to the largest rail yard west of Kansas City. The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are about 150 miles from the city, and freight arriving at the ports is quickly off-loaded and sent via rail along the Alameda Corridor to Barstow for efficient distribution to the western United States.

Since the 2005 announcement that Wal-Mart was planning to build a distribution center in Barstow Industrial Park, the 2006 decision to include the park in the Barstow Enterprise Zone, and the announcement of a rail spur coming in early 2008, the city has seen increasing interest from developers and corporations.

Formerly an agricultural site, the 1,200-acre Barstow Industrial Park is flat, has no known environmental issues, and all utilities are currently extended to the site. With its strategic access to major highways, airports, railways, and deep-water ports, the Barstow Industrial Park is an ideal site for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution activities.

Because the park is located within the Barstow Enterprise Zone, park tenants have access to special incentives designed to encourage business investment and promote the creation of new jobs through tax incentives. Other state incentives for businesses locating in the Barstow Industrial Park include the Barstow Recycling Market Development Zone, Foreign-Trade Sub-Zone #243, and employment training assistance.

The Barstow area also offers an abundant labor force of approximately 120,000 workers [NOTE: the population of Barstow is only 23,000]. Nearby community colleges and universities provide specialized training opportunities for workers. Currently, 60,000 Barstow area residents commute daily to jobs outside the area. This qualified workforce is available at wages 10% to 20% below the prevailing wages in most of Southern California.

Valmont Newmark International cited Barstow’s numerous strategic advantages and its business-friendly attitude as the reason it selected the Barstow Industrial Park as the location to build its 84,000-square-foot manufacturing facility for spun pre-stressed concrete poles.
Barstow currently has an abundance of low-cost, available land.

To find out how you can join the building excitement at the “Crossroads of Opportunity,” contact Ron Rector, economic development director for the city of Barstow at: 760-255-5106 or rrector@barstowca.org.

You may also want to review these related posts:

• Did earmarks guarantee exclusive casino developmen...
• Federal Earmark: Lenwood Road Grade Separation, Ba...
• Barstow's Official 2008 Lobbying Priorities
• Did Wal-Mart & Detroit casino financiers influence...

Barstow Industrial Park LLC acquires property with a $22,500,000 mortgage

According to records available from various San Bernardino County agencies, on 12.18.06 an entity known as Barstow Industrial Park LLC acquired from another entity, Overland Lenwood LTD, approximately 26 parcels of land (see: parcel map) within the 1,200-acre Barstow Industrial Park (adjacent to the BNSF railroad tracks and within one mile of a public works project financed in part by federal earmarks and known as the "Lenwood Road Grade Separation").

Records indicate there is a $22,500,000 mortgage with Guaranty Bank FSB on the properties. Overland Lenwood LTD made a killing on the sale of the property.

According to records available on the San Bernardino County Property Information Management System the 26 properties had a previous total assessed value of $2,841, 914 in 2006 when they were owned by Overland Lenwood LTD but after they were sold to Barstow Industrial Park LLC the properties were assessed at a total value of $15,060,000 -- a 530% increase in assessed value after the property changed hands. Although the City of Barstow's web site indicates land in the Barstow Industrial Park is zoned M-1 Light Industrial, San Bernardino County's Property Information Management System indicates much of the property is "agricultural" which tends to carry a lower valuation.

• Barstow Industrial Park LLC is a Delaware corporation with an address at 515 SOUTH FIGUEROA ST, STE 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90071. The entity's California agent is noted as Murad M. Siam. The entity registered in California on 10.16.06.
  


• Overland Lenwood LTD is a California Limited Partnership with a one-time address at 147 EAST OLIVE AVE. , MONROVIA, CA 91016. The entitiy's agent was noted as Andrew Hsu located at 18725 E. GALE AVE, STE 233, INDUSTRY, CA 91748. The entity registered in 1994 and has since been cancelled. Numerous other "Overland" or Hi-Desert related property owners are located at the Monrovia address.

On 2.17.05 the City of Barstow issued a press release regarding the Barstow Industrial Park and Walmart which included the following:

"From its corporate offices in Bentonville, Ark., Wal-Mart announced today that it plans to build and operate a food distribution center in the area known as the Barstow Industrial Park. Construction on the 880,000-sq.-ft. facility, encompassing 160 acres in the industrial park just north of where Valmont-Newmark is located, is planned to begin in late 2006 with service to stores beginning in 2008. The company announced that some 500 full-time jobs, providing competitive wages, initially will be created. That number could grow to 700 within the first three years."

No progress on a Walmart project are obvious in the Barstow Industrial Park despite pubic assertions by Barstow's Mayor Lawrence Dale; however, Barstow Industrial Park LLC appears to have paid more than premium prices for the land it acquired in 2006. An investment of $22.5 million on property that was previously assessed at $2.5 would have to come with some have some guarantees for the new owners. Somebody was a big winner in this transaction. And somebody(ies) intend to make even more if they were willing to overpay for the property to the tune of $22.5 million.


You may also want to review these related posts:

• Did earmarks guarantee exclusive casino developmen...
• Federal Earmark: Lenwood Road Grade Separation, Ba...
• Barstow's Official 2008 Lobbying Priorities
• Did Wal-Mart & Detroit casino financiers influence...

Originally posted 12.04.07.

Ilitch casino frontmen doing damage control again

Marian Ilitch's casino frontmen are at it again.

Before news could reach Barstow that U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has issued a new ruling indicating off-reservation casinos must be within a 25-mile radius from an Indian tribe's headquarters, Ilitch's Lansing-based PR man Tom Shields and Shane Chapparosa, a member of the Los Coyotes Band of Indians, made an appearance before the Barstow City Council to "unveil" their third plan in five years for a casino in the Mojave Desert town.

There are several acceptions to the new 25-mile rule but it does not appear that the Los Coytes Band of Indians who are headquartered in north eastern San Diego County, more than a 150 mile drive from Barstow, meet any of those exceptions.

Using such tactics to head-off bad news during Barstow's local election campaign cycles have become a strategic political mainstay for Ilitch political strategist Tom Shields.

Barstow's Mayor Lawrence Dale has guaranteed exclusivity to BarWest since his early in his first term and has taken extreme political measures on BarWest's behalf. BarWest principals and agents may have helped Dale secure federal earmarks for his other pet projects from Rep. Don Young and others.

Dale was first elected to office in November 2000 when he upset the incumbent Mayor. He was re-elected again in 2004 and is running for a third term as Mayor in November. Each time he's pledged to make economic development his top priority for the Desert town and the failed BarWest casino resort has been the cornerstone of his plans.

Ilitch and a partner, Detroit-based casino syndicator Michael Malik, formed BarWest and using that entity have been pursuing plans for a Barstow casino since 2001. They made their first plans public in 2003. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger denied their first plan in 2004. The California Legislature failed to ratify a second proposal during back-to-back legislative sessions in 2006 & 2007. The U.S. Department of Interior rejected the second proposal in 2008 after kicking off an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) three years earlier.

You may want to review these related posts:

• Did earmarks guarantee exclusive casino development rights for Young's pal?
• Did Wal-Mart & Detroit casino financiers influence Young's support for Barstow earmark?
• Young used a generic highway earmark as vehicle to slip through approval of Michigan Indian casino

Barstow's Official 2008 Lobbying Priorities

The Desert Dispatch reported these 2008 lobbying priorities as set by Mayor Lawrence Dale and his Barstow City Council:

State Lobbying Priorities

• Funding for the Lenwood Road grade separation project
• Assistance with the proposed destination resort or casino
• Provide continued funding to the Veterans Home of California in Barstow

• Support the widening of State Highway 58
• Support Barstow’s military bases and their role in the Department of Defense
• Review any legislation or administrative actions affecting water issues in the Mojave River Basin

Federal Lobbying Priorities

• Funding for the city’s sewer master plan

-- 2005 Earmark $240,000

-- 2007 Earmark $500,000

• Funding for the Lenwood Road grade separation project

-- 2005 Earmark $1.2 million
• Provide continued funding to the Veterans Home of California in Barstow

• Support Barstow’s military bases and their role in the Department of Defense
• Review any legislation or administrative actions affecting water issues in the Mojave River Basin

Did Wal-Mart & Detroit casino financiers influence Young's support for Barstow earmark?

The Desert Dispatch has reported an update on the plans to build a one-million square foot Wal-Mart Distribution Center is Barstow, CA. As disclosed in the Desert Dispatch, Wal-Mart's regional warehouse for both dry and frozen goods will be built along Lenwood Road north of Jasper Road and southeast of the High Desert Estates housing area in Barstow.

View Larger Map

A review of a map provided in the Desert Dispatch illustrates the Wal-Mart project's proximity to the site of a railway bridge/grade separation project that's being funded with a $1.2 million earmark that Rep. Don Young included in the 2005 highway spending bill -- at the time, Young was chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. That construction project, "Lenwood Road Grade Separation," includes lowering the existing grade of Lenwood Road where it intersects with the BNSF Railway and building bridge across Lenwood Road to accomodate railroads.

Clearly such a project is necessary to accomodate all of the large truck traffic that will be coming and going from the Wal-Mart's planned distribution hub.

The "Lenwood Road Grade Separation" is one of Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale's two pet projects . The other is a casino resort project proposed for Barstow by Detroit-based Barwest LLC. Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch formed Barwest LLC in 2003 to promote their various casino proposals in Barstow. They would build and manage any Barstow casino resort.

Dale, a retired BNSF employee, has taken extreme measures to guarantee Malik/Ilitch exclusive rights to any future casino development in Barstow. His passion for Barwest suggest Malik & Ilitch have offered other incentives for Mayor Dale to back them exclusive -- like using their influence with Young to get $1.2 million for Dale's other pet project.

Malik and Ilitch family members are linked to Rep. Young and have influenced Young to back other projects like their proposal for an Indian casino in Port Huron, Michigan. Young attempted to advance that project for Malik/Ilitch using earmarks inserted in SAFETEA-LU 2005.

In 2005, BarWest paid nearly $6,000 to fly Young in a private jet. Malik (MJM Enterprises) has employed several of Young's "A-Team" of lobbyists (Rick Alcalde/Potomac Partners D.C. and Billy Evans, Kessler & Associates) and paid their firms nearly $1.5 million.

Malik and members of the Ilitch family were among Young’s top donors during the 2005/06 election cycle. They have personally contributed more than $23,000 to Young (and his Midnight Sun PAC) and helped raise thousands more in additional funds from their associates. They've contributed more than $95,000 to the two GOP committees responsible for re-electing GOP Members of Congress and at least $50,000 to the Republican National Committee.

Taxpayers for Common Sense previously reported that Young's 2005 bill (SAFETEA-LU 2005; so named in honor of Young's wife Lu) included a $34 million earmark for the widening and extension of a road in Bentonville, Arkansas, that is the main access point to the headquarters of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. According to TPM Muckraker, Young collected $14,000 from Wal-Mart's PAC and executives around the time the 2005 bill passed.

On his own merit, Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale wouldn't have the juice to line up the $1.2 million Lenwood Road Grade Separation earmark. So the question is how much influence did Wal-Mart and/or Michael Malik assert with Alaska's Rep. Don Young?

And further, did BNSF Railroad rely soley on the volunteer lobbying effort's of a retiree, Mayor Lawrence Dale; or did BNSF lobbyists also weigh in? BNSF lobbyist Jack Ferguson -- another of Young's "A-Team" lobbyists -- joined a small group, that included Malik and Acalde, which contributed a total of $17,000 to Young on 3.31.08.

You may also want to review these related posts:

• Did earmarks guarantee exclusive casino developmen...
• Federal Earmark: Lenwood Road Grade Separation, Ba...
• Barstow's Official 2008 Lobbying Priorities
• Barstow Industrial Park LLC acquires property with a $22,500,000 mortgage

Did earmarks guarantee exclusive casino development rights for Young's pal?

Why would BarWest LLC, a Detroit-based gaming entity with plans to build casinos in Barstow, CA, front nearly $6,000 in travel costs to fly Rep. Don Young (AK-1) in a private jet?

Did gambling man Michael Malik guarantee himself exclusive rights to casino development in Barstow by using his influence with Rep. Don Young to help Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale secure funding for his pet railroad projects?

BarWest LLC was formed 2.03.03 by Michigan casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr. and his billionaire partner Mrs. Marian Ilitch. She owns Detroit’s MotorCity Casino, the Detroit Red Wings and Little Caesars Pizza. They are behind plans to build Indian casinos in Barstow; Port Huron, MI; and Long Island, NY.

Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale was first elected in 2000. Dale was a life-long employee of BNSF Railroad. Even as a retiree, Dale works tirelessly "lobbying" on BNSF's behalf. Dale’s had two priorities during his nearly eight years in office: (1) create a rail transportation and distribution hub in Barstow and (2) secure local, state and federal approval of BarWest's plans to develop casinos and a resort in Barstow.

Dale has dedicated significant resources attracting local, state and federal funding to pay for the construction of a railroad bridge crossing over Lenwood Road in Barstow -- his efforts were even lauded in a BNSF employee newsletter. The project would help further his vision for a regional rail and distribution hub.

And Dale’s taken extreme measures to shutdown other developers and ensure that he can guarantee BarWest exclusive rights to any casino development in Barstow. It’s clear by Dale’s actions that he is getting some additional incentive to stick exclusively with BarWest (Malik/Ilitch).

Malik and members of the Ilitch family were among Young’s top donors during the 2005/06 election cycle. They have personally contributed more than $23,000 to Young (and his Midnight Sun PAC) and helped raise thousands more in additional funds from their associates. They've contributed more than $95,000 to the Republican Congressional Committees and at least $50,000 to the Republican National Committee.

In January 2005, Barwest paid $6,000 to fly Young around in a private jet; and then again in 2005, Malik paid another $4,000 to fly Young around in the private jet again.

And in June 2005, Michigan bar and restaurant owners raised $10,000 for Young's campaign fund. Did Malik fly Young to Michigan for the fundraiser?

Michael Malik (MJM Enterprises) retains Richard Alcalde (Potomac Partners D.C.) as his lobbyist. Alcalde has been identified as one of Young’s “A-Team” lobbyists.

Alcalde is embroiled in an investigation into circumstances surrounding a $10 million 2005 earmark for a Florida road project that was shepherded by Young. Reportedly Alcalde leveraged his relationship with Young and mutual interests shared by several clients to secure the $10 million earmark.

Since 2005, Malik and a partner (Shinnecock Indian Nation) have paid Alcalde $960,000

Young was chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee through 2006. In order to bypass traditional congressional casino approvals, Young attempted to bury a minor $100,000 earmark for a Port Huron transportation study into the 2005 federal highway spending bill; and then slipped subtext into that earmark intended to grant Malik approvals he needed for his Port Huron casino scheme. That language was removed in the final spending bill.

However, the final version of the 2005 federal highway spending bill did include a $1.2 million earmark for construction of Mayor Dale’s Lenwood Road grade separation project. And the spending bill also included a $992,000 earmark for preparation of a study on a proposed Los Angeles to Las Vegas high speed rail project (MagLev) that would go right through Barstow.

In addition to representing Malik's interests, Alcalde is also the lobbyist for American Magline Group, an entity that is behind the MagLev high speed rail project. Since 2001, American Magline Group has paid Alcalde’s firms $950,000.

The Barstow rail station is halfway between L.A. and Las Vegas. A city publication explains that in 2002, Dale signed a cooperative agreement with Magline pledging financial support and cooperation for the MagLev project; and Dale's resume notes he is the public member of various MagLev agencies.

Originally planned to make minimal stops between L.A. and Las Vegas, Dale secured commitments to ensure Barstow is a destination along the high speed train route. Dale's counting on the high speed train bringing people from the Los Angeles area to the BarWest Casino Resort that he and Malik have planned for Barstow.

Consider that the players were able to leverage their resources and relationships to secure at least $2 million in federal funding; and create other long term win:win outcomes for Alcalde, Dale, Malik, Young, BarWest, BNSF and American Magline Group.

Ilitch aircraft awfully busy flying to D.C., Kansas, California, Nevada and back to Detroit

This past month the Ilitch private aircraft #N559LC traveled from Detroit International Airport to Washington, D.C.; then onto Salina, Kansas; San Diego, California; Stockton, California; Reno, Nevada and then home to Detroit.

See plane's flight log from 1.22.08 through 1.25.08.

Ilitch pal, former Congressman turned lobbyist, Richard Pombo lives in the Stockton area and Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale is from the Salina, Kansas area. The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians are located in San Diego County, California.

Allegations that Mayor Dale's letter contributed to Interior's rejection of casino proposals

In a post at the Desert Dispatch, allegations have been made suggesting that an unauthorized letter Barstow's Mayor Lawrence Dale sent to an Interior Department official blasting the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe was one of the contributing factors that resulted in rejection letters sent last week by an official at the Department of Interior to three tribes who had sought to take land in trust in Barstow for the purposes of developing casino resorts.

Dale wrote a letter on Aug. 20 to Clay Gregory, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Sacramento office, accusing the tribe of providing "misinformation" to the bureau and "continued meddling in the City’s affairs." Dale wrote his letter in response to an Aug. 8 letter the Chemehuevi tribe submitted to the federal government regarding the proposal of the Los Coyotes/Big Lagoon tribes to build a casino in Barstow. In that letter, the Chemehuevi accused the two other tribes of lacking ancestral ties to the area and of "reservation shopping."

Gaming Compacts held by two of the tribes backed by Mayor Dale were rejected by the California legislature last Fall and have since expired. With this latest rejection, it seems relatively certain that Mayor Lawrence Dale has failed in his 7-year bid to bring casino gambling to Barstow -- this scheme has been the cornerstone of Dale's plan for Barstow's economic recovery.

LA Times columnist visits Barstow: meets Miss California-USA and the town's "Tony Soprano"

Miss Barstow has been in the news recently as she was crowned Miss California-USA after state pageant officials realized another contestant had been wrongly crowned due to tabulation errors. The last time a Miss Barstow made big news that local beauty queen was arrested for defacing a California Highway Patrol vehicle and became the butt of jokes in Jay Leno's Tonight Show monologues.

So seeing the latest Miss Barstow news as an opportunity to turn around the bad PR the dusty desert town got a few years back, Barstow's city leaders decided to invite Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez to town for a PR tour. Lopez followed up his visit with a column: Truth and beauties at the Crossroads of Opportunity.

Interesting that as a part of the visit, Lopez was invited to attend the morning coffee klatsch with local influence brokers held at Leonard Purdy's Barstow Tire and Brake. It's been reported to TVT that Leonardy Purdy is the "Tony Soprano" of Barstow and that Barstow Tire and Brake is Purdy's (or Barstow's) version of the "Bada Bing!" club -- the place where the "Boss" and his boys gather to exchange gossip, hatch their plans and get their marching orders.

Lopez writes in his LA Times column:

There's plenty of backroom politics in Barstow, and more than a few critics of the mayor and council's plan for the casino, the awarding of big contracts and whatnot, so I'd have ample material to work with.

But I'm going to delay a decision for now.

At Monday night's City Council meeting, I did get a feel for Barstow's small-town charm when Mayor Dale honored the state champion cross-country team from Barstow High and declared Dec. 17 Raquel Beezley day.

The next morning, for my big tour, I joined the mayor and the beauty queen at Leonard Purdy's Barstow Tire & Brake, where local movers and shakers start each day with coffee and gossip. Or, as a sign says, "Will trade coffee for fish stories."

It even appears that Barstow's "Boss" attempted to schmooze the LA Times's Lopez and set himself up with few "chits" by offering Lopez the favor of some discounted tires:

Even before Leonard Purdy said he could beat L.A. prices on the tires I've been shopping for, I had to admit that Barstow was winning me over.

You better hurry back to Barstow Mr. Lopez if you really want those tires because if you wait too long, some of your new Barstow buddies might be in custody. Oh, and don't hold you breath on the Walmart Distribution Center, new home construction by the thousands or the scheme for side-by-side Indian casinos ... Barstow's Mayor has been promising those windfalls for the last seven years and none of those milestones are anywhere in Barstow's near future.

San Bernardino County DA investigating allegations of corruption in Barstow

Several reliable sources have informed TVT that the Public Integrity Unit of the San Bernardino County's District Attorney's Office is conducting an active investigation, yet again, into allegations that Mayor Lawrence Dale and some members of the Barstow City Council may have engaged in unethical activities and even possibly criminal violations.

According to the District Attorney's Web site:

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos campaigned on the issue of restoring public integrity to San Bernardino County. Within the first four months after being elected, Mr. Ramos fulfilled his promise to the electorate and created the Public Integrity Unit.

The unit, which is comprised of two attorneys, three investigators and a secretary, handles complaints involving those people holding public office. Some types of issues might involve: The illegal use of campaign funds; residency violations; and, open meeting/Brown Act violations. The Unit will be responsible for monitoring City Councils, elected Boards and Commissions.

Several years ago, following complaints that Mayor Dale had lead the Barstow City Council into various Brown Act violations related to the BarWest casino scheme, the District Attorney required Barstow's City Attorney to conduct a public workshop on ethics and California's Brown Act for the Mayor and members of the Council.

In September, Mayor Dale and a delegation of three of the four members of Barstow's City Council scheduled a secret meeting in Sacramento with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's aide to discuss plans for BarWest casinos in Barstow. When rumors of that meeting began to surface, Mayor Dale and Barstow's City Attorney Yvette Abich attempted to cure that obvious violation of the Brown Act's opening meeting rules by disclosing and providing a veiled report on the meeting after-the-fact.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Web site also indicates:

To insure open government, it is our expectation that there be strict compliance with the Brown Act. Our goal here will be compliance and not prosecution. Complaints and violations will be brought to the attention of an agency alleged to have violated the act. They will be monitored for compliance. Only aggravating circumstances or repeat offenses will result in prosecution. We also have the authority to file civil actions to prevent or nullify actions done in violation of the Act, and we will do so in appropriate cases.

Desert Dispatch archives on "Brown Act" related stories:
City manager's loss due to his integrity - 12.10.07
Council accused of violating Brown Act over casino meeting - 9.18.07
Who watches the watchdogs? - 9.18.07
Editorial: Getting to the hat of the matter - 12.07.06
Meetings spark debate - 8.10.05
Activist details alleged Brown Act violations - 5.09.05
Public needs to know facts about development of Indain casinos 5.05.05
Keeping the word 'casino' off council agenda may have been violation - 7.31.03
Brown Act violation claimed by city councilwoman - 4.11.01

Corruption? in Barstow: Mayor Lawrence Dale, Bureau Veritas and Micromedia Filtration, Inc.

On August 20, 2007, the Barstow City Council adopted an agenda item approving three firms that could provide future contract inspector services and directed Mayor Lawrence Dale to enter into a Professional Service Agreement with any of the three firms when the City's workload required the services of a contract inspector. Bureau Veritas was listed as one of the three contractors.

During the week of September 3, 2007, Barstow's Mayor Lawrence Dale and Councilmembers Steve Curran, Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre and Tim Silva traveled to Sacramento for the Annual California League of Cities Conference. On September 6, all four members of the City Council met with Governor Schwarzenegger's aide Cynthia Bryant to discuss Barstow's desire to host an Indian casino. Barstow's City Attorney has already attempted to cure that Brown Act violation.

TVT has learned that during trip to Sacramento, the City's contractor Bureau Veritas reportedly hosted a dinner meeting with the same four members of the City Council. There has not been any formal disclosure of that meeting. Following that dinner meeting, and after controversy erupted about the Mayor's attempts to award a $15 million sewer treatment facility contract to Micromedia Filtration, Inc., without conducting a formal open review of experienced bidders, Mayor Dale executed an agreement with Bureau Veritas to "screen" firms that would be awarded the contract.

The Sacramento dinner meeting with Bureau Veritas appears to have been yet another violation of California's Brown Act and raises serious ethics questions. One must wonder what other meetings took place that week that have yet to be made public.

When was this contract (assignment) with Bureau Veritas executed: before the hosted dinner meeting or after? What was discussed at the meeting where four members of the Barstow Council were present? Why was Bureau Veritas selected by Mayor Dale to oversee the process to award the $15 million contract and not one of the other two pre-approved contract providers? Did the Council members also meet with the other two pre-approved providers?

Barstow's former City Manager Hector Rodriguez raised concerns this Fall about Mayor Dale's attempt to ensure that the Mayor's preferred candidate Micromedia Filtration, Inc. be awarded the $15 million contract. Shortly thereafter, Rodriguez would leave his job at the City. Upon Rodriguez's departure the Desert Dispatch reported the Mayor as saying:

“I did not direct the City Manager to create an RFP that would eliminate potential bidders for the wastewater facility upgrade project,” Dale wrote in an e-mail. “In fact, the City’s consultant Bureau Veritas is now moving forward with an RFP process that will be advertised with all potential bidders.”

The question is, did Mayor Dale indicate his preference to hire Micromedia Filtration to his consultant of choice Bureau Veritas? Did Mayor Dale attempt to influence Bureau Veritas in the RFP process which he suggests is underway. Was this assignement for Bureau Veritas discussed at the dinner meeting in Sacramento in which four members of the City Council were present?

What motivates Barstow's Mayor to play such hard-ball and and undertake such risky behaviors in order to strip this important contract from one provider (HDR Engineering Inc.) and award a $15 million contract to neo-phyte Micromedia Filtration, Inc., a firm with little track record of experience? Was the Office of Congressman Buck McKeon aware of any of this prior to submittal of a new $500,000 earmark for funds that would be directed to the Barstow sewer treatment plant upgrades and possibly into Micromedia Filtration's bank account?

Barstow Council to hear first casino update since stories that Los Coyotes terminated Michael Malik and BarWest

As posted 12. 16.07 at the Desert Dispatch:

Government Report: City Council to discuss casino projects, new city manager
FROM STAFF REPORTS
BARSTOW— At 7:30 p.m. on Monday the Barstow City Council will meet to hear an update about casino projects proposed for the city and to discuss strategies to hire an interim and permanent city manager.

A casino update had been previously scheduled for the 12.03.07 City Council meeting but was pulled from the agenda at the last minute by Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale.


The spokeswoman for the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians, Katherine Siva Saubel sent a letter to Michael Malik at BarWest terminating the tribe's agreement with Barwest back in September. And in addition, Saubel referred to Malik in a subsequent news story published 11.01.07 as "the Devil."

Documents recorded 10.01.07 with the County of San Bernardino indicate BarWest quit claimed property to a partnership (PGMC Investors) that includes the father of City Councilman Steve Curran. Previously PGMC transferred title on another parcel to BarWest LLC which BarWest combined with other properties in its portfolio and then subsequently divided into new parcels.

The Council meeting tonight can be watched live on line (using Windows Media Player) at 7:30 pm pacific time or at any time there after by logging in at http://barstow.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2

Barstow Mayor Lawrence Dale: allegations of racial slurs

At a recent City Council meeting in the City of Barstow a local political activist accused the 72-year-old GOP Mayor of Barstow Lawrence Dale and his buddies over at the local Masonic Lodge of frequently using a racial slur to refer to Barstow City Councilman Joe Gomez.

Gomez, of latino heritage, was raised in Barstow and was elected to the City Council in November 2004 after being endorsed by the Barstow Police Officers' Association.

Recently it has come to light that Mayor Dale who began a life-long career with the Santa Fe Railroad at age 17 failed to graduate from high school.

Dale and Gomez have often been often at odds over the direction Barstow should take if it hopes to attract an Indian gaming resort that could serve as an economic catalyst for the struggling desert community.

In 2006, an independent council majority appointed Hector Rodriguez as City Manager of Barstow much to the dislike of Mayor Dale. Since then, Dale has worked behind the scenes to undermine Rodriguez and recently succeeded at pushing Rodriguez out of City Hall. Gomez had hoped to retain Rodriguez as City Manager.

While Mayor Dale may be playing to his base with these alledged racist comments, nearly 40% of Barstow residents indicate they are Hispanic; and according to the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters, 40% of Barstow voters are registered Democrat; while 34% are registered GOP.