Ex-Gov. Waihee names former Hawaiian Affairs CEO to head Native Roll Commission

OHA's former top officer appointed executive director of Native Hawaiian Roll Commission

1.06.2012

HONOLULU — The former chief executive officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has been appointed executive director of a commission responsible for preparing and maintaining a roll of qualified Native Hawaiians interested in participating in their own government.

Commission Chair and former Gov. John Waihee said Thursday Clyde Namuo's appointment was effective at the beginning of the year.

Namuo will be responsible for overseeing daily operations of the roll commission. He'll be serving without pay.

The commission was established by the 2011 Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

Namuo retired at the end of last year after a decade of serving as OHA's top officer.

Gambling Lobbyist Suggests his Scheme for a Waikiki Casino will "Fill Hawaii's Budget Hole"

Blogger's Note: John Radcliffe is a lobbyist for Detroit casino syndicators (investors affiliated with Detroit's MotorCity Casino and failed Indian casino schemes in NY & CA).  For nearly a decade, the Detroiters have been pushing schemes for a stand-alone Waikiki Casino. (learn more at bottom of this post)

Legalizing Gambling Will Be Good For Hawaii
12.20.2011

By John Radcliffe
Gambling Industry Lobbyist

John Radcliffe, Casino Gambling Lobbyist

In a recent Civil Beat editorial, Lowell Kalapa asked the question, “Can Legalized Gambling Fill Hawaii’s Budget Hole?” and then proceeded to argue against it.

The real answer to his question is: “Yes it Can!” Hawaii is the only American state outside of Utah that prohibits gaming. There are 311 million people in the other states and including Hawaii, but excluding Utah, 99.6% of them, live in states that permit gambling, and all of the residents of Utah have hundreds of casinos within easy driving distance of the borders of their state.

What we have here in Hawaii, instead of legal gaming, is a large, uncontrollable, criminal gambling enterprise that involves all sorts of bad elements — including, according to the news reports, rogue police officers. Estimates of the size of our homegrown, illegal, gambling operations range all the way up to one billion dollars per year, and history has shown that Prohibition creates crime, not lessens it. Legalizing gambling will have the same effect that legalizing alcohol had. It will lessen, or even end, that crime. How much “bathtub gin” do you think is made and sold here? None. But there is plenty of illegal gambling and none of it is taxed. If it were taxed, we in Hawaii would have about $50 million in tax revenue added annually.

But what about other, legal, gambling? Hawaii residents also spend about a billion dollars a year on that. Hawaii residents take a total of about 500,000 total trips to Las Vegas, and other gambling destinations each year with many of our citizens taking multiple trips per year. Boyd Gaming alone reported that it earns about $600,000,000 from Hawaii visitors each year. That means that Hawaii is contributing about one billion dollars to the economy of “neighboring” Nevada each year.

Economists like Mr. Kalapa tell us that each dollar spent in a local economy generates about 3.5 times as much, via what they call “the multiplier effect.” That is, the more money that is flying around in an economy, the more money it generates. The billion dollars that Hawaii residents are “contributing” to Nevada, adds about about $3.5 billion each year to their economy and takes from our own. We get nothing. No wonder they love us in Nevada!

All, or virtually all, of our mainland tourists come from states that already have casinos or other forms of gambling, and many of them favor our having one also. After all, there is virtually nothing for tourists to do after dark in Waikiki. No movie theaters. Almost no major entertainment venues. The Waikiki Improvement Association did some polling of our Asian visitors recently, and found that nearly 80% of Japanese, South Korean, and Chinese visitors would appreciate having a casino as an entertainment option in Waikiki.

The bill we had introduced in the legislature last year calls for limited gaming. One stand alone casino, only. All entities that would bid on that single license would have to ante up a $1 million, non-refundable fee, just to bid. The winning bidder would have to pay a $150 million “impact fee” to the state, and the casino itself would be subject to a General Excise Tax of 15%, a tax equal to more than three times the tax paid by all other tax payers in Hawaii. The economic modeling that we did indicates that the single, stand alone, casino would employ 3,660 directly, and produce another 5,717 jobs off-site, increasing the number of total jobs for Hawaii workers by 9,377.

Casinos are very labor intensive. The gross wages per year for those new jobs would amount to an aggregate of nearly $533 million in new money to the local economy. It is expected that the increased taxes from gaming fees, income taxes from employee wages, and from the ripple effect of new vendor jobs, etc., and from the General Excise taxes, will generate an added $86.3 million each year. None of this includes the investment costs for construction and etc. which are estimated to be well in excess of $300 million.

Ah, but what about the “social costs?” The emotional attacks that legalizing gambling will create crime, increase personal bankruptcy, and so on, are always a “hot button” item here in Hawaii. However, the facts in the rest of the country don’t bear them out. Both sides in the casino debate cite various academic studies in their interests, but the only source on that issue that ought to count is the Congressional National Gambling Impact Study Commission, and in its official study of those questions, it found that legalizing gambling has no significant effect on crime, personal bankruptcy, etc., either way. And the facts bear that out among the more than 307 million Americans in 49 states that have already ended prohibition of gambling.

So, to answer Mr. Kalapa’s question, “Can Legalized Gambling Fill Hawaii’s Budget Hole?” The answer is yes, it undoubtedly can help. No single “silver bullet” exists that will solve all of Hawaii’s need to have sufficient income forever. But it goes without saying, that Hawaii will need a wider variety of sources of income than we have now and no other industry is beating down the door. Casino gaming is something that ought to be tried.

Blogger's Note (cont.): Radcliffe represents Detroit gambling interests and his lobbying partner George A. "Red" Morris" represents Las Vegas- based Boyd Gaming Company. Radcliffe and others at his lobbying firm organized the so-called "Citizens for a Better Way" last spring; a front group financed by Radcliffe and his affiliates/clients to push the Waikiki casino scheme.  In April they dumped $40,000 into a sophisticated advertising campaign intended to pressure Hawaii Legislators into supporting their Casino bill. They failed and the individual they recruited to head the so-called citizens group filed a $387,000 bankruptcy after they failed to win legislative support for their Waikiki Casino. While Mr. Radcliffe pimps a casino, it is but one form of gaming. Hawaii could consider a State Lottery, bingo, sports betting and other alternatives without approving any Las Vegas-style casino in Waikiki. The Honolulu Police Department has stood steadfast against Radcliffe's attempts to legalize gambling. Radcliffe is a political confidante of Gov. Neil Abercrombie and began this most recent push for a Waikiki casino by being the first to contribute to Abercrombie's gubernatorial campaign. He's been pushing the administration to support a casino as a new source of  revenue.  After the Governor's election, Radcliffe helped ID and place key staff in the administration including those who've previously worked to legalize gambling in Hawaii. 

Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Details Plans for 2012; Native Roll, Restoration of Lands Top List

A gathering Wednesday, December 14, 2011, drew hundreds to St. Andrew's Cathedral in Honolulu to hear the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ (OHA) plans for 2012. The agency hopes to celebrate the goals as accomplishments one year from now.

Click arrow below to view video here

OHA Chair urges unity
12.14.2011

By Jim Mendoza

"I stand here in front of you asking all of you to lay your weapons down. Lay your spears down and embrace with aloha," OHA chairperson Colette Machado said.

In her speech on the State of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Machado pointed to next year as a pivotal one for settling the dispute over ceded lands, now that Gov. Neil Abercrombie wants to give OHA 25 acres along the Kakaako waterfront.

"We must always be protective of the open space along the shoreline," she said. "I will support an open corridor for public access so people will have access to the area to gather as ohana, and to use that area to fish and also to bodysurf."

The deal needs legislative approval. Lawmakers plan to question how deep OHA searched for alternatives to the Abercrombie proposal, and if it could open the state to lawsuits.

"Once they explain that to us I think we'll get a better idea about where we want to go," said Sen. Brickwood Galuteria, chair of the Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee.

"Hawaiians are no dummy when it comes to real estate. Land is our greatest asset. We know the value and situation of that place in particular," native Hawaiian political advisor Kealii Makekau said.

Former Gov. John D. Waihee is
Chair, Native Hawaiian Roll Commission

OHA will also concentrate on the Roll Call Commission, created to compile a list of native Hawaiians interested in self-determination.

"Our primary imperative as a commission is to re-unify the sovereign entity of native Hawaiians one by one, by the thousands," commission chair John Waihee said.

But some advocates for native Hawaiian sovereignty said the call for unity doesn't go far enough.

"We need to stand the nation back up again as an independent nation, not as a sub-group of the United States," said Leon Siu, of an organization called The Hawaiian Kingdom.

Blogger Speculates Hawaii's Gov. Abercrombie Poised for Gambling Flip-Flop

CHANGING HAWAII'S POLITICS
Gambling in Hawaii, Gov. Abercrombie Sees The Light for a Single Casino?
10.08.2011

Well, no pun intended but, it’s “game on”. In an article this morning coming from The Star Advertiser, it was written that Gov. Neil Abercrombie is telling lawmakers he is willing to consider legalizing gambling next year.

Now I would link you to the article in The Star Advertiser in referring too but I don’t support their pay-to-view subscription policies. Anyhow…..

The issue of legalizing gambling in Hawaii has been on the legislative hot-plate for over 10 years. But within the same 10 years, the opposition to legalized gambling has put their foot down loud and clear.

So who wants the Casino? Citizens For A Better Way says there are real solid reason to support a single casino in Waikiki. They say over 3000 jobs to local people and a new tax revenue for the stat that will take the pressure off of social programs cut backs and teacher lay-offs.

So who doesn’t want a casino in Waikiki? For starters, the HPD and religious organizations and also the Boyd Gaming Corp., which operates the California, Fremont and Main Street Station hotels in Las Vegas, which are popular with Hawaii residents?... (More)

See also:

• Lobbyist John Radcliffe was the First Person to Contribute to Neil Abercrombie's Campaign for Governor of Hawaii
• Rogues Gallery: Hawaii Lobbyists G. A. "Red" Morris, John Radcliffe and company they keep...
• Hawaii Governor's New Communications Director was Paid Lobbyist for Int'l Gambling Magnate Sol Kerzner
• Hawaii's Former Governor John D. Waihee III Opposed Legalized Gambling in Hawaii
• Strange Bedfellows: Hawaii's Former Governor & Detroit's Gambling Promoter?

• Hawaii's 'Citizens for a Better Way' isn't a 'Citizens' Group After-all
• Lobbyists Spent $40,000 Manufacturing So-Called 'Citizens' Group Support for Oahu Casino Scheme
• There Can Be No Doubt Detroiters' Hawaii Lobbyist John Radcliffe Created Pro-Casino So-Called 'Citizens' Group'

• Boyd Gaming establishing first-hand knowledge of and developing customer base in Hawaii, could prove valuable to Waikiki Gambling Hall Operator
• Capitol Consulants of Hawaii: Double Dipping Gambling Conflicts, Resume Padding Lies or Harboring Secret Partners?

Rogues Gallery: Hawaii Lobbyists G. A. "Red" Morris, John Radcliffe and company they keep...

From the Capitol Consultants of Hawaii Website: Lobbyists John Radcliffe, George A. "Red" Morris with Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie; former Governors John D. Waihee III and Ben Cayetano; James Boersema, Gov. Abercrombie's Communications Director; Willie Nelson and others...

Click on the labels below to see related or see also:

• Lobbyist John Radcliffe was the First Person to Contribute to Neil Abercrombie's Campaign for Governor of Hawaii
• Boyd Gaming establishing first-hand knowledge of and developing customer base in Hawaii, could prove valuable to Waikiki Gambling Hall Operator
• There Can Be No Doubt Detroiters' Hawaii Lobbyist John Radcliffe Created Pro-Casino So-Called 'Citizens' Group'
• Lobbyists Spent $40,000 Manufacturing So-Called 'Citizens' Group Support for Oahu Casino Scheme
• Hawaii Governor's New Communications Director was Paid Lobbyist for Int'l Gambling Magnate Sol Kerzner
• Hawaii's Former Governor John D. Waihee III Opposed Legalized Gambling in Hawaii
• Strange Bedfellows: Hawaii's Former Governor & Detroit's Gambling Promoter?

Lobbyist John Radcliffe was the First Person to Contribute to Neil Abercrombie's Campaign for Governor of Hawaii

It's understood in Hawaii political circles that lobbyist John Radcliffe is close to Governor Neil Abercrombie. There friendship spans more than a generation.  As Abercrombie was launching his campaign for Governor, Radcliffe acted as an operative spinning circumstances in the press intended to clear the field. And when Abercrombie was elected, Radcliffe was one of a handful of intimates whom Abercrombie asked to vet and recommend people who would fill key rolls and appointments in Abercrombie's administration.

As demonstration of their relationship, consider that campaign finance disclosure records on file with the State reveal that the very first person to financially back Abercrombie's bid to become Hawaii's Governor was John Radcliffe.  He wrote a check for $2,000 to Abercrombie for Governor on March 4, 2009.  Over the course of the campaign, Radcliffe's immediately family would contribute nearly $12,000 in aggregate to Abercrombie's campaign committee.

Throughout most of the first decade of the new century, Radcliffe has been registered as a lobbyist representing the Hawaii interests of Detroit casino syndicators (Michael Malik & Marian Ilitch) who want to develop a Waikiki gambling hall. Radcliffe has been retained by the Detroiter's PR firm, Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group (MRG).  Tom Shields, often quoted as a spokesperson for the Detroiters, is founder and president of MRG.

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

• Rogues Gallery: Hawaii Lobbyists G. A. "Red" Morris, John Radcliffe and company they keep...
• She Said: Here's what Hata-Watanabe had to offer after a recent visit to TheVerifiableTruth.com
• Hawaii's Former Governor John D. Waihee III Opposed Legalized Gambling in Hawaii
• Strange Bedfellows: Hawaii's Former Governor & Detroit's Gambling Promoter?
• Boyd Gaming establishing first-hand knowledge of and developing customer base in Hawaii, could prove valuable to Waikiki Gambling Hall Operator
• Lobbyists Spent $40,000 Manufacturing So-Called 'Citizens' Group Support for Oahu Casino Scheme
• Detroiters' Gambling Advocate Hired as Hawaii Governor's Communications Director

Hawaii Governor's New Communications Director was Paid Lobbyist for Int'l Gambling Magnate Sol Kerzner

James Boersema: Communications Director for Hawaii Gov.

Neil Abercrombie; nightclub owner; ex-gambling lobbyist.

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie took office in December 2010. Yet by early October 2011, Abercrombie’s Chief of Staff and her Deputy plus his Communications Director and a spokeswoman, each abruptly resigned citing generically the desire to spend more time with their families. Really?

To experienced political operatives, it signals something big is amiss in the Governor’s office. This is typically the kind of housekeeping a Governor’s office might undergo after being re-elected to a second term but not the sweeping changes you’d see during the first months of an administration.

The Governor didn’t miss a beat and within days had appointed James Boersema as his new Communications Director. A controversial night club owner with Public Relations experience, Boersema has been a paid advocate for mainland and international gambling interests dating back to 2001. Previously Boersema escorted former Governor Ben Cateyano on a political boondoggle to a billion dollar gambling resort in the Bahamas and was spokespan for a $200,000 Hawaii pro-gambling advertising campaign paid for by South African gambling magnate Sol Kerzner.

John Radcliffe, lobbyist for Detroit casino syndicators who has a history of coordinating pro-gambling campaigns with Boersema, has played a key role helping Gov. Abercrombie identify and recruit senior staff and appointees.

As the gubernatorial campaigns got underway in 2010 and gambling promoters began renewed efforts to legalize gambling in Hawaii, Boersema helped them re-ignite the debate.

Now Boersema has Abercrombie’s ear crafting policy and communications strategy to help the Governor advance his agenda and get re-elected.

Honolulu Advertiser
Gambling industry top-spending lobby here
6.01.2001

By Johnny Brannon
A group called the Coalition for Economic Diversity, which includes casino developer Sun International Hotels Ltd., reported spending $44,979 on lobbying during the March-April reporting period, more than any other organization. The Coalition was also the top spender during the Ethics Commission reporting period that covered January and February, when it spent $89,044 on lobbying.

Of the $134,023 reported, $48,771 went to media advertising, $41,066 went to preparation and distribution of lobbying materials and $18,957 went to telephone and communication bills. Direct compensation to lobbyists was $10,311 and $14,112 for unspecified fees. The rest went for food and beverages.

Coalition spokesman James Boersema did not return a call for comment.

Honolulu Advertiser
Two groups back local gambling
12.23.2001

By Johnny Brannon

... The Coalition for Economic Diversity is headed by Jack Seigle, a Honolulu campaign consultant and public-relations executive. It spent most of the money on lobbyists, a poll, an economic impact study, and expert testimony before the Legislature, according to a report filed with the state campaign spending commission.

The group also spent $13,000 on T-shirts and "organizing grassroots support," and donated $1,000 to a foundation that is renovating Washington Place, the governor's home, the report shows.

Gov. Ben Cayetano visited Atlantis last year with the group's chief lobbyist, Jim Boersema, and met with Sun executives. But Cayetano said the trip's main purpose was to inspect the resort's enormous aquarium.

Boersema said neither Sun nor TSA had provided any more money to his group since they gave the initial $200,000. He declined to disclose what other businesses or individuals make up the coalition, but said it included business owners, union officials, and members of neighborhood boards and others who support gambling.

They may become more visible soon, but some are leery of publicity. Boersema said he received abusive and threatening phone calls when his involvement in the group became known...

Star Bulletin
Bad economy boosts interest in gambling
2.07.2010

By Katherine Nichols

...But Jim Boersema said he visited casinos in the Bahamas and found them empty during the day. Instead, people were out on the golf course and enjoying the beach. They went to the restaurants, shops and casinos at night, he said. Boersema, who testified on behalf of Unity House, an organization that assists families of union workers, owns Matteo's Restaurant and Zanzibar Nightclub in Waikiki.

"Nobody's trying to turn Hawaii into Las Vegas," he said. "This should be a stand-alone casino" with nothing more than a bar to encourage people to patronize local shops and restaurants. Suggestions that floated through the hearings included transforming a dormant movie theater into a casino, and possibly requiring local residents to stay in a Waikiki hotel to gain entry into the casino in an effort to boost commercial activity.

"Right now, we don't get a lot of (residents) in Waikiki," he said. "'There's nothing to do down there'; that's the complaint I hear over and over." Boersema is not a paid lobbyist but works with Radcliffe, who is associated with Marketing Resource Group, a Lansing, Mich., firm with clients that would bid on the opportunity to construct and manage a casino in Hawaii.

"Gambling has become more acceptable to people," Boersema said. "Practically every place in the world now has gambling. It just happens to be part of society nowadays"...

USA Today: Cash-strapped Hawaii considers legalized gambling

Could This Be Another Ploy by Detroiters Who Want Gambling in Hawaii? Or is it a smokescreen for something else?

Trademark filing spurs speculation about Ko Olina casino

10.25.2011

By Andrew Pereira

apereira@khon2.com

HONOLULU- A recent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Ko Olina developer Jeff Stone includes a description of the resort as ‘providing casino facilities.’

The application was made October 7 as Stone sought to trademark the name Ko Olina for his holding company, Ko Olina Intangibles LLC.

Khon2 brought the trademark application to the attention of Dianne Kay, president of the Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.

"That would be the last place I would want to go if I were taking my family to a resort or a hotel in Hawaii or anyplace else,” said Kay, who noted last month Disney opened its Aulani Resort and Spa at Ko Olina, which is billed as a family friendly getaway.

In a statement Mr. Stone’s public relations company said the inclusion of ‘casino facilities’ in the trademark application was done by a mainland filing agency, and was not intentional.

“The inclusion of ‘casino facilities’ was basically an administrative oversight, particularly given Hawaii does not allow gambling,” read the statement by Sheila Donnelly & Associates. “An amendment is being filed to have “casino facilities” removed from the application.”

However another trademark filing approved by the USPTO in October of 2008 also mentions ‘providing casino facilities’ as one of the possible forms of entertainment at Ko Olina, which has been tied to gambling in the past.

In 2001, Ko Olina Resort was mentioned as a possible site for a stand along casino when former Gov. Ben Cayetano contemplated the possibility of legalized gambling. Anti-gaming advocates were successful in pushing back the effort, even as Hawaii’s economy suffered in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9-11.

Flash forward to present day and the Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling is gearing up for what could be its toughest battle yet. A bevy of gaming bills is expected during the upcoming legislative session in mid-January.

“The situation has changed somewhat,” said Kay, “however we have confidence the legislature will do the right thing and not want to jeopardize the growing tourist industry.”

John Radcliffe, a well connected Honolulu lobbyist, confirmed Tuesday he’s been hired by Marketing Resource Group to try and persuade state lawmakers about the economic benefits of gambling. TheMichigan based company represents MotorCity Casino, Gateway Casino Resorts and Barwest Gambling, L.L.C., according to its website.

“I think a stand along casino is the way to go,” Radcliffe told KHON2. “I would imagine that there will be dozens of interested parties that will want to bid on the potential of a casino in Hawaii.”

During the last legislative session a House bill (HB781 HD1) for a stand alone casino in Waikiki was stalled by members of the Judiciary Committee. The bill would have created the Hawaii Gaming Control Commission, and required a $1 million non-refundable deposit from companies interested in applying for the casino permit.

Although Gov. Neil Abercrombie has not taken an official position on gambling, spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said he would “consider” any bill that reached his desk.

Kay is worried the governor’s new communications director, Jim Boersema, could influence Abercrombie’s position on gaming. Boersema worked as a pro-gambling lobbyist in 2001 when Ko Olina was floated as a possible location for a stand alone casino.

"I think that Jim Boersema will try to influence him,” said Kay, “but hopefully the governor will also do the right thing.”

House Majority Leader Blake Oshiro believes any gambling measure will be met with tough skepticism by state lawmakers, especially since the Council on Revenues recently predicted 14.5 percent growth to the state’s general fund during the current fiscal year.

“We'll have a debate and discussion (about gambling) but chances of it having success at the end are fairly slim,” said Oshiro. “The ultimate concern is always the social ills and whether the infusion of capital that we do get from gaming actually gets outweighed by the cost that we end up having to pay out.”

Detroiters' Gambling Advocate Hired as Hawaii Governor's Communications Director

Governor’s New Communications director Is Chairman Of Unity House, Owner of Troubled Nightclub, Gambling Advocate

10.10.2011

Governor Abercrombie has a new Communications Director, replacing Josh Levinson, who announced his resignation last week. The job goes to James Boersema, a retired Army colonel who has handled communications for the State Senate for the past year.

Boersma is an experienced public relations strategist, who has worked for corporate clients including Bank of Hawaii and for politicians, including former Governor Ben Cayetano when he was Lieutenant Governor.

Boersema, 66, has significant connections in the business and labor communities. He is chairman of Unity House, a nonprofit labor organization that is going through bankruptcy. He is chairman of the board of directors at ‘Olelo Community Media, the community access cable network. He is on the board at Pacific Historic Parks, which helps with educational materials and museum exhibits at national parks at Pearl Harbor, Kalaupapa, Saipan and Guam.

Boersema is also one of five owners of Zanzabar, a popular nightclub in Waikiki.

Boersema has been among the advocates for casino gambling on Oahu. He and Jack Seigle — a principal at Starr Seigle, which has since been acquired and absorbed into the Anthology Marketing Group — were involved with the Coalition for Economic Diversity, which made an aggressive pitch to legalize gambling a decade ago.

Boersema, along with then-Gov. Cayetano and Charles Toguchi — Cayetano's former chief of staff and a close ally to Abercrombie — visited the Atlantis resort and casino in the Bahamas in 2000. Sun International Hotels, which developed Atlantis, at the time wanted to open a casino in West Oahu.

This year, while serving as Senate communications director, Boersema favored the concept of establishing a casino at a Waikiki hotel.

Zanzibar pops up at the end of this story: A "Culture Of Violence" At Waikiki Nightspot
More Zanzibar: Waikiki night clubs address after hours crime 

Detroiters Marian Ilitch and Michael Malik have been pushing commercial gambling in Hawaii for a decade; although things had somewhat quieted until earlier this year.  With their Hawaiian advocates, they made a big push for their single Waikiki casino scheme during Hawaii's legislative session but they failed.

Tom Shields, the Michigan-based PR mouthpiece for Ilitch/Malik retained his Hawaiian-based colleagues Jack Seigle (Starr Seigle) and John Radcliffe to help with the first major push in 2001. Seigle and company formed the "Coalition for Economic Diversity" as a so-called third-party advocate for the Detroiters' interests. Boersma was at one time a vice president and partner at Starr Seigle.    

Hawaii and Utah are the only two states that have no form of legal gaming.

Hawaii's SB 1520 Paves Way for Native Self-Governance; Establishes Commission to Create Native Roll

Hawaii Governor Enacts Bill To Further Self-Determination For Native Hawaiians
7.20.2011

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into state law on July 6, a bill that formally recognizes Native Hawaiians as “the only indigenous, aboriginal, maoli population” of the islands and begins a process to create a roll of qualified members to work toward the reorganization of a native government. The law is seen as an important step for Native Hawaiians in the movement for self-governance.

According to the Star Advertiser, Senate Bill 1520 supports efforts in Congress to gain federal recognition of native Hawaiians similar to that offered to American Indians and native Alaskans, but would continue the effort at a state level regardless of whether that goal is achieved. Gov. Abercrombie said, “This bill is the first step in seeing to it that we have a Native Hawaiian government entity,” he said. “It’s not only the first step, it is a practical manifestation of all that has gone on before.”

Gov. Abercrombie Signs Act 195; Will Appoint 5-Member Commission to Establish Official Native Hawaiian Roll

Governor Enacts Bill To Further Self Determination For Native Hawaiians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2011

Honolulu –Governor Neil Abercrombie signed into law a measure that recognizes Native Hawaiians as the indigenous people of Hawai'i. Act 195 gives the Governor the power to appoint a five-member Native Hawaiian Roll Commission that will build the foundation for self-determination.

“This is an important step for the future of Native Hawaiian self-determination and the ability for Native Hawaiians to decide their own future,” stated Governor Abercrombie. “This Commission will put together the roll of qualified and interested Native Hawaiians who want to help determine the course of Hawai'i’s indigenous people.”

Act 195 starts the process that will eventually lead to Native Hawaiian Recognition. While in the U.S. House of Representatives, then-Congressman Abercrombie worked closely with U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka on moving the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, which was first introduced in 1999. In 2000 and 2007, then-Congressman Abercrombie successfully shepherded the legislation through the U.S. House of Representatives committees and won approval by the full House... (Complete Press Release)