Bay Mills Indians Add 842 Acres to Reservation Lands

(4310-W7-P)
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
Bureau of Indian Affairs 
Proclaiming Certain Lands, Forest Service Lands, as an Addition to the Bay Mills Indian Reservation for the Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan

AGENCY:  Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice of Reservation Proclamation.

SUMMARY:  This notice informs the public that the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs proclaimed approximately 842 acres, more or less, to be added to the Bay Mills Indian Reservation for the Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Ben Burshia, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Division of Real Estate Services, Mail Stop 4639-MIB, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240, telephone (202) 208-7737.

http://www.ofr.gov/(S(wazba0ica4mvwik3ct5fd2jk))/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-21263_PI.pdf

Blog NOTE: Detroit Casino Syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr. has partnered with the Bay Mills Indians on various gaming and business ventures proposed both on and off reservation lands.

Revenues up just 1.1% for Detroit's three casinos | The Detroit News

August 15. 2011 6:42PM
The Detroit News

Revenues at Detroit's three casinos increased a weak 1.1 percent in July to $120.1 million, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

MotorCity Casino Hotel, the city's second-largest gaming hall by revenue, led the way with a 6.2 percent jump to $40.1 million in revenue, according to a state report released Monday.

MGM Grand Detroit followed with a 1.1 percent increase to $51 million.

Greektown Casino Hotel, the smallest of the trio, experienced a 5.2 percent decline in revenue.

Revenues at the three casinos had risen 3.1 percent through the first six months of the year.

Find original at: Revenues up just 1.1% for Detroit's three casinos

Controversy seems to always follow Detroit Casino Syndicator Michael Malik

Michael J. Malik, Sr.
Detroit Casino Syndicator

A glimpse at some of the controversies surrounding Detroit casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr.:

• Malik was arrested for beating 12-year-old son of his then girlfriend. (1997) Detroit News
• Michigan Gaming (MGCB) investigators found questionable histories for Malik and several of his original gaming partners.  Those histories included tax dodging, court ordered real estate negligence claims and 40+ foreclosures. (1999) Las Vegas Review-Journal
• Malik was denied a gaming license by the MGCB. (1999)
• Malik failed to report a $26,500 political contribution and was fined on two counts of violating California election law. (2004)
• In the footsteps of Jack Abramoff, Malik’s use of influence peddling, using political contributions to leverage influence with Members of Congress including former Reps. Richard Pombo and Don Young, has been scrutinized by the national media. Corruption roll call: the most corrupt Members of Congress. (Since 2005)
• Following multiple investigations by California's Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), Malik has twice (2006 & 2009) been fined a total of $10,500 and found to have violated California's political reform laws on a total of three counts. Over the course of several election cycles, he's simply failed to report more than $52,000 in political contributions. The majority of those contributions he failed to report even after he had previously been found to be in violation and fined on two similar counts. No excuses.
• Malik's former mistress, Heather Lufkins Robinson (she subsequently married NBA player Clifford Robinson) filed a property claim suit against Malik alleging he had purchased a home for her while he was still married and they were carrying on an affair. A judge tossed out the claim when it became clear that the former mistress had previously perjured herself to help Malik hide assets from his former wife during their divorce proceedings. (2006 Complaint)
• A son, Cameron Anthony Malik, is born to unwed parents Michael J. Malik (age 52) and Brooke Garwood (age 28) in November 2006.
• Malik’s partnership with the Los Coyotes Band of Indians was terminated by the tribe’s well-respected chairwoman who called Malik “the Devil” and indicated he was “seducing” younger members of her tribe. (2007)
• Malik continued to ignore California political finance disclosure laws and failed to report a $5,000 contribution to the Democratic Party. (2007)
• Malik faces charges in a Florida Federal District Court brought by a court appointed Receiver alleging Malik’s involvement in a ponzi scheme and $2.1 million fraudulent transfer. (2008)
• Malik was found guilty by an Arizona court of illegally discharging a firearm. He was ordered to do community service and fined almost $15,000. His hunting licenses in Arizona and Michigan were revoked. (2008)
• Malik defaulted on a $1 million personal line of credit with Fifth Third Bank; was delinquent on property taxes and had real estate in foreclosure. (2008 & 2009)
• Miami Beach Police were called to break up a party at a lavish $7.9 million estate being rented by Michael J. Malik, Sr., as a vacation home. Police reports and subsequent investigations (Case #10-24620) indicate police found substances onsite and that cocaine and other drugs were present and being used during a five-day party marathon. (2010)
• On January 21, 2010, Michael Malik marries Brooke Garwood, the mother of his 3-year-old son Cameron, in a Las Vegas wedding ceremony costing upward of $300,000.  Six weeks later, Malik files for annulment/divorce. She counter-sues. In documents filed early in the divorce proceedings both parties allege drug and alcohol abuse; fast-living and sexual debauchery; emotional abuse; questionable parenting skills; numerous infidelities prior to and during the short-lived marriage; influence peddling; buying witnesses and more. As the divorce proceeds, Malik asks the Court to restrict further public access to the Court documents and divorce details.
• Wayne County Treasurer issues a Certificate of Forfeiture over a $4.25 million lake front residential property owned by Malik because he has failed to pay thousands in back property taxes. (2010)
• New York political candidates for State Senate and U.S. House of Representatives come under attack for accepting campaign contributions from tainted casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr., and decide to return his contributions in order to quiet the controversy. (2010)
• Questions arise over more than $15,000 in campaign contributions Malik gave to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who is expected to make decisions that will impact Malik's ability to develop a casino and entertainment complex at the Belmont Park & Race Track on Long Island. Cuomo Rejects Campaign Contributions from Michael Malik.
• After Malik & Gateway Casino Resorts investors dumped perhaps as much as $40 million into process that gained Shinnecock Indian Nation Federal Recognition and put them on the path toward casino development, tribe still votes down go-forward contract with Malik because, as was reported, majority don't trust and are suspcicious of Malik.

Mike Malik is Mrs. Marian Ilitch's casino gaming partner. Malik, however, has failed to ever obtain a license to operate, be employed by or be affiliated with a licensed gambling facility.  Ilitch owns Detroit's MotorCity Casino and is involved in other gaming development activities.  Along with her husband, Michael Ilitch, they control Ilitch Holdings, Inc., parent of such brands as Little Caesars Pizza, Detroit Tigers MLB franchise, Detroit Red Wings NHL franchise and dozens more.

Wikipedia: Michael J. Malik, Sr.


originally posted 8.07.08
updated and reposted 08.13.08

Editorial Urges Governor Brown to Say "No" to Barstow Casino Scheme

Casino rush? No

8.04.11

The Press-Enterprise

Editorial

California voters never approved building tribal casinos at whatever site might get the most business. Tribes should confine gambling operations to reservations, not search for more lucrative locations. The governor and Legislature should reject a San Diego County tribe's proposal to build a casino in the distant High Desert.

The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians wants to build a casino in Barstow along Interstate 15. That site, however, is 160 miles away from the tribe's reservation, which sits about an hour southeast of Temecula. The proposal faces some substantial hurdles: The tribe has to get the federal government to approve the plan, and negotiate a state gambling compact that allows the Barstow facility. And the Legislature killed a similar bid in 2006, after the tribe had reached a deal with then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The pitch for an off-reservation casino is no better five years later, however, and deserves rejection once again. The tribe's interest in improving its welfare is understandable, but the state needs to find a better approach than letting casinos proliferate far away from any reservation.

The Barstow site has no historical connection to the Los Coyotes tribe. The only real rationale is that the property sits along the heavily traveled Southern California to Las Vegas route. The location is ideal for pulling in a lot of gamblers -- far more than anywhere on the tribe's remote San Diego County lands.

However, Prop. 1A in 2000 authorized Las Vegas-style casinos operated by tribes "on Indian lands." The Los Coyotes Band's proposal would essentially gut that restriction for no other reason than maximizing profits. Such a precedent would set off a land rush, as tribes in distant areas of the state all sought casino sites near big urban areas or along high-traffic routes.

But voters' intent was to give tribes a way to combat poverty on reservations, not invite them to spread casinos across the state. Gambling on tribal lands is a far different proposition from turning California population centers into Las Vegas-farther-west.

Certainly, the state needs to address the fact that some tribes have reservations so remote that casinos are not a realistic option. California tribes should not face poverty simply because their ancestral lands are not conveniently adjacent to large populations of gamblers.

The solution to that issue does not involve letting tribes shop for better casino sites elsewhere. The state and tribes should look at other options, such as cooperative agreements that let tribes share land on existing reservations or share revenues from casino operations.

But the state should insist on limiting Las Vegas-style gambling to tribal lands. Easy access, high traffic counts and good business prospects do not override voter-approved restrictions on where tribes can build casinos.

Los Coyotes Tribal Member Arrested; Charged with Arson in 14,000-Acre Fire Started on Reservation

The North County Times has reported an arson investigation into the July 2011 fire that burned more than 14,000 acres on the Los Coyotes Reservation in northeast San Diego County has resulted in two arrests.  At least one of those arrested, 23 year old Jeremy Ortiz, is a member of the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla Indians.  Another suspect, Jesse Durbin, also 23, was already in custody on vehicle theft charges.  Both are being held on $2 million bail.

The fire, which was started on July 21 took more than a week to put out.  More than 2,000 personnel worked to put out the blaze at a cost to taxpayers of $15 million.

Neighbors living in Warm Springs near the reservation had expressed concerns about wildfires starting on the reservation based on decisions at the tribe’s sole discretion.

The North County Times notes:

The tribe has plans to build a casino in Barstow, near Interstate 15 in San Bernardino, halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. However, the project faces several hurdles before it can be built, including approval from the federal government and negotiations with the state for a gambling agreement.

North County Times
8.04.2011
LOS COYOTES RESERVATION: Two suspects arrested in Eagle fire
By Edward Sifuentes, esifuentes@nctimes.com



See also:

• Turmoil within Los Coyotes Tribe Comes to Light Following Eagle Fire; Concerns that Somehow Detroit-Based Barwest was Involved

A-Rod Gambling Investigation Raises Questions About Tiger's Baseball & Ilitch Casinos

With rumors circulating Alex Rodriguez took part in high-stakes underground poker games at a Beverly Hills mansion, Major League Baseball reportedly has him under investigation.  So, blogger Maury Brown (bizofbaseball.com) gives us a quick history lesson on MLB and gambling:  From A-Rod to the MLB Itself: A Brief History of Gambling and Casinos in Baseball. 

Here’s how Brown explains Detroit Tigers owner Mike Iltich’s gambling ties:

Illitch and the Wink-Wink Relationship to Casinos

MLB does not allow owners to be involved in direct ownership of casinos, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t nepotistic ways to get around it.

Case in point, Mike Illitch, the owner of the Detroit Tigers. While he’s not a casino owner, his wife Marian, is. In 2005, she became the owner of Detroit's MotorCity Casino. Since then, Mike Illitch’s wife has made minority investments in casinos across the country including the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, MI. Ilitch has partnered with the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Hampton Bays, New York to develop a recent casino in New York. Ilitch also a partnered with Barwest, LLC and Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians to develop casinos in Barstow, California.

Tribes fight casino plan

Tribes fight casino plan - San Bernardino County Sun

7.30.2011

Groups argue Los Coyotes have no ties to Barstow

Jim Steinberg, Staff Writer

BARSTOW - San Bernardino County's two American Indian tribes - both of which operate casinos - oppose a north San Diego County-based Indian tribe's plan to open a $160 million casino here.

The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians oppose the proposed casino and 100-room hotel advancing through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs approval process.

On Wednesday night, the BIA held a public hearing on the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians' plans for the casino near two outlet malls south of downtown Barstow.

The project has been in the works for 10 years.

Jacob Coin, a tribal spokesman, said in an interview Thursday that the San Manuels have long opposed the project and would continue to make their opposition known.

A rendering shows a casino the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians propose to build in Barstow. The project is opposed by the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians and the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, saying that the casino would encroach upon their ancestral lands. (Courtesy rendering)

"The tribe is of the mind that this is an encroachment on their ancestral lands," he said. Los Coyotes "have no historical ties to the (Barstow) area."

Charles F. Wood, chairman of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, based on the San Bernardino County side of Lake Havasu, said at the public hearing that his tribe opposes the casino for the same reason.

In 1999, during the statewide campaign to allow California tribes to have Nevada-style gambling on their land, the campaign's organizers selected Los Coyotes tribal member Francine Kupsch to illustrate that many California Indians were experiencing poverty and to promote the desire for casinos as a path to Indian self-reliance.

Today the tribe is still without a casino and has electricity only about a mile past its border.

Meanwhile, the San Manuel reservation has many large homes, more than 3,000 slot machines, 130 table games and a 2,500-seat bingo hall.

The Chemehuevi tribe owns Havasu Landing Resort & Casino at Havasu Lake, Calif., across the Colorado River from Lake Havasu, Ariz.

With just 243 slots in its casino, the Chemehuevi "are not considered a gaming tribe," Shirley Smith, vice chairwoman of the tribe, said Friday.

In an interview Wednesday night after the public hearing, Wood said the Chemehuevi would be resubmitting a proposal to build a casino in Barstow, a goal the tribe let lapse.

Ten years ago, both Los Coyotes and the Chemehuevi were proposing casinos for Barstow.

Due to changes in BIA regulations, the Chemehuevi proposal was terminated, as was the one for Los Coyotes.

But the Los Coyotes group refiled under the new guidelines.

On Friday, Smith reconfirmed that the Chemehuevi would again try for a casino in Barstow.

"We do plan to pursue it," she said but declined to say when that application might be refiled.

Coin said that because the San Manuels and the Chemehuevi historically crossed paths in the Barstow area, the San Manuels have never opposed Chemehuevi efforts to build a casino in Barstow.

"For the San Manuels, this is not a gaming issue. It is strictly and nothing but protection of ancestral lands," he said.

To win approval for its casino, Los Coyotes must persuade the federal government to put a 23-acre casino site in a public trust, effectively creating a Los Coyotes reservation.

Said Coin: "The tribe (Los Coyotes) have no aboriginal connections to the lands. But this would create a brand new reservation (site), just for the purpose of building a casino."

Los Coyotes tribal Chairman Shane Chapparosa said that historically his tribe hunted and traded on the same lands as did the Serranos (San Manuels) and Chemehuevi.

A research firm hired by the financial backers of the Los Coyotes project, Detroit-based BarWest Gaming Inc., says that "the city of Barstow is not located within the aboriginal territory of any modern tribe."

The area was inhabited by a tribe known as the Vanyume, "a linguistic subgroup" of the Serrano Indians but a different group than the ancestors of the modern San Manuels, says a 2005 report by Historical Research Associates Inc. in Missoula, Mont.

Tom Shields, a spokesman for Bar West, said a historical link to the area of the proposed casino would not be a factor in the federal government's decision.

Read more:  http://www.sbsun.com/ci_18588286?source=most_viewed#ixzz1TgyaBAoj

San Bernardino County tribes oppose Los Coyotes casino proposal in Barstow - DailyBulletin.com

San Bernardino County tribes oppose Los Coyotes casino proposal in Barstow - DailyBulletin.com

By JIM STEINBERG, Staff Writer
Created: 07/30/2011 08:18:04 PM PDT

BARSTOW - San Bernardino County's two Indian tribes - both of which operate casinos - oppose a north San Diego County-based Indian tribe's plan to open a $160million casino here.

The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians oppose the proposed casino and 100-room hotel advancing through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs approval process.

On Wednesday night, the BIA held a public hearing on the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians' plans for the casino near two outlet malls south of downtown Barstow.

The project has been in the works for 10 years.

Jacob Coin, a tribal spokesman, said in an interview Thursday that the San Manuels have long opposed the project and would continue to make their opposition known.

"The tribe is of the mind that this is an encroachment on their ancestral lands," he said. Los Coyotes "have no historical ties to the (Barstow) area."

Charles F. Wood, chairman of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, based on the San Bernardino County side of Lake Havasu, said at the public hearing that his tribe opposes the casino for the same reason.

In 1999, during the statewide campaign to allow California tribes to have Nevada-style gambling on their land, the campaign's organizers selected Los Coyotes tribal member Francine Kupsch to illustrate that many California Indians were experiencing poverty, and to promote the desire for casinos as a path to Indian self-reliance.

Today the tribe is still without a casino and has electricity only about a mile past its border.

Meanwhile, the San Manuel reservation has many large homes, more than 3,000 slot machines, 130 table games and a 2,500-seat bingo hall.

The Chemehuevi tribe owns Havasu Landing Resort & Casino at Havasu Lake, Calif., across the Colorado River from Lake Havasu, Ariz.

With just 243 slots in its casino, the Chemehuevi "are not considered a gaming tribe," Shirley Smith, vice chairwoman of the tribe, said Friday.

In an interview Wednesday night after the public hearing, Wood said the Chemehuevi would be resubmitting a proposal to build a casino in Barstow, a goal the tribe let lapse.

Ten years ago, both Los Coyotes and the Chemehuevi were proposing casinos for Barstow.

Due to changes in BIA regulations, the Chemehuevi proposal was terminated, as was the one for Los Coyotes.

But the Los Coyotes group refiled under the new guidelines.

On Friday, Smith reconfirmed that the Chemehuevi would again try for a casino in Barstow.

"We do plan to pursue it," she said, but declined to say when that application might be refiled.

Coin said that because the San Manuels and the Chemehuevi historically crossed paths in the Barstow area, the San Manuels have never opposed Chemehuevi efforts to build a casino in Barstow.

"For the San Manuals, this is not a gaming issue. It is strictly and nothing but protection of ancestral lands," he said.

To win approval for its casino, Los Coyotes must persuade the federal government to put a 23-acre casino site in a public trust, effectively creating a Los Coyotes reservation.

Said Coin: "The tribe (Los Coyotes) have no aboriginal connections to the lands. But this would create a brand new reservation (site), just for the purpose of building a casino."

Los Coyotes tribal Chairman Shane Chapparosa said that historically his tribe hunted and traded on the same lands as did the Serranos (San Manuels) and Chemehuevi.

A research firm hired by the financial backers of the Los Coyotes project, Detroit-based BarWest Gaming Inc., says that "the city of Barstow is not located within the aboriginal territory of any modern tribe."

The area was inhabited by a tribe known as the Vanyume, "a linguistic sub-group" of the Serrano Indians, but a different group than the ancestors of the modern San Manuels, says a 2005 report by Historical Research Associates Inc. in Missoula, Mont.

The Vanyume "effectively became extinct by 1900," the report said.

"Several tribes that have survived into the modern era, however, were neighbors of the Vanyume, including Los Coyotoes, Chemehuevi and San Manuels, the report said.

Tom Shields, a spokesman for Bar West, said a historical link to the area of the proposed casino would not be a factor in the federal government's decision.

jim.steinberg@inlandnewspapers.com

909-386-3855

Shinnecock Roll Out Plans for Casino Development at Belmont Racetrack

Developers Roll Out Preliminary Plan for 
Casino At Belmont Racetrack
7.29.2011

by Melissa Argueta

Senator Martins, Local Leaders Weigh in on Impact of Project to Nassau County Communities

Representatives from the Shinnecock Indian Nation recently gave Nassau County residents a sneak peek into a conceptual development plan for a casino at Belmont Racetrack during an Elmont Coalition for Sustainable Development meeting held at the Elmont Library.

The tentative proposal calls to build a 500- to 600-unit hotel, a gaming facility and entertainment complex, which includes restaurants, a renovated Long Island Rail Road Station and a soccer field.

In a roundtable discussion at Anton Newspapers earlier this month, Senator Jack Martins advocated his support for the potential project as part of the Elmont revitalization initiative, and offered insight into how such a project could affect constituents living in the 7th Senatorial District.

Martins confirmed that the Shinnecock’s development proposal is not a done deal and still has to be approved on the state and federal levels. “Just because they announce that they are looking at Belmont, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. It may never happen, just because of all of the different hurdles that they have to overcome, but the fact that the Shinnecocks are willing to take on that possibility, let them go ahead and do it,” Martins said.

Last month, Martins met with officials at the Empire State Development Corporation to discuss the state’s commitment to move forward with the Belmont casino. Regardless of whether the proposed plan is approved, Martins said the Elmont community will still proceed with its own revitalization efforts.

“The reality is, the odds are against there being a casino there. But they [the Shinnecock Nation] know that, and they are willing to try, so let them try. In the meantime, my job as I see it is to work with the community, look at the state’s resources and see what’s available to move the process forward for their own visioning,” Martins said.

Sandra Smith, chairwoman of the Elmont Coalition for Sustainable Development, has had direct meetings with Shinnecock Nation and said the Elmont community has embraced the idea of a casino in the area. The Coalition reached out before the Shinnecock got federal recognition in an attempt to foster a smooth dialogue in the future, which Smith says is working quite well.

“From my standpoint, the community as a whole is accepting the idea,” she said.

Furthermore, Smith has had unending conversations with Martins about the proposed casino and that both have been working to remedy the idea of it coming to fruition. Smith, through the coalition, has held “revitalization meetings” concerning Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont and the Belmont property has been on the table for the last “four or five years.”

“We spoke about this idea a lot,” Smith said. “He’s for it and so am I. He’s been very supportive in helping shine the light on this to move the process forward. The coalition reached out to the Shinnecock Nation before they received federal recognition to show that Elmont was interested in having something at Belmont.”

Smith met with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in recent weeks and addressed having a proposed casino on the south lot at the racetrack. She said at the meeting, she notified NYRA that the coalition has been discussing the plan with Shinnecock Nation.

In an effort to get additional feedback on the project, Smith said the Shinnecocks will be hosting a series of meet-and-greets with local residents. Earlier this month, approximately 60 people attended the first information session and asked Shinnecock developers questions about the plan.

“It was quite positive,” Smith said. “It was an opportunity to have a community to community meeting. Their representatives wanted to meet the people of Elmont and have an informal conversation.”

The construction project could generate anywhere from 5,500 to 12,000 jobs from white-collar to blue-collar positions, according to Smith.

“Belmont is part of the Triple Crown; it’s a world known brand,” Martins said. “Our effort is to try and incorporate Belmont into the local community to provide economic opportunities.”

According to Martins, New York State owns the Belmont property, which is located in Elmont. However, the backstretch portion of the land is situated in the Village of Floral Park. Mayor Tom Tweedy and other village residents have publicly raised concerns about the additional traffic that may be produced in the village and surrounding towns.

In his Mayor’s Message printed in the July 22 Floral Park Dispatch, Tweedy estimated that a proposed casino at Belmont could draw as many as 51,000 visitors per day, including gaming visitors, racing fans and Belmont employees.

“One need not be Nostradamus to know the impact this will have on our village, especially our police. This year’s Belmont Stakes alone had an attendance of 55,779. That day, the Floral Park Police Department worked a double-staffed shift with additional overlapping shifts to cover traffic and other public safety issues due to the large number of visitors and the nature of the day,” Tweedy wrote.

Martins maintained that the surrounding towns will not be impacted negatively by development. “If a casino becomes a viable possibility, it will be located in a way that it does not interfere with Floral Park or areas that don’t want to see that kind of activity,” he said.

Smith stressed that the representatives from the Shinnecock Nation will hold future meetings with Floral Park officials to discuss their concerns as well. She also emphasized that the plan proposes aiding Floral Park’s water and flooding problems by building a drainage area to pull out water from the backstretch area and using it instead for decorative purposes.

Rich Forestano contributed to this story.

Group Organized by Lobbyist for Detroit Syndicate Launching Pro-Gambling TV Show in Hawaii

Legalized Gambling Advocacy Group to Launch New Television Show
7.27.2011

Citizens for a Better Way, a group that is pushing to legalize gambling in Hawaii, will launch a new television show on Olelo Television to educate citizens on its plan to build a standing casino in Waikiki.

The group, headed by Liz Watanabe, also launched a web site that highlights its plan.

Hawaii is one of only two states without any form of legalized gaming. Legislation to change that has been introduced over the last 12 years but always has failed. Legislation from last session is still alive and could be addressed again as early as January 2012.

Citizens for a Better Way is pushing for gambling as a new form of revenue for the state government. The plan includes a $1 million bidding fee for every casino company interested in winning the contract, a $150 million licensing fee and a 15 percent general excise tax on all transactions inside the casino.

The legislature, although looking for additional revenue sources, has been reluctant to legalize gaming, largely because of vocal public opposition.

Blogger's Note: After further investigation, it's clear that John Radcliffe, longtime lobbyist for labor and a Detroit gambling syndicate, conceived and created the so-called "grassroots" group Citizens for a Better Way. In truth, it is a for-profit limited liability company. Then Radcliffe hooked up with Liz Hata Watanabe, former owner of failed nightclub and restaurant operations with no sustained record running a financially successful business but rather an extremely poor track record with the Honolulu Liquor Commission. Just weeks from filing bankruptcy, Watanabe agrees to help Radcliffe out. And in April, they spend $40,000 on a campaign aimed at getting approvals for the Detroiters to operate a Waikiki casino. They won't document where they got the money from, nor who got the payments for "Advertising Media" expenses. Funny business for sure!


See also:

• Failed Nightclub Owner is a Shameless Self-Promoter
• Hawaii's 'Citizens for a Better Way' isn't a 'Citizens' Group After-all
• Founder of tax-exempt nonprofit produced 'Hawaii's Big Deal: Poker Tournament,' a reality TV show called the 'closest thing to legalized gambling in The Islands'
• Lobbyists Spent $40,000 Manufacturing So-Called 'Citizens' Group Support for Oahu Casino Scheme
• She Said: Here's what Hata-Watanabe had to offer after a recent visit to TheVerifiableTruth.com

Citizens for a Better Way: "Grassroots" Group Fronting for Detroiters Behind Renewed Debate to Legalize Gambling in Hawaii

Radcliffe, Detroit Casino organize Community Front Group to push Gambling
7.25.2011

By Andrew Walden

Liz Hata Watanabe is not one to sit on the sidelines. The former nightclub owner and entrepreneur has a new cause: getting Waikiki a casino.

Watanabe founded Citizens for a Better Way, an organization she says has more than 300 active members lobbying for a casino to provide new jobs and a new business for Hawaii….

She linked up with John Radcliffe, a lobbyist who has been pushing for a Hawaii casino for a decade. They met when Watanabe was doing a charity gambling-free poker tournament for her family charity, the Hata Foundation, which supports children and family organizations.

Citizens for a Better Way has also attracted the support of Jeff Coelho, a longtime broadcaster who will be retiring as general manager of Salem Media Hawaii and was an adviser to former Mayor Mufi Hannemann….

Radcliffe works with Marketing Resource Group of Lansing, Mich. It works with a Detroit casino whose investors would be interested in bidding on a Waikiki casino, Radcliffe said.

"I am sure if given the opportunity, they would want to compete for a license," he said.

Under a bill proposed this year, potential casino operators would first have to put down a large fee for the right to make a bid on a casino license. The bidding would be handled by a specially appointed state board.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Entrepreneurs get rolling on Waikiki casino idea

Most interesting Comment: “Borreca stays in the shallow end of the pool once again. Major players? Liz is consistent: 100% track record of failure. With all of biographical info he puffed her up with, why omit an important fact -- her bankruptcy filing in June, 2011, which details her train wrecks and the $300,000 plus she stiffed her creditors for. She is a success only at self-promotion which you and others facilitate at the expense of reality. Coelho was an advisor to Mufi. More relevant was that he was the managing director for less than a year and eased over to Director of Customer Service. After three years with Salem, he is soon to be retired and moving to the Mainland. Whoever hires Radcliffe, though, gets something for the money -- newspaper space even if the stories are fantasies.”

• Related: Gaming Lobbyist describes much deeper involvement in selecting Abercrombie Cabinet
• Not Mentioned, Gambling’s foremost Legislative supporter: Military to be Disenfranchised so Meth dealer’s friend can keep Senate Seat?
• Other Gambling: After lobbying in Hawaii: Online Poker sites seized by FBI, execs Indicted
• Daily Finance: The High Price of America's Gambling Addiction

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)

Hundreds attend Wednesday's Barstow casino hearing

 Barstow casino project renewed

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A sign depicting the proposed Barstow Casino stands in front of the property on Lenwood Road near the Hampton Inn Friday. A draft environmental impact statement was released Friday.

  Government overturns 2008 order

July 05, 2011

KAREN JONAS

Staff Writer

BARSTOW • Nearly a full decade after it was first proposed, an Indian gaming casino that would be located near the Barstow outlets has received a new breath of life after a draft environmental impact statement was released Friday.

The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians — who have a reservation in a rural and mountainous area of San Diego County — first began plans for a casino near the Lenwood outlets in 2001.

The project stalled in 2008 after the Department of Interior issued a memorandum that required offreservation gaming casinos to be located within a “commutable distance” of the tribe’s reservation.

The application for the Los Coyotes casino in Barstow was rejected because of the new requirement, and the tribe filed another application in May 2008, said Suzanne Schaeffer, a lawyer working on the land trust application for the tribe.

Earlier this month, the Department of the Interior rescinded the memorandum and announced that it will move forward to process pending off-reservation gaming applications based on current federal law, according to a prepared statement from the Department of the Interior.

The Los Coyotes casino will have to undergo a “twopart test” in order to put the land — currently owned by BarWest Gaming Inc. — into federal trust and allow the casino to be constructed, Schaeffer said. Under the Indian Gaming and Regulation Act, the tribe must prove that off-reservation gaming is in the best interest of the tribe and is not detrimental to the surrounding community, and the governor also has to approve the project.

Another Ilitch Leaves Family Business

Atanas Ilitch to leave Olympia Development real estate company

6.14.2011

By Daniel Duggan

Atanas Ilitch is leaving the family business.

The son of pizza and sports icon Mike Ilitch said today that he is resigning as president of Olympia Development. The real estate company, owned by Mike and Marian Ilitch, handles the real estate for all their companies.

The move was announced in a press release issued today in which Atanas Ilitch cited “outside business interests” requiring his attention as he leaves Olympia Development.

“The team we have at Olympia Development is highly capable, which makes me very comfortable in making this move at this time,” he said in the press release.“ My personal business interests continue to require more of my day-to-day time and attention.

“In my opinion, this is a win-win, and I look forward to recruiting a highly capable and experienced individual to lead Olympia Development into the future.”

A request for an interview was sent to Ilitch this afternoon, but no response was given.

Chris Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings Inc., said his brother has been a key part of the business.

“I greatly appreciate the leadership that Atanas has provided at Olympia Development over the last six years and the tremendous vision and leadership he has shown in our community,” Chris Ilitch said in the statement.

“My brother is one of the most passionate and creative persons I know, and he is absolutely committed to making our community a better place for all.”

Atanas Ilitch became president of Olympia Development in 2005. He has held other positions in the Ilitch companies over the years, including president of Olympia Entertainment from 1993 to 2000.

The search will begin immediately for a new president of Olympia Development. Atanas will help find his successor and stay on until that person is appointed, according to the company’s statement.