One of Potawatomi’s big messages in its multimillion-dollar campaign to kill competition and preserve its monopoly is that it’s somehow bad for an out-of-state Tribe to be involved in the Kenosha casino effort. The Potawatomi have spent a lot of money to blast the Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut’s work on a project that will meet the significant unmet needs of one of Wisconsin’s largest and poorest tribes and bring 3,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars to Wisconsin.
Potawatomi’s argument really doesn’t make a lot of sense – most people agree that having out-of-state businesses invest in Wisconsin is a good thing. And the Mohegan Tribe is among the best in the business – just take a look at this letter to the editor from Saturday’s Kenosha News. The writer, a local businessman, experienced Mohegan’s expertise first-hand.
Mohegan Tribe knows the casino business
Kenosha has heard a lot about the Mohegan Tribe over the past four years. The Mohegan, experts in developing and running a successful resort, will partner with Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe to develop the Kenosha entertainment center and casino and manage its operations for the first seven years.
I’ve met some of the Mohegan leaders on their visits to town and have been impressed by their dedication to the Menominee, their support for Kenosha and their business philosophy. But when I and other local business leaders visited the Mohegan Sun resort in Connecticut, I was blown away.
The Sun, including its $1 billion expansion opening in 2010, is an example of the many positives the Menominee project will bring to Kenosha. The Sun’s 9,000-plus employees earn above-average pay and excellent benefits, just as the Menominee project will create 3,000 top-paying jobs here.
The Mohegan have strong relationships with local municipalities — even providing reciprocal police, fire and paramedics services to neighboring communities. The Menominee have developed solid relationships in Kenosha and will forge even stronger connections as this project develops.
And just as the Menominee have pledged to work with local vendors in Kenosha, a “buy local” commitment is evident at the Mohegan Sun. The resort spends millions with local companies every year, and the expansion site is full of Connecticut contractors and laborers proud to work on the high-profile project.
I also learned more about Mohegan’s commitment to renewable energy and recycling; its partnerships with schools and charities; the list goes on. The Mohegan Tribe is clearly doing something very right and is a great model for the Menominee project.
Dave Gallo
We’ve always thought it a little hypocritical for the Potawatomi to criticize the Mohegan for helping a fellow tribe – especially after the Potawatomi refused repeated requests by the Menominee to work together in Kenosha. The fact is, the Mohegan are a class act.
PS: A quick note about competition. Guess what’s just 7 short miles away from the Mohegan Sun, one of the largest and most successful Indian casino resorts in the United States? The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s Foxwoods, also one of the largest and most successful Indian casino resorts in the country. Not only do the Mohegan have a healthy respect for competition, they’re pretty good at it.
Meanwhile, the Potawtomi would rather avoid competition altogether – even if it means lost jobs and economic opportunity for Wisconsin, and continued poverty for a fellow Wisconsin Tribe.
Speak out for healthy competition and business investment in Wisconsin by signing the online petition.
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