Casino Competition For Wisconsin

Illegal casino rejection robs Wisconsin of jobs and economic boost; Menominee vow to fight

2009-01-08T10:13:00.003-06:00

Amazing that on the very morning the President-Elect prepares to address the nation about its most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression comes news that the outgoing Administration has rejected the Kenosha casino plan, which would create thousands of jobs for Wisconsin residents and pump billions into our state’s economy, all without cost to the U.S. Treasury.

Talk about a serious disconnect – and a serious kick in the pants to Wisconsin, Kenosha and one of our state’s poorest tribes.

Fact is, the Department’s rejection is based on illegal and inappropriate changes to federal law, not the law itself. The Menominee have vowed to fight it vigorously. Meanwhile, the Potawatomi – who spent millions of dollars in their attempts to kill potential competition from a Kenosha casino – have been eerily silent on the government’s decision.

Maybe it’s because Potawatomi knows killing jobs and economic opportunity for Wisconsin is a bad idea.

Here’s the Menominee Tribe’s message about the Department’s “arbitrary, capricious and unlawful decision.”

Dear Supporters and Friends:

The Menominee Tribe received word today that, at the direction of outgoing Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, the U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Indian Affairs has rejected our Kenosha casino application.

Today’s decision was not based on the law, but on an illegal guidance memorandum which the Tribe currently is challenging in Federal Court.

There is absolutely no question, given the facts and the law, that the Menominee project should be approved. BIA non-political officials have twice recommended approval based on thorough legal and regulatory analysis, policy applications, economic studies, an overwhelming referendum victory, solid relationships with the local Kenosha and Southeast Wisconsin communities and thousands of pages of documentation. Our Compact with the State of Wisconsin years ago contemplated a Kenosha casino. The environmental clearances are all in hand. The project is designed and ready to build. In this time of economic uncertainty and job losses, federal approval of our project would quickly provide good paying jobs, without cost to the U.S. Treasury. As our Kenosha casino is built, we will hire thousands of taxpayers, purchase tons of supplies, and generate a multiplier effect in our regional economy. All this will boost federal, state and local tax revenues.

The Tribe will not sit back idly and allow Kenosha and Wisconsin to lose 3,000 jobs, a $1 billion construction project and billions of dollars in new revenue. Nor will we allow tolerate losing our lawful opportunity to meet the great needs of our Reservation and its members particularly in these difficult economic times. The Tribe will vigorously pursue its litigation against the Department and will not allow today’s arbitrary, capricious and unlawful decision to stand.

The Menominee Tribe is strongly committed to seeing this project through – for our Tribe, for Kenosha and for the State of Wisconsin, and is confident that the federal courts will force the Department to do the right thing, and withdraw this unlawful rejection.

Thank you for your continued support of our Tribe and our Kenosha efforts.

Sincerely,

Lisa Waukau

Tribal Chair

Support the Menominee project by signing the online petition.

As dismal jobs news continues in Wisconsin, out-of-state casinos hiring hundreds

2008-12-17T16:52:00.007-06:00

There’s more dismal employment news in today’s papers:

• The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that new claims for unemployment insurance benefits in Wisconsin are up 15% from the same time last year.

• The Kenosha News reports a closure and layoffs at two more local companies.

In the meantime, two big employers are holding job fairs looking for hundreds of new employees in Indiana and Florida. Coincidentally, both of those opportunity-rich employers are – you guessed it – casinos.

More proof of the positive difference the Menominee casino – with its 3,000-plus good jobs and billion-dollar economic benefits – can make for Wisconsin.

Support more Wisconsin jobs by supporting casino competition and signing the online petition.

Kenosha County's bleak unemployment news highlights need for casino jobs

2008-12-16T11:28:00.005-06:00

There's alarming unemployment news out of Kenosha County - and it shows just how much the Menominee casino's 3,000-plus good-paying jobs are needed in Southeast Wisconsin.

Today's Kenosha News reports that local jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 6 are up a whopping 84% from last year. That's not all - as job listings have plummeted, the number of unemployed people and Kenosha County residents requiring food stamps and other public assistance has skyrocketed.

Sounds like it's time for some positive economic development and job creation.

You can read the full article here.

Casino competition means more jobs in Southeast Wisconsin. Click here to sign the online petition.

Competition would bring good jobs at a time Wisconsin needs them

2008-12-11T10:47:00.003-06:00

With unemployment claims skyrocketing in Wisconsin and nationally, it seems like a good time to point out that the Menominee casino in Kenosha will create 3,000 good jobs – with family-supporting wages and benefits – for Wisconsin residents. That’s in addition to the 1,000-plus good union construction jobs building the facility will create.

Good jobs when Wisconsin needs them. That’s another great reason to support casino competition in our region.

Casino competition will bring good jobs an economic support to Wisconsin – help make it happen by signing the online petition.

Kenosha project would help improve Menominee’s dismal health situation

2008-11-25T11:57:00.009-06:00

It looks like casino competition would do more than create good jobs and provide multibillion-dollar economic benefits to Wisconsin. It would also help Wisconsin’s least healthy county, and the country’s fourth-poorest Tribe, improve its dismal health picture.

Check out this news release on the topic, or you can read excerpts below:

MENOMINEE CASINO WILL HELP STATE’S LEAST HEALTHY COUNTY

* * *

Kenosha project would help poor Tribe overcome major health challenges as 2008 Wisconsin County Health Rankings put Menominee Reservation at the bottom – again

KESHENA, Wis. – Just weeks after a UW-La Follette School of Public Affairs study determined that the Menominee Indian Tribe’s proposed Kenosha casino could help the impoverished Tribe improve its dismal health picture, a new report has found Menominee County continues to suffer the worst health conditions in the state.

The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute’s recently released 2008 Wisconsin County Health Rankings ranked Menominee County, which shares its borders with the Menominee Reservation, at the bottom of 72 Wisconsin counties in terms of overall health outcomes and determinants.

Menominee Tribal Chair Lisa Waukau said the new health rankings underscore the benefits of the Kenosha project and the important role it will have in addressing the significant unmet needs of the Menominee, the fourth-poorest tribe in the country.

“Approving the Menominee project will go a long way toward improving the health and well-being of our Tribe,” Waukau said. “Menominee ranks last in the state in terms of mortality, general health status, unemployment, children living in poverty and other factors that have a devastating impact on the health of our community. In addition to creating thousands of good jobs and providing major economic benefits to Kenosha and the State of Wisconsin, the project will generate the revenue our Tribe needs to emerge from this dangerous downward spiral and build a better future for the Menominee people.”

For more, click here.

Help support casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Menominee Take Quest for Fair and Lawful Kenosha Project Review to Court

2008-11-07T16:29:00.005-06:00

Not surprisingly, the Department of Interior – at the direction of Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, a well-known opponent of off-reservation gaming – has denied the Menominee Tribe’s request to temporarily suspend review of the proposed Kenosha casino until a new Administration takes office.

Now the Tribe is taking the next step – in court.

November 7, 2008

Dear Supporters and Friends:

Late last month, we told you that the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin had formally requested that the Department of Interior temporarily suspend its review of our proposed Kenosha casino. We had learned that Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne was looking to reject our long-pending Kenosha application based on his personal opposition to off-Reservation gaming, and we asked that further review be postponed until a fresh Administration takes office.

The Department has denied our request. As a result, we are taking stronger action.

The Menominee Tribe today filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to halt the flawed federal review process for the Kenosha project. The lawsuit alleges that Department officials have improperly changed the rules for approving off-Reservation casinos based on Secretary Kempthorne’s personal views. It asks a judge to declare those changes invalid and prevent the Department from using them to reject our application.

The decision to take legal action against the Department was difficult, but we believe it is the best opportunity to make this job-creation and economic development plan a reality for our Tribe, for Kenosha and for Wisconsin. Our trust application is thorough, well-documented and complete. It has the strong support of the local community and the solid recommendation of the Department’s professional staff who say it meets every point of law required for approval.

The Menominee have worked in good faith with the Department for nearly five years, but the Department is not working in good faith with us. Even after we showed how our project fits Secretary Kempthorne’s new rules, we learned from his people that it didn’t matter, he was going to reject the application anyway. That’s illegal, unfair and unacceptable.

Please know that the Menominee Tribe greatly values the strong support the Kenosha and Southeast Wisconsin community have given our project and our Tribe – that’s one of the reasons we are doing everything we can to make the Kenosha casino happen. We believe the court will agree with our position and ensure a fair and honest review of our proposal based on the law. And we are confident that if our project gets a fair and lawful review, it will be approved.

Lisa Waukau, Chair

Laurie Boivin, Vice Chair

Sign the online petition supporting the Kenosha project and casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin.

Change in D.C. means likely change in Potawatomi’s big-money lobbying corps

2008-11-05T14:47:00.002-06:00

The presidential campaign was all about “change,” and with a new party set to take the helm, the Potawatomi will likely be looking at change themselves. Changing from GOP to Dem lobbyists, that is.

The latest federal lobbying reports show the Forest County Potawatomi shelled out another $170,000 between July 1 and Sept. 30 to two heavy-hitting DC lobbying firms – Quinn Gillespie & Associates and Barbour Griffith & Rogers.

Combined, the two firms have made more than a half-million dollars from Potawatomi this year alone – lobbying everyone from Congress to the Department of the Interior to the Executive Office of the President of the United States (!) on matters related to gaming reform and land-into-trust issues. The goal is to get the federal government to deny the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s Kenosha casino project, effectively stamping out competition for Potawatomi’s Milwaukee gaming hall and sentencing Menominee, the country’s fourth-poorest tribe, to generations of continued poverty. (You can read more about Menominee’s economic and social struggles in this study by UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs.)

But it looks like Quinn Gillespie and Barbour Griffith may soon be looking for new work. Lobbying firms don’t come any more Republican than these two – we’re talking Bush confidantes and former Bush Cabinet advisors. It’s doubtful that they’ll have the pull to accomplish much of Potawatomi’s monopoly work under a Democratic president, a Democrat-controlled Congress, and a Democrat-appointed Interior Secretary.

So now that we’re past the election predictions, we’ll make a prediction of our own. We predict that in their never-ending bid to kill the Kenosha casino, hold Menominee down and preserve their own monopoly, the Potawatomi will start combing the K street corridor (and opening its checkbook) for D-leaning lobbyists. Look for some new Potawatomi lobbyists to register in January or February and file their first reports in March. And we’ll be sure to tell you when they do.

Frankly, we think the new Administration will see through Potawatomi’s monopoly game. Healthy competition makes businesses stronger – and economic studies prove that’s the case with the Milwaukee and Kenosha casinos.

By the way – Quinn Gillespie and Barbour Griffith aren’t the extent of Potawatomi’s D.C. lobbying army. During the most recent reporting period, the Tribe also spent $15,000 with Malcolm Chester, an Illinois-based pro who lobbied Congress and the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (the law that allows Tribes like Potawatomi and Menominee to establish off-Reservation casinos in the first place.) Less than $5,000 went to another lobbying firm, Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry.

Tell the new Administration that casino competition is good for Southeast Wisconsin - sign our online petition today!

Milwaukee Newspaper: Department of Interior Should Judge Kenosha Project on Merits and Law

2008-10-31T12:50:00.002-05:00

Excellent editorial in this morning’s Milwaukee Business Journal.

Casino should get fair hearing

The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin took a very unusual step last week when it went after the very agency that will decide if it will be able to develop an $808 million casino and entertainment complex in Kenosha.

But the tribe does deserve a fair hearing into whether it should be able to open the casino at the site of the Dairyland Greyhound Park. The site must be put into federal trust, a requirement for the development of an Indian gaming facility.

Tribal chair Lisa Waukau wrote a letter to George Skibine, acting assistant secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, saying that U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne will respond to political pressure to issue a “hasty, arbitrary and capricious end-of-term disapproval of our long-pending application.”

The tribe now wants that decision to be delayed until the next administration takes office.

In the past, Kempthorne has made clear his opposition to off-reservation Indian gaming and his department already has rejected 11 applications to allow such projects and ceased review of another dozen.

The Menominee tribe said a rejection by the current administration would be based solely on Kempthorne’s personal opposition to off-reservation gaming “rather than any legal basis for denial.”

That is not right. The casino proposal should be judged on its own merits and applicable federal law.

Hear, hear.

Show your support for the Kenosha project and casino competition by signing the online petition.

Respected Professor Calls for U.S. to Approve Kenosha Casino

2008-10-24T15:44:00.002-05:00

As the Menominee Tribe asks the federal government to suspend review of the Tribe’s Kenosha casino application until a new administration takes office, today’s Small Business Times “Milwaukee Biz Blog” features a thought-provoking piece by Professor Dennis Dresang, director of the Center for Wisconsin, State, Local and Tribal Governance for the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison.

Dresang is one of the authors of a new study that points to the U.S. government’s termination of the Menominee Tribe’s federal recognition from 1954 to 1973 as the root cause of the economic and social ravages the Tribe continues to face today.

You can read the article here.

Call on the government to do the right thing – sign the online petition for casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin.

Menominee Ask Federal Government to Leave Kenosha Decision to New Administration

2008-10-22T16:35:00.008-05:00

See the letter from Menominee Tribal leadership below. You know, it’s amazing that with the U.S. economy in such a downturn, the politicians apparently still can’t do the right thing and approve a project that will create 3,000 good jobs and launch a $1 billion construction project in a region that has experienced major job and business losses.

On the positive side, it’s clear from the letter – as well as the Tribe’s media statement and its letter to the BIA – that Menominee isn’t going to give up the fight.

Dear Supporters and Friends:

As the Bush Administration enters its final days, we have been informed that Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne is looking to reject our long-pending Kenosha casino application. While Secretary Kempthorne's personal opposition to off-reservation gaming is well-known, such a denial would go against the strong recommendation of Bureau of Indian Affairs' professional staff, who have studied the Menominee application in detail and say it should be approved. It would go against the wishes of the Kenosha community, which has twice voted in favor of the casino. And it would go against all of the laws and regulations governing land-into-trust decisions in our country.

To try to stop a capricious, end-of-term rejection - and to ensure our project is judged on its significant legal merits, not anyone's personal politics - our Tribe has asked the Department to temporarily suspend consideration of our application until a fresh presidential Administration takes over in January. We are committed to seeing the Kenosha project through. We believe a new Administration offers the best chance to stop one individual's personal beliefs from unfairly overriding the Bureau officials who recommend approval based on the law and a thorough review of our submission.

We hope the Department grants our request for a temporary suspension, but we are nonetheless prepared for other outcomes. Please know that the Menominee Tribe has a number of avenues at its disposal to fight an improper rejection, and we are strongly committed to pursuing them and making the Kenosha project a reality. We stand firmly by our plans and their major benefits for Kenosha, for the Menominee and for Wisconsin.

We continue to be grateful for the overwhelming welcome and strong support the Kenosha and Southeast Wisconsin community has given our project and our Tribe. In the end - even if we must battle an illegal and politically motivated denial - we are confident that the facts and the law will determine the Kenosha project should and must be approved.

Lisa Waukau, Chair
Laurie Boivin, Vice Chair

Show your continued support for the Kenosha project and casino competition by signing our online petition.

UW Research on Menominee’s Unmeet Needs Gains Media Attention

2008-10-10T15:41:00.015-05:00

There’s a good story in today’s Kenosha News on the UW/La Follette School study. Here’s the first part:

Study: Local casino would aid tribe
Menominees say revenue is necessary for them to thrive

BY JOE POTENTE jpotente@kenoshanews.com

A recent study by a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor says a Kenosha casino would help to reverse many of the negative effects that the Menominee Nation has suffered since the federal government terminated the tribe in the 1950s.

The report, commissioned and paid for by the tribe, was submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in response to questions about the proposed casino’s effects on the tribe’s unmet needs, a project spokesman said Thursday.

Dennis Dresang, a professor in the UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, wrote that revenue from the Kenosha casino would make “a significant, measurable difference for the Menominee in their struggle to overcome the shattering economic and cultural aftereffects of termination.”

Without the revenue, Dresang said, the tribe’s ability to care for its nearly 8,500 members is severely compromised.

You can read the full story here.

Sign our online petition and say yes to casino competition in SE Wisconsin.

UW Study Finds Kenosha Project Could Right Federal Government’s Wrongs

2008-10-09T15:14:00.001-05:00

WisPolitics has a great story this morning about a study of the Menominee Tribe conducted by the researchers at the University of Wisconsin’s prestigious La Follette School of Public Affairs. The story – and the study itself – is especially good reading for anyone who doesn’t realize the economic and social turmoil the Menominee have suffered at the hands of the federal government.

Take a look:

The Menominee Nation continues to struggle economically 50 years after the federal government decided to terminate its status as a recognized tribe and the best option to improve its plight is an off-reservation casino, according to a new report compiled by three UW-Madison researchers.

The study was paid for by the tribe, which is seeking federal approval to turn a Kenosha dog track into a casino. The Forest County Potawatomi have opposed the project, which has been pending before federal regulators for some time.

Co-author Dennis Dresang said the researchers went into the study with no preconceived notions and the study was not influenced by the tribe's desire to win approval for an off-reservation casino.

He said because the tribe is not near any population centers, it has few other options besides an off-reservation casino to generate the kind of money needed to address its needs. Dresang said one other option for the tribe could be exploring more ecotourism considering some of the natural resources in the area. But that would also mean turning culturally important areas into a tourist destination, which some Menominee would be hesitant to do.

"They don't want another Wisconsin Dells springing up in the area," Dresang said. "But even that, considering what a casino-convention center near Chicago is going to generate, man, that's just a no-brainer."'

According to the report, the tribe was prospering in the 1950s with a successful sawmill and a fully functioning government, a law enforcement agency, infrastructure and schools. Because of that success, the federal government targeted the Menominee for an experiment to end rights and protections based on past treaties and strip the tribe of its federally cognized status. Dresang said the experiment was considered a reward at the time for the Menominee's success, but came to be viewed as a mistake.

There’s also a video summary of the study featuring Professor Dresang, as well as a news release from the La Follette School.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF8t-zdtyEw

As the federal government continues to review the Menominee’s Kenosha casino application, the La Follette School research is yet more proof of the project’s major benefits for Wisconsin.

Say yes to the Kenosha casino and casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing our online petition.

2008-09-23T09:26:00.002-05:00

We talked late last week about the utter hypocrisy of the Potawatomi – who have spent millions to hurt the Menominee Tribe and its Kenosha project – being founding members of a group committed to increasing economic opportunities for poor tribes. That group, the Native American Trade Network, has its big kickoff in Washington today, and here’s the statement we released on the irony of it all.

FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI PUT HYPOCRISY ON FULL NATIONAL DISPLAY
IN WASHINGTON, D.C., PUBLICITY STUNT
* * *

Multiyear, multimillion-dollar effort to stifle poor Wisconsin tribe’s economic development project is polar opposite of new claim

Evan N. Zeppos, spokesman for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s proposed entertainment center and casino in Kenosha, Wis., today issued the following statement regarding the Forest County Potawatomi’s membership in the newly created Native American Trade Network. The Network, launched today at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C, bills itself as a partnership of some of the nation’s wealthiest tribes with the goal of increasing economic opportunities for disadvantaged tribes. The Potawatomi have been vocal opponents of the Kenosha project, which would compete with Potawatomi’s lucrative off-reservation casino in Milwaukee.

“It is reprehensible that the Forest County Potawatomi would stand up in our nation’s capital and claim to be in favor of spreading economic opportunity to disadvantaged tribes.

“Potawatomi’s D.C. appearance is a blatant and duplicitous publicity stunt that conveniently sidesteps the millions of dollars they’ve poured into ads, lobbyists and other political and legal chicanery to preserve the casino monopoly that has made them rich. To now declare they want to help less-fortunate tribes is laughable at best, shameful at worst and supreme hypocrisy any way you look at it.

“If Potawatomi’s leaders really cared about disadvantaged tribes, they’d take a walk across the Mall after their photo-op and ask the BIA to approve the Kenosha casino and its life-changing boost for an impoverished tribe. Unfortunately, with a record of shameful conduct that directly opposes the noble intentions of the Native American Trade Network, the Forest County Potawatomi seem to be content spreading something less admirable than economic opportunity.”

###

Speak out against Potawatomi’s hypocrisy and in favor of fair casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

What Potawatomi is spreading doesn’t smell like “economic opportunity”

2008-09-19T08:17:00.004-05:00

We thought it had to be the latest headline from The Onion.

But we did some checking around after several Casino Competition for Wisconsin supporters e-mailed us this news flash today, and it’s apparently true.

That’s right. The same Forest County Potawatomi Community that has spent millions upon millions upon millions of dollars to kill the proposed Kenosha casino – a much-needed economic development project that will help lift a very poor, very large Wisconsin tribe out of extreme poverty – is now part of a national consortium dedicated to (emphasis ours) promoting economic development for ALL tribes.

Huh?

According to a press release issued by a Washington, D.C., PR firm, the Potawatomi will travel to Washington next week to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the richest tribes in the nation as they launch the “Native American Trade Network.” The media is invited – of course – and the group’s executive director says the network’s purpose is to “spread economic opportunity in Indian Country.”

Potawatomi’s spreading something, all right – but it’s not economic opportunity. After all, how many “economically advantaged” tribes that truly care about helping their struggling counterparts would:

• Organize front groups -- one, two, and possibly a third – to oppose an impoverished Tribe’s economic development plan.
• Spend more than $1 million on a massive, extremely negative campaign to defeat such a plan at the polls.
• Bus their own casino employees to a hearing to speak out against the other Tribe’s economic development efforts.
• Fund a flawed economic study falsely attacking the other Tribe’s project.
• Spend millions on lobbyists trying to hurt the other Tribe’s efforts in the State Capitol, the U.S. Capitol and even the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
• Drop big bucks on a glitzy TV ad campaign attacking another successful Tribe for helping a disadvantaged Tribe rise out of poverty.

What is Potawatomi doing? Are they really committed to helping disadvantaged tribes? If so, they’ll stop fighting competition. They’ll embrace the Kenosha project and all it would do for a fellow Wisconsin tribe and for Wisconsin as a whole.

But we’re not holding our breath.

Promote real support for disadvantaged Tribes by signing our online petition.

Mohegan commitment to Menominee, Kenosha and Wisconsin draws more praise

2008-09-04T14:59:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, a great letter to the editor in the Kenosha News effectively shot down the silly criticisms the competition-fearing Potawatomi have been spouting about the Mohegan Tribe, which is helping Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe get the Kenosha casino project up and running. Today, the letter writer, a Kenosha businessman, outlines his thoughts even further in a thoughtful commentary on Small Business Times’ Milwaukee Biz Blog.

It’s worth reading.

You’ll recall that as part of their multimillion-dollar scheme to fend off competition and hang on to their monopoly, the Potawatomi have taken every possible opportunity to blast the Mohegan Tribe because it is – brace yourself – from Connecticut.

The Potawatomi apparently don’t want outsiders playing in Wisconsin’s business market, making nuisances of themselves by helping:

Perish the thought.

Fortunately, people like this letter writer and others are seeing through Potawatomi’s anti-competition tactics. They’re recognizing the value a solid corporate citizen like the Mohegan Tribe – and its support of a very large, very poor tribe like Wisconsin’s Menominee – will bring to our state.

Join the call for real casino competition in Wisconsin by signing our online petition.

Does Milwaukee know that Kenosha got a better deal?

2008-08-25T11:15:00.004-05:00

A few days ago, the Forest County Potawatomi announced they’d paid the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County $5.06 million each as part of an agreement to annually share a portion of the Tribe’s Milwaukee casino proceeds.

Looking at the numbers, we wonder…could the tribe be working so hard to kill the proposed Kenosha casino because they’re worried someone will notice Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe gave Kenosha a better deal than the Potawatomi gave Milwaukee?

Take a look:

For the first seven years of operations, the Menominee have agreed to pay 3% of the Kenosha casino’s net win to the City of Kenosha and Kenosha County. It’s the same percentage the Potawatomi pay in Milwaukee, but the similarity ends there. By Year 2, Menominee’s annual payment to Kenosha and Kenosha County is projected to be about $12.6 million – a cool $2 million more than Potawatomi’s latest Milwaukee payout.

After seven years, Menominee’s payment to the City of Kenosha and Kenosha County jumps to 4% of net win, which will mean even more revenue for the two local governments. Meanwhile, Potawatomi will continue to pay at the 3% level in Milwaukee.

On top of its yearly, multimillion-dollar payments to the City of Kenosha and Kenosha County, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin has agreed to make a separate, $1.5 million annual gift to Kenosha County schools. Schools aren’t a part of the Potawatomi’s revenue-sharing agreement in Milwaukee at all.

One of the great things about tribal gaming in Wisconsin is the positive economic impact it has on local communities and the state as a whole. We’ve never understood why the Potawatomi have taken every opportunity to kill plans for another casino that would be a positive economic contributor in Kenosha, Southeast Wisconsin and statewide.

But now, we might. Could be they’re worried that Milwaukee – once they see the significant contributions Wisconsin’s Menominee will be making in Kenosha – might ask to go back to the bargaining table.

Cast your vote for casino competition by signing our online petition.

Abbott Labs workforce cuts heighten need for good jobs in SE Wisconsin

2008-08-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

Disturbing news from Abbott Labs, the largest private employer of Kenosha County residents – they’re cutting 1,000 jobs over the next three years to streamline operations and reduce costs. That’s especially painful in Kenosha County, where the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent in July – the highest since March of this year and well above the state average.

Now, more than ever, it seems Kenosha can use the 3,000 good-paying jobs, plus 1,000 family-sustaining union construction jobs, the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin’s casino project would provide.

Of course, if the Potawatomi had their way, Kenosha and Wisconsin wouldn’t get any of those new jobs. They’ve shown time and time again they’re willing to give up Wisconsin jobs in favor of keeping their Southeast Wisconsin gaming monopoly.

Sign our online petition and support new jobs for Wisconsin.

Competition-free Potawatomi expansion didn’t impress this visitor

2008-08-07T09:45:00.005-05:00

There’s a new review of Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s $250 million expansion up on TripAdvisor, which bills itself as the Web’s best source of unbiased travel reviews.

Frankly, we didn’t think it could get any worse than this scathing review we shared last summer. We were wrong.

We urge you to read the latest report in full, but here are some highlights of what “Katie209” of Milwaukee has to say after detailing some negatives about the expanded casino’s design, service and payouts.

“Unfortunately, this is the only game in town but don’t take any money down there that you can’t afford to lose because chances are you will.”

She then goes on to say,

“Can’t wait for some competition.”

There’s that word again.

Fact is, competition creates better products and better consumer experiences. Eliminating Potawatomi’s monopoly will make it a better business, a more attractive tourism destination and a stronger community asset. With real competition, everyone wins.

Interestingly, Milwaukee’s convention and visitor’s bureau is actually an accomplice in Potawatomi’s anti-competition, pro-monopoly crusade. We wonder what they have to say about how Potawatomi’s monopoly-based complacency is coloring the way potential visitors view our region.

More than 23 million people from 190 countries visited TripAdvisor in the last week alone, the Web site reports. Is this how we really want them to see our area?

Sign the online petition to help create a thriving, competitive, tourism-friendly gaming marketplace in Southeast Wisconsin.

Competition means jobs and much-needed revenue for Wisconsin

2008-08-05T12:27:00.003-05:00

A few local headlines caught our attention over the past several days:

“Area economy slows, reports indicate”

“New unemployment claims rising in Wisconsin”

“Area employment down for 8th month”

“Area construction activity declines”

“Supreme Court Decision blows hole in Wisconsin budget”

“Wisconsin may have to borrow from feds to pay jobless claims”

Seems like as good a time as any to remind folks that casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin will:

Create thousands of new jobs for local residents
Provide billions of dollars in new revenue to state and local governments – more than any other Wisconsin business or tribe
Provide more money to Southeast Wisconsin schools, nonprofits and charitable organizations
Create a competitive, healthy marketplace where two casinos can thrive, enhance tourism, strengthen the local and state economy and benefit two Wisconsin tribes

Food for thought. Studies confirm that casino competition – rather than today’s current monopoly – would be a huge boon to Southeast Wisconsin’s economy.

Voice your support for casino competition – and a stronger local economy – by signing the online petition.

The Mohegan Tribe: ‘A Great Model’ for Wisconsin project

2008-07-28T15:26:00.002-05:00

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.

Competition will be worth the wait!

2008-07-23T11:31:00.001-05:00

There’s another outstanding letter to the editor in this morning’s Kenosha News – check it out:

The casino will be worth the wait

A recent letter that suggested replacing the proposed casino with a “family resort,” retractable-roof arena and monster truck shows makes some points that must be countered with facts.

Let’s start with a blatant inaccuracy. The writer asserts that the two Kenosha casino referendums passed by only a small percentage. Not true. In 1998, voters endorsed the casino by a 14 percent margin; in 2004, the margin was 12 percent. Those familiar with politics will tell you that a margin of victory of 10 percent or higher is considered a landslide.

The writer also demands to know how much the casino’s nearly 3,000 jobs would pay. The Menominee Tribe has answered that question for years. According to the project Web site, the average entertainment center employee would earn $47,234, including benefits like health care, a 401(k) plan and dental and vision insurance. These are the kind of good-paying jobs with benefits we want in Kenosha.

Finally, the writer takes a shot at “out-of-state” funding for the project. The Mohegan Tribe, which has been part of the effort since its inception, should be applauded for its willingness to help Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe and its commitment to Kenosha. To criticize Mohegan’s involvement would be like protesting Abbott Labs, Uline, Affiliated Foods and other non-Wisconsin businesses looking to build here. It’s desirable to have out-of-state companies invest in our community’s growth and success.

It’s clear the writer is unhappy with Kenosha. That’s unfortunate, because there are so many good things happening here. The casino will be another good thing — one that’s definitely worth the wait.

Tony Witkauskis
Kenosha

It’s great to see that citizen support for the Menominee project remains so strong – great, but not surprising.

After all, competition will bring thousands of good jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in other economic benefits to Wisconsin. And, as PricewaterhouseCoopers’ 2005 study showed, the expanded Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee would still see a $200 million-plus bump in revenue, even with competition from a new Kenosha entertainment center.

That’s good news for Southeast Wisconsin and the entire state – because everyone will benefit from a healthy, competitive marketplace.

Say “yes” to real casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing our online petition.

Petition Signers Call for Competition

2008-07-15T09:13:00.001-05:00

Our online petition continues to collect signatures and great comments from people who want to see the jobs, economic opportunity and other benefits the Kenosha casino and real competition in Southeast Wisconsin’s gaming market would bring to our state.

Here are just a few samples of comments that readers have posted in the past couple weeks:

Look at Tunica, Miss., and see all that the casinos and gaming has done for that area!! It is surely a big plus. From a very poor town to a very prosperous community. Casinos are here to stay and if we are smart - we would stop all this nonsense and bickering and start building in Kenosha!! It is time Wisconsin cashed in on some of the profits and the people get a chance at numerous jobs. Wisconsin people don't have to always being giving their money (so to speak) to other states. (Mary G.)

The children of the Menominee Nation's future is at stake. (Corey S.)

Yes to Kenosha gaming. (Robert S.)

Let's get going with the building of the casino. (Rollan C.)

I hate monopolies! Competition is not only healthy but good for the economy. (Michelle J.)

Build it now! (Craig C.)

Let’s be fair to all the tribes! (Jeff M.)

From the looks of it, more people are catching on to the real reason behind the Potawatomi’s multimillion-dollar campaign against the Kenosha casino – it’s a matter of controlling the market, limiting competition and preserving Potawatomi’s monopoly.

Join hundreds of signers in adding your own call for competition to our online petition.

Potawatomi’s Sweet Sixteen

2008-07-10T08:12:00.005-05:00

How many D.C. lobbyists does it take to preserve a monopoly?

The Forest County Potawatomi Community – who have already spent millions in their quest to kill competition from the proposed Kenosha casino – is hoping 16 does the trick.

According to federal reports, the Potawatomi had 16 paid lobbyists promoting their anti-competition message in our nation’s capital during the first three months of 2008. Those lobbyists work for high-profile firms, and they targeted everyone from the House, Senate and the Department of the Interior to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. (It’s not the first time the Potawatomi have targeted the highest office in the land – apparently they think preserving their monopoly is so important that it deserves to be on the President’s “to do” list.)

We’ve got to give the Potawatomi credit where it’s due – they’ve certainly recruited an All-Star team in their fight against competition. Here’s just a sampling of the Sweet Sixteen lineup:

The former legislative director and counsel for then-Senator Dirk Kempthorne. This lobbyist also served on the transition team when Kempthorne became Governor of Idaho. Coincidentally, Kempthorne is now the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which has the final say on the Kenosha casino proposal.
Former counsel to the President of the United States and chief of staff to the Vice President
The son of a sitting U.S. Senator
A GOP insider who has served in high-level White House positions and as chief of staff to a former Cabinet member
Another well-known Republican operative who served as chief of staff for a former Wisconsin Governor and Cabinet member. (Ironically, his former boss signed the 2000 Menominee Compact with the State of Wisconsin that authorized establishment of a Menominee casino in Kenosha in the first place.)

All this talent comes with a hefty price tag. Reports reveal Potawatomi shelled out $185,000 for federal lobbying during the first three months of 2008. That puts them on track to break three-quarters of a million dollars before the year runs out.

Second quarter federal lobbying reports are due at the end of this month, and we’ll provide an update then. We’re coming up on some state lobbying filing deadlines, too. When it’s all tallied, it wouldn’t surprise us if Potawatomi plunked down another $1 million on anti-competition lobbying this year. After all, they’ve got a history of spending millions to stamp out potential competition.

No one said preserving a monopoly was cheap. But imagine what could happen if Potawatomi devoted its considerable resources to enhancing competition and bringing more jobs and more revenue to Wisconsin, instead of fighting it.

Help promote casino competition by signing our online petition.

JUST SAY YES!

2008-07-09T12:24:00.002-05:00

There was a great Letter to the Editor in the Kenosha News Monday, July 7, 2008. It was submitted by Yolanda Adams, a Kenosha resident and long-time supporter of the Menominee casino project. Boy, was it on track.

Adams, a successful minority leader in the Kenosha community, wrote about how the proposed Menominee Kenosha entertainment center and casino project would create thousands of permanent jobs, put millions of dollars in state and local treasuries, fund Kenosha schools and boost tourism. In a nutshell, she said this project would “do great things for Kenosha.”

She’s right. Check out the major economic benefits of the project.

If you look at the PricewaterhouseCoopers study, the Menominee project would directly and indirectly create more than 5,000 jobs in the area and have an annual economic impact of more than $600 million. Plus, it will generate more than $2 billion (that’s right, $2 billion!) for state and local governments over a 20 year period.

Governor Doyle talked about economic growth and creating jobs in our state at a recent speech at Kenosha’s Carthage College. The letter writer, Ms. Adams, was there and heard the governor. She says she’ll encourage Doyle to “JUST SAY YES!” and support the Kenosha casino project to spur economic growth in the state. We hope others follow Adams’ lead by letting the Kenosha News know and telling the Governor that this project is a benefit for Kenosha and all of Wisconsin.

Say yes to healthy casino competition in SE Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Menominee leads the nation in Army recruits

2008-07-08T08:30:00.002-05:00

As our nation celebrated 232 years of independence over the weekend, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported a fascinating fact about the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. (That’s the paper’s photo of Menominee veterans on the right.) According to a Post-Dispatch analysis, Menominee County – which shares its borders with the Menominee Reservation – has provided more soldiers per capita to the U.S. Army over the past four years than any other U.S. county without a major Army installation.

Eighty-one Menominee tribal members are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, with 19 of them deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. The newspaper reports that Menominee youth are drawn to the military for a variety of reasons. It’s a chance to serve one’s country, to continue the Tribe’s proud cultural heritage and to find new opportunities amid the Tribe’s economic struggles.

The Post-Dispatch article, which also ran in the Wisconsin State Journal and was picked up by the Associated Press, talks more about the significant economic challenges facing the Menominee Tribe. It’s these kind of challenges – education, job-training, housing and more – that the Wisconsin Tribe’s proposed Kenosha casino would help address.

Sign the online petition to support casino competition in Wisconsin.

Plenty of market share – and Potawatomi knows it

2008-07-01T13:58:00.001-05:00

Multiple economic studies show the Southeast Wisconsin gaming market is significantly underserved – in other words, there’s plenty of room for two casinos to successfully compete and thrive.

Looks like the Potawatomi know it, too.

Check out this recent interview from The Business Journal in Milwaukee, where the senior project executive for Potawatomi’s just-open, quarter-billion-dollar off-reservation casino expansion lets it slip that the shiny new addition was built with yet ANOTHER expansion in mind.

In the meantime, the Potawatomi have spent millions to kill potential competition from the proposed Kenosha casino.

It’s not that the market can’t handle more gaming – Potawatomi wouldn’t be looking at yet another Milwaukee expansion if the market were saturated.

No, the market’s plenty big enough. But Potawatomi wants special government privileges to eliminate competition before it starts and keep a monopoly for itself – even if it costs the state billions of dollars in new revenue and thousands of jobs.

Say yes to healthy casino competition in SE Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

A Tale of Two Tribes

2008-04-22T14:10:00.017-05:00

When the Menominee Tribe announced plans for a new entertainment center and casino in Kenosha, the Potawatomi reacted to the threat of competition for their Milwaukee casino by:

Organizing front groups – one, two, and possibly a third – to oppose the Kenosha plan;
Spending more than $1 million on a massive, extremely negative campaign to defeat a 2004 countywide referendum on the Kenosha project. (Potawatomi’s anti-competition efforts failed when voters overwhelmingly endorsed the Menominee project at the polls.);
Fabricating opposition to the Menominee plan by busing their own casino employees to a BIA hearing in Kenosha. (Project supporters still outnumbered Potawatomi’s hired opponents by more than 7-to-1.);
Funding a flawed economic study claiming it would be somehow bad if the Potawatomi actually had to operate in a competitive marketplace like everyone else;
Spending millions on lobbyists pushing Potawatomi’s pro-monopoly agenda in the State Capitol, the U.S. Capitol and even the Executive Office of the President of the United States;
And more.

When the Potawatomi decided to upgrade their on-reservation casino in Carter, less than an hour’s drive from the Menominee’s on-reservation casino in Keshena, the Menominee Tribe reacted by:

Becoming a stronger competitor.

We don’t know what the Potawatomi will say about the on-Reservation casino expansion the Menominee announced today, but what we can tell you is this: It’s very different from the Kenosha project, and both are badly needed by the Menominee, one of the largest and poorest tribes in the state.

Here’s what Menominee Chair Lisa Waukau had to say about the two efforts:

“Improving our on-Reservation casino will help the Menominee maintain existing conditions by allowing us to continue to provide very limited, but badly needed, services to our members. But building in Kenosha will allow us to do much more – we will be able to hope, plan and work for a better tomorrow for our Tribe. While the on-Reservation casino generates most of Menominee’s current operating income, the Kenosha project will provide new resources to address the significant unmet needs our Tribe has even with current funding in place.

“Revenues from Kenosha, while creating thousands of good jobs and a multimillion-dollar economic boost that will be felt statewide, will allow us to more effectively address the issues of poverty, health care and housing; train our young people for positive and rewarding careers; better care for our elders; and contribute more in our communities. Like other Wisconsin Tribes that have benefited from expanded gaming, we will be able to build a more solid Menominee future.”

Support real casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

They’re still at it…

2008-03-03T11:34:00.004-06:00

There aren’t any new TV or radio ads (yet), but if you think that on-air silence means the Potawatomi have decided to end their multimillion-dollar crusade against the proposed Kenosha casino and embrace competition like any other good business, think again.

While the air waves are quiet, the e-waves are buzzing.

“Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin,” the front group funded solely by the Potawatomi, sent an e-mail last week attacking the Kenosha project. They vow to tell people “what’s really going on” with the Kenosha casino proposal.

Unfortunately for them (and for whoever’s actually reading their e-mails), there’s just not a lot for “Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin” to expose. Check out the e-mail, where they breathlessly report that the Mohegan Tribe “remains committed” (gasp!) to the Kenosha proposal.

Um, stop the presses.

For the record, they’re right. The Mohegan Tribe does remain committed to the Kenosha plan and its partnership with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin to help make it a reality. The Kenosha project would provide major economic benefits for the Menominee, one of the largest and poorest tribes in the State of Wisconsin, and create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic opportunity for Kenosha, Southeast Wisconsin and the state as a whole.

Sorry, “Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin”…it’s not exactly scandalous that a successful, out-of-state tribe is working to help strengthen a poor Wisconsin tribe and Wisconsin’s economy.

The real scandal is that a successful Wisconsin tribe refused to do the same thing.

Help put an end to Potawatomi’s anti-competition double-speak and sign the online petition.

What’s Potawatomi cooking up in Illinois?

2008-01-18T12:11:00.000-06:00

Expanding gaming is a hot topic in Illinois, with lots of talk about a new casino in Chicago or its northern suburbs. While Illinois lawmakers consider expanding gaming as a way to meet the state’s funding, transportation and other needs, the Potawatomi appear to be gearing up to make sure expanded Illinois gaming doesn’t threaten the Tribe’s regional casino monopoly.

The Potawatomi have already spent more than $6 million in Wisconsin to kill the proposed Kenosha casino and keep a firm hold on their monopoly. Imagine how much they will have to spend if they want to do the same thing in Illinois, home to the country’s third-largest media market.

A blog in Springfield, the capital of Illinois, has disclosed that the Potawatomi are polling about the gambling question in the Land of Lincoln. The Potawatomi poll asked residents if they want a statewide referendum on gambling – something that would surely slow the process in Illinois (and help the Potawatomi hold onto their monopoly longer). Wags in the know weren’t surprised that the Potawatomi’s polling showed – you guessed it - support for such a referendum.

Here they go again. Is the poll foreshadowing yet another chapter in the Potawatomi’s anti-competition playbook? Here’s what could happen next:

1) Shockingly, there will probably be a news release or memo “leaked” or circulated stating that the people of Illinois want a statewide referendum on gaming expansion.

2) A mysterious group will start to surface stating that Illinois residents should have a referendum to show their support or opposition on the subject. Television ads will begin to appear, bearing the message that everyone should have a voice, and will be backed by a front group – think “Citizens for Choice” or a similar alias. It the Potawatomi’s anti-competition tactics in Wisconsin are any indication, such a “citizens group” will likely be an Astroturf group funded primarily by the Potawatomi. Don’t be fooled.

3) Once the Potawatomi get the referendum, their next move will be to spend a lot of money – more money than they’ve had to spend on prior referendums. The Potawatomi spent $1 million in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat a 2004 Kenosha County referendum, where voters overwhelmingly endorsed the casino. They’ll probably have to spend $3 million to $4 million in Chicago alone to have any kind of political impact in Illinois. No one said keeping a monopoly was cheap.

All of these actions will be taken to paralyze the gaming market in Illinois, just as Potawatomi is trying to do with its Kenosha shenanigans in Wisconsin. The goal is the same – to maintain their regional monopoly and keep competition away.

Stay tuned as we continue to monitor the Potawatomi and their efforts in Illinois and southeast Wisconsin.

Help put an end to Potawatomi's gaming monopoly by signing the online petition.

Potawatomi’s promises? Don’t bet on them.

2008-01-08T11:03:00.000-06:00

It looks like the Potawatomi will do everything they can to hurt Kenosha – even if they have to break a promise to the people of Wisconsin to do so.

The news today is that the Potawatomi are negotiating with out-of-state race tracks to offer off-track betting at their off-reservation Milwaukee casino. That’s right, the Potawatomi are squeezing their monopoly on gaming in southeastern Wisconsin even tighter.

Just a few years ago, the Potawatomi assured State officials that they would refrain from offering off-track betting as long as Dairyland was in business. Now, the tribe is going back on its word – apparently buoyed by the false sense of entitlement that having a monopoly creates.

Dairyland Greyhound Park is now rising to the challenge by developing a few options such as including a possible entertainment center as the best option for Kenosha and Wisconsin to compete with the Potawatomi. Certainly the best option for Dairyland is the proposed Menominee Indian Tribe entertainment center and casino. This would create 3,000 jobs and numerous economic benefits for southeastern Wisconsin.

Potawatomi’s off-track betting plans are just another tactic to strong-hold the regional gaming market and preserve their monopoly in southeastern Wisconsin. The Potawatomi have gone back on their word to the State, and will do whatever it takes to maintain their gaming monopoly – even if it hurts Kenosha and the state of Wisconsin.

Help put an end to Potawatomi's Southeast Wisconsin monopoly by signing the online petition.

Kenosha casino application strong

2008-01-07T09:35:00.000-06:00

Last week brought a few stories and some more anti-competition rumors after the BIA rejected 11 Land Into Trust applications and would not act on 11 others because of incomplete information.

We’ve heard some talk about this action and what it might suggest about the Menominee application. Although there are certainly obstacles involved in any off-reservation approval process, the Menominee Indian Tribe believes that its application is solid and strong. We believe it stands apart from other projects and is different in many ways. We firmly believe it deserves federal approval.

Our supporters agree that the Kenosha casino project is important and worthwhile, and we know that introducing casino competition to southeastern Wisconsin would bring significant benefits to the surrounding areas. The Kenosha project is not only in the best interest of the Menominee Tribe, but it will also be a major asset to the Kenosha area and the entire southeastern Wisconsin region.

We’ll continue to monitor the BIA and provide any update when it is available. In the meantime, we’re focused on the 3,000 jobs, the $800 million construction project and additional benefits that the Kenosha project would provide.

Say yes to support the Kenosha casino and sign the online petition.

Benefits of competition spread throughout Wisconsin

2007-12-11T13:03:00.000-06:00

Menominee Tribal Chair Lisa Waukau knows the benefits that a casino in Kenosha would provide. Not only would the casino provide benefits to the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, one of the poorest tribes in the state, but would also bring economic benefits to the state as a whole.

Support competition and its benefits for Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Oh, Christmas Tree…

2007-11-30T15:44:00.000-06:00

With real casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin, the Menominee Indian Tribe would be the largest economic contributor to the Badger State, making more than $2.2 billion in payments to state and local governments over the Kenosha casino’s first 25 years of operations. That’s more than any other Wisconsin business or tribe.

But the Menominee Tribe is already a big part of Wisconsin. Just look and see what the Menominee Tribe is giving the state that has been its home for generations.

Happy Holidays.

Support real casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Potawatomi monopoly gets ink in Madison; Las Vegas makes more room for competition

2007-11-14T10:17:00.000-06:00

It’s two-fer Wednesday at Casino Competition for Wisconsin. First, check out today’s Wisconsin State Journal, featuring an op-ed on Potawatomi’s regional gaming monopoly.

Second, take a look at this cool video from the Las Vegas Strip, where workers imploded the old New Frontier casino-hotel to make way for an $8 billion resort that will include residences, a luxury hotel, shops…and a brand-new casino. This $8 billion resort is a stone’s throw from the $5 billion in new Las Vegas hotel/casino developments we blogged about last week. Competition continues to bring positive economic development and investment to some communities, and it can do good things for Wisconsin, too.

Support fair competition in Wisconsin’s gaming market by signing the online petition.

Vegas casino expansions prove competition breeds success

2007-11-07T09:25:00.000-06:00

A friend of Casino Competition for Wisconsin recently traveled on business to Las Vegas, where a quick walk down the Strip led him past not one, not two, but THREE major casino expansions within just a few blocks.

Las Vegas Sands Corporation, will open The Palazzo, a luxurious addition to the company’s massive Venetian, next month. The $1.8 billion, 53-story tower will include a 105,000 square foot casino.

Harrah’s is building a $1 billion expansion to its famed Caesars Palace resort, including 39,000 square feet of additional casino space.

Wynn Resorts is building the $2.2 billion Wynn Encore Resort – with a brand-new, 72,000-square-foot casino – right next door to its AAA Five Diamond/Mobil Five Star casino resort, Wynn Las Vegas.

These three projects represent a $5 billion investment in one of the most competitive gaming markets in the world – and you don’t invest that kind of money if you don’t think you can make a healthy return. Casino competition seems to be alive and well – and creating jobs, economic opportunities and enhanced tourism – in Las Vegas.

Support the benefits of casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Milwaukee Biz Blog focus turns to Potawatomi's $5.4 million anti-competition campaign

2007-11-05T15:30:00.000-06:00

“A Litany of Greed,” the new white paper putting a price tag of $5.4 million (and counting) on the Forest County Potawatomi’s widespread efforts to block competition and preserve its monopoly, is the subject of Monday’s Small Business Times “Milwaukee Biz Blog."

The Small Business Times piece by Casino Competition for Wisconsin exposes the real “soldiers” in Potawatomi’s war against competition, blogging that "an army of high-priced lobbyists, political pollsters, ad executives, PR experts and lawyers are carrying out Potawatomi's anti-competition battle plan - sadly, even several Milwaukee-area nonprofits beholden to the Potawatomi for funding have been drafted to lend their name to the misguided cause."

You can read the “Milwaukee Biz Blog” for yourself here.

Help put an end to Potawatomi’s Southeast Wisconsin monopoly by signing the online petition.

Milwaukee radio host blasts Potawatomi’s $5.4 million efforts to block competition

2007-10-30T09:33:00.001-05:00

“A Litany of Greed,” the new Casino Competition For Wisconsin white paper detailing the Forest County Potawatomi’s $5.4 million (and counting) campaign against competition, is making some waves in Potawatomi’s own off-reservation back yard.

Milwaukee radio talk show host Charlie Sykes used the Litany to blast the Potawatomi’s pro-monopoly crusade on his show Monday morning, telling his listeners, “Almost everything you see and hear attacking that (Kenosha) casino is bankrolled by the Potawatomi.”

Take a listen for yourself.

Say yes to real casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin and sign the online petition.

What’s a casino monopoly worth to the Potawatomi? Try $5.4 million…and counting.

2007-10-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

The Forest County Potawatomi’s no-competition campaign has left many people shaking their heads. They see the ridiculous ads, read about the outrageous lobbying targets and watch in disbelief as Potawatomi’s leaders use bogus economic claims, publicity stunts, front groups and other expensive tactics to try to kill the Menominee Tribe’s proposed Kenosha casino, dodge competition and lock in Potawatomi’s Southeast Wisconsin gaming monopoly.

Then people ask: How far will Potawatomi’s leaders go to hurt a fellow Wisconsin tribe, lose jobs and destroy economic opportunities for the Badger State – all in the name of keeping their own off-reservation casino competition-free?

We don’t know how far they’ll go, but we can tell you how far they’ve already gone. As far as at least $5.4 million can take them.

Check out “A Litany of Greed,” a new detailed, white paper analysis of the Forest County Potawatomi Community’s relentless and costly fight to stifle competition and preserve the monopoly its Milwaukee casino has held for nearly two decades. We’ve broken down Potawatomi’s anti-competition agenda for the past four years, added supporting materials and examples as backup, and calculated the millions upon millions of dollars Potawatomi leaders have already funneled into efforts to kill the Kenosha casino and keep hold of their monopoly.

The $5,415,284 total is shameful – that’s enough money to educate more than 500 Wisconsin public school students for one year, or buy a year’s worth of food stamps for nearly 2,500 hungry Wisconsin families. And as the Kenosha casino proposal continues to make steady progress (and it does), one can only anticipate Potawatomi’s battle against competition will become even more intense, and more expensive. In fact, now that the budget matter is resolved in Madison, we’ve heard rumblings that Potawatomi’s anti-competition battle will rev up once again.

Competition is at the heart of a strong economy and respect for healthy business competition is part of our state’s proud, progressive heritage. (Fightin’ Bob hated monopolies!) But Potawatomi’s leaders don’t seem to care. As “A Litany of Greed” reveals, Potawatomi’s anti-competition activities are part of an expensive and sophisticated campaign of misinformation, hypocrisy and hubris. The sole goal is to eliminate competition – and Southeast Wisconsin and the entire state will be hurt if Potawatomi succeeds.

Take a look.

Denounce Potawatomi’s pro-monopoly tactics and support free and fair competition for Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Legislative Audit Bureau report underscores how casino competition can benefit Wisconsin’s economy

2007-10-18T11:39:00.001-05:00

The Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau recently released an in-depth report on the state Division of Gaming that revealed the State of Wisconsin saw a budget boost of more than $118 million from Indian gaming in fiscal 2005-2006 alone. Among other things, it shows that Governor Doyle is doing a good job making sure tribal gaming benefits the State of Wisconsin.

What’s really interesting is that had the Kenosha casino been operational during that time frame, the state would have likely seen about $40 million more during that fiscal period – enough to educate more than 3,700 Wisconsin public school children – as because of casino competition.

As part of their fight to stamp out competition, the Forest County Potawatomi like to brag that they contribute more to the State of Wisconsin annually than any other Indian tribe or Wisconsin business. A couple of years ago, they built a huge ad campaign around that very premise.

But as usual, the monopoly-focused Potawatomi only told part of the story. They completely skipped an important detail – that if the Kenosha casino becomes a reality, the Menominee will pay the state even more than the Potawatomi. In their ads, the Potawatomi boasted that they’d give $1 billion to Wisconsin over the next 25 years. Well, with the Kenosha casino in place, the Menominee would give $2 billion in the same time period. In other words, real casino competition in the region would result in $3 billion total to help educate Wisconsin children, care for Wisconsin seniors, strengthen Wisconsin businesses and make our state a better place. One can only imagine the positive impact that extra money would have had on our state’s budget.

By focusing on themselves instead of the big picture, Potawatomi’s leaders are cheating Wisconsin out of hundreds of millions of dollars, thousands of new jobs and other much-needed economic resources. Potawatomi’s fight against competition isn’t just hurting the Menominee – a very large, very poor Wisconsin tribe. It’s hurting the entire state and Wisconsin’s economic future.

Competition is a fact of life in the business world. Our hope is that Potawatomi’s leaders will soon recognize that reality and embrace the tremendous opportunity real casino competition will bring to Wisconsin. The LAB report is proof of competition’s positive economic potential.

Sign the online petition to help bring real casino competition – and its related economic benefits – to Wisconsin.

Detroit celebrates regional benefits of competition as one of 3 permanent downtown casinos opens for business

2007-10-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

They’ve got the right idea in the Motor City, where they celebrated last week’s opening of the new, $800 million MGM Grand Detroit resort, hotel and casino complex with celebrities, fireworks and a black-tie gala. The ritzy affair marked more than the opening of a new business – it marked a new era in competitive gaming that officials say will create thousands of jobs, provide major fiscal benefits and help put Detroit on the map as a regional entertainment destination.

The MGM Grand Detroit competes with two other downtown casinos, the MotorCity Casino and Greektown Casino. All three started out as temporary facilities – and despite heavy competition, they thrived. MotorCity casino opened its permanent gaming space in June and will debut a 17-story, 400-room hotel in November. Greektown plans to open a major casino and hotel complex in October 2008.

Here’s the kicker: All three of these multimillion-dollar, large scale entertainment centers are within five miles of each other. Five miles!

Casino competition has been good for these businesses, for Detroit, and for the State of Michigan as a whole. Check out the facts:

Despite operating within mere miles of each other, all three competing Detroit casinos reported revenue increases in January 2007, according to the Detroit Free Press. According to the newspaper, MotorCity reported a 7.1 percent jump, MGM Grand Detroit reported a 4.5 percent leap and Greektown reported a 2.3 percent rise. In 2006, the three casinos raked in a combined total of $1.3 billion in revenue, a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year.

The casinos have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue for Detroit and the state of Michigan, the Detroit News reports.

Even with three casinos operating in the City of Detroit (and 20 casinos in Michigan), the Detroit News reported in February that Michigan State Lottery revenues had increased by 38 percent over the last four years – generating an additional $141 million for the state School Aid fund.

The Forest County Potawatomi should take notice – multiple studies have shown that two competitive casinos can succeed and thrive in Southeast Wisconsin, bringing the region many of the economic benefits Detroit is realizing through casino competition. (Remember, Detroit has three major casinos within 5 miles!)

Detroit’s competitors even have a better attitude than the monopoly-driven Potawatomi. When Casino Windsor in Canada, just across the river from downtown Detroit, announced a major expansion in 2005, Detroit’s casino operators embraced the additional competition. The Detroit Free Press quoted a Greektown spokesman as saying, “We welcome any good competition,” a Greektown Casino spokesman said. Said a MotorCity spokeswoman: “The addition of more quality hotels, convention space and entertainment options will only prove to be of value to the entire area.” A spokesman for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was positive, as well. “It’s good that the city of Windsor is remaining competitive,” he said.

It’s nice to see businesses and a community thriving by embracing competition. We’d love to see it in Wisconsin, as well.

Support competition and its economic benefits for Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Update: There’s another heavy-hitter in Potawatomi’s D.C. lobbying lineup (you remember, the folks who lobbied the Executive Office of the President)

2007-09-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

The media are starting to catch on to the Potawatomi lobbying story we told you about last week. Check out this item from today’s WisPolitics.com “DC Wrap,” which points out that the Forest County Potawatomi spent more to lobby federal officials than any other Wisconsin tribe during the first six months of 2007.

WisPolitics reports that Wisconsin tribes spent a total of $480,000 lobbying the federal government between Jan. 1 and June 30 of this year. The Potawatomi were responsible for 63 percent of that – a whopping $300,000!

We’ve already told you about the $200,000 the Potawatomi paid D.C. powerbroker Ed Gillespie and others to carry the tribe’s pro-monopoly message in the Nation’s Capital. Additional documents now disclose a third-heavy hitting firm (and another $100K payment) on the Potawatomi’s D.C. lobbying roster.

The reports, filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate, reveal that the Potawatomi paid for the services of two lobbyists from the big-namee firm of Barbour Griffith & Rogers.

Those lobbyists include the firm’s president, a well-known Republican operative who served as chief of staff for a former Wisconsin Governor and Cabinet member. (Ironically, his former boss signed the Menominee Tribe’s 2000 Compact with the State of Wisconsin – the document authorizing the establishment of a Menominee casino in Kenosha in the first place.) The other is the firm’s vice president, another Republican insider who has served in several high-level White House positions and as chief of staff to a former Cabinet member.

While Potawatomi’s other hired guns went so far as to reach into the Executive Office of the President (!), the new reports show BGR’s lobbyists focused their attention on the U.S. House of Representatives and the Department of the Interior (the agency currently reviewing the Kenosha casino proposal). Their subject matter is listed only as “Tribal Interests.” Of course, we all know that Potawatomi’s biggest interest is in sidestepping competition and preserving the monopoly of their off-reservation Milwaukee casino – even if they have to change the law or curry favor among federal officials to do so.

BGR’s folks are no amateurs. Other BGR clients include international (and deep-pocketed) giants like IBM, Lockheed Martin, Louis Vuitton – Moët Hennesy, Pfizer…even the Republic of India and the State of Qatar. Their Web site touts the firm’s expertise at “stopping or changing harmful policy before it can take effect,” and Potawatomi’s leaders seem to be pulling out all the stops when it comes to thwarting what they see as a harmful threat to their monopoly.

We’re sure there’s more to come – and you can be sure we’ll bring it to you.

Send a real message to officials in Madison and Washington by signing the online petition for casino competition in Southeast Wisconsin.

Potawatomi’s fight for monopoly goes all the way to the Executive Office of the President of the United States

2007-09-19T15:18:00.000-05:00

They haven’t been able to get Kenosha voters, the Wisconsin Legislature or Congress to clamp a government lock on their monopoly, and now it looks like Potawatomi leaders may be eyeing a more powerful ally in their fight against competition. Newly uncovered documents show that Potawatomi’s federal lobbying team had a pretty lofty target during the first half of 2007 – the folks at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

According to reports (look here and here) filed with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Forest County Potawatomi Community is lobbying the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). Reports show the Potawatomi had 20 high-priced lobbyists on the ground in Washington during the first six months of 2007. The group – which included one of D.C.’s best-known power brokers and former, high-level Congressional staffers – lobbied on Land Into Trust, Gaming Reform, Tribal Economic Development and other issues before the EOP, House, Senate and U.S. Department of the Interior.

While the reports are deliberately vague about exactly what Potawatomi’s lobbyists talked about with the President’s closest advisers (though we doubt they were trying to arrange a special White House tour), they do show that the tribe plunked down at least $200,000 for D.C. lobbying from Jan. 1 to June 30 of this year. That’s right – nearly a quarter of a million dollars to help carry Potawatomi’s anti-competition message to the highest offices in the land. No one ever said hanging on to a monopoly was cheap.

Potawatomi’s leaders have certainly shown a lot of bravado in their campaign against competition, but this one takes the cake. Other companies that lobbied the EOP during the same time frame included heavy hitters like DuPont, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Exxon Mobil, the National Rifle Association, General Motors, Ford Motor Company and General Electric. The Potawatomi are playing in the big leagues, apparently believing that preserving their Southeast Wisconsin monopoly is a matter of such national importance that it belongs on the agenda of the President of the United States and his closest advisers.

Candidly, we think it’s an awfully tall order to expect a Republican administration to stand in the way of free enterprise and open competition. After all, the GOP understands that competition benefits American consumers – it’s the American way. But Potawatomi’s leaders have shown they’ll stop at nothing to sidestep competition, and this is yet another example of how far they’ll go to keep hold of their monopoly.

Speaking of the President’s closest advisers, we’ve also learned that that D.C. power-broker mentioned above is now one of them! That’s right, he’s no longer part of Potawatomi’s lobbying lineup because he took a new job – as special counsel to the President. Yes, all of us who care about fair competition in Southeast Wisconsin should feel real good that Potawatomi’s former lobbyist is now an adviser to the White House.

The plot thickens – and we’ll keep you up to date on the latest developments with Potawatomi’s swanky K Street crew.

It’s a long road to the Potawatomi reservation…

2007-09-18T09:26:00.000-05:00

A favorite refrain in the Potawatomi battle against competition is to cite the distance between the Menominee Reservation and Kenosha. They never miss a chance to trumpet claims of “reservation shopping,” a buzzword coined by pro-monopoly tribes that suggests the Menominee have no tie to the Kenosha area because their reservation is in northern Wisconsin.

That’s just plain false. And it underscores yet another one of those “I can’t believe the Potawatomi are trying to peddle that hypocritical bunk” moments.

First of all, Dr. David R. M. Beck, a professor of Native American studies at the University of Montana, points out that the Menominee Tribe has resided in Wisconsin for thousands of years on lands that include Southeast Wisconsin and Kenosha. In a study for the Menominee Tribe, Beck says:

“The southern region of Old Menominee country was vast – it extended south of the Milwaukee River into northern Illinois, along the shores of Lake Michigan and west to the Mississippi River. This was long a vital place for the Menominee Indians. Kenosha lies at the center of the eastern reaches of this southern region of old Menominee country.”

Perhaps the irony of having their own off-reservation Milwaukee casino located in the middle of a valley named for the Menominee Tribe is lost on the Potawatomi. But we doubt it.

It seems the Potawatomi need lessons in history and geography. It’s especially laughable that in their zeal to keep their monopoly, the Potawatomi are complaining – quite loudly – about the distance between the proposed Kenosha casino site and the Menominee Reservation. It’s 160 miles – we admit it.

But the distance between Potawatomi’s Milwaukee casino and its northern Wisconsin reservation spans 182 miles – even farther than the distance between Menominee and Kenosha. Here’s a map that proves it.

Oops.

Help stamp out Potawatomi’s pro-monopoly hypocritical bunk by signing the online petition.

Potawatomi monopoly still has taxpayers paying some healthcare costs

2007-09-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

The Forest County Potawatomi, whose competition-free Milwaukee casino brings in millions and millions of dollars every week and has made them one of the richest tribes in the state, apparently don’t mind letting Wisconsin taxpayers pick up the healthcare tab for some of their casino employees.

Recent figures from the State Department of Health and Family Services place Potawatomi among the top 50 employers with the most participants in BadgerCare, the state’s tax-funded healthcare program for the working poor.

The state anticipates taxpayers will pick up more than $160,000 in BadgerCare costs for Potawatomi employees in 2007. In stark contrast, Potawatomi’s Milwaukee casino currently pulls in about $250 million a year – and anticipates doubling that when its expansion is complete.

The Potawatomi aren’t shy about asking the government for help – first, to preserve their monopoly and also, to have taxpayers pay some of their employees’ doctor bills.

Sign the online petition to bring more good jobs – with real healthcare and other benefits – to Southeast Wisconsin through fair casino competition.

Even in Potawatomi’s back yard, labor supports casino competition

2007-08-31T15:54:00.001-05:00

Working men and women in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties have long been strong supporters of bringing casino competition to Southeast Wisconsin. They know there are tremendous regional benefits to be had with the 3,000-plus good-paying permanent jobs and more than 1,000 union construction jobs the Kenosha casino would create.

The Forest County Potawatomi are still trying everything they can to convince people that these 4,000 jobs are somehow bad for Wisconsin – but everyone knows their silly argument is just another desperate attempt to squelch competition. Even the Milwaukee County Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and the Milwaukee Building & Construction Trades Council – which between them represent more than 150 unions and more than 70,000 working people right in Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s back yard – want the Kenosha casino in Wisconsin.

As our nation takes time to honor America’s working men and women, we’d like join the salute by acknowledging the Southeast Wisconsin labor organizations that are working tirelessly to make casino competition – and its thousands of good, community-strengthening jobs – a reality for the Badger State.

Milwaukee Building & Construction Trades Council
Milwaukee County Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Southeast Wisconsin Building & Construction Trades Council
Kenosha County Labor Council, AFL-CIO
AFSCME Council 40
Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 8
International Association of Firefighters Local 414
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 127
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 430
International Union of Painters & Allied Trades District Council No. 7
Kenosha Education Association
Milwaukee Laborers International Union Local 113
Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons International Association Local Union No. 599
Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 118
United Auto Workers Local 72
United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1473
Unite HERE Local 122
United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Local 65

Thanks to all of these fine working men and women for their support and commitment to free and fair competition in our state.

Stand with Wisconsin’s working men and women and voice your support for free-market competition by signing the online petition.

As the Potawatomi fight competition, Menominee embrace it in their own back yard

2007-08-27T14:34:00.001-05:00

The Menominee Tribe had this to say when a fellow Wisconsin tribe recently announced plans to build a competing, $100 million gaming resort just 20 miles from Menominee’s casino in Keshena, Wis.

It’s an interesting contrast to the Forest County Potawatomi, whose multimillion-dollar, over-the-top response to potential competition has been to fight tooth and nail to avoid it.

Menominee’s Chairperson says it best in her statement:

"As we reach out in friendship and congratulations to our Stockbridge-Munsee brothers and sisters, our hope is that the Forest County Potawatomi Community is watching closely. The Potawatomi have spent millions in a relentless attempt to kill our proposed Kenosha entertainment center, but having a monopoly isn’t the real key to business success. Accepting competition gracefully and working hard in a competitive environment is."

Hear, hear.

Say “yes” to real casino competition for Southeast Wisconsin by signing the online petition.

Metro Milwaukee blogger: Casino competition “an opportunity the state cannot afford to pass up”

2007-08-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

We’re not the only ones blogging about the benefits casino competition would bring to Southeast Wisconsin. Check out this recent blog from MuskegoNow.com.

A few highlights:

“Vegas economics. A unique phenomenon. It's unique because, here you have countless corporations, battling their competitors, which are right next door! And somehow, they all survive the grim competition...right next door. Feet away.

“So, based on my understanding of Vegasian (hehe, I think I invented a word) economics, I'm willing to bet that the Potawatomi tribe, which operates a large and successful bingo/casino operation in Milwaukee, will be able to survive plans made by the Menominee and Connecticut-based Mohegan tribes to build a casino in Kenosha...which, mind you, is 45 minutes away from Milwaukee, give or take.

“If corporations can survive the competition from feet away and from all sides, I'm sure the Potawatomi will be just fine, separated by a whole county and numerous cities/towns in between.”

While the Forest County Potawatomi have been spending millions to kill the Kenosha proposal, thus avoiding competition for their lucrative Milwaukee casino and preserving their monopoly, this blogger encourages a big-picture look at the situation.

“…We must consider the economic benefits of having this proposal carried out. It will add thousands of jobs and pump around half a billion dollars into the Wisconsin economy each year.

“To not go through on this proposal is foolish. Please, step back and see the larger picture here. This is an opportunity the state cannot afford to pass up.”

That's right - thousands of good jobs and major economic benefits for Wisconsin. We'd have it all with real casino competition.

Voice your support for real casino competition in the Badger State by signing the online petition.

Potawatomi’s anti-competition campaign conveniently omits its casino expansion’s own East Coast connection

2007-08-20T10:48:00.001-05:00

We’ve talked about it before, and a brief in this week’s Small Business Times reinforces the fact that Potawatomi’s silly and unbelievable “No East Coast” message doesn’t extend to the Tribe’s own business relationships.

Potawatomi has one of the country’s most respected construction firms building its $250 million off-reservation casino expansion in Downtown Milwaukee. It’s a very good company, with a solid Milwaukee presence, but it’s certainly not a Wisconsin company. It’s actually headquartered in Rhode Island – on the East Coast! Plus, it has other offices in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware and New York. (New York? Can you get more East Coast than New York?) It also has offices in Arizona, California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Overseeing a $250 million casino expansion is no small contract, and one could reasonably presume that the economic rewards are extending far beyond the constructor’s Milwaukee office. In fact, it’s highly likely that a good chunk of Potawatomi’s Wisconsin construction money is going…to the East Coast.

Bet you won’t see that in Potawatomi’s big-bucks anti-competition ad campaign.

Speak out against Potawatomi’s pro-monopoly hypocrisy by signing the online petition.

It all comes down to competition, but why?

2007-08-17T10:14:00.000-05:00

Menominee Tribal Chair Lisa Waukau knows there’s just one thing behind the Forest County Potawatomi’s multimillion-dollar fight against the proposed Kenosha casino. But she can’t understand why the Potawatomi are so fearful of competing in what multiple economic studies have shown is a solid, strong gaming market.

Sign the online petition to bring the benefits of casino competition to all tribes and Southeastern Wisconsin.

Nice work, if you can get it: $6,000 an hour to lobby for Potawatomi monopoly

2007-08-13T08:34:00.001-05:00

We’ve talked before about the army of high-priced lobbyists trying to secure a government-sanctioned monopoly for the Potawatomi in the State Capitol. Well, it turns out that one is priced a little higher than the others.

Wisconsin Ethics Board records show one lobbyist was paid $39,000 between January and June 2007 to carry Potawatomi’s message in Madison. The grand total of time he reported lobbying for the Potawatomi? 6.5 hours.

That’s right. Potawatomi paid one lobbyist $39,000 for 6.5 hours of work. We know Potawatomi has spared no expense to squash competition and maintain its monopoly, but $6,000 an hour? Must be really persuasive.

Express your opposition to a government-backed Potawatomi monopoly by signing the online petition.

Potawatomi visitor finds no competition makes for ‘wretched excuse for a casino’

2007-08-09T11:08:00.001-05:00

There’s only one review of the Forest County Potawatomi’s competition-free Milwaukee casino on TripAdvisor (which bills itself as the Web’s best source of unbiased travel reviews) – but it’s a zinger.

After detailing a number of bad experiences with Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s slots, smoke and smells, a recent visitor has this to say:

“And the worst thing? The Potawatomi are doing their absolute best to block the construction of a casino in Kenosha. Because they know that if it opened, more than half of their captive patrons would vacate the premises, never to return.”

Clearly we’re not the only ones who can see right through Potawatomi’s anti-competition, pro-monopoly crusade. What’s truly unfortunate is that Potawatomi’s monopoly-based complacency could be coloring the way potential tourists view our region – more than 16 million people from 192 countries visited TripAdvisor in the last week alone.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – competition creates better products and better experiences for consumers. Eliminating Potawatomi’s monopoly will make Potawatomi a better business, a more attractive tourism destination and a stronger community asset. With real competition, everyone wins.

Sign the online petition to help create a thriving, competitive gaming marketplace in Southeast Wisconsin.

Blog readers show their support for competition

2007-08-07T15:55:00.000-05:00

Many people agree that competition is good for a free-market society and that strong businesses thrive in a competitive marketplace. We’ve received an overwhelming positive response to our online petition. We’d like to thank all of the individuals who support the Menominee project and our efforts to help bring real casino competition to Southeast Wisconsin.

Listed below are a just a few of the comments we’ve received from residents and supporters of the Kenosha casino – both regional and statewide:

“There is plenty of room for two viable casinos in this region and the thought of so many good-paying jobs and economic growth for Kenosha County, as well as the rest of this state, makes this a worthwhile venture.”

"WE NEED COMPETITION!”

"I'm one of the Kenosha voters who want this. We voted in favor of this. Make our votes count and approve this. Thank you.”

"Being an enrolled member of the Menominee Tribe, it saddens me to see our neighbors from Forest County trying to keep the market all to themselves. We, as Native Americans should not and cannot fight like this over this gaming market.”

"This casino would be beneficial not only for the Tribal members of the Menominee but also for the people of Kenosha, i.e. employment, health insurance, revenue produced and pulled into the city by the attraction of the casino.”

"A casino would do well and provide many jobs for Southeastern Wisconsin. Kenosha is an ideal location, drawing people from all over.”

"Potawatomi wants all the money.”

"The Potawatomi Tribe just wants this area all to their own, which is just wrong. What gives them the right to do this?”

"Kenosha and Racine need jobs, too. I found it interesting Potawatomi had their job fair in the Racine and Kenosha area, not the Milwaukee area. We need to have a Kenosha casino.”

"I find the ads against this casino are unfair and off-base.”

"It's about time Potawatomi has some competition for the money I spend there.”

"Too bad the money and power are causing the Potawatomi to behave like rich white capitalists!”

“Indian gaming has allowed the tribes to take small steps toward alleviating the poverty driven by centuries of oppression, abuse and neglect of Native Americans who choose to live on reservations and retain their culture. Off-reservation gaming should not be driven by free-market capitalism. It should be more freely allowed and definitely restricted to Native Americans. Gaming money has allowed the Potawatomi most especially, but also the Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Oneida, Ojibwa and Mohicans of Wisconsin, to begin improving their lot. Let's keep that good work moving forward by getting this Kenosha project going!”

To show your support for competition, please sign our online petition.

Potawatomi’s actions don’t match their words. Again.

2007-08-03T15:57:00.001-05:00

It looks like the Potawatomi have added to their business development agency.

You’ll remember that this is the group that handles Potawatomi’s investments in a Washington, D.C., luxury hotel, an Oklahoma architecture firm, a Minnesota ad agency and other out-of-state businesses.

It’s the group that ships Potawatomi’s Wisconsin gaming money OUT of Wisconsin.

We’ve actually got nothing against Potawatomi’s business investments. But it certainly doesn’t make sense to create a front group called “Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin” and try to rile people up about the small amount of Wisconsin gaming money that a competing casino would send out of state when you have your own GROWING business agency dedicated to doing the very same thing.

Surely the Potawatomi can’t believe their anti-competition hypocrisy is fooling anyone.

Help stamp out Potawatomi’s anti-competition hypocrisy by signing the online petition.

New lobbying reports show Potawatomi spending big to kill competition

2007-08-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

And the results are in: According to a new report filed with the Wisconsin Ethics Board, the Forest County Potawatomi spent $183,284 lobbying in Madison from January to June of 2007. More than half of that - 55 percent - was focused specifically on pushing Potawatomi's anti-competition agenda in the State Capitol, either through a bill known as AB-205 or unnamed "matters related to off-reservation casinos."

The new records show that Potawatomi's high-priced lobbyists spent 139 hours trying to sell legislators on AB-205, an anti-competition measure that would require legislative approval, on top of the Governor's signature, for new off-reservation gaming in Wisconsin. Even people in Milwaukee think AB-205 is a bad idea, but Potawatomi supports it because it essentially puts a government lock on the monopoly their off-reservation Milwaukee casino has held for nearly two decades.

The records show that the Potawatomi spent more time on AB-205 than any other Wisconsin Tribe or organization - and certainly far more than those associated with the Kenosha casino project can afford to spend fighting it. That's really no surprise, because the Potawatomi have worked tirelessly (but unsuccessfully) over the past two sessions to push through similar anti-competition legislation that would maintain their monopoly.

It should be noted that the $183,284 figure doesn't represent the full dollar amount Potawatomi's plunked down to stamp out competition - it's just six months' worth of lobbying costs. When you add in research, public relations work, advertising, talking with media, polling and more, it totals some pretty hefty Potawatomi checks. But no one ever said government-backed monopolies come cheap.

If you're wondering how Potawatomi's lobbying expenditures stack up against other big Wisconsin entities, here are some examples. During the same timeframe, the state's largest healthcare provider recorded $189,716 in lobbying costs. The state's largest brewer spent $66,195. The state's largest telecommunications provider - which is mired in a hot and heavy competition debate of its own - spent $205,451.

When it comes to throwing money around in Madison, the competition-fearing Potawatomi are going "all in" in hopes of keeping one of the state's poorest tribes, the Menominee, from having a seat at the table. Shame on you, Potawatomi. Competition is good for everyone.

Show your support for free and healthy competition by signing our online petition.

Will Potawatomi stiff Milwaukee on new jobs? Or is it more anti-competition hypocrisy?

2007-07-25T08:17:00.000-05:00

We’ve all seen and heard the current $200,000+ ad buy paid for by the Potawatomi as part of their overall effort to maintain their monopoly and restrict competition . . . and hurt Wisconsin. One of the red herrings in the Potawatomi campaign is a claim that “there are no jobs” for Milwaukee’s central city residents at the Kenosha casino.

It seems that consistency of message isn’t one of the Potawatomi’s strengths. On the contrary, the ad campaign shows again that the Potawatomi will say and do anything to hold on to their monopoly – even when their words don’t match their actions.

Here’s the story: Potawatomi recently placed ads in Milwaukee minority newspapers claiming the Kenosha casino won’t hire Milwaukee residents. The ads – Potawatomi used some of their bulging bankroll to go so far as to translate the ads into Spanish – falsely implied that only Kenosha and Racine residents would get jobs and there would be no opportunities for those from Milwaukee’s central city. That, of course, is a bogus claim, and we can examine that in detail another day.

Claims like the ones in the July 18 Milwaukee Community Journal ad seem to be in direct contradiction to the big job fair the Potawatomi had to help fill positions created by the $240 million expansion of their Milwaukee casino. And where did the Potawatomi hold the job fair? Milwaukee’s central city? Milwaukee’s south side? Somewhere in the Milwaukee county suburbs?

Nope. The Racine Marriott.

The Potawatomi dropped more big bucks on a full-page, full-color ad in Kenosha encouraging Kenosha and Racine residents to apply for jobs at the expanded Milwaukee casino.

So let’s sort this out:

Potawatomi makes bogus claim that no one in Milwaukee will get jobs at the Kenosha casino
Potawatomi holds job fair for Milwaukee jobs in Racine
Potawatomi buy full-page, full-color ad in the Kenosha News to promote the job fair in Racine

It’s hard to make this stuff up, folks, but the Potawatomi are making this blog easy to update by often showing their anti-competitive hypocrisy on an ongoing basis.

They can’t have it both ways, even if they pay for it.

Stay tuned for the next installment.

Sign the online petition to support casino competition in Southeastern Wisconsin and real job creation for the entire region.

Talk about competition

2007-07-23T09:37:00.000-05:00

A recent national AP story ran in the Waukesha Freeman about competition among casinos in Atlantic City. At least 11 casinos are undergoing massive expansion and renovation plans as they continue to battle for market share with Las Vegas and casinos in neighboring states, the AP reported. Total investment: at least $10 billion!

“Almost every casino here is spending millions of dollars to either expand or renovate, or has just finished doing so,” said the AP dispatch.

Maybe the Forest County Potawatomi can look at this example and see the importance of competition and the benefits it would bring to Southeastern Wisconsin.

Sign the online petition to bring the benefits of casino competition to Southeastern Wisconsin.

From one Tribal leader to another

2007-07-20T14:25:00.000-05:00

The Forest County Potawatomi Community’s Tribal Chairman and Executive Council are pretty quiet on the casino competition issue. It actually seems that Potawatomi’s non-elected Attorney General is the one leading the pro-monopoly charge, and a paid lobbyist does the vast majority of the Tribe’s media interviews on the topic.

It’s very different from the Menominee Tribe, where Tribal Chair Lisa Waukau and other Menominee leaders have been active, visible and involved advocates of the Kenosha project and bringing casino competition to the region.

We asked Chair Waukau what she would say if she had the chance to discuss casino competition with her Potawatomi counterpart.

Sign the online petition to bring the benefits of casino competition to all tribes and Southeastern Wisconsin.

Milwaukee influencers still not buying Potawatomi's anti-competition argument

2007-07-19T15:51:00.000-05:00

It’s Week 3 of the Forest County Potawatomi’s $200,000 anti-competition ad campaign, and Milwaukee influencers still aren’t buying what Potawatomi’s silly “No East Coast” ads are trying to sell.

WTMJ-AM’s Charlie Sykes deftly dissected one of the Potawatomi ads during his show late last week. A few highlights:

** “Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin,’ OK, cut through all that smoke and mirrors…it’s the Potawatomi that like having a monopoly.”

** “All of the elected officials…the prominent elected officials who were at the press conference last week in Kenosha and Racine…said ‘yeah, we want this.’ This business community says they want this. They’ve had referendums where the voters have said they want this. So who outside of Connecticut would want this? Well, the people in Kenosha and Racine, not to mention…the Menominee, who are actually from Wisconsin. They would also like this as well.”

** “(The ads say) this will not bring jobs to Milwaukee. Well, no…it will bring jobs to Kenosha. Which is why the people in Kenosha…want it to be in Kenosha.”

** “The Mohegan are still the minority to the Menominee…the invisible tribe. My understanding is the Menominee actually went to the Potawatomi and said, “Would you like to be our partners in this?” And the Potawatomi said “No, we got our deal…we got our set-up in Milwaukee…why would we want to help you guys?”

** “What’s really going on here is that the Potawatomi have a lot more money…they’ve got an investment to protect…they do not want to have any competition.”

And while economic studies show that competition can flourish in Southeast Wisconsin, and that Milwaukee will continue to do just fine with a Kenosha casino in place, we love Charlie’s suggestion for a new tagline for Potawatomi’s commercials. “Milwaukee loses, Kenosha wins, and the Menominee get the money that we want all of!”

Charlie recently included Potawatomi’s ads as a topic on his weekly TV show as well. Milwaukee PR exec Jeff Fleming has an interesting take on the matter – he says the Potawatomi are trying to create an issue to protect their monopoly, and are conveniently ignoring the fact that they had outside help when they established their own off-reservation casino nearly two decades ago.

Help put an end to Potawatomi’s anti-competition hypocrisy by signing the online petition.

Support for casino competition runs 3-to-1

2007-07-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

An online poll by the Kenosha News shows rock-solid support for the proposed Menominee casino – and the competition it would bring to Southeast Wisconsin’s gaming market. More than 75 percent of respondents – three of every four – said they support the Menominee entertainment center, which would offer the Forest County Potawatomi their first taste of competition since opening their off-reservation Milwaukee casino nearly two decades ago.

The poll ended July 16. Here’s the final tally:

Do you think the proposed Kenosha casino will sufficiently benefit the Menominee tribe and not harm the Kenosha community?

Yes. The Menominee Nation has a solid proposal, and the Kenosha community will benefit from it.: 75.5%

No. The proposal will not benefit the Menominee or the Kenosha community.: 17.5%

Not sure. There are still a lot of questions.: 7.0%

Total Votes: 429

Earlier this spring, a poll by the Milwaukee Business Journal also showed overwhelming support for the Kenosha casino. In that poll, 62 percent of respondents said the federal government should approve the project – and bring casino competition to Southeast Wisconsin!

Show your support for the Kenosha project and real casino competition by signing the online petition today!

Milwaukee Biz Blogger talks up competition

2007-07-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

Today’s Small Business Times “Milwaukee Biz Blog” features an excellent commentary by Southeastern Wisconsin businessman Bob Lee.

The whole thing is a great read – the premise is that good businesses like Lee’s Kenosha-based plumbing company embrace competition, they don’t try to kill it. Here are a few highlights:

“If they’re successful, the Potawatomi will kill more than just competition – they’ll kill economic opportunity for our region and state. They’ll kill the opportunity for 3,000 good-paying jobs guaranteed for Southeast Wisconsin residents, hundreds of millions of dollars for local schools and government, and billions of dollars in payments to the State of Wisconsin. The Potawatomi like to brag that they pay more to the State than any other tribe or business. The Menominee would pay even more than Potawatomi – provided their casino gets built.

“The latest weapon in Potawatomi’s anti-competition arsenal is a series of expensive and annoying television and radio ads complaining that a small portion of Kenosha casino money will go to the Connecticut tribe helping the impoverished Menominee get the project off the ground.

“You heard that right – the Potawatomi want people to be mad because an out-of-state entity is making a significant investment to grow business and create jobs in Southeastern Wisconsin. The next thing you know, the Potawatomi will be protesting DaimlerChrysler’s $450 million retooling of its Kenosha engine plant. They’ll stage sit-ins at the site of Illinois-based Abbott Labs’ proposed new Kenosha corporate campus. Maybe they’ll walk picket lines in Miller Valley to protest Miller Brewing Company’s foreign ownership. The Potawatomi argument is seriously flawed and absurd.”

What’s your take on closing Wisconsin’s doors to out-of-state business investment? Leave us a comment, and be sure to sign the online petition for real competition and economic growth in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Pro-competition message spreads in the blogosphere

2007-07-13T13:18:00.000-05:00

Since we launched CasinoCompetitionForWisconsin earlier this week, we've gotten a lot of great response.

Thank you to these bloggers for helping to spread our message.

Badger Blogger
The Crocodile Cage
MyFoxMilwaukee - doxboi's Blog
The Native Blog
Wigderson Library & Pub

Show your support by signing the online petition.

So, who's the one shipping millions of dollars out of Wisconsin?

2007-07-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

Proving they’ll say and do anything to squelch competition and maintain their government-backed monopoly, Potawatomi’s latest expensive ad campaign complains that for a few years, a very small portion of Kenosha casino proceeds would go to an out-of-state tribe helping Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe with the project. (The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut joined the Kenosha project team only after Potawatomi refused repeated offers to partner with Menominee.)

But, even as they blast local airwaves with their “Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin” message, the Potawatomi are sending some of their Wisconsin gaming money to Minnesota to start an ad agency.

A quick look at the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation Web site shows that when it comes to funneling money out of Wisconsin, the Potawatomi are experts. Potawatomi has sent millions out of Wisconsin to invest in a luxury hotel in Washington, D.C. They’ve sent Dairyland dollars to a California software company. They’ve spent Wisconsin money to invest in a modular home manufacturer in Minnesota. They’ve poured a lot of Wisconsin dollars into architecture and tech services companies in Oklahoma.

Protecting their monopoly by killing competition apparently requires that Potawatomi say and do anything – even if the right hand criticizes what the left hand is doing. Sorry, Potawatomi – a quick geography check shows our nation’s capital is still about 800 miles to the east, and sunny California 2,000 miles to the west. Minnesota isn’t Wisconsin, and Oklahoma is a long way from the Menomonee Valley.

Recent polling shows the Potawatomi’s ads are a big flop – in fact, more people actually favor casino competition for our state. It seems like no one’s really buying the “Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin” argument.

And with millions of dollars’ worth of out-of-state investments, we guess the Potawatomi aren’t buying their own argument either.

Support good jobs and positive economic development right here in Wisconsin by signing the online petition for real casino competition in the region.

Mark Belling: Potawatomi are 'liars'

2007-07-11T13:32:00.001-05:00

Milwaukee radio show host Mark Belling certainly isn’t impressed with Potawatomi’s fancy new anti-competition ad campaign.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Sign the online petition to bring honest competition to Potawatomi’s monopoly.

Potawatomi's latest anti-competition ad buy nears $200,000

2007-07-11T08:11:00.000-05:00

$199,530, to be exact.

That’s what our research shows Potawatomi dropped to air its latest round of slick, non-competition TV and radio ads in Milwaukee over the next four weeks.

It’s a lot of money – but Potawatomi is clearly committed to avoiding competition and preserving its monopoly at all costs.

Sign the online petition and support real business competition in Southeast Wisconsin.

Slick new ads defy political analysis, but highlight Potawatomi's anti-competition frenzy

2007-07-10T11:10:00.000-05:00

We knew we’d have a lot to talk about at Casino Competition for Wisconsin – we just didn’t realize the Potawatomi’s anti-competition fervor would play into our hands so quickly. Yet just last night, “Wisconsin Gaming for Wisconsin” (the front group funded solely by the Potawatomi) launched a new barrage of TV and radio ads attacking competition from Kenosha.

Potawatomi’s ads – so far, we’ve counted three shiny new TV ads and at least one radio ad – are confusing at best. Their singular message is that the Mohegan Tribe’s investment in the Kenosha project is somehow bad. But insiders familiar with fresh polling on this very issue say that Wisconsinites just don’t agree with Potawatomi’s claims. It’s also puzzling that the ads target Milwaukee so closely – our sources say research shows the Kenosha project has an extremely strong base of support in Milwaukee, right in Potawatomi’s back yard.

But Potawatomi pays its advisers a pretty penny to develop these fancy ads (and so far, we’ve confirmed they’ve paid more than $125,000 to air them in Milwaukee!) It’s not our job to steer them. It’s more important to point out the facts blurred by the half-truths, misleading statements and inaccurate information that Potawatomi’s actors are spouting on the air.

The ads say some pretty silly things about the ominous “East Coast.” What they DON’T say is this:

The Potawatomi twice refused requests to partner with the Menominee, a fellow Wisconsin tribe, on the Kenosha project. Menominee approached Mohegan – the foremost experts on Indian gaming in the U.S. - only after Potawatomi said no.

The vast majority of Kenosha casino proceeds will always go to the Menominee – one of the state’s poorest tribes – right here in Wisconsin.

The City of Kenosha, Kenosha County and Kenosha schools will always receive more money from the Kenosha casino than Mohegan. So will the State of Wisconsin (in fact, the State will get far more than it currently gets from the Potawatomi!)

Mohegan will receive a small percentage of Kenosha casino revenue for seven years only. After that initial start-up period (during which they’ll train Wisconsin’s Menominee to run the facility on their own), the Mohegan will leave the project. The only tribe – and the only entity – with equity in the Kenosha casino is the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin.

Wisconsinites realize out-of-state investment to grow local businesses is a good thing – that’s why we welcome foreign-owned Miller Brewing Company, DaimlerChrysler and other good companies like them. And the Potawatomi don’t seem to have a problem sending their own Wisconsin gaming money out-of-state – they’ve invested in businesses in Oklahoma, and elsewhere, even a luxury hotel in Washington, D.C. (on the dreaded “East Coast!”)

This isn’t about a few dollars leaving the state – especially when Wisconsin will get so much in return. It’s about Potawatomi trying desperately to hang on to the monopoly they’ve held for nearly 20 years.

Watch this space

2007-07-08T19:30:00.000-05:00

Congratulations!

You’ve found CasinoCompetitionForWisconsin.com, a blog chronicling the Forest County Potawatomi’s multimillion-dollar effort to block competition, retain the huge monopoly Potawatomi’s Milwaukee casino has held for nearly two decades and kill the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s proposed Kenosha casino.

Potawatomi’s battle against potential competition has all the makings of a compelling story:

Fantasy: Claims of economic catastrophe that have absolutely no basis in fact
Intrigue: A private investigator sniffing around, and high-powered lobbyists trying to change state and federal law
Plot twists: Potawatomi decrying the small amount of Kenosha casino money that would go to a Connecticut tribe while heralding their own major business investments outside the Badger State
Irony: One of Wisconsin’s richest tribes going all-out to hold down one of Wisconsin’s poorest – despite multiple economic studies that show two competing casinos can flourish in Southeast Wisconsin’s largely untapped gaming market

And that’s just the beginning.

We’ll illustrate it all with links to public documents, news articles, economic studies, video, audio, photos and more. You won’t want to miss this – so please subscribe to our blog and plan to come back often for updates.

To kick things off, listen to what Menominee Tribal Chair Lisa Waukau has to say about the benefits casino competition will bring in terms of jobs and economic opportunity for Wisconsin.