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

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

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”

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

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?

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

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’

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.