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Kenosha could be home of new casino

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Also by Jacob Croal:

Kenosha could be home of new casino (March 21, 2006)

by Jacob Croal

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Gov. Jim Doyle may have to decide between campaign contributors if the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs grants the Menominee Tribe a license to build a casino in Kenosha.

The casino would be built at the Dairyland Greyhound Park and cost $808 million if the proposal makes it to the governor and is approved. Additionally, Doyle would receive the proposal after the November election if he were to win.

Kenosha businessman Dennis Troha, one of the investors of the proposed casino, has been trying to build a casino in Kenosha for about 10 years.

Troha, along with his family, was the top individual contributor to Doyle's 2002 election campaign with $71,500. The Troha family has also been the biggest individual supporter of Doyle since his election.

"When Jim Doyle was Attorney General he was opposed to casino expansion. When he ran for governor he did a 180 and said he would support expansion," Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Executive Director Mike McCabe said. "The tribes saw an opening with him that they didn't see with [former Republican Gov. Scott] McCallum."

Doyle also received $20,000 from employees from the Connecticut based Mohegan tribe and its casino, the Mohegan Sun, which is partners with Troha for the proposed Kenosha casino, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The casino would be run by the Menominee tribe.

A Kenosha casino would mean competition for the Potawatomi Bingo and Casino in Milwaukee.

A report on Nov. 30 in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated, "A casino in Kenosha would drain an estimated $162 million a year in revenue from an expanded Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee."

The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe, which owns the casino, contributed $250,000 to Doyle's 2002 campaign, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

In 2002 the Potawatomi, along with the Oneida and Ho-Chunk tribes, combined to give $1.23 million to the Democratic National Committee, most of which was directed back to Wisconsin Democratic campaigns.

Doyle signed compacts with gaming tribes within weeks of being elected, something that had never been done in Wisconsin history.

On the other side, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Republicans have received little to no contributions from gambling interests.

"I'm not aware of any contributions from gambling interests to Mr. Green," said Rob Vernon, press secretary for gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis.

But, according to McCabe, this does not necessarily indicate a trend.

"We can't say for sure that the tribes are exclusively investing in Democrats because 2002 was the first time that they got involved in elections," McCabe said. "So far it's only been governor races."

The proposed Kenosha casino has had critics, too.

"This won't stimulate the right [economic] growth Kenosha is looking for," said Kenosha County Board Vice President Terry Rose, who has been a major opponent of the casino. "A casino would bring unwanted things to the community like criminal conduct."

Rose added, however, 57 percent of Kenosha residents voted yes on a referendum to allow the casino to be built, referencing a 1998 vote.

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Anonymous (March 21, 2006 @ 11:31am):

Great opening sentence, because that is truely what this is all about! Not whats best for Wisconsin, but whats best for Doyle's reelection fund.

This is a tough conundrum for Doyle, but I think the Potowatomi's have had him owned for a long time now.

The pattern of money for votes continues in Doyle's administration!