Oct.

31, 2013

Softening up us or them?
By Steve Lund, slund@kenoshanews.com Gov. Scott Walker appears to be trying to soften the blow for someone who is going to get some bad news about a casino, but is it us or them? Us in this case refers to Kenosha casino supporters, including the Menominee Tribe and its partner, Hard Rock International, plus numerous local leaders in Kenosha and Racine counties. Them refers to the Potawatomi Tribe and its supporters who dont want competition for the tribal casino in Milwaukee. The governor is sending out daily newsletters in what he describes as an open and transparent process of reviewing the proposal for a casino at Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha. The first newsletter mentioned the question of a casino opening in Illinois if one doesnt open in Kenosha. Give the governor credit for taking on one of the big issues, but his analysis missed a crucial point. Walker pointed out that Illinois does not have tribal gambling, so there are no applications pending with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and that all the state-granted casino licenses available now have been issued. He also mentioned that two efforts to increase the number of casino licenses in Illinois have been vetoed by the governor. The implication of this set of facts is a casino in northern Illinois that would compete with the Milwaukee casino is not likely. That makes the situation look bad for Kenosha. But the newsletter fails to point out that the situation in Illinois is political and could change. The number of casino licenses Illinois issues is entirely in the hands of Illinois politicians. The only way Wisconsin can influence the Illinois casino decision would be to open a casino in Kenosha. That would reduce the likelihood of another Illinois casino being placed between the existing casino in Des Plaines and state line. Another casino anywhere in the region would hurt the Potawatomi casino in Milwaukee, but if it is in Kenosha, it helps Wisconsin. If it is in Illinois, it hurts Wisconsin. Walkers second newsletter was about jobs. It said the Menominee Tribe projects the Kenosha casino will create 3,356 jobs plus 1,400 temporary construction jobs, while the Potawatomi Tribe claims that in five years it will lose $921 million and 3,000 jobs. The governor also said the Ho Chunk Nation, which operates a casino in Wisconsin Dells, claims it would lose $19.5 million a year in revenue but didnt translate that figure into job losses.

The governors newsletter says that the Menominee offered different calculations of what the other tribes would lose, and Walker points out that the topic illustrates the difficulty of obtaining objective information. Thats a good point. The information decks are all stacked. However, even accepting the calculation from the Potawatomi that they would eventually lose 3,000 jobs, the projected job gains still outweigh the losses. The newsletter doesnt mention that. His third newsletter focused on community support. He mentions various expressions of support, including referendum votes, in Kenosha, along with a letter against the casino from the Kenosha Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. In Milwaukee, he notes, there is strong community opposition to the Kenosha casino. That falls into the What Did You Expect? category, and really doesnt move the discussion very far. The governors tactic of sending daily updates may be brilliant, and it is certainly unusual, but the purpose is still unclear. So far, most of the newsletters appear to be leaning toward justifying a thumbs down on the Kenosha project. But I think hell approve it for several reasons. ! Would a Republican governor turn down a project worth thousands of private-sector jobs in order to protect a monopoly in Milwaukee? ! Some of the strongest advocates for rejecting the Kenosha casino have been political opponents of Walker. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett ran for governor against Walker twice. Is the governor going to lose any sleep over disappointing Barrett? ! Rejecting the Kenosha project would say we dont need the jobs, we dont care about tourism from Illinois, everything is fine the way it is. A governor who has been as much of an agent of change as Scott Walker has doesnt seem likely to say the status quo is just fine or to take a ho-hum approach to a big opportunity. ! He can tell the Potawatomi that the Menominee Tribe went above and beyond the usual tribal casino proposal and brought in a Hard Rock Cafe. ! The Milwaukee casino hasnt stimulated other developments. In a guest column published here in September, State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, wrote, The Potawatomi casino is a black hole not so much as a gas station has sprung up next to the biggest tourist attraction in the Milwaukee area. The Menominee casino ought to be quite a bit different, since the tribe has formed a partnership with Hard Rock, a well-known brand name and tourist attraction. The Kenosha development, if the governor OKs it, is not likely to be described as a black hole five or 10 years from now. The newsletters are preparing either us or them for bad news. I think its them.
Steve Lund is the editorial page editor of the Kenosha News. His column appears on Thursdays.