Standoff at Calif. tribal office ends after sheriff steps in following skirmish; 2 injured
By Associated Press
COARSEGOLD, Calif. — A two-day standoff between factions of a California tribe divided on leadership and the expulsion of members has ended after a sheriff stepped in, threatening to arrest anyone who stayed at a government center where a scuffle left at least two people injured.
The rival Chukchansi Indian factions on Tuesday voluntarily left the center in Coarsegold, about 200 miles southeast of San Francisco, and agreed to stay away for 48 hours to give the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs time to intervene in the conflict, Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said. Three people were taken into custody, he said.
“We’re pretty much at a nonviolent standoff,” Anderson said. “They are not in contact with each other. We’re at an impasse.”
Sheriff’s deputies stepped in to break up the clash after a fight involving as many as 40 people outside the government center Tuesday in which one person was stabbed and suffered non-life threatening injuries and another suffered a head injury, Anderson said. The skirmish followed Monday’s takeover of a tribal office by about 40 supporters of a group whose leaders claimed they were denied their rightful place on the tribe’s governing council in the wake of a disputed December election.
Members of that group cut locks and broke into an office early Monday, the Fresno Bee (http://bit.ly/wFGI3d ) reported. Supporters of the sitting council responded Monday night by shutting off water and power to the building and hitting it with pepper spray, the newspaper said. A smoldering log was also thrown into the building and then tossed back out.
The tribe owns the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino in the Sierra foothills near Yosemite National Park and has expelled dozens of members since around November, cutting them off from stipends and other benefits.
Critics allege the move is aimed at increasing the casino profits of those still in the tribe. Tribal officials dispute that, saying they are enforcing their enrollment criteria and are now in a position to verify who is eligible to claim Chukchansi ancestry.
The disenrollment debate has played into the division between the two groups claiming control of the tribal council. Supporters of the faction that occupied the tribal office said the four members who won election in December had agreed to reverse the expulsions, but that the existing council refused to recognize them.
The sitting council, meanwhile, said it had no choice but to hold off letting the new members take office after one of the four elected in December was disqualified for using an invalid tribal badge in the casino, the Bee said. The tribe’s constitution says the old council has to remain in place until its replacement can be sworn in. An election for the seat won by the disqualified member is scheduled to be held in two weeks.
Morris Reid, whom the Bee identified as the leader of the replacement council involved in the occupation, issued a statement Tuesday calling on the BIA, the Department of Justice and Attorney General Eric Holder “to send federal Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officers ...and to exercise the law enforcement authority granted to the United States over Tribal lands.”
But Reid objected to the sheriff moving in to end the standoff.
“This action by local non-Indian law enforcement is in excess of their authority under Federal law and is a flagrant violation of Tribal sovereignty and an affront to Tribal governments and Indian people across this country,” he said. “To curtail this dangerous precedent, we are asking the Federal government to assume law enforcement authority over the Picayune Rancheria immediately.”
BIA officials in California referred questions about whether federal officials intended to get involved in the California dispute to the bureau’s headquarters in Washington, where a spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a call and email left after-hours Tuesday.
Anderson, who on Monday had characterized the standoff as a family squabble he was powerless to resolve unless any crimes were committed, said he also hopes federal officials will get involved.
“I honestly don’t know which party is right. They had an election and they both have paperwork saying that the other is in violation,” Anderson said. “Even if I could make a determination, they wouldn’t buy it. I can only enforce criminal law on Indian land.”
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Gambling addiction groups wary
Gambling addiction groups wary of new Jacksonville poker room
A Florida gambling addicts group cites card games as a frequent cause of financial problems.
By Adam Kealoha Causey The Florida Times-Union
A new Jacksonville poker room may seem a sure bet for the owners’ pocketbooks, but gambling addiction support groups and community leaders say BestBet Jacksonville could be a bad deal for card players.
Florida gambling addicts cite card games as the second most frequent cause of their financial woes, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. Slot machines rank No. 1.
Television should take part of the blame, said Brian Kongsvik, who runs the Florida council’s help line. A nearly constant offering of blackjack and Texas Hold ’em shows glamorizes poker.
“At any given time of the day or night you can turn on one of the sports channels and there’s going to be a tournament on,” Kongsvik said.
Removing state-mandated limits also added to the allure, Kongsvik said. It paved the way for bigger winnings, which has drawn bigger advertising campaigns.
Sal, a 74-year-old recovering addict who counsels others through Gamblers Anonymous, said he’s noticed more complaints about poker as dog and horse tracks added card rooms. He asked that his last name not be published to keep with Florida Gamblers Anonymous rules.
Gamblers Anonymous doesn’t push to close gambling establishments. But having more options to bet only increases changes to slip into addiction, Sal said.
In his view, it’s not poker itself that hooks potential addicts. It’s availability. Another 70 tables at BestBet on Monument Road fits the description.
“We gamble to gamble,” said Sal, who quit 27 years ago after running up $50,000 in debt. “It does not make a difference to us compulsive gamblers. “
The Washington-based National Council on Problem Gambling, affiliated with the Florida council, views card games as a particular concern for addicts.
Because poker requires a level of skill, according to national council President Keith Whyte, it pushes gamblers to be persistent.
“It can encourage them to stay at the table to beg, borrow or steal enough money to chase that loss,” Whyte said. “Some of the behaviors we see among problem gamblers can be magnified at the poker table.”
Whyte’s organization advocates for responsibility from government and business. He hopes Florida will require poker rooms to contribute more profit to addiction treatment.
“It’s sort of like alcohol. There’s a known percentage of people that will develop problems,” Wyte said. “Those problems will be costly.”
Jacksonville Greyound Racing, which owns BestBet, the Orange Park Kennel Club and the St. Johns Greyhound Park, doesn’t voluntarily give money to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Kongsvik said.
A spokeswoman for the company would not offer specifics on how much the company spends to prevent addictive behavior. But its staff watches patron spending and will work with family members of gamblers to direct their loved ones toward treatment.
The poker room at the Orange Park Kennel Club hasn’t led to an increase in violent crime, according to town Police Chief James Boivin. But one thing he’s noticed there: counterfeit bills.
Boivin partly blames the sluggish economy. His department also has picked up fake cash from fast-food restaurants.
“People are making funny money and trying to pass it wherever they can,” Boivin said. “Wherever you can get money exchanged real fast, that sometimes happens.”
Anything potentially addictive concerns Jim Kilpatrick, executive director of Jacksonville’s Trinity Rescue Mission. The ministry doesn’t track gambling among the people in its shelter, but it notes the effects of it and other addictions.
“We have seen the impact on women and children who have been left homeless because of the effects of financial mismanagement because of addiction in their households,” Kilpatrick said. “We are focused on helping others overcome addictions and we believe our community would be best served by tackling these tough problems instead of potentially reinforcing them.”
Dark side
A 2010-11 survey ranked card games as the second most prevalent cause of Florida gambling problems behind slot machines. Other finds among those who cited poker and other card games were a problem:
- 89 percent were male, 11 percent were female.
- 57 percent were white, 19 percent were black, 15 percent were Hispanic.
- 60 percent held full-time jobs, 25 percent were unemployed or on disability.
- 70 percent said they had problems paying household bills, 51 gambled away savings or retirement money, 40 percent sold or pawned belongings for gambling money.
- 34 percent did something illegal to finance their gambling.
Source: Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-02-28/story/gambling-addiction-groups-wary-new-jacksonville-poker-room#ixzz1nm47K6pG
A Florida gambling addicts group cites card games as a frequent cause of financial problems.
By Adam Kealoha Causey The Florida Times-Union
A new Jacksonville poker room may seem a sure bet for the owners’ pocketbooks, but gambling addiction support groups and community leaders say BestBet Jacksonville could be a bad deal for card players.
Florida gambling addicts cite card games as the second most frequent cause of their financial woes, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. Slot machines rank No. 1.
Television should take part of the blame, said Brian Kongsvik, who runs the Florida council’s help line. A nearly constant offering of blackjack and Texas Hold ’em shows glamorizes poker.
“At any given time of the day or night you can turn on one of the sports channels and there’s going to be a tournament on,” Kongsvik said.
Removing state-mandated limits also added to the allure, Kongsvik said. It paved the way for bigger winnings, which has drawn bigger advertising campaigns.
Sal, a 74-year-old recovering addict who counsels others through Gamblers Anonymous, said he’s noticed more complaints about poker as dog and horse tracks added card rooms. He asked that his last name not be published to keep with Florida Gamblers Anonymous rules.
Gamblers Anonymous doesn’t push to close gambling establishments. But having more options to bet only increases changes to slip into addiction, Sal said.
In his view, it’s not poker itself that hooks potential addicts. It’s availability. Another 70 tables at BestBet on Monument Road fits the description.
“We gamble to gamble,” said Sal, who quit 27 years ago after running up $50,000 in debt. “It does not make a difference to us compulsive gamblers. “
The Washington-based National Council on Problem Gambling, affiliated with the Florida council, views card games as a particular concern for addicts.
Because poker requires a level of skill, according to national council President Keith Whyte, it pushes gamblers to be persistent.
“It can encourage them to stay at the table to beg, borrow or steal enough money to chase that loss,” Whyte said. “Some of the behaviors we see among problem gamblers can be magnified at the poker table.”
Whyte’s organization advocates for responsibility from government and business. He hopes Florida will require poker rooms to contribute more profit to addiction treatment.
“It’s sort of like alcohol. There’s a known percentage of people that will develop problems,” Wyte said. “Those problems will be costly.”
Jacksonville Greyound Racing, which owns BestBet, the Orange Park Kennel Club and the St. Johns Greyhound Park, doesn’t voluntarily give money to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Kongsvik said.
A spokeswoman for the company would not offer specifics on how much the company spends to prevent addictive behavior. But its staff watches patron spending and will work with family members of gamblers to direct their loved ones toward treatment.
The poker room at the Orange Park Kennel Club hasn’t led to an increase in violent crime, according to town Police Chief James Boivin. But one thing he’s noticed there: counterfeit bills.
Boivin partly blames the sluggish economy. His department also has picked up fake cash from fast-food restaurants.
“People are making funny money and trying to pass it wherever they can,” Boivin said. “Wherever you can get money exchanged real fast, that sometimes happens.”
Anything potentially addictive concerns Jim Kilpatrick, executive director of Jacksonville’s Trinity Rescue Mission. The ministry doesn’t track gambling among the people in its shelter, but it notes the effects of it and other addictions.
“We have seen the impact on women and children who have been left homeless because of the effects of financial mismanagement because of addiction in their households,” Kilpatrick said. “We are focused on helping others overcome addictions and we believe our community would be best served by tackling these tough problems instead of potentially reinforcing them.”
Dark side
A 2010-11 survey ranked card games as the second most prevalent cause of Florida gambling problems behind slot machines. Other finds among those who cited poker and other card games were a problem:
- 89 percent were male, 11 percent were female.
- 57 percent were white, 19 percent were black, 15 percent were Hispanic.
- 60 percent held full-time jobs, 25 percent were unemployed or on disability.
- 70 percent said they had problems paying household bills, 51 gambled away savings or retirement money, 40 percent sold or pawned belongings for gambling money.
- 34 percent did something illegal to finance their gambling.
Source: Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2012-02-28/story/gambling-addiction-groups-wary-new-jacksonville-poker-room#ixzz1nm47K6pG
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Casino Culture and the Collapse of Character
Casino Culture and the Collapse of Character
By R. Albert Mohler, Jr. , Christian Post Guest Columnist
The casino stands as the great and most visible monument to the massive scale of the Gambling Industrial Complex in America. Just look across much of the American landscape, and you will see the glaring and garish lights of the casinos that serve to attract gamblers. It was not always so.
Indeed, for all but the last decade of the twentieth century, casinos were basically non-existent, except for those found in the state of Nevada. All that changed when states began to license and draw revenue from casino gambling. As Earl L. Grinols of the University of Illinois has commented: "Most areas of America had no legal casino gambling before 1990."
As a matter of fact, such establishments had been virtually eradicated in the previous century. Grinols explains that casino gambling is "the only available example of an industry that was criminalized and intentionally eradicated in one century and reintroduced from zero in the next."
What happened? In the late 19th century, social reformers saw gambling as an insidious plague that wrecked families, promoted anti-social behavior, and threatened the moral character of the entire nation. Their efforts to remove or eradicate gambling gained momentum in the early decades of the 20th century.
As Daniel G. Schwartz, an influential historian of gambling, explains, the reintroduction of gambling came as state governments sought to benefit financially from legalized gambling, and thus to rationalize its new role within the culture.
Schwartz explains that "in the 1920s, but truly accelerating in the 1960s, state governments began to embrace gambling. At first looking merely to replace existing illegal gambling, states soon moved into the business of promoting betting and wagering."
Casinos were generally not the first form of gambling to be legalized. Instead, gambling advocates turned first to horse racing. As Schwartz explains:
"Raising, selling, and racing horses was a major economic activity that employed thousands and made millions. Legal betting, then, could be rationalized as a way to stimulate the growth of a racing industry that would return money to its investors, its employees, and the state."
Then, as now, arguments for the legalization of casino gambling are often couched in terms of saving the horse industry or some similar sector of the economy. By the 1970s, various states had experimented with horse racing and lotteries, and at least some were eager to move into even more rewarding territory - casinos.
Soon, New Jersey joined Nevada as a destination for casinos, and a new class of casinos was developed, looking more like family resorts than the casinos of previous eras. Nevertheless, the business is the same. The goal of the casino is to entice customers to part with their money and, in the end, the house always wins.
Behind all this you will find insatiable appetites - the insatiable appetite on the part of some individuals determined to gamble, and the insatiable appetite of state governments for revenue. These appetites fed on each other. Casinos began to appear in the most unexpected places.
States, increasingly hard-pressed for tax revenues, looked to expanded gambling as a way to solve budgetary impasses. But, again and again, the gambling expansions failed to deliver even the minimal projections of additional tax revenue.
Political pressures on the states led to the fear that another state would "rob" that state of revenue, attracting citizens across its borders. Once a state expanded gambling, it quickly became dependent on whatever income might come through the games, the tracks, the lotteries, and, eventually, the casinos.
As Schwartz comments, "Casinos, once considered dangerously seedy or, at best, comfortably tacky, turned into hip vacation spots."
But all the glitz cannot hide the damage caused by casinos. Casinos attract and produce those described as problem and pathological gamblers, along with a host of others. In Gambling in America: Costs and Benefits, Grinols developed a sophisticated cost-benefit analysis in order to determine whether casinos are actually helping society, or causing harm.
His verdict: "The evidence indicates that casino gambling fails a cost-benefit test by a wide margin."
Grinols' research led him to estimate that the introduction of casinos in a community would produce about $34 per adult, per year. At the same time, gambling exacts a toll of far greater dimensions, estimated at between $180 and $289 per adult citizen, per year. The casinos do usually produce income, but this income is canceled out by social costs.
As Grinols documented, other problems associated with casinos include marital breakup, the abandonment of children, psychological stress, loss of employment, and suicide.
You can dress a casino up to look like a family resort. You can disguise a casino as a high-end hotel. Nevertheless, the casino remains what it is - an engine for capturing wealth from those who are enticed to enter. State governments that authorize casino gambling are also authorizing the fleecing of their own citizens.
Most casinos, of course, are not dressed up at all. They stand as blights on the American landscape, with garish neon lights and huge parking lots. In truth, they look like what they are - destinations for the desperate or for those whose idea of the high life involves spending hours in the chaos and carnival atmosphere of the casino.
Worst of all, the casino is a symbol of cultural decay and the death of character. A vain hope for a windfall draws those desperate for a jackpot. A government assigned the task of protecting its citizens willingly entices them to engage in games of risk. A culture that requires basic virtues such as industriousness and thrift and prudence preys on its own people by attracting them into the casino.
In the final analysis, the greatest danger posed by the casino is not anything that can be determined by economic analysis, because the greatest injury caused by gambling is not financial - it is moral. The worst aspect of the casino culture is not just that the state has decided to prey on its own citizens, but that it has decided to do so with gusto. The rise of the casino goes hand in hand with the collapse of character.
By R. Albert Mohler, Jr. , Christian Post Guest Columnist
The casino stands as the great and most visible monument to the massive scale of the Gambling Industrial Complex in America. Just look across much of the American landscape, and you will see the glaring and garish lights of the casinos that serve to attract gamblers. It was not always so.
Indeed, for all but the last decade of the twentieth century, casinos were basically non-existent, except for those found in the state of Nevada. All that changed when states began to license and draw revenue from casino gambling. As Earl L. Grinols of the University of Illinois has commented: "Most areas of America had no legal casino gambling before 1990."
As a matter of fact, such establishments had been virtually eradicated in the previous century. Grinols explains that casino gambling is "the only available example of an industry that was criminalized and intentionally eradicated in one century and reintroduced from zero in the next."
What happened? In the late 19th century, social reformers saw gambling as an insidious plague that wrecked families, promoted anti-social behavior, and threatened the moral character of the entire nation. Their efforts to remove or eradicate gambling gained momentum in the early decades of the 20th century.
As Daniel G. Schwartz, an influential historian of gambling, explains, the reintroduction of gambling came as state governments sought to benefit financially from legalized gambling, and thus to rationalize its new role within the culture.
Schwartz explains that "in the 1920s, but truly accelerating in the 1960s, state governments began to embrace gambling. At first looking merely to replace existing illegal gambling, states soon moved into the business of promoting betting and wagering."
Casinos were generally not the first form of gambling to be legalized. Instead, gambling advocates turned first to horse racing. As Schwartz explains:
"Raising, selling, and racing horses was a major economic activity that employed thousands and made millions. Legal betting, then, could be rationalized as a way to stimulate the growth of a racing industry that would return money to its investors, its employees, and the state."
Then, as now, arguments for the legalization of casino gambling are often couched in terms of saving the horse industry or some similar sector of the economy. By the 1970s, various states had experimented with horse racing and lotteries, and at least some were eager to move into even more rewarding territory - casinos.
Soon, New Jersey joined Nevada as a destination for casinos, and a new class of casinos was developed, looking more like family resorts than the casinos of previous eras. Nevertheless, the business is the same. The goal of the casino is to entice customers to part with their money and, in the end, the house always wins.
Behind all this you will find insatiable appetites - the insatiable appetite on the part of some individuals determined to gamble, and the insatiable appetite of state governments for revenue. These appetites fed on each other. Casinos began to appear in the most unexpected places.
States, increasingly hard-pressed for tax revenues, looked to expanded gambling as a way to solve budgetary impasses. But, again and again, the gambling expansions failed to deliver even the minimal projections of additional tax revenue.
Political pressures on the states led to the fear that another state would "rob" that state of revenue, attracting citizens across its borders. Once a state expanded gambling, it quickly became dependent on whatever income might come through the games, the tracks, the lotteries, and, eventually, the casinos.
As Schwartz comments, "Casinos, once considered dangerously seedy or, at best, comfortably tacky, turned into hip vacation spots."
But all the glitz cannot hide the damage caused by casinos. Casinos attract and produce those described as problem and pathological gamblers, along with a host of others. In Gambling in America: Costs and Benefits, Grinols developed a sophisticated cost-benefit analysis in order to determine whether casinos are actually helping society, or causing harm.
His verdict: "The evidence indicates that casino gambling fails a cost-benefit test by a wide margin."
Grinols' research led him to estimate that the introduction of casinos in a community would produce about $34 per adult, per year. At the same time, gambling exacts a toll of far greater dimensions, estimated at between $180 and $289 per adult citizen, per year. The casinos do usually produce income, but this income is canceled out by social costs.
As Grinols documented, other problems associated with casinos include marital breakup, the abandonment of children, psychological stress, loss of employment, and suicide.
You can dress a casino up to look like a family resort. You can disguise a casino as a high-end hotel. Nevertheless, the casino remains what it is - an engine for capturing wealth from those who are enticed to enter. State governments that authorize casino gambling are also authorizing the fleecing of their own citizens.
Most casinos, of course, are not dressed up at all. They stand as blights on the American landscape, with garish neon lights and huge parking lots. In truth, they look like what they are - destinations for the desperate or for those whose idea of the high life involves spending hours in the chaos and carnival atmosphere of the casino.
Worst of all, the casino is a symbol of cultural decay and the death of character. A vain hope for a windfall draws those desperate for a jackpot. A government assigned the task of protecting its citizens willingly entices them to engage in games of risk. A culture that requires basic virtues such as industriousness and thrift and prudence preys on its own people by attracting them into the casino.
In the final analysis, the greatest danger posed by the casino is not anything that can be determined by economic analysis, because the greatest injury caused by gambling is not financial - it is moral. The worst aspect of the casino culture is not just that the state has decided to prey on its own citizens, but that it has decided to do so with gusto. The rise of the casino goes hand in hand with the collapse of character.
Sovereign Rights to Reneg on Agreements
One of the problems with "Indian Gambling" is the Sovereign Rights of Tribes to reneg on legitimate debts and agreements.
El Dorado County Court Issues Tentative Ruling on $30 Million Judgment
The El Dorado County Superior Court issued a tentative ruling this week that would prevent Sharp Image Gaming, Inc. from collecting on its $30 million judgment against the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (Tribe) while it appeals the judgment to a higher court.
In an effort to overturn the ruling in favor of the Tribe, Sharp's attorneys argued on a theory that Red Hawk Casino's revenues could be collected without consideration of the bondholders' prior rights, because the bond indenture had not been approved by the federal government and was, therefore, invalid.
"We are confident the Court will stand by its original ruling, and reject Sharp's effort to collect on a judgment while we appeal to a higher court," said Nicholas Fonseca, Chairman of the Tribe. "The fact is the federal agency that oversees gaming contracts confirmed that our bond indenture was, in fact, valid. So that's the end of it."
The Court has given the Tribe an opportunity to address Sharp's arguments in written briefing, and the Tribe will present the documentation demonstrating the agency's action. The matter should be resolved within weeks.
SHINGLE SPRINGS RANCHERIA
Jury verdict may force Red Hawk Casino's closure, Shingle Springs tribe says
By Dale Kasler
The owners of Red Hawk Casino say they may have to close the 3-year-old gambling palace following a devastating $30 million jury verdict.
With its financial pressures intensifying, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians warned in court papers of a "doomsday scenario" if the cash-poor tribe is forced to pay the December judgment. Under that scenario, the tribe said lenders would take steps to seize the casino's cash, forcing Red Hawk out of business.
"Any efforts to presently execute on the judgment would likely have catastrophic consequences for the tribe and all who depend on the casino for their livelihood," tribal attorney Sanford Kingsley wrote in a recent filing in El Dorado Superior Court.
The Shingle Springs casino employs 1,350 workers.
A jury in December awarded $30 million to Sharp Image Gaming Inc., the tribe's former business partner, over a breach-of-contract dispute. Sharp said the tribe reneged on an agreement for the company to supply slot machines.
Sharp Image lawyer Matthew Jacobs called the tribe's shutdown warning nonsense. He said in court papers that the tribe's creditors would do everything they could to keep the Highway 50 facility going.
For now, Sharp Image won't collect on the judgment. A judge issued a tentative ruling this week preserving the status quo, the tribe said Friday. A final ruling on the issue is expected in a couple of weeks.
Nevertheless, the tribe's warning provides fresh evidence of the dire financial circumstances that have enveloped the Shingle Springs band, which owes its casino creditors a combined $598 million.
Because of its financial troubles, the tribe said it's having trouble pursuing an appeal of the December verdict. If the verdict stands, the tribe could default on its debts.
The tribe's warning also makes it increasingly likely that the casino's future will be the subject of a lengthy and convoluted legal battle, with bondholders and other creditors fighting the tribe and each other over assets.
This fight will surely be complicated by the doctrine of sovereign immunity, which generally protects tribes against legal claims and puts the Shingle Springs tribe's most important assets – including the casino – out of creditors' reach.
"You can't take their land, you can't take the building," said Nelson Rose, an Indian gambling law expert at Whittier College. "I guess you could take the slot machines."
Gregory Guedel, an Indian gambling lawyer in Seattle who is not connected to the case, said bondholders and other creditors will probably have to negotiate a settlement with the tribe to stretch out debt payments while keeping the casino open.
That's what happened at tribal-owned Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut – the world's largest – which defaulted on $2 billion in debts two years ago.
Aside from the hurdles presented by the tribe's sovereign status, it simply makes more sense for creditors to work out a deal with the tribe.
"It's still better to have a trickle of money coming in" than to have the casino fold, Guedel said.
As it is, the tribe has temporarily halted principal payments on a $66 million startup loan from Red Hawk's outside management firm, Lakes Entertainment Inc., because of the casino's weak cash flow.
Red Hawk pays millions of dollars each year to the state and El Dorado County under a compact that the Shingle Springs band signed with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"It would be unfortunate, certainly, if they went out of business," said Terri Daly, chief administrative officer for El Dorado County. "They're a good employer in the county."
For the impoverished Indian tribe that owns it, however, the casino has been anything but a winner. Since its December 2008 opening, gambling revenue has fallen about $100 million a year short of the tribe's projections, according to trial testimony. Individual tribal members are receiving $800 a month in profit distributions.
At times, the casino doesn't produce enough profit to meet the $500,000 monthly minimum guaranteed to the tribe – forcing Lakes Entertainment to loan the tribe money, according to Lakes' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Those monthly loans from Lakes are separate from the $66 million startup loan.
The $30 million jury verdict has turned the tribe's troubles into a full-blown crisis. Court records show the verdict, if it stands, could trigger a default on the tribe's single biggest debt – a $450 million bond.
Moody's Investors Service last month lowered its ratings outlook on the tribe's gambling authority from "stable" to "negative," citing the possibility of bond default. The gambling authority's credit rating is Caa2, which Moody's defines as a "high credit risk."
The tribe wants to appeal the El Dorado County jury verdict but first needs to post a $45 million bond – one and a half times the judgment for Sharp Image. Because most of its casino revenue is pledged to other creditors, and the casino is legally off-limits, the tribe said in court papers it doesn't have the "free and clear assets required as collateral" to acquire the bond.
Lawyers for the tribe have asked Superior Court Judge Nelson Brooks to waive the bond requirement. Jacobs, the lawyer for Sharp Image, has objected, saying that the tribe is exaggerating its financial problems.
"The tribe's prediction of economic catastrophe is purely speculative," he wrote in a court filing.
After making a tentative ruling this week in the tribe's favor, Brooks is expected to make a final decision soon.
Guedel said shutdowns of tribal casinos are rare but not unprecedented. The Lucky Dog Casino in Washington state, owned by the Skokomish Tribe, closed in September 2009. Tribal officials blamed the recession.
The casino reopened 10 months later, however.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/25/4289725/jury-verdict-may-force-red-hawk.html#storylink=cpy
El Dorado County Court Issues Tentative Ruling on $30 Million Judgment
The El Dorado County Superior Court issued a tentative ruling this week that would prevent Sharp Image Gaming, Inc. from collecting on its $30 million judgment against the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (Tribe) while it appeals the judgment to a higher court.
In an effort to overturn the ruling in favor of the Tribe, Sharp's attorneys argued on a theory that Red Hawk Casino's revenues could be collected without consideration of the bondholders' prior rights, because the bond indenture had not been approved by the federal government and was, therefore, invalid.
"We are confident the Court will stand by its original ruling, and reject Sharp's effort to collect on a judgment while we appeal to a higher court," said Nicholas Fonseca, Chairman of the Tribe. "The fact is the federal agency that oversees gaming contracts confirmed that our bond indenture was, in fact, valid. So that's the end of it."
The Court has given the Tribe an opportunity to address Sharp's arguments in written briefing, and the Tribe will present the documentation demonstrating the agency's action. The matter should be resolved within weeks.
SHINGLE SPRINGS RANCHERIA
Jury verdict may force Red Hawk Casino's closure, Shingle Springs tribe says
By Dale Kasler
The owners of Red Hawk Casino say they may have to close the 3-year-old gambling palace following a devastating $30 million jury verdict.
With its financial pressures intensifying, the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians warned in court papers of a "doomsday scenario" if the cash-poor tribe is forced to pay the December judgment. Under that scenario, the tribe said lenders would take steps to seize the casino's cash, forcing Red Hawk out of business.
"Any efforts to presently execute on the judgment would likely have catastrophic consequences for the tribe and all who depend on the casino for their livelihood," tribal attorney Sanford Kingsley wrote in a recent filing in El Dorado Superior Court.
The Shingle Springs casino employs 1,350 workers.
A jury in December awarded $30 million to Sharp Image Gaming Inc., the tribe's former business partner, over a breach-of-contract dispute. Sharp said the tribe reneged on an agreement for the company to supply slot machines.
Sharp Image lawyer Matthew Jacobs called the tribe's shutdown warning nonsense. He said in court papers that the tribe's creditors would do everything they could to keep the Highway 50 facility going.
For now, Sharp Image won't collect on the judgment. A judge issued a tentative ruling this week preserving the status quo, the tribe said Friday. A final ruling on the issue is expected in a couple of weeks.
Nevertheless, the tribe's warning provides fresh evidence of the dire financial circumstances that have enveloped the Shingle Springs band, which owes its casino creditors a combined $598 million.
Because of its financial troubles, the tribe said it's having trouble pursuing an appeal of the December verdict. If the verdict stands, the tribe could default on its debts.
The tribe's warning also makes it increasingly likely that the casino's future will be the subject of a lengthy and convoluted legal battle, with bondholders and other creditors fighting the tribe and each other over assets.
This fight will surely be complicated by the doctrine of sovereign immunity, which generally protects tribes against legal claims and puts the Shingle Springs tribe's most important assets – including the casino – out of creditors' reach.
"You can't take their land, you can't take the building," said Nelson Rose, an Indian gambling law expert at Whittier College. "I guess you could take the slot machines."
Gregory Guedel, an Indian gambling lawyer in Seattle who is not connected to the case, said bondholders and other creditors will probably have to negotiate a settlement with the tribe to stretch out debt payments while keeping the casino open.
That's what happened at tribal-owned Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut – the world's largest – which defaulted on $2 billion in debts two years ago.
Aside from the hurdles presented by the tribe's sovereign status, it simply makes more sense for creditors to work out a deal with the tribe.
"It's still better to have a trickle of money coming in" than to have the casino fold, Guedel said.
As it is, the tribe has temporarily halted principal payments on a $66 million startup loan from Red Hawk's outside management firm, Lakes Entertainment Inc., because of the casino's weak cash flow.
Red Hawk pays millions of dollars each year to the state and El Dorado County under a compact that the Shingle Springs band signed with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"It would be unfortunate, certainly, if they went out of business," said Terri Daly, chief administrative officer for El Dorado County. "They're a good employer in the county."
For the impoverished Indian tribe that owns it, however, the casino has been anything but a winner. Since its December 2008 opening, gambling revenue has fallen about $100 million a year short of the tribe's projections, according to trial testimony. Individual tribal members are receiving $800 a month in profit distributions.
At times, the casino doesn't produce enough profit to meet the $500,000 monthly minimum guaranteed to the tribe – forcing Lakes Entertainment to loan the tribe money, according to Lakes' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Those monthly loans from Lakes are separate from the $66 million startup loan.
The $30 million jury verdict has turned the tribe's troubles into a full-blown crisis. Court records show the verdict, if it stands, could trigger a default on the tribe's single biggest debt – a $450 million bond.
Moody's Investors Service last month lowered its ratings outlook on the tribe's gambling authority from "stable" to "negative," citing the possibility of bond default. The gambling authority's credit rating is Caa2, which Moody's defines as a "high credit risk."
The tribe wants to appeal the El Dorado County jury verdict but first needs to post a $45 million bond – one and a half times the judgment for Sharp Image. Because most of its casino revenue is pledged to other creditors, and the casino is legally off-limits, the tribe said in court papers it doesn't have the "free and clear assets required as collateral" to acquire the bond.
Lawyers for the tribe have asked Superior Court Judge Nelson Brooks to waive the bond requirement. Jacobs, the lawyer for Sharp Image, has objected, saying that the tribe is exaggerating its financial problems.
"The tribe's prediction of economic catastrophe is purely speculative," he wrote in a court filing.
After making a tentative ruling this week in the tribe's favor, Brooks is expected to make a final decision soon.
Guedel said shutdowns of tribal casinos are rare but not unprecedented. The Lucky Dog Casino in Washington state, owned by the Skokomish Tribe, closed in September 2009. Tribal officials blamed the recession.
The casino reopened 10 months later, however.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/25/4289725/jury-verdict-may-force-red-hawk.html#storylink=cpy
Springfield lawmakers addicted to spending
Guest Column: Springfield lawmakers addicted to spending
By Rick Bastian
SPECIAL TO RRSTAR.COM
I watched Gov. Pat Quinn deliver his State of the State address earlier this month. I thought he might be on something. His giddy celebration of a few hollow victories, rosy comments about the future and his serving up a plateful of additional spending seemed out of touch with the reality of a state that can’t balance its budget and can’t pay its bills.
It doesn’t matter much that he calls it “spending” or “investment.” The fact of the matter remains that the governor and the politicians in Springfield seem addicted to spending money we don’t have on things we can’t afford using money we have to borrow and don’t know how to pay back. Spending is their drug, and the taxpayer is their junkie.
I call it Oxycotton Politics. “Oxycotton” is the street name for OxyContin, a powerful and potentially very addictive painkiller. OxyContin, like taxes, when used in moderation and for the purposes it was intended, can have a profound impact on the quality of life.
When taken in larger amounts for longer periods of time, the addiction takes over and the separation from reality sets in. The dependency compromises value systems, disrupts and distorts relationships, and promotes classic destructive addictive behaviors.
Addicts lie, so do politicians. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. They promise it will be over with just one more tax increase … just one more. They vow to stop spending but really never do. Only in government can you call a decrease in the rate of increase in spending a “budget cut.” They tout reforms which when examined under the microscope rarely live up to their promise. They call for the tough decisions they never make.
Addicts steal money to feed their habit. The politicians in Springfield have stolen from pensions. They have stolen from schools, agencies, suppliers and other creditors that don’t get paid on time. Unfunded mandates are a great way to have someone else pay for your habit. But the worst theft of all is the intergenerational theft. Our politicians have figuratively forged the names of our kids and grandkids on debt our kids did not incur for things that will not benefit them.
Addicts look for quick fixes in the easy money. Remember when the lottery was approved with the promise that its proceeds would be dedicated to educational funding? Last year’s tax hike was supposed to be “temporary” and put Illinois “back on a fiscal sound footing.” Fat chance! Quinn wanted to borrow our way to prosperity. Now more gambling casinos are the cure for all that ails us. It has the feel of a panhandler thrusting his cup in your face asking for money for a meal when everyone knows it will be used to feed his habit.
Addicts are prone to the denial of problems even though others can see the negative effects. Although it acts like it just has a bad cold that will go away when the sun shines and the economy turns around, Illinois has a terminal illness because its politicians fail to recognize it and commit to doing something about it. The state’s credit rating is now the lowest of all states. Experts say Illinois is a fiscal train wreck. Yet Quinn insists the state is “back on course” and “moving forward.”
It is too bad there is not a Twelve Step program for politicians. There should be. Their first step would be to admit they do not have control over their addiction to spending.
Rick Bastian is president of Blackhawk Bank.
By Rick Bastian
SPECIAL TO RRSTAR.COM
I watched Gov. Pat Quinn deliver his State of the State address earlier this month. I thought he might be on something. His giddy celebration of a few hollow victories, rosy comments about the future and his serving up a plateful of additional spending seemed out of touch with the reality of a state that can’t balance its budget and can’t pay its bills.
It doesn’t matter much that he calls it “spending” or “investment.” The fact of the matter remains that the governor and the politicians in Springfield seem addicted to spending money we don’t have on things we can’t afford using money we have to borrow and don’t know how to pay back. Spending is their drug, and the taxpayer is their junkie.
I call it Oxycotton Politics. “Oxycotton” is the street name for OxyContin, a powerful and potentially very addictive painkiller. OxyContin, like taxes, when used in moderation and for the purposes it was intended, can have a profound impact on the quality of life.
When taken in larger amounts for longer periods of time, the addiction takes over and the separation from reality sets in. The dependency compromises value systems, disrupts and distorts relationships, and promotes classic destructive addictive behaviors.
Addicts lie, so do politicians. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. They promise it will be over with just one more tax increase … just one more. They vow to stop spending but really never do. Only in government can you call a decrease in the rate of increase in spending a “budget cut.” They tout reforms which when examined under the microscope rarely live up to their promise. They call for the tough decisions they never make.
Addicts steal money to feed their habit. The politicians in Springfield have stolen from pensions. They have stolen from schools, agencies, suppliers and other creditors that don’t get paid on time. Unfunded mandates are a great way to have someone else pay for your habit. But the worst theft of all is the intergenerational theft. Our politicians have figuratively forged the names of our kids and grandkids on debt our kids did not incur for things that will not benefit them.
Addicts look for quick fixes in the easy money. Remember when the lottery was approved with the promise that its proceeds would be dedicated to educational funding? Last year’s tax hike was supposed to be “temporary” and put Illinois “back on a fiscal sound footing.” Fat chance! Quinn wanted to borrow our way to prosperity. Now more gambling casinos are the cure for all that ails us. It has the feel of a panhandler thrusting his cup in your face asking for money for a meal when everyone knows it will be used to feed his habit.
Addicts are prone to the denial of problems even though others can see the negative effects. Although it acts like it just has a bad cold that will go away when the sun shines and the economy turns around, Illinois has a terminal illness because its politicians fail to recognize it and commit to doing something about it. The state’s credit rating is now the lowest of all states. Experts say Illinois is a fiscal train wreck. Yet Quinn insists the state is “back on course” and “moving forward.”
It is too bad there is not a Twelve Step program for politicians. There should be. Their first step would be to admit they do not have control over their addiction to spending.
Rick Bastian is president of Blackhawk Bank.
Neighbors preparing case against Milford casino plan
Neighbors preparing case against Milford casino plan
By Ellen Ishkanian
Globe Correspondent
Residents in Holliston are preparing for a fight against a proposed casino along Interstate 495, just over the border in Milford, the way a defense or prosecution team would get ready for trial.
As about 45 town residents listened last week, Board of Selectmen chairman Jay Marsden outlined a strategy that will include small research groups working over the course of the next nine months to a year perfecting arguments showing how surrounding communities would be hurt by the proposed $850 million Crossroads Resort casino, hotel, and retail complex.
Page 2 of 2 --Many residents who attended last week’s strategy session in Holliston said they are willing to work on a committee.
“I’m absolutely ready,’’ said Marilyn Horn. The casino complex “will totally destroy Holliston if it is allowed to be built. We really have to do everything we can to keep this out of our area.’’
Residents also voiced frustration that while they will feel the impact of the development, they will have no direct say in the decision. The law stipulates that only residents of the city or town where the casino will be sited have the ability to approve or reject a proposal.
“It is totally unfair that we don’t get a vote in this. It is appalling,’’ Horn said.
Holliston officials said they are considering placing a nonbinding referendum question about the casino on the November presidential election ballot to gauge the level of opposition to the Milford proposal.
Nunes said he expects to present his final plans to the Milford Board of Selectmen and then Town Meeting over the next three to four months, to get their reaction before a vote goes before the town in a general election.
Other sites vying for the single casino license available between Boston and Worcester include Suffolk Downs in East Boston, and a proposed complex near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
The Board of Selectmen in Foxborough has already taken a vote indicating its opposition to a casino there, and the Planning Board in bordering Norfolk also voted unanimously to oppose the proposal.
While a vote in an adjacent town cannot stop a casino from being built, the Gaming Commission is required to consider relative support and opposition from neighboring communities. In addition, surrounding towns can ask the commission to require the developer to pay for additional studies to assess the impact of the proposal.
“Mitigation funds would pay the check for these services after the town presumably hired the consultant,’’ said state Representative Carolyn Dykema, a Holliston Democrat who opposed the casino legislation.
She said lobbying efforts on behalf of the casino industry and proposed casinos have already begun on Beacon Hill.
It may soon begin from the opposing side as well. Holliston Selectman Jay Leary said he has had conversations with elected officials from neighboring towns about getting together to hire a professional public relations or lobbying firm to spearhead the opposition effort.
But, Marsden cautioned, the research, mock trials, and meetings are taking place in preparation of something that may never happen.
If voters in Milford reject the casino plans or the developer decides against moving forward with the proposal for whatever reason, all the work will have been unnecessary.
“It’s a success if you never have to go to trial,’’ Marsden said.
The proposal’s developer, David Nunes, will have to make his case to the state Gaming Commission that the Milford site will boost jobs, development, and revenue in the area, Marsden said. “We have to go in and argue the other side,’’ he said.
“We have to make our case that this is a terrible location, and that it is not going to do what they say it will.’’
Over the next few weeks, Marsden said, a list of volunteers will be circulated by e-mail, working groups will be established, and research will begin. “We’ll put together presentations that address each issue, and we’ll go through a dry run, a mock trial, so to speak,’’ he said.
Nunes, however, said the final plans won’t be presented to the Milford Board of Selectmen for another three to four months.
“It’s hard to try and dispel something before there is a finalized plan and they see all the dynamics that are going into it,’’ he said in a telephone interview after the Holliston meeting.
Initial plans include a 176,000-square-foot gambling floor, a 350-room hotel, and 60,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurant space.
Marsden said a list of specific areas of concern to be researched is still being formulated, but many residents talked about how increased traffic would change the character of Holliston. They said drivers traveling from points east to gamble in Milford would clog an already heavily traveled Route 16.
Nunes, however, said the only access to the casino complex from Route 16 would be for emergency use. “Police and fire vehicles are the only ones that will be able to use that road,’’ he said.
The only public access to the complex, he said, would be from an offramp that would be added to I-495. He said he has already had conversations with officials from the state Department of Transportation’s Highway Division, the Federal Highway Administration, and congressional representatives.
“We know exactly how we are going to do this,’’ Nunes said.
The list of Holliston objections will go beyond Route 16 traffic concerns, however, and are expected to include the complex’s potential impact on water availability in a town reliant on wells, infrastructure, public safety, school enrollment, property values, the environment, and small area businesses.
By Ellen Ishkanian
Globe Correspondent
Residents in Holliston are preparing for a fight against a proposed casino along Interstate 495, just over the border in Milford, the way a defense or prosecution team would get ready for trial.
As about 45 town residents listened last week, Board of Selectmen chairman Jay Marsden outlined a strategy that will include small research groups working over the course of the next nine months to a year perfecting arguments showing how surrounding communities would be hurt by the proposed $850 million Crossroads Resort casino, hotel, and retail complex.
Page 2 of 2 --Many residents who attended last week’s strategy session in Holliston said they are willing to work on a committee.
“I’m absolutely ready,’’ said Marilyn Horn. The casino complex “will totally destroy Holliston if it is allowed to be built. We really have to do everything we can to keep this out of our area.’’
Residents also voiced frustration that while they will feel the impact of the development, they will have no direct say in the decision. The law stipulates that only residents of the city or town where the casino will be sited have the ability to approve or reject a proposal.
“It is totally unfair that we don’t get a vote in this. It is appalling,’’ Horn said.
Holliston officials said they are considering placing a nonbinding referendum question about the casino on the November presidential election ballot to gauge the level of opposition to the Milford proposal.
Nunes said he expects to present his final plans to the Milford Board of Selectmen and then Town Meeting over the next three to four months, to get their reaction before a vote goes before the town in a general election.
Other sites vying for the single casino license available between Boston and Worcester include Suffolk Downs in East Boston, and a proposed complex near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
The Board of Selectmen in Foxborough has already taken a vote indicating its opposition to a casino there, and the Planning Board in bordering Norfolk also voted unanimously to oppose the proposal.
While a vote in an adjacent town cannot stop a casino from being built, the Gaming Commission is required to consider relative support and opposition from neighboring communities. In addition, surrounding towns can ask the commission to require the developer to pay for additional studies to assess the impact of the proposal.
“Mitigation funds would pay the check for these services after the town presumably hired the consultant,’’ said state Representative Carolyn Dykema, a Holliston Democrat who opposed the casino legislation.
She said lobbying efforts on behalf of the casino industry and proposed casinos have already begun on Beacon Hill.
It may soon begin from the opposing side as well. Holliston Selectman Jay Leary said he has had conversations with elected officials from neighboring towns about getting together to hire a professional public relations or lobbying firm to spearhead the opposition effort.
But, Marsden cautioned, the research, mock trials, and meetings are taking place in preparation of something that may never happen.
If voters in Milford reject the casino plans or the developer decides against moving forward with the proposal for whatever reason, all the work will have been unnecessary.
“It’s a success if you never have to go to trial,’’ Marsden said.
The proposal’s developer, David Nunes, will have to make his case to the state Gaming Commission that the Milford site will boost jobs, development, and revenue in the area, Marsden said. “We have to go in and argue the other side,’’ he said.
“We have to make our case that this is a terrible location, and that it is not going to do what they say it will.’’
Over the next few weeks, Marsden said, a list of volunteers will be circulated by e-mail, working groups will be established, and research will begin. “We’ll put together presentations that address each issue, and we’ll go through a dry run, a mock trial, so to speak,’’ he said.
Nunes, however, said the final plans won’t be presented to the Milford Board of Selectmen for another three to four months.
“It’s hard to try and dispel something before there is a finalized plan and they see all the dynamics that are going into it,’’ he said in a telephone interview after the Holliston meeting.
Initial plans include a 176,000-square-foot gambling floor, a 350-room hotel, and 60,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurant space.
Marsden said a list of specific areas of concern to be researched is still being formulated, but many residents talked about how increased traffic would change the character of Holliston. They said drivers traveling from points east to gamble in Milford would clog an already heavily traveled Route 16.
Nunes, however, said the only access to the casino complex from Route 16 would be for emergency use. “Police and fire vehicles are the only ones that will be able to use that road,’’ he said.
The only public access to the complex, he said, would be from an offramp that would be added to I-495. He said he has already had conversations with officials from the state Department of Transportation’s Highway Division, the Federal Highway Administration, and congressional representatives.
“We know exactly how we are going to do this,’’ Nunes said.
The list of Holliston objections will go beyond Route 16 traffic concerns, however, and are expected to include the complex’s potential impact on water availability in a town reliant on wells, infrastructure, public safety, school enrollment, property values, the environment, and small area businesses.
Will Neighboring Opposition to a Casino Make a Difference?
What other Industry would require 'mitigation'? As the reality of the significant impacts of Predatory Gambling become apparent, opposition to this 24/7/365 Folly is growing.
Neighboring communities will suffer the degradation, traffic, increased crime, DRUNKS, GAMBLING ADDICTION and there really is no amount of money that will 'mitigate' those costs.
POLL: Will Neighboring Opposition to a Casino Make a Difference?
By Mary MacDonald
Residents and leaders of towns surrounding Milford have begun online petitions, and are planning methods to influence state gaming commission members, all in expectation of a casino proposal.
State legislation that will allow up to three casinos in Massachusetts did not give neighboring communities a vote in whether a gambling resort can locate in a community.
So, if Milford voters decide to endorse a casino proposal, voters in Grafton, Hopkinton, Upton and Holliston, among other communities, can't block it.
But they can try to head one off before it gets to that point, by making a case to the state Gaming Commission that the Milford proposal will not be beneficial.
Opponents who worry a casino proposal might become viable in Milford are stepping up their organizational efforts. As the Boston Globe reported this week, activists in Holliston have started grassroots efforts to build opposition to the casino, and make a factual case against it. The developer, David Nunes, has indicated a proposal could be presented to Milford selectmen within months.
Should people in surrounding communities accept that this decision is not theirs? Or should they push on, and build a case against it?
Neighboring communities will suffer the degradation, traffic, increased crime, DRUNKS, GAMBLING ADDICTION and there really is no amount of money that will 'mitigate' those costs.
POLL: Will Neighboring Opposition to a Casino Make a Difference?
By Mary MacDonald
Residents and leaders of towns surrounding Milford have begun online petitions, and are planning methods to influence state gaming commission members, all in expectation of a casino proposal.
State legislation that will allow up to three casinos in Massachusetts did not give neighboring communities a vote in whether a gambling resort can locate in a community.
So, if Milford voters decide to endorse a casino proposal, voters in Grafton, Hopkinton, Upton and Holliston, among other communities, can't block it.
But they can try to head one off before it gets to that point, by making a case to the state Gaming Commission that the Milford proposal will not be beneficial.
Opponents who worry a casino proposal might become viable in Milford are stepping up their organizational efforts. As the Boston Globe reported this week, activists in Holliston have started grassroots efforts to build opposition to the casino, and make a factual case against it. The developer, David Nunes, has indicated a proposal could be presented to Milford selectmen within months.
Should people in surrounding communities accept that this decision is not theirs? Or should they push on, and build a case against it?
Friday, February 24, 2012
Broken Arrow Opposition
Pruitt shows effective leadership
Attorney General Scott Pruitt has not only voiced his opposition to a casino in Broken Arrow, he is taking actions to correct this injustice.
That stands in stark contrast to a host of city and national politicians who say they oppose the casino and yet have taken no steps that have a chance of halting its opening.
Pruitt filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tulsa against Kialegee Tribal King Tiger Hobia and others to stop construction of the Red Clay Casino at 111th Street and 129th East Avenue in Broken Arrow.
Even without the approval of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the tribe and its nontribal partners are busy preparing the site for gambling operations.
Broken Arrow city officials started acting as though they opposed the casino after nearby homeowners rose up to stop its construction. Apparently, city officials and members of the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce knew about the coming casino before it was public knowledge yet did nothing to stop it.
The casino is across the street from Tulsa Tech, a block or two from residential neighborhoods, down the street from a church and very close to the site of a proposed new public elementary school.
In other words, a terrible place to build a casino (as if any place was suitable for a 24-hour gambling den).
It is uncertain if Pruitt’s lawsuit can stop the casino but at least he is trying an approach that has a chance for success.
Writing letters to federal bureaucrats won’t get the job done when millions of dollars are backing a casino that Broken Arrow families don’t want.
Attorney General Scott Pruitt has not only voiced his opposition to a casino in Broken Arrow, he is taking actions to correct this injustice.
That stands in stark contrast to a host of city and national politicians who say they oppose the casino and yet have taken no steps that have a chance of halting its opening.
Pruitt filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tulsa against Kialegee Tribal King Tiger Hobia and others to stop construction of the Red Clay Casino at 111th Street and 129th East Avenue in Broken Arrow.
Even without the approval of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the tribe and its nontribal partners are busy preparing the site for gambling operations.
Broken Arrow city officials started acting as though they opposed the casino after nearby homeowners rose up to stop its construction. Apparently, city officials and members of the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce knew about the coming casino before it was public knowledge yet did nothing to stop it.
The casino is across the street from Tulsa Tech, a block or two from residential neighborhoods, down the street from a church and very close to the site of a proposed new public elementary school.
In other words, a terrible place to build a casino (as if any place was suitable for a 24-hour gambling den).
It is uncertain if Pruitt’s lawsuit can stop the casino but at least he is trying an approach that has a chance for success.
Writing letters to federal bureaucrats won’t get the job done when millions of dollars are backing a casino that Broken Arrow families don’t want.
Neighbors preparing case against Milford casino plan
Neighbors preparing case against Milford casino plan
By Ellen Ishkanian
Globe Correspondent
HOLLISTON Residents in Holliston are preparing for a fight against a proposed casino along Interstate 495, just over the border in Milford, the way a defense or prosecution team would get ready for trial.
As about 45 town residents listened last week, Board of Selectmen chairman Jay Marsden outlined a strategy that will include small research groups working over the course of the next nine months to a year perfecting arguments showing how surrounding communities would be hurt by the proposed $850 million Crossroads Resort casino, hotel, and retail complex.
The proposal’s developer, David Nunes, will have to make his case to the state Gaming Commission that the Milford site will boost jobs, development, and revenue in the area, Marsden said. “We have to go in and argue the other side,’’ he said.
“We have to make our case that this is a terrible location, and that it is not going to do what they say it will.’’
Over the next few weeks, Marsden said, a list of volunteers will be circulated by e-mail, working groups will be established, and research will begin. “We’ll put together presentations that address each issue, and we’ll go through a dry run, a mock trial, so to speak,’’ he said.
Nunes, however, said the final plans won’t be presented to the Milford Board of Selectmen for another three to four months.
“It’s hard to try and dispel something before there is a finalized plan and they see all the dynamics that are going into it,’’ he said in a telephone interview after the Holliston meeting.
Initial plans include a 176,000-square-foot gambling floor, a 350-room hotel, and 60,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurant space.
Marsden said a list of specific areas of concern to be researched is still being formulated, but many residents talked about how increased traffic would change the character of Holliston. They said drivers traveling from points east to gamble in Milford would clog an already heavily traveled Route 16.
Nunes, however, said the only access to the casino complex from Route 16 would be for emergency use. “Police and fire vehicles are the only ones that will be able to use that road,’’ he said.
The only public access to the complex, he said, would be from an offramp that would be added to I-495. He said he has already had conversations with officials from the state Department of Transportation’s Highway Division, the Federal Highway Administration, and congressional representatives.
“We know exactly how we are going to do this,’’ Nunes said.
The list of Holliston objections will go beyond Route 16 traffic concerns, however, and are expected to include the complex’s potential impact on water availability in a town reliant on wells, infrastructure, public safety, school enrollment, property values, the environment, and small area businesses.
Many residents who attended last week’s strategy session in Holliston said they are willing to work on a committee.
“I’m absolutely ready,’’ said Marilyn Horn. The casino complex “will totally destroy Holliston if it is allowed to be built. We really have to do everything we can to keep this out of our area.’’
Residents also voiced frustration that while they will feel the impact of the development, they will have no direct say in the decision. The law stipulates that only residents of the city or town where the casino will be sited have the ability to approve or reject a proposal.
“It is totally unfair that we don’t get a vote in this. It is appalling,’’ Horn said.
Holliston officials said they are considering placing a nonbinding referendum question about the casino on the November presidential election ballot to gauge the level of opposition to the Milford proposal.
Nunes said he expects to present his final plans to the Milford Board of Selectmen and then Town Meeting over the next three to four months, to get their reaction before a vote goes before the town in a general election.
Other sites vying for the single casino license available between Boston and Worcester include Suffolk Downs in East Boston, and a proposed complex near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
The Board of Selectmen in Foxborough has already taken a vote indicating its opposition to a casino there, and the Planning Board in bordering Norfolk also voted unanimously to oppose the proposal.
While a vote in an adjacent town cannot stop a casino from being built, the Gaming Commission is required to consider relative support and opposition from neighboring communities. In addition, surrounding towns can ask the commission to require the developer to pay for additional studies to assess the impact of the proposal.
“Mitigation funds would pay the check for these services after the town presumably hired the consultant,’’ said state Representative Carolyn Dykema, a Holliston Democrat who opposed the casino legislation. [What other business would require MITIGATION?]
She said lobbying efforts on behalf of the casino industry and proposed casinos have already begun on Beacon Hill.
It may soon begin from the opposing side as well. Holliston Selectman Jay Leary said he has had conversations with elected officials from neighboring towns about getting together to hire a professional public relations or lobbying firm to spearhead the opposition effort.
But, Marsden cautioned, the research, mock trials, and meetings are taking place in preparation of something that may never happen.
If voters in Milford reject the casino plans or the developer decides against moving forward with the proposal for whatever reason, all the work will have been unnecessary.
“It’s a success if you never have to go to trial,’’ Marsden said.
By Ellen Ishkanian
Globe Correspondent
HOLLISTON Residents in Holliston are preparing for a fight against a proposed casino along Interstate 495, just over the border in Milford, the way a defense or prosecution team would get ready for trial.
As about 45 town residents listened last week, Board of Selectmen chairman Jay Marsden outlined a strategy that will include small research groups working over the course of the next nine months to a year perfecting arguments showing how surrounding communities would be hurt by the proposed $850 million Crossroads Resort casino, hotel, and retail complex.
The proposal’s developer, David Nunes, will have to make his case to the state Gaming Commission that the Milford site will boost jobs, development, and revenue in the area, Marsden said. “We have to go in and argue the other side,’’ he said.
“We have to make our case that this is a terrible location, and that it is not going to do what they say it will.’’
Over the next few weeks, Marsden said, a list of volunteers will be circulated by e-mail, working groups will be established, and research will begin. “We’ll put together presentations that address each issue, and we’ll go through a dry run, a mock trial, so to speak,’’ he said.
Nunes, however, said the final plans won’t be presented to the Milford Board of Selectmen for another three to four months.
“It’s hard to try and dispel something before there is a finalized plan and they see all the dynamics that are going into it,’’ he said in a telephone interview after the Holliston meeting.
Initial plans include a 176,000-square-foot gambling floor, a 350-room hotel, and 60,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurant space.
Marsden said a list of specific areas of concern to be researched is still being formulated, but many residents talked about how increased traffic would change the character of Holliston. They said drivers traveling from points east to gamble in Milford would clog an already heavily traveled Route 16.
Nunes, however, said the only access to the casino complex from Route 16 would be for emergency use. “Police and fire vehicles are the only ones that will be able to use that road,’’ he said.
The only public access to the complex, he said, would be from an offramp that would be added to I-495. He said he has already had conversations with officials from the state Department of Transportation’s Highway Division, the Federal Highway Administration, and congressional representatives.
“We know exactly how we are going to do this,’’ Nunes said.
The list of Holliston objections will go beyond Route 16 traffic concerns, however, and are expected to include the complex’s potential impact on water availability in a town reliant on wells, infrastructure, public safety, school enrollment, property values, the environment, and small area businesses.
Many residents who attended last week’s strategy session in Holliston said they are willing to work on a committee.
“I’m absolutely ready,’’ said Marilyn Horn. The casino complex “will totally destroy Holliston if it is allowed to be built. We really have to do everything we can to keep this out of our area.’’
Residents also voiced frustration that while they will feel the impact of the development, they will have no direct say in the decision. The law stipulates that only residents of the city or town where the casino will be sited have the ability to approve or reject a proposal.
“It is totally unfair that we don’t get a vote in this. It is appalling,’’ Horn said.
Holliston officials said they are considering placing a nonbinding referendum question about the casino on the November presidential election ballot to gauge the level of opposition to the Milford proposal.
Nunes said he expects to present his final plans to the Milford Board of Selectmen and then Town Meeting over the next three to four months, to get their reaction before a vote goes before the town in a general election.
Other sites vying for the single casino license available between Boston and Worcester include Suffolk Downs in East Boston, and a proposed complex near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
The Board of Selectmen in Foxborough has already taken a vote indicating its opposition to a casino there, and the Planning Board in bordering Norfolk also voted unanimously to oppose the proposal.
While a vote in an adjacent town cannot stop a casino from being built, the Gaming Commission is required to consider relative support and opposition from neighboring communities. In addition, surrounding towns can ask the commission to require the developer to pay for additional studies to assess the impact of the proposal.
“Mitigation funds would pay the check for these services after the town presumably hired the consultant,’’ said state Representative Carolyn Dykema, a Holliston Democrat who opposed the casino legislation. [What other business would require MITIGATION?]
She said lobbying efforts on behalf of the casino industry and proposed casinos have already begun on Beacon Hill.
It may soon begin from the opposing side as well. Holliston Selectman Jay Leary said he has had conversations with elected officials from neighboring towns about getting together to hire a professional public relations or lobbying firm to spearhead the opposition effort.
But, Marsden cautioned, the research, mock trials, and meetings are taking place in preparation of something that may never happen.
If voters in Milford reject the casino plans or the developer decides against moving forward with the proposal for whatever reason, all the work will have been unnecessary.
“It’s a success if you never have to go to trial,’’ Marsden said.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
ATO employee stole to gamble
ATO employee stole to gamble: court
A tax office employee has been jailed for stealing more than $400,000 from the federal government by submitting dodgy returns for a football club.
Craig James Philp, 45, was the director of the Offshore Compliance Program at the Australian Taxation Office's Brisbane branch in 2002 when he started submitting false Business Activity Statements (BAS) on behalf of the Edens Landing Football Club.
The Brisbane District Court heard on Thursday that Philp had been the treasurer of the club since 1996, and was responsible for banking its cash takings and preparing its financial statements.
The court heard he developed a serious gambling addiction in 2002, and that he first depleted accounts owned by himself and his wife before taking club money to feed his habit.
Between 2002 and 2010 he submitted 95 BAS to the ATO, falsely claiming that the club was owed refunds totalling $443,827.
The club was actually only owed around $12,000, leaving the federal government more than $431,000 out of pocket.
When the ATO paid the refunds, Philp stole $226,650 of the money to pay his own personal debts.
The court heard Philp tried to take his own life when he was confronted about the fraud, but he survived with some permanent injuries.
He pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage from the Commonwealth.
Philp was sentenced to four years' jail and will be released in June.
A tax office employee has been jailed for stealing more than $400,000 from the federal government by submitting dodgy returns for a football club.
Craig James Philp, 45, was the director of the Offshore Compliance Program at the Australian Taxation Office's Brisbane branch in 2002 when he started submitting false Business Activity Statements (BAS) on behalf of the Edens Landing Football Club.
The Brisbane District Court heard on Thursday that Philp had been the treasurer of the club since 1996, and was responsible for banking its cash takings and preparing its financial statements.
The court heard he developed a serious gambling addiction in 2002, and that he first depleted accounts owned by himself and his wife before taking club money to feed his habit.
Between 2002 and 2010 he submitted 95 BAS to the ATO, falsely claiming that the club was owed refunds totalling $443,827.
The club was actually only owed around $12,000, leaving the federal government more than $431,000 out of pocket.
When the ATO paid the refunds, Philp stole $226,650 of the money to pay his own personal debts.
The court heard Philp tried to take his own life when he was confronted about the fraud, but he survived with some permanent injuries.
He pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage from the Commonwealth.
Philp was sentenced to four years' jail and will be released in June.
Asians Top the Problem Gambling List
Asians Top the Problem Gambling List
Written by Mark Bennett
A new study by the University of Salford and the National Centre for Social Research has found that Asians in Britain of a certain age are more susceptible to gambling addiction than their white contemporaries.
The survey of 9,000 children between the ages of 11-15 of different ethnic groups showed that Asians were the least likely to take part in gambling, but those that did showed the highest rates of problem gamblers. Only 13% of British Asians that took part in the study were found to be regular gamblers which was lower than the 20% overall rate. However the Asians showed higher rates of developing addictive and problem behaviour including lying to family and friends or using money that was supposed to be for other things.
The study also showed that those that received the most pocket money were also more likely to become addicted.
The most popular forms of gambling were slot machines and betting with friends on card games. While some gambling machines are restricted to over 18s, many of the lower stakes and prize machines have no age restrictions.
"In the Asian community there is strong social disapproval of gambling in general," claimed Professor David Forrest, who overlooked the research. "This means the minority who choose to gamble are already overcoming a barrier - already suffering a cost in terms of social disapproval."
"So probably a lot of Asians who gamble are people drawn to risk-taking whereas among whites many players are not candidates for hardened gambling because they're playing for social reasons rather than a driver in their inner self," he said.
The professor went on to add that many adults with problem gambling issues had taken part in gambling from a young age – some as young as eight years old.
Ruth Champion, who helps run rehabilitation courses for gambling addicts claimed the centre was seeing a younger trend in gambling addictions.
"In the last 5 years we've seen an influx of people getting into trouble younger because gambling has become more prevalent and accessible," she said. "We've seen our average client age go from late thirties to early twenties."
Written by Mark Bennett
A new study by the University of Salford and the National Centre for Social Research has found that Asians in Britain of a certain age are more susceptible to gambling addiction than their white contemporaries.
The survey of 9,000 children between the ages of 11-15 of different ethnic groups showed that Asians were the least likely to take part in gambling, but those that did showed the highest rates of problem gamblers. Only 13% of British Asians that took part in the study were found to be regular gamblers which was lower than the 20% overall rate. However the Asians showed higher rates of developing addictive and problem behaviour including lying to family and friends or using money that was supposed to be for other things.
The study also showed that those that received the most pocket money were also more likely to become addicted.
The most popular forms of gambling were slot machines and betting with friends on card games. While some gambling machines are restricted to over 18s, many of the lower stakes and prize machines have no age restrictions.
"In the Asian community there is strong social disapproval of gambling in general," claimed Professor David Forrest, who overlooked the research. "This means the minority who choose to gamble are already overcoming a barrier - already suffering a cost in terms of social disapproval."
"So probably a lot of Asians who gamble are people drawn to risk-taking whereas among whites many players are not candidates for hardened gambling because they're playing for social reasons rather than a driver in their inner self," he said.
The professor went on to add that many adults with problem gambling issues had taken part in gambling from a young age – some as young as eight years old.
Ruth Champion, who helps run rehabilitation courses for gambling addicts claimed the centre was seeing a younger trend in gambling addictions.
"In the last 5 years we've seen an influx of people getting into trouble younger because gambling has become more prevalent and accessible," she said. "We've seen our average client age go from late thirties to early twenties."
Former MotorWorld employee embezzled $130,000
Authorities: Former MotorWorld employee embezzled $130,000
By Denise Allabaugh (Staff Writer)
A former employee of MotorWorld Auto Group in Plains Township was charged Wednesday with embezzling $130,866, which she said she took as a result of a gambling addiction and credit card debt.
Denise Zbierski, 35, of Cleveland Street in the Hudson section of Plains Township, was arraigned Wednesday morning before Magisterial District Judge Martin Kane in Wilkes-Barre on charges of theft by deception and tampering with records or identification.
According to the police criminal complaint, officers were dispatched to MotorWorld for a reported theft. They spoke to company controller William Durkin, who said he discovered an employee embezzling from the company during the 2011 audit.
He discovered Zbierski, the payroll administrator, was the fifth highest paid employee for 2011.
Believing it was a clerical error, he brought it to her attention on Jan. 18. She broke down in the office when confronted and admitted to the theft, saying she took the money because of a gambling addiction and credit card debt. She also signed a letter summarizing their meeting.
According to police, Zbierski added an unauthorized $3,954 to her checks in 2010. In 2011, she added: $500 in January, $2,100 in February, $1,228 in March, $5,980 in April, $5,460 in May, $4,160 in June, $11,908 in July, $15,340 in August, $18,200 in September, $20,280 in October, $19,500 in November and $23,504 in December.
Durkin said Zbierski had control over the payroll computer program, payroll reports and pay stubs for all company employees. He said she had been altering the weekly pay register to avoid detection. In one payroll register where she altered her salary, her income was listed as $31,809 when the actual amount was closer to $155,051.69. As a result, Durkin told police nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. He said she was in a position of trust and was able to manipulate the financial information to her benefit.
Police said Zbierski voluntarily came to police headquarters for an interview Feb. 2 with her attorneys, Ann H. Lokuta and C. David Pedri, and admitted to the theft.
She said no other people were involved or had knowledge of the thefts that she committed while using her computer terminal in her office. She said she began adding vacation hours to her paycheck and she used the extra money to feed her gambling addiction. She also admitted to altering the year-to-date download and said she cut and pasted her salary amount to $31,809.39 to deceive management.
Zbierski, who has no prior criminal record, was fired from her job in January after the theft was discovered, said Wilkes-Barre Detective David Sobocinski. MotorWorld President Gerry O'Donnell declined comment.
She was released Wednesday on her own recognizance. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 29 at 9 a.m. in Luzerne County Central Court in Wilkes-Barre.
Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/authorities-former-motorworld-employee-embezzled-130-000-1.1275726#ixzz1nD6Ztgjo
By Denise Allabaugh (Staff Writer)
A former employee of MotorWorld Auto Group in Plains Township was charged Wednesday with embezzling $130,866, which she said she took as a result of a gambling addiction and credit card debt.
Denise Zbierski, 35, of Cleveland Street in the Hudson section of Plains Township, was arraigned Wednesday morning before Magisterial District Judge Martin Kane in Wilkes-Barre on charges of theft by deception and tampering with records or identification.
According to the police criminal complaint, officers were dispatched to MotorWorld for a reported theft. They spoke to company controller William Durkin, who said he discovered an employee embezzling from the company during the 2011 audit.
He discovered Zbierski, the payroll administrator, was the fifth highest paid employee for 2011.
Believing it was a clerical error, he brought it to her attention on Jan. 18. She broke down in the office when confronted and admitted to the theft, saying she took the money because of a gambling addiction and credit card debt. She also signed a letter summarizing their meeting.
According to police, Zbierski added an unauthorized $3,954 to her checks in 2010. In 2011, she added: $500 in January, $2,100 in February, $1,228 in March, $5,980 in April, $5,460 in May, $4,160 in June, $11,908 in July, $15,340 in August, $18,200 in September, $20,280 in October, $19,500 in November and $23,504 in December.
Durkin said Zbierski had control over the payroll computer program, payroll reports and pay stubs for all company employees. He said she had been altering the weekly pay register to avoid detection. In one payroll register where she altered her salary, her income was listed as $31,809 when the actual amount was closer to $155,051.69. As a result, Durkin told police nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. He said she was in a position of trust and was able to manipulate the financial information to her benefit.
Police said Zbierski voluntarily came to police headquarters for an interview Feb. 2 with her attorneys, Ann H. Lokuta and C. David Pedri, and admitted to the theft.
She said no other people were involved or had knowledge of the thefts that she committed while using her computer terminal in her office. She said she began adding vacation hours to her paycheck and she used the extra money to feed her gambling addiction. She also admitted to altering the year-to-date download and said she cut and pasted her salary amount to $31,809.39 to deceive management.
Zbierski, who has no prior criminal record, was fired from her job in January after the theft was discovered, said Wilkes-Barre Detective David Sobocinski. MotorWorld President Gerry O'Donnell declined comment.
She was released Wednesday on her own recognizance. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 29 at 9 a.m. in Luzerne County Central Court in Wilkes-Barre.
Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/authorities-former-motorworld-employee-embezzled-130-000-1.1275726#ixzz1nD6Ztgjo
Treasurer stole to feed gambling addiction
Nottingham residents' group treasurer stole £3,000 to fund gambling addiction
Nottingham Post
THE treasurer of a city centre residents' group stole more than £3,000 from its kitty to fund her gambling addiction, a court heard.
Sharon Poolton, 43, pleaded guilty to theft after withdrawing £3,178 from Victoria Centre Tenants' and Residents' Association's (VICTRA) Santander bank account between March and November last year.
Nottingham Crown Court heard she was £28,000 in debt and spent the money fuelling her gambling addiction after she lost her job at East Midlands Trains last year.
Poolton's withdrawals meant VICTRA was unable to pay for a £319 electricity bill. She also took the bank account into an unauthorised overdraft which then accrued bank charges.
Hannah Kinch, prosecuting, said: "Poolton had been asked by the committee of the tenants' and residents' association to present a set of accounts, but she had made a series of excuses to prevent this from happening.
"In March 2011 she lost her job and started gambling.
"The chairman of the tenants' and residents' association tells me he feels angry and hurt that Ms Poolton was in a position of trust and abused her position."
Andrew Vout, for Poolton, said she had no previous offences.
He said the reason her theft came to light was because Poolton walked into the offices of Nottingham City Homes and confessed.
He said: "She walked into their offices and said 'I'm really sorry I've taken the money'.
Judge Andrew Maw ordered Poolton to pay back what she had taken including the cost of the electricity bill and bank charges, which stood at a total of £3,513. She was also given a 12-month community order, and will be supervised by the Probation Service for 12 months.
Poolton – who is on Jobseekers' Allowance – said she would try to pay back the amount at £50 a month.
Simon Brinley, 56, a resident of 16-years at the flats, said: "This should have never have been allowed to happen. It's terribly sad it has come to this. Nobody has any faith in the association anymore."
A spokesman for Nottingham City Homes said: "As part of the auditing processes and procedures, Nottingham City Homes asked for the accounts to be submitted.
''It was at this stage that Ms Poolton confessed to us about taking the money, resulting in us calling in the police to investigate."
Nottingham Post
THE treasurer of a city centre residents' group stole more than £3,000 from its kitty to fund her gambling addiction, a court heard.
Sharon Poolton, 43, pleaded guilty to theft after withdrawing £3,178 from Victoria Centre Tenants' and Residents' Association's (VICTRA) Santander bank account between March and November last year.
Nottingham Crown Court heard she was £28,000 in debt and spent the money fuelling her gambling addiction after she lost her job at East Midlands Trains last year.
Poolton's withdrawals meant VICTRA was unable to pay for a £319 electricity bill. She also took the bank account into an unauthorised overdraft which then accrued bank charges.
Hannah Kinch, prosecuting, said: "Poolton had been asked by the committee of the tenants' and residents' association to present a set of accounts, but she had made a series of excuses to prevent this from happening.
"In March 2011 she lost her job and started gambling.
"The chairman of the tenants' and residents' association tells me he feels angry and hurt that Ms Poolton was in a position of trust and abused her position."
Andrew Vout, for Poolton, said she had no previous offences.
He said the reason her theft came to light was because Poolton walked into the offices of Nottingham City Homes and confessed.
He said: "She walked into their offices and said 'I'm really sorry I've taken the money'.
Judge Andrew Maw ordered Poolton to pay back what she had taken including the cost of the electricity bill and bank charges, which stood at a total of £3,513. She was also given a 12-month community order, and will be supervised by the Probation Service for 12 months.
Poolton – who is on Jobseekers' Allowance – said she would try to pay back the amount at £50 a month.
Simon Brinley, 56, a resident of 16-years at the flats, said: "This should have never have been allowed to happen. It's terribly sad it has come to this. Nobody has any faith in the association anymore."
A spokesman for Nottingham City Homes said: "As part of the auditing processes and procedures, Nottingham City Homes asked for the accounts to be submitted.
''It was at this stage that Ms Poolton confessed to us about taking the money, resulting in us calling in the police to investigate."
Sports stars talk about gambling addictions
GAA stars talk about gambling addictions
By Cormac Murphy
GAA players who contacted a confidential helpline cited a gambling addiction as a major problem affecting their lives.
The 24-hour counselling service established by the Gaelic Players' Association (GPA) has received calls from more than 30 players since it was set up in December.
Cork hurler Donal Og Cusack said one major issue that has emerged from the contacts is addiction to gambling. He was speaking at the announcement of a partnership between the GPA and youth mental health group Headstrong.
Former Dublin footballer Dessie Farrell, who is chief executive of the GPA, added: "There is no community, parish or club that has not been affected by somebody taking their own life.
"We have all heard stories about young people who are in trouble and we know what lies behind these stories are often things they cannot talk about -- feeling very down, worry, drinking too much or gambling."
Oisin McConville, a former Armagh county footballer, and Offaly star Niall McNamee have previously spoken about their difficulties with the addiction.
Speaking last month, Mr McNamee estimated it has cost him €200,000 over the years and he still has debts of around €80,000.
Some 24 of the players who were offered long-term counselling after contacting the helpline agreed to take part.
By Cormac Murphy
GAA players who contacted a confidential helpline cited a gambling addiction as a major problem affecting their lives.
The 24-hour counselling service established by the Gaelic Players' Association (GPA) has received calls from more than 30 players since it was set up in December.
Cork hurler Donal Og Cusack said one major issue that has emerged from the contacts is addiction to gambling. He was speaking at the announcement of a partnership between the GPA and youth mental health group Headstrong.
Former Dublin footballer Dessie Farrell, who is chief executive of the GPA, added: "There is no community, parish or club that has not been affected by somebody taking their own life.
"We have all heard stories about young people who are in trouble and we know what lies behind these stories are often things they cannot talk about -- feeling very down, worry, drinking too much or gambling."
Oisin McConville, a former Armagh county footballer, and Offaly star Niall McNamee have previously spoken about their difficulties with the addiction.
Speaking last month, Mr McNamee estimated it has cost him €200,000 over the years and he still has debts of around €80,000.
Some 24 of the players who were offered long-term counselling after contacting the helpline agreed to take part.
Gambling addict finance director forges 2,200 checks
Gambling addict finance director stole £1.8m from chartered surveyor firm by forging 2,200 cheques
By Daily Mail Reporter
A financial director who plundered £1.8m from a top firm of chartered surveyors to feed his gambling addiction has been jailed for four years.
Andrew Stubbs, 41, blew the fortune on football and horse racing after forging more than 2,200 cheques over an eight year period while working for Leslie Clark Construction Consultants.
He faked the signature of the firm’s senior partner to cash up to three £1,000 cheques a day, Southwark Crown Court heard.
The £45,000-a-year financial director almost singlehandedly bankrupted the company.
The partners were forced to re-mortgage their homes, raid their savings and lay off staff to bail out the company after Stubbs was arrested in May 2011, the court was told.
Stubbs, of Banstead, Surrey, tried to pass the fraud off as an ‘almighty error’ when HMRC levelled demands against the firm for unpaid tax.
Jailing Stubbs, Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC said: ‘It is difficult to overstate the impact that your criminal offending has had on the partners and employees of Leslie Clark and indeed the partners and indeed, of course as I accept, upon your own family.
‘This was criminal offending which took place over eight years and resulted in a loss of £1.8m to the small but prestigious firm.
‘That loss nearly had the most disastrous effect upon the firm and those who work there.
It’s quite plain that only through the immense personal sacrifices was that partnership saved, and through enormous personal loss and sacrifice by the partners.
‘That personal cost will remain with them for many years and of course their families.
‘This was a gross breach of trust, a gross abuse of a senior fiduciary position.’
Stubbs, who the court was told had been gambling since he left school, admitted theft and false accounting earlier this year.
Gavin Ludlow-Thompson, prosecuting, said the fraud was ‘substantial and sophisticated’ and described Leslie Clark as a top 30 firm employing roughly 60 people.
He said Stubbs began work at Leslie Clark in 1998 as a financial controller but was promoted to financial director of the partnership a few years later.
‘Around that time, we say, he embarked upon a course of criminal conduct,’ he said.
‘Abusing his position of trust, which was very significant in this case, he would forge the signature of the senior partner and raise cheques which he would then place in personal back accounts - accounts in his name.
‘Some 2,249 such cheques have been identified.
‘It started back in May 2003 and this carried on until May 19, 2011, and the total stolen from the company is a sum slightly in excess of £1.8m.’
The court heard Stubbs raised cheques of between £500 and £1,000, as there was no ‘checking mechanism’ for cheques of under £1,000.
Mr Ludlow-Thompson said: ‘Matters came to light in February 2011 when the partners all individually received demands from HMRC.
They received bills for unpaid debts in the form of VAT and PAYE, and the debt by that stage had accrued to something in excess of £600,000.
‘The partners were all threatened with bankruptcy if they failed to pay the debt within 21 days.
‘They went to speak to Stubbs and he assured them it was just an almighty error and that he would sort it out with the revenue.
‘That never happened because the partners subsequently received further demands from HMRC for other amounts.’
The barrister said Stubbs had been ‘deferring payments that the firm were required to pay both for VAT and PAYE’ and diverting them into his own account.
He said: ‘This was a small company put, we say, at risk, singlehandedly due to his efforts, of being put into bankruptcy.
‘The situation is this; the total debt to the revenue came to just over £1m.’
He added that thee partners had been able to meet the tax bill through a variety of means but several employees had lost their jobs as a result of the fraud.
Jeffrey Shine, defending, said his client had been working with Gamblers Anonymous in Putney, south west London, and had not placed a bet for six months.
He said Stubbs had been ‘humiliated’ by what had happened adding: ‘Just to admit his addiction is in itself not an easy thing’.
By Daily Mail Reporter
A financial director who plundered £1.8m from a top firm of chartered surveyors to feed his gambling addiction has been jailed for four years.
Andrew Stubbs, 41, blew the fortune on football and horse racing after forging more than 2,200 cheques over an eight year period while working for Leslie Clark Construction Consultants.
He faked the signature of the firm’s senior partner to cash up to three £1,000 cheques a day, Southwark Crown Court heard.
The £45,000-a-year financial director almost singlehandedly bankrupted the company.
The partners were forced to re-mortgage their homes, raid their savings and lay off staff to bail out the company after Stubbs was arrested in May 2011, the court was told.
Stubbs, of Banstead, Surrey, tried to pass the fraud off as an ‘almighty error’ when HMRC levelled demands against the firm for unpaid tax.
Jailing Stubbs, Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC said: ‘It is difficult to overstate the impact that your criminal offending has had on the partners and employees of Leslie Clark and indeed the partners and indeed, of course as I accept, upon your own family.
‘This was criminal offending which took place over eight years and resulted in a loss of £1.8m to the small but prestigious firm.
‘That loss nearly had the most disastrous effect upon the firm and those who work there.
It’s quite plain that only through the immense personal sacrifices was that partnership saved, and through enormous personal loss and sacrifice by the partners.
‘That personal cost will remain with them for many years and of course their families.
‘This was a gross breach of trust, a gross abuse of a senior fiduciary position.’
Stubbs, who the court was told had been gambling since he left school, admitted theft and false accounting earlier this year.
Gavin Ludlow-Thompson, prosecuting, said the fraud was ‘substantial and sophisticated’ and described Leslie Clark as a top 30 firm employing roughly 60 people.
He said Stubbs began work at Leslie Clark in 1998 as a financial controller but was promoted to financial director of the partnership a few years later.
‘Around that time, we say, he embarked upon a course of criminal conduct,’ he said.
‘Abusing his position of trust, which was very significant in this case, he would forge the signature of the senior partner and raise cheques which he would then place in personal back accounts - accounts in his name.
‘Some 2,249 such cheques have been identified.
‘It started back in May 2003 and this carried on until May 19, 2011, and the total stolen from the company is a sum slightly in excess of £1.8m.’
The court heard Stubbs raised cheques of between £500 and £1,000, as there was no ‘checking mechanism’ for cheques of under £1,000.
Mr Ludlow-Thompson said: ‘Matters came to light in February 2011 when the partners all individually received demands from HMRC.
They received bills for unpaid debts in the form of VAT and PAYE, and the debt by that stage had accrued to something in excess of £600,000.
‘The partners were all threatened with bankruptcy if they failed to pay the debt within 21 days.
‘They went to speak to Stubbs and he assured them it was just an almighty error and that he would sort it out with the revenue.
‘That never happened because the partners subsequently received further demands from HMRC for other amounts.’
The barrister said Stubbs had been ‘deferring payments that the firm were required to pay both for VAT and PAYE’ and diverting them into his own account.
He said: ‘This was a small company put, we say, at risk, singlehandedly due to his efforts, of being put into bankruptcy.
‘The situation is this; the total debt to the revenue came to just over £1m.’
He added that thee partners had been able to meet the tax bill through a variety of means but several employees had lost their jobs as a result of the fraud.
Jeffrey Shine, defending, said his client had been working with Gamblers Anonymous in Putney, south west London, and had not placed a bet for six months.
He said Stubbs had been ‘humiliated’ by what had happened adding: ‘Just to admit his addiction is in itself not an easy thing’.
Wynn's Food Fight
It's premature to assess how the Okada/Wynn lawsuit will effect the financial viability of the Wynn/Kraft/Foxborough proposal, yet reports abound. Several are included below --
Japan tycoon bribed Pagcor execs - US lawsuit
By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star)
Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts said in a lawsuit that Okada, Japan's pachinko king and a director of Wynn, went behind the company's back to build a stake in Asian gaming for his own Universal Entertainment group. Wynn also accused Okada of spending more ...
Japanese gambling tycoon bribed Filipinos: US lawsuit
WASHINGTON -- Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada was accused Tuesday in a U.S. lawsuit of paying off Philippine regulators and cheating his powerful Las Vegas partner.
Japanese gambling tycoon bribed PAGCOR officials: US suit
GMA News
WASHINGTON - Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada was accused Tuesday in a US lawsuit of paying off Philippine regulators and cheating his powerful Las Vegas partner. The lawsuit named former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) ...
US suit tags Pagcor execs
Inquirer.net
By Daxim L. Lucas
The chairman of state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) on Wednesday denied allegations made by an owner of US-based casino giant Wynn Resorts that he had received undue perks and favors from a Japanese businessman.
Japan tycoon bribed Pagcor execs - US lawsuit
By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star)
Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts said in a lawsuit that Okada, Japan's pachinko king and a director of Wynn, went behind the company's back to build a stake in Asian gaming for his own Universal Entertainment group. Wynn also accused Okada of spending more ...
Japanese gambling tycoon bribed Filipinos: US lawsuit
WASHINGTON -- Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada was accused Tuesday in a U.S. lawsuit of paying off Philippine regulators and cheating his powerful Las Vegas partner.
Japanese gambling tycoon bribed PAGCOR officials: US suit
GMA News
WASHINGTON - Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada was accused Tuesday in a US lawsuit of paying off Philippine regulators and cheating his powerful Las Vegas partner. The lawsuit named former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) ...
US suit tags Pagcor execs
Inquirer.net
By Daxim L. Lucas
The chairman of state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) on Wednesday denied allegations made by an owner of US-based casino giant Wynn Resorts that he had received undue perks and favors from a Japanese businessman.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The Prostitution of Beacon Hill
You know the bad joke?
The one where a guy says 'will you sleep with me for a million buck?'
Female says 'Of course.'
Man says 'Will you sleep with me for a quarter?'
Outraged female says 'What do you think I am?'
Man says 'We've already determined what you are. Now we're just dickering about the price.'
That bad joke comes to mind remembering the back room deals and phony Gambling hearings conducted by Beacon Hill. Excluding the public. Limiting the time opponents could speak.
Remembering Senator Stanley Rosenberg's grinning face "Trust me!" even as he profited from his Gambling investments....after frittering taxpayers' hard-earned dollars on Gambling Industry studies, telling Gambling Opponents they should pay for their own report...and Secretary Bialecki's inability to answer even the simplest questions as he, too, profited from Gambling investments....
Phony assurances 'We'll get it right!' knowing they were too busy crafting Krafty legislation that moved the lines on the map.
And the cherubic-faced Governor Slot Barns assurance 'Move Along! No Corruption here!'
So the bought and paid for media, too lazy to accurately report or research, led the charge for PREDATORY GAMBLING, never presenting the available facts, never reporting that an INDEPENDENT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS was NEVER conducted, NEVER reporting the community degradation that accompanies SLOT BARNS by whatever phony name you call them.
The Boston Globe was one of the biggest cheerleaders, infrequently reporting anything negative about the enslavement of GAMBLING ADDICTION. Doing its best to ignore opponents.
Everyone it seems is circulating the article below as if it means something beyond the Prostitution of Beacon Hill.
The Gambling Industry spent ~ $60 MILLION in Pennsylvania to buy the votes to get legislation passed at midnight on the 4th of July.
The Gambling Industry spent ~ $50 MILLION in Ohio getting Industry crafted legislation passed after numerous attempts.
And in Florida and New York, they're spending far more stroking the egos of little men willing to behave like sheep.
Massachusetts sold itself CHEAP! Just like the Bad Joke!
If the purpose of government is the Common Good, how can Government Sponsored Addiction represent that goal?
Casinos industry spent millions lobbying in Mass.
Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press
When Beacon Hill lawmakers finally adopted a bill to legalize casino gambling, it wasn’t just a victory for would-be high rollers or Massachusetts’ cash-strapped cities and towns.
It was also a long-awaited — and pricey — win for a casino industry that had longed hoped for a toehold in the state.
To press its case at the Statehouse and win over wavering lawmakers, the industry hired a small army of lobbyists who, year after year, steadily made the argument for expanded gambling in Massachusetts.
In just the past five years, the tally for all that lobbying topped $11.4 million, according to a review of state lobbying records by The Associated Press.
Overall spending on lobbying steadily increased year after year as the pressure built to approve a bill.
In 2007, the total lobbying tab on the casino issue was nearly $1.3 million. By 2011, that grew to more than $3.1 million.
Many of the companies that lobbied hardest for the expanded gambling law are now actively pursuing the three casino licenses created by the legislation.
The company that easily spent the most on lobbying was Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, which runs the Suffolk Downs racetrack and is hoping to turn the East Boston facility into a destination casino.
From 2007 to 2011, the track spent more than $2.8 million on lobbying, according to the AP review.
Another big spender was the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, which also is hoping to win one of the three casino licenses. During the past five years, the tribe spent nearly $850,000 on lobbying expenses.
The law gives federally recognized tribes like the Mashpee Wampanoags until July 31 to negotiate a gaming compact in the southeast part of the state.
There was plenty of out-of-state lobbying money flowing into Massachusetts.
Development Associates, LLC, a Las Vegas-based subsidiary of casino and hotel developer Steve Wynn, spent more than $863,000 on lobbying in just the past three years.
Wynn is hoping to win one of the licenses. He’s teamed with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to propose a casino in Foxborough.
Las Vegas Sands Corporation, another casino company, has spent nearly $473,000 on lobbying during the same time period.
Two other companies hoping to land casino licenses also doled out hefty sums on lobbying.
Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming Inc. spent nearly $197,000 on lobbying during the past five years while Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International, which is eyeing a casino for Brimfield, spent $60,000.
The money spent on lobbying went to a range of activities.
Of the $850,600 that Sterling Suffolk Racecourse spent on lobbying just in 2010, about half — or $426,960 — went to pay the salary of lobbyists including seven separate firms and two individuals.
The remaining money — about $423,640 — went to such items printing and public relations consulting to advertising, cellphone bills, bus rentals, hats and T-shirts and the creation of a website to support the casino push.
William Mulrow, chairman of Suffolk Downs Board of Directors, defended the lobbying push, saying the 77-year-old track wants to maintain its legacy “as the state’s premier gaming destination.’’
“Suffolk Downs continues to work with community groups, neighbors and others to answer questions and provide information on how a world-class resort casino here would create thousands of jobs, boost the local economy and invest in local transportation improvements,’’ Mulrow said in a statement.
The one where a guy says 'will you sleep with me for a million buck?'
Female says 'Of course.'
Man says 'Will you sleep with me for a quarter?'
Outraged female says 'What do you think I am?'
Man says 'We've already determined what you are. Now we're just dickering about the price.'
That bad joke comes to mind remembering the back room deals and phony Gambling hearings conducted by Beacon Hill. Excluding the public. Limiting the time opponents could speak.
Remembering Senator Stanley Rosenberg's grinning face "Trust me!" even as he profited from his Gambling investments....after frittering taxpayers' hard-earned dollars on Gambling Industry studies, telling Gambling Opponents they should pay for their own report...and Secretary Bialecki's inability to answer even the simplest questions as he, too, profited from Gambling investments....
Phony assurances 'We'll get it right!' knowing they were too busy crafting Krafty legislation that moved the lines on the map.
And the cherubic-faced Governor Slot Barns assurance 'Move Along! No Corruption here!'
So the bought and paid for media, too lazy to accurately report or research, led the charge for PREDATORY GAMBLING, never presenting the available facts, never reporting that an INDEPENDENT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS was NEVER conducted, NEVER reporting the community degradation that accompanies SLOT BARNS by whatever phony name you call them.
The Boston Globe was one of the biggest cheerleaders, infrequently reporting anything negative about the enslavement of GAMBLING ADDICTION. Doing its best to ignore opponents.
Everyone it seems is circulating the article below as if it means something beyond the Prostitution of Beacon Hill.
The Gambling Industry spent ~ $60 MILLION in Pennsylvania to buy the votes to get legislation passed at midnight on the 4th of July.
The Gambling Industry spent ~ $50 MILLION in Ohio getting Industry crafted legislation passed after numerous attempts.
And in Florida and New York, they're spending far more stroking the egos of little men willing to behave like sheep.
Massachusetts sold itself CHEAP! Just like the Bad Joke!
If the purpose of government is the Common Good, how can Government Sponsored Addiction represent that goal?
Casinos industry spent millions lobbying in Mass.
Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press
When Beacon Hill lawmakers finally adopted a bill to legalize casino gambling, it wasn’t just a victory for would-be high rollers or Massachusetts’ cash-strapped cities and towns.
It was also a long-awaited — and pricey — win for a casino industry that had longed hoped for a toehold in the state.
To press its case at the Statehouse and win over wavering lawmakers, the industry hired a small army of lobbyists who, year after year, steadily made the argument for expanded gambling in Massachusetts.
In just the past five years, the tally for all that lobbying topped $11.4 million, according to a review of state lobbying records by The Associated Press.
Overall spending on lobbying steadily increased year after year as the pressure built to approve a bill.
In 2007, the total lobbying tab on the casino issue was nearly $1.3 million. By 2011, that grew to more than $3.1 million.
Many of the companies that lobbied hardest for the expanded gambling law are now actively pursuing the three casino licenses created by the legislation.
The company that easily spent the most on lobbying was Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, which runs the Suffolk Downs racetrack and is hoping to turn the East Boston facility into a destination casino.
From 2007 to 2011, the track spent more than $2.8 million on lobbying, according to the AP review.
Another big spender was the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, which also is hoping to win one of the three casino licenses. During the past five years, the tribe spent nearly $850,000 on lobbying expenses.
The law gives federally recognized tribes like the Mashpee Wampanoags until July 31 to negotiate a gaming compact in the southeast part of the state.
There was plenty of out-of-state lobbying money flowing into Massachusetts.
Development Associates, LLC, a Las Vegas-based subsidiary of casino and hotel developer Steve Wynn, spent more than $863,000 on lobbying in just the past three years.
Wynn is hoping to win one of the licenses. He’s teamed with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to propose a casino in Foxborough.
Las Vegas Sands Corporation, another casino company, has spent nearly $473,000 on lobbying during the same time period.
Two other companies hoping to land casino licenses also doled out hefty sums on lobbying.
Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming Inc. spent nearly $197,000 on lobbying during the past five years while Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International, which is eyeing a casino for Brimfield, spent $60,000.
The money spent on lobbying went to a range of activities.
Of the $850,600 that Sterling Suffolk Racecourse spent on lobbying just in 2010, about half — or $426,960 — went to pay the salary of lobbyists including seven separate firms and two individuals.
The remaining money — about $423,640 — went to such items printing and public relations consulting to advertising, cellphone bills, bus rentals, hats and T-shirts and the creation of a website to support the casino push.
William Mulrow, chairman of Suffolk Downs Board of Directors, defended the lobbying push, saying the 77-year-old track wants to maintain its legacy “as the state’s premier gaming destination.’’
“Suffolk Downs continues to work with community groups, neighbors and others to answer questions and provide information on how a world-class resort casino here would create thousands of jobs, boost the local economy and invest in local transportation improvements,’’ Mulrow said in a statement.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Isn't it amazing what Masschusetts union will endorse without doing their homework?
Do you really think Massachusetts is different?
Don't bet on it!
Labor: Wynn plan bad bet
Hotel unions fail to get pact with Las Vegas gaming giant seeking Aqueduct racino
JAMES M. ODATO Capitol burea, Times Union
By JAMES M. ODATO Capitol bureau
ALBANY — Hotel unions seeking to organize a proposed Aqueduct racino have given Las Vegas gaming magnate Steve Wynn a failing grade after talks about his plans for the project.
Union operators recommend the selection of another bidder if the state wants to avoid strikes and pickets at the proposed Queens operation, which is eligible for $250 million in building aid from the state to build the facility.
Wynn was the only bidder of the six contenders to receive a bad grade, said Peter Ward, president of the 30,000 member New York Hotel Trades Council.
SL Green, Delaware North and Aqueduct Entertainment Group passed the council's test by entering into labor peace agreements, said Ward in a letter sent to Gov. David Paterson on Wednesday. Penn National and Don Peebles/MGM got incompletes after talks with the union leaders.
Wynn earned a low grade after he rejected binding arbitration, a key union objective, Ward said.
"Wynn expressed philosophical opposition to certain core elements of a satisfactory agreement, which are included in the agreements reached with AEG, SL Green, and Delaware North," Ward said. "It has been almost a week since the Wynn team has contacted us and at this point we do not have a satisfactory agreement in place."
Neal Kwatra, political director for the council, said unions have been discussing an agreement with Kim Sinatra, Wynn Resorts' chief lawyer, but she said the company cannot agree to binding arbitration — a provision that helps unions secure contracts.
"That's the heart and soul of the agreement, the only assurance that there is labor peace," he said. Sinatra and Wynn's Albany representatives did not return calls. Paterson's office had no comment.
It is unclear what impact the labor issue will have on Paterson's deliberations, because the criteria for choosing the winning bidder has not been revealed.
"One piece certainly is the job factor, union and non-union factor, construction and non-construction," said Sen. Joseph Addabbo, D-Queens, who has mixed feelings about Wynn's plans for the track. "Unfortunately, he's never done anything in New York and he's learning the hard way that it's a union town."
The governor, with the agreement of legislative leaders, is expected to render a decision around Sept. 29 when the Legislature is expected to return to Albany to discuss the state's $2.1 billion budget shortfall.
The Aqueduct video lottery terminal racino is expected to produce hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the state for public education.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Labor-Wynn-plan-bad-bet-546017.php#ixzz1my23KsV7
Don't bet on it!
Labor: Wynn plan bad bet
Hotel unions fail to get pact with Las Vegas gaming giant seeking Aqueduct racino
JAMES M. ODATO Capitol burea, Times Union
By JAMES M. ODATO Capitol bureau
ALBANY — Hotel unions seeking to organize a proposed Aqueduct racino have given Las Vegas gaming magnate Steve Wynn a failing grade after talks about his plans for the project.
Union operators recommend the selection of another bidder if the state wants to avoid strikes and pickets at the proposed Queens operation, which is eligible for $250 million in building aid from the state to build the facility.
Wynn was the only bidder of the six contenders to receive a bad grade, said Peter Ward, president of the 30,000 member New York Hotel Trades Council.
SL Green, Delaware North and Aqueduct Entertainment Group passed the council's test by entering into labor peace agreements, said Ward in a letter sent to Gov. David Paterson on Wednesday. Penn National and Don Peebles/MGM got incompletes after talks with the union leaders.
Wynn earned a low grade after he rejected binding arbitration, a key union objective, Ward said.
"Wynn expressed philosophical opposition to certain core elements of a satisfactory agreement, which are included in the agreements reached with AEG, SL Green, and Delaware North," Ward said. "It has been almost a week since the Wynn team has contacted us and at this point we do not have a satisfactory agreement in place."
Neal Kwatra, political director for the council, said unions have been discussing an agreement with Kim Sinatra, Wynn Resorts' chief lawyer, but she said the company cannot agree to binding arbitration — a provision that helps unions secure contracts.
"That's the heart and soul of the agreement, the only assurance that there is labor peace," he said. Sinatra and Wynn's Albany representatives did not return calls. Paterson's office had no comment.
It is unclear what impact the labor issue will have on Paterson's deliberations, because the criteria for choosing the winning bidder has not been revealed.
"One piece certainly is the job factor, union and non-union factor, construction and non-construction," said Sen. Joseph Addabbo, D-Queens, who has mixed feelings about Wynn's plans for the track. "Unfortunately, he's never done anything in New York and he's learning the hard way that it's a union town."
The governor, with the agreement of legislative leaders, is expected to render a decision around Sept. 29 when the Legislature is expected to return to Albany to discuss the state's $2.1 billion budget shortfall.
The Aqueduct video lottery terminal racino is expected to produce hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the state for public education.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Labor-Wynn-plan-bad-bet-546017.php#ixzz1my23KsV7
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Wynn Redeems Okada’s Stake After Bribery Probe
Wynn Resorts Redeems Okada’s Stake After Freeh Bribery Probe
Bloomberg
By Dan Hart and Yi Tian
(Updates with analyst’s comment in fourth paragraph.)
Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Wynn Resorts Ltd. bought out its largest shareholder at a 31 percent discount and asked him to quit the board after a probe by the casino operator uncovered allegedly improper payments to Philippine gambling officials.
Former Nevada Governor Robert Miller and Louis Freeh, the ex-director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, investigated claims that Kazuo Okada violated U.S. anti-corruption laws and uncovered cash payments and gifts valued at about $110,000 to gambling regulators, Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts said today in a statement.
The move escalates a dispute between Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Wynn and Okada, who helped bankroll the company starting 12 years ago. Okada was stripped of his vice-chairman role last year after alleging improprieties in a Macau university donation that’s the subject of a lawsuit and a U.S. regulatory inquiry. Freeh’s probe puts Okada’s activities in the Philippines under the microscope as well.
“Shareholders definitely would prefer none of this to have occurred,” Christopher Jones, a senior gaming analyst at Telsey Advisory Group in New York, said in a telephone interview. “However, if there is actual fact that Mr. Okada did engage in illegal activity, then Mr. Wynn has certainly done the right thing in the eyes of the shareholders.” Jones doesn’t have a rating on Wynn shares.
Okada Stake
Wynn Resorts said it redeemed the 24 million shares held by Aruze USA Inc., a slot-machine company controlled by Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp., and issued a 10-year $1.9 billion promissory note for the stock. At the Feb. 17 closing price of $112.69 in New York, a stake that size -- about 20 percent of the shares in Las Vegas-based Wynn -- would be worth $2.76 billion.
Last month, Okada sued Wynn Resorts in state court in Clark County, Nevada, to force the company to produce spending records. That case is pending. Okada opposed Wynn Resorts’ HK$1 billion ($129 million) pledge in July 2011 to the University of Macau Development Foundation.
Wynn Resorts has said the dispute stemmed from Okada’s decision to compete by pursuing projects in the Philippines. Okada was removed as vice chairman after admonishments from the board over the plan, Wynn Resorts said. The company said today that it will recommend that he be dropped from the board of Wynn Macau Ltd. as well.
Lawsuit Filed
The company said it filed its own lawsuit today in Clark County against Okada, Aruze USA and Universal Entertainment for breach of fiduciary duty and related offenses. The filing couldn’t be confirmed independently through electronic court records.
Okada couldn’t be reached at his headquarters in Tokyo outside of business hours for comment on the redemption announcement. Gidon Caine, an attorney for Okada, didn’t return a voice-mail seeking comment.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has requested information about Wynn’s donation to the university foundation. Wynn was asked in an informal inquiry by the SEC’s Salt Lake City office on Feb. 8 to preserve information about the commitment, the company said in a Feb. 13 regulatory filing.
The Macau pledge was consistent with Wynn’s practice of supporting institutions in markets where it operates, the company said. Wynn Resorts said that it will comply with the SEC request and that the stated objection of Okada, who cast the lone dissenting vote among Wynn and Wynn Macau directors, concerned the length of time over which the donation would occur, not its propriety.
‘Fair Value’
Wynn Resorts said today that, to protect the company’s gambling licenses, it can redeem shares for “fair value” from a person found “unsuitable” under its articles of incorporation. An independent financial consultant helped calculate the fair value, and Okada’s stake was redeemed at a discount because of restrictions on the shares, Wynn said in the statement.
“Mr. Okada probably doesn’t have a lot of options but to follow through on litigation as well and to defend his position,” said Jones, the analyst at Telsey. “I will not expect for the legal headlines to cease with this move by Wynn.”
The earlier case is Okada v. Wynn Resorts Ltd., A-12- 654522-B, District Court, Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas).
--Editors: Andrew Dunn, Anthony Palazzo
Wynn Resorts buys out biggest stakeholder Okada, asks him to resign after payments probe
By Associated Press
NEW YORK — Wynn Resorts Ltd. is looking to sever ties with its biggest stakeholder and one-time ally.
The Las Vegas casino operator said Sunday that it forcibly bought back all the shares controlled by Kazuo Okada after finding the Japanese tycoon made improper payments to overseas gambling regulators. The company also filed a lawsuit against Okada for breach of fiduciary duty and asked him resign from its board.
The announcement marked the latest deterioration of Okada’s relationship with Steve Wynn, founder of Wynn Resorts.
Okada is the founder of casino game maker Universal Entertainment Corp., which held an almost 20 percent stake in Wynn Resorts through its privately held subsidiary Aruze USA Inc.
Aruze’s 24 million shares were worth about $2.7 billion based on Friday’s closing price and were acquired for the discounted price of about $1.9 billion.
The actions by Wynn Resorts stem from a separate casino resort project Okada is undertaking in the Philippines.
After a year-long investigation, Wynn Resorts said it found more than three dozen instances over a three-year period in which Okada and his associates engaged in “improper activities for their own benefit.”
That included cash payments and gifts totaling about $110,000 to foreign gaming regulators, the company said. Wynn Resorts said the actions were in violation of U.S. anti-corruption law.
The investigation, which was led by a former FBI director Louis Freeh, also found Okada and his associates consciously took actions to conceal “the nature and amount of these payments,” Wynn said.
Based on the report, Wynn Resorts said its board found that Okada is “unsuitable.” The company’s articles of incorporation provide for redemption at “fair value” of the shares held by unsuitable individuals.
The company issued a 10-year, $1.9 billion promissory note in redemption of the shares. The notes bear an interest rate of 2 percent.
Wynn said it will also immediately recommend that Okada be removed from the board of its Hong Kong subsidiary, Wynn Macau Limited.
An email sent to Aruze seeking comment from Okada was not immediately returned.
Since 2000, Okada has invested $380 million in Wynn Resorts. But last month, Okada filed a lawsuit against the company to seek financial documents regarding Wynn’s $135 million donation to the University of Macau; its 2010 amendment to a shareholders agreement among Okada, company founder Steve Wynn and Wynn’s ex-wife, Elaine Wynn; and the use of $30 million that Okada gave to Wynn Resorts in 2002 to help develop a Macau casino project.
During a conference call with investors earlier this month, Steve Wynn addressed the company’s “sharp disagreement” with Okada over his dealings in the Philippines.
Wynn said that the company had taken “a very strong opinion about not wanting to give the impression that Wynn Resorts was the developer of the land that (Okada) acquired in the Philippines.”
Wynn said that Okada was free to go into business in the country, but that he did so “without the organizational support or financial support of the company that he is an investor in at the moment.”
In Las Vegas, Wynn Resorts Ltd. owns the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas resorts. The company also owns Wynn Macau and Wynn Encore Macau in China.
Bloomberg
By Dan Hart and Yi Tian
(Updates with analyst’s comment in fourth paragraph.)
Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Wynn Resorts Ltd. bought out its largest shareholder at a 31 percent discount and asked him to quit the board after a probe by the casino operator uncovered allegedly improper payments to Philippine gambling officials.
Former Nevada Governor Robert Miller and Louis Freeh, the ex-director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, investigated claims that Kazuo Okada violated U.S. anti-corruption laws and uncovered cash payments and gifts valued at about $110,000 to gambling regulators, Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts said today in a statement.
The move escalates a dispute between Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Wynn and Okada, who helped bankroll the company starting 12 years ago. Okada was stripped of his vice-chairman role last year after alleging improprieties in a Macau university donation that’s the subject of a lawsuit and a U.S. regulatory inquiry. Freeh’s probe puts Okada’s activities in the Philippines under the microscope as well.
“Shareholders definitely would prefer none of this to have occurred,” Christopher Jones, a senior gaming analyst at Telsey Advisory Group in New York, said in a telephone interview. “However, if there is actual fact that Mr. Okada did engage in illegal activity, then Mr. Wynn has certainly done the right thing in the eyes of the shareholders.” Jones doesn’t have a rating on Wynn shares.
Okada Stake
Wynn Resorts said it redeemed the 24 million shares held by Aruze USA Inc., a slot-machine company controlled by Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp., and issued a 10-year $1.9 billion promissory note for the stock. At the Feb. 17 closing price of $112.69 in New York, a stake that size -- about 20 percent of the shares in Las Vegas-based Wynn -- would be worth $2.76 billion.
Last month, Okada sued Wynn Resorts in state court in Clark County, Nevada, to force the company to produce spending records. That case is pending. Okada opposed Wynn Resorts’ HK$1 billion ($129 million) pledge in July 2011 to the University of Macau Development Foundation.
Wynn Resorts has said the dispute stemmed from Okada’s decision to compete by pursuing projects in the Philippines. Okada was removed as vice chairman after admonishments from the board over the plan, Wynn Resorts said. The company said today that it will recommend that he be dropped from the board of Wynn Macau Ltd. as well.
Lawsuit Filed
The company said it filed its own lawsuit today in Clark County against Okada, Aruze USA and Universal Entertainment for breach of fiduciary duty and related offenses. The filing couldn’t be confirmed independently through electronic court records.
Okada couldn’t be reached at his headquarters in Tokyo outside of business hours for comment on the redemption announcement. Gidon Caine, an attorney for Okada, didn’t return a voice-mail seeking comment.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has requested information about Wynn’s donation to the university foundation. Wynn was asked in an informal inquiry by the SEC’s Salt Lake City office on Feb. 8 to preserve information about the commitment, the company said in a Feb. 13 regulatory filing.
The Macau pledge was consistent with Wynn’s practice of supporting institutions in markets where it operates, the company said. Wynn Resorts said that it will comply with the SEC request and that the stated objection of Okada, who cast the lone dissenting vote among Wynn and Wynn Macau directors, concerned the length of time over which the donation would occur, not its propriety.
‘Fair Value’
Wynn Resorts said today that, to protect the company’s gambling licenses, it can redeem shares for “fair value” from a person found “unsuitable” under its articles of incorporation. An independent financial consultant helped calculate the fair value, and Okada’s stake was redeemed at a discount because of restrictions on the shares, Wynn said in the statement.
“Mr. Okada probably doesn’t have a lot of options but to follow through on litigation as well and to defend his position,” said Jones, the analyst at Telsey. “I will not expect for the legal headlines to cease with this move by Wynn.”
The earlier case is Okada v. Wynn Resorts Ltd., A-12- 654522-B, District Court, Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas).
--Editors: Andrew Dunn, Anthony Palazzo
Wynn Resorts buys out biggest stakeholder Okada, asks him to resign after payments probe
By Associated Press
NEW YORK — Wynn Resorts Ltd. is looking to sever ties with its biggest stakeholder and one-time ally.
The Las Vegas casino operator said Sunday that it forcibly bought back all the shares controlled by Kazuo Okada after finding the Japanese tycoon made improper payments to overseas gambling regulators. The company also filed a lawsuit against Okada for breach of fiduciary duty and asked him resign from its board.
The announcement marked the latest deterioration of Okada’s relationship with Steve Wynn, founder of Wynn Resorts.
Okada is the founder of casino game maker Universal Entertainment Corp., which held an almost 20 percent stake in Wynn Resorts through its privately held subsidiary Aruze USA Inc.
Aruze’s 24 million shares were worth about $2.7 billion based on Friday’s closing price and were acquired for the discounted price of about $1.9 billion.
The actions by Wynn Resorts stem from a separate casino resort project Okada is undertaking in the Philippines.
After a year-long investigation, Wynn Resorts said it found more than three dozen instances over a three-year period in which Okada and his associates engaged in “improper activities for their own benefit.”
That included cash payments and gifts totaling about $110,000 to foreign gaming regulators, the company said. Wynn Resorts said the actions were in violation of U.S. anti-corruption law.
The investigation, which was led by a former FBI director Louis Freeh, also found Okada and his associates consciously took actions to conceal “the nature and amount of these payments,” Wynn said.
Based on the report, Wynn Resorts said its board found that Okada is “unsuitable.” The company’s articles of incorporation provide for redemption at “fair value” of the shares held by unsuitable individuals.
The company issued a 10-year, $1.9 billion promissory note in redemption of the shares. The notes bear an interest rate of 2 percent.
Wynn said it will also immediately recommend that Okada be removed from the board of its Hong Kong subsidiary, Wynn Macau Limited.
An email sent to Aruze seeking comment from Okada was not immediately returned.
Since 2000, Okada has invested $380 million in Wynn Resorts. But last month, Okada filed a lawsuit against the company to seek financial documents regarding Wynn’s $135 million donation to the University of Macau; its 2010 amendment to a shareholders agreement among Okada, company founder Steve Wynn and Wynn’s ex-wife, Elaine Wynn; and the use of $30 million that Okada gave to Wynn Resorts in 2002 to help develop a Macau casino project.
During a conference call with investors earlier this month, Steve Wynn addressed the company’s “sharp disagreement” with Okada over his dealings in the Philippines.
Wynn said that the company had taken “a very strong opinion about not wanting to give the impression that Wynn Resorts was the developer of the land that (Okada) acquired in the Philippines.”
Wynn said that Okada was free to go into business in the country, but that he did so “without the organizational support or financial support of the company that he is an investor in at the moment.”
In Las Vegas, Wynn Resorts Ltd. owns the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas resorts. The company also owns Wynn Macau and Wynn Encore Macau in China.
Taj Mahal Birthday Celebration Turned Fatal
The presence of surveillance cameras was meaningless in protecting this innocent victim who fought for his life --
Investigators tracked the couple's activities through surveillance cameras at the garage....
Codefendant is now star witness
Jessica Kisby will get a 30-year prison sentence in exchange for testifying against Craig Arno.
By George Anastasia
Inquirer Staff Writer
MAYS LANDING, N.J. - Bonnie has turned on Clyde. And the horrific story she's telling could seal the fate of her former boyfriend and alleged partner in crime.
Jessica Kisby, 26, who pleaded guilty Tuesday in a carjacking-murder case that began in the garage of Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal Hotel Casino, has moved from being a co-defendant to the star witness.
Her testimony, part of a plea deal that includes a 30-year prison sentence, is expected to strenghten the prosecution's case against her alleged accomplice, Craig Arno, 46.
The couple are accused of the May 2010 abduction and slaying of Martin Caballero, a North Jersey grocer who planned to spend a Friday night with family at the Taj Mahal and ended up stabbed to death, his body dumped along a dirt road.
Kisby and Arno, who had met in prison months earlier, have been described by investigators as a brutal but bumbling Bonnie and Clyde who left a trail of circumstantial evidence that has been used to build the case against them.
The killing of Caballero was part of a crime spree that began with an armed robbery the day before and included kidnapping, assault, murder, car theft, and a botched attempt to flee Atlantic City in a stolen SUV, authorities said.
The crimes were detailed in a 39-count indictment handed up against them in April. Kisby now is prepared to add a first-person account of the events. Last week, she described the slaying of Caballero, 47, as a robbery gone bad.
Arno, she said, stabbed Caballero repeatedly. So many times, she told Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Michael Donio, "I really can't count. . . . It was numerous," according to a report in the Press of Atlantic City.
Caballero was targeted, Kisby said, because he drove "a nice car."
"We figured he had some money," said Kisby, who said she and Arno were in the garage when they saw their mark pull in behind the wheel of a 2009 silver Lincoln MKS.
Caballero, from North Bergen in Hudson County, had just dropped off his wife and daughter at the Taj entrance. They and relatives planned to celebrate the Caballeros' daughter's 21st birthday.
Kisby's confession, delivered coincidentally on Valentine's Day, includes a detailed account of criminal events that began in the Taj Mahal garage the night of May 21 and ended with Kisby's and Arno's arrests in a seedy motel seven days later.
"This was a strong case that now is even stronger," a law enforcement source said after Kisby agreed to cooperate.
Not everyone agrees.
Arno's court-appointed lawyer, Eric Shenkus, said last week that the Prosecutor's Office had made "a deal with the devil" and that he looked forward to challenging Kisby's version of events when she takes the witness stand.
The trial is tentatively set for April.
"It's absolutely a deal with the devil," Shenkus said Thursday from the Atlantic County Public Defender's Office.
He would not discuss particulars, but he said there were numerous "inaccuracies" in Kisby's story.
The thin, sharp-featured woman from nearby Egg Harbor Township faces a prison term with no parole eligibility, according to the plea agreement she reached with authorities.
Her deal stipulates that she must testify truthfully about what she and Arno did.
First Assistant Atlantic County Prosecutor James McClain said he could not comment about what led to the agreement, which apparently had been in the works for weeks. He said that at the Tuesday hearing, Kisby offered a "fairly detailed account" of the couple's criminal actions.
Kisby told Donio that Arno stabbed Caballero so many times Arno ended up out of breath.
She recounted how Caballero fought for his life; how the knife Arno wielded broke; how the victim's bleeding body was stuffed in the trunk of his car while they drove to Kisby's mother's home and got two other knives; how Arno stabbed Caballero multiple times again; and how they eventually dumped the grocer's corpse along a dirt road.
She said they then retrieved a car they had left at the casino garage and she followed Arno, who drove Caballero's Lincoln to Gloucester Township in Camden County and set it on fire.
Authorities allege that shortly after the abduction, the couple forced Caballero to make a withdrawal from an ATM machine. They got about $300, but failed in their attempts to make other withdrawals.
Investigators tracked the couple's activities through surveillance cameras at the garage, at ATMs, and from a gas station where they bought gasoline used to torch the car. The tapes will be played at Arno's trial.
There also was a robbery at a Dunkin' Donuts the day before the killing; an assault at a Kmart store after the couple tried to steal medical supplies to treat burns Arno sustained in the car fire; and a botched attempt to steal an SUV from the garage of a posh Atlantic City condominium complex where Arno's mother and grandmother lived.
In court Tuesday, Kisby said they abandoned the SUV just blocks from the Plaza condo complex after its OnStar monitoring service activated.
The couple then fled to the Golden Key Motel outside Atlantic City, where they were arrested May 28 on carjacking and kidnapping charges.
Two days later, authorities found Caballero's body along a dirt road in Hamilton Township, and the charges against the two were upgraded.
Kisby has pleaded guilty to murder, carjacking, auto theft, aggravated arson, and weapons offenses.
In court on Tuesday, she said there was no plan to kill Caballero.
"We never talked about it," she said. "It just happened."
Investigators tracked the couple's activities through surveillance cameras at the garage....
Codefendant is now star witness
Jessica Kisby will get a 30-year prison sentence in exchange for testifying against Craig Arno.
By George Anastasia
Inquirer Staff Writer
MAYS LANDING, N.J. - Bonnie has turned on Clyde. And the horrific story she's telling could seal the fate of her former boyfriend and alleged partner in crime.
Jessica Kisby, 26, who pleaded guilty Tuesday in a carjacking-murder case that began in the garage of Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal Hotel Casino, has moved from being a co-defendant to the star witness.
Her testimony, part of a plea deal that includes a 30-year prison sentence, is expected to strenghten the prosecution's case against her alleged accomplice, Craig Arno, 46.
The couple are accused of the May 2010 abduction and slaying of Martin Caballero, a North Jersey grocer who planned to spend a Friday night with family at the Taj Mahal and ended up stabbed to death, his body dumped along a dirt road.
Kisby and Arno, who had met in prison months earlier, have been described by investigators as a brutal but bumbling Bonnie and Clyde who left a trail of circumstantial evidence that has been used to build the case against them.
The killing of Caballero was part of a crime spree that began with an armed robbery the day before and included kidnapping, assault, murder, car theft, and a botched attempt to flee Atlantic City in a stolen SUV, authorities said.
The crimes were detailed in a 39-count indictment handed up against them in April. Kisby now is prepared to add a first-person account of the events. Last week, she described the slaying of Caballero, 47, as a robbery gone bad.
Arno, she said, stabbed Caballero repeatedly. So many times, she told Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Michael Donio, "I really can't count. . . . It was numerous," according to a report in the Press of Atlantic City.
Caballero was targeted, Kisby said, because he drove "a nice car."
"We figured he had some money," said Kisby, who said she and Arno were in the garage when they saw their mark pull in behind the wheel of a 2009 silver Lincoln MKS.
Caballero, from North Bergen in Hudson County, had just dropped off his wife and daughter at the Taj entrance. They and relatives planned to celebrate the Caballeros' daughter's 21st birthday.
Kisby's confession, delivered coincidentally on Valentine's Day, includes a detailed account of criminal events that began in the Taj Mahal garage the night of May 21 and ended with Kisby's and Arno's arrests in a seedy motel seven days later.
"This was a strong case that now is even stronger," a law enforcement source said after Kisby agreed to cooperate.
Not everyone agrees.
Arno's court-appointed lawyer, Eric Shenkus, said last week that the Prosecutor's Office had made "a deal with the devil" and that he looked forward to challenging Kisby's version of events when she takes the witness stand.
The trial is tentatively set for April.
"It's absolutely a deal with the devil," Shenkus said Thursday from the Atlantic County Public Defender's Office.
He would not discuss particulars, but he said there were numerous "inaccuracies" in Kisby's story.
The thin, sharp-featured woman from nearby Egg Harbor Township faces a prison term with no parole eligibility, according to the plea agreement she reached with authorities.
Her deal stipulates that she must testify truthfully about what she and Arno did.
First Assistant Atlantic County Prosecutor James McClain said he could not comment about what led to the agreement, which apparently had been in the works for weeks. He said that at the Tuesday hearing, Kisby offered a "fairly detailed account" of the couple's criminal actions.
Kisby told Donio that Arno stabbed Caballero so many times Arno ended up out of breath.
She recounted how Caballero fought for his life; how the knife Arno wielded broke; how the victim's bleeding body was stuffed in the trunk of his car while they drove to Kisby's mother's home and got two other knives; how Arno stabbed Caballero multiple times again; and how they eventually dumped the grocer's corpse along a dirt road.
She said they then retrieved a car they had left at the casino garage and she followed Arno, who drove Caballero's Lincoln to Gloucester Township in Camden County and set it on fire.
Authorities allege that shortly after the abduction, the couple forced Caballero to make a withdrawal from an ATM machine. They got about $300, but failed in their attempts to make other withdrawals.
Investigators tracked the couple's activities through surveillance cameras at the garage, at ATMs, and from a gas station where they bought gasoline used to torch the car. The tapes will be played at Arno's trial.
There also was a robbery at a Dunkin' Donuts the day before the killing; an assault at a Kmart store after the couple tried to steal medical supplies to treat burns Arno sustained in the car fire; and a botched attempt to steal an SUV from the garage of a posh Atlantic City condominium complex where Arno's mother and grandmother lived.
In court Tuesday, Kisby said they abandoned the SUV just blocks from the Plaza condo complex after its OnStar monitoring service activated.
The couple then fled to the Golden Key Motel outside Atlantic City, where they were arrested May 28 on carjacking and kidnapping charges.
Two days later, authorities found Caballero's body along a dirt road in Hamilton Township, and the charges against the two were upgraded.
Kisby has pleaded guilty to murder, carjacking, auto theft, aggravated arson, and weapons offenses.
In court on Tuesday, she said there was no plan to kill Caballero.
"We never talked about it," she said. "It just happened."
Etherington: Recovering from addiction and rebuilding
Etherington: I'm so grateful Pulis took a gamble on me
By Dave Smith
Matthew Etherington has thanked Tony Pulis for helping him win the biggest battle of his life.
A gambling addiction cost the Stoke winger a fortune, and almost cost him his career, too.
But, with the support of his understanding boss – and his family – Etherington is enjoying his football and his life again.
Despite Thursday’s Europa League defeat to Valencia, Etherington is confident of avoiding an FA Cup banana skin on Sunday. Last season’s cup run all the way to the final has given Stoke a taste of the big time.
By Dave Smith
Matthew Etherington has thanked Tony Pulis for helping him win the biggest battle of his life.
A gambling addiction cost the Stoke winger a fortune, and almost cost him his career, too.
But, with the support of his understanding boss – and his family – Etherington is enjoying his football and his life again.
Despite Thursday’s Europa League defeat to Valencia, Etherington is confident of avoiding an FA Cup banana skin on Sunday. Last season’s cup run all the way to the final has given Stoke a taste of the big time.
Japan's Sad Gambling Addiction in Wake of Disaster
Pachinko's popularity in disaster zone raises gambling addiction concerns
In the areas hit hardest by the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster, it's said pachinko halls were amongst the first businesses to get back on their feet and are enjoying a healthy business. Pachinko is a type of pinball where the player guides small steel balls to certain goals to get even more balls. The balls are traded for prizes which are in turn traded for cash outside the halls. To discover what is on the minds of disaster survivors who visit these halls, I visited one with 10,000 yen of my own money.
The suburbs of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, were blanketed with snow. Homes with their first floors gutted by the tsunami and shuttered stores could be seen here and there. I visited a large pachinko hall that had been reopened with new furnishings a half-year after being flooded by the tsunami. Even though it was a weekday, there was a line of around 40 people waiting for opening time.
"I've come even on a snowy day, so you'll give out winnings, right?" said an elderly woman wearing a woolen cap to a young hall employee. They seemed to know each other. The low temperature for the day was -5 degrees Celsius.
"Thank you for coming," came an announcement at 9:00 a.m., and the hall doors parted. While I wondered where to sit, everyone else took a spot in front of a machine. I eventually sat in the front row next to an elderly gentleman.
I started the game. When a ball fell in the center hole, numbers on a screen would spin like on a slot machine. If the three numbers that came up matched it was a jackpot. I heard that when this happens, around 8,000 yen's worth of balls come out of the machine all at once. I'd also heard that jackpots sometimes came one after another. However, with 1,000 yen I was only able to play for a few minutes. Thinking, "Next will be it," I continued playing until I'd lost all 10,000 yen in only 30 minutes.
Coming back to my senses and looking around the hall, I saw that around 80 percent of the over 300 seats were filled. About one in seven or eight people had won a jackpot, and they had stacks of boxes filled with balls. After noon, the hall's seats were almost filled. I looked at the display over the machine of the man next to me. He'd been playing the whole time, but the display read, "Number of jackpots: 0." It had been three hours since the hall opened. Based on the 30 minutes it took my machine to devour 10,000 yen, the man may have lost 60,000 yen. A few minutes of the game is leisure, but more than that is entering the world of high-stakes gambling.
I talked to a few customers leaving the hall. When I asked, "Did you win?" they all gave vague responses, and they all had gloomy expressions. A middle-aged woman who had come to the hall said, "People who lost won't say anything because a lot of them keep their visits here secret from their families.
"The people who line up at the start of business come every day, even on borrowed money," she added.
"Did you get a jackpot?" I asked the man next to me as he got up to leave at around 1 p.m. He looked at me with an uncomfortable expression when I said I'd been sitting next to him since opening.
"Today was bad," he said. "But I came out ahead the day I had 11 jackpots in a row." He couldn't, though, remember exactly when that was or how much he'd won.
When I asked why he still came every day even when he lost badly, he said, "Before the earthquake I didn't do it much. I lost my son to the tsunami, my house was washed away, and now I live with my wife in temporary housing nearby. I don't know anyone there, and I have nothing to do, so it's something to pass the time." He said he has played pachinko since he was young.
A person with ties to the pachinko business in Sendai told me, "Pachinko halls are particularly numerous in Ishinomaki and other coastal areas where there aren't many recreational facilities. I think that New Year's business in Miyagi Prefecture at the top hall of each of the chains was much higher than during the same period the year before the earthquake. There are halls still suffering negative effects from the earthquake, but this year the business as a whole will probably start making a profit again."
Tsukasa Endo, 49, who works for a non-profit organization supporting Ishinomaki, says, "There are many people who visit pachinko halls to escape the harsh realities of post-earthquake life and get hooked. The earthquake probably also serves as something of an excuse. Some lonely disaster refugees are getting addicted to gambling or alcohol, and it's tragic."
According to Hokkaido Mental Health Welfare Center head Hitoshi Tanabe, who has spent many years treating addiction, rises in gambling addiction after disasters are common.
"When disaster-affected lifestyles are prolonged, people with gambling or alcohol addictions or tendencies towards those addictions have an increased risk of relapses or worsened symptoms. The jobs, schools, or family connections that would normally be the focus of their energies are gone. Bad temporary living situations and anxiety about the future continue for a long time, leading to an increased desire to drink or gamble. The risk is even higher when disasters cut patients in support groups off from their group therapy," says Tanabe.
Gambling addiction often sets in when a person in an emotionally vulnerable state, like depression or very low self -esteem, gets a thrill from winning at gambling. It becomes habitual to the point that the person can no longer be happy without gambling, and will even spend money they need for the most basic living expense to support their habit. If the person vows to stop, they may continue while hiding it from their family.
"The first thing this person needs to do is go to a hospital or mental health center that treats addiction for diagnosis," Tanabe says. "Treatment starts with the patient and their family accepting there is an addiction. The patient must attend a support group regularly and change their lifestyle while getting expert advice. A person will not recover by just telling themselves that all they need to do is not gamble."
For the disaster areas, he adds, "In addition to passing out addiction checklists and fliers telling people where they can get help, cooperation between judicial scriveners at debt consultation centers -- often visited by gamblers who have hit rock bottom or their families -- and addiction specialists is also effective." A group of judicial scriveners in Miyagi Prefecture has already invited gambling addiction specialists to open study courses.
However, another volunteer mental health worker helping disaster victims says, "When you say 'disaster survivors,' that includes people in a variety of financial conditions, from those who have received life insurance or donation payments to those who have lost their jobs and not received any compensation. Even if they are playing pachinko, if it's within boundaries it's just leisure. For a volunteer, it's hard to find out how disaster survivors are using their money."
At 7:00 p.m. I visited the same pachinko hall again, and there were people waiting for seats. A girl who seemed to be about junior high school age was searching for someone. She approached a woman who had five boxes of winnings stacked next to her. After an exchange of words, the woman handed 1,000 yen to the girl, who for a split second looked sad.
I caught up with the girl after she left the hall and asked if the woman was her mother, and she nodded. I asked about the 1,000 yen.
"She said, 'Go eat next door.' I'm going to the restaurant now," the girl replied. I asked her whether her mother came to play pachinko every day. "She leaves the house saying, 'I'm going to my part-time job,' but..." the girl said, trailing off.
Gambling addiction is surely not a problem that can be solved by blaming anyone, I thought, standing near the blue-white neon lights of the hall. (By Joji Uramatsu, Evening Edition Department)
In the areas hit hardest by the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster, it's said pachinko halls were amongst the first businesses to get back on their feet and are enjoying a healthy business. Pachinko is a type of pinball where the player guides small steel balls to certain goals to get even more balls. The balls are traded for prizes which are in turn traded for cash outside the halls. To discover what is on the minds of disaster survivors who visit these halls, I visited one with 10,000 yen of my own money.
The suburbs of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, were blanketed with snow. Homes with their first floors gutted by the tsunami and shuttered stores could be seen here and there. I visited a large pachinko hall that had been reopened with new furnishings a half-year after being flooded by the tsunami. Even though it was a weekday, there was a line of around 40 people waiting for opening time.
"I've come even on a snowy day, so you'll give out winnings, right?" said an elderly woman wearing a woolen cap to a young hall employee. They seemed to know each other. The low temperature for the day was -5 degrees Celsius.
"Thank you for coming," came an announcement at 9:00 a.m., and the hall doors parted. While I wondered where to sit, everyone else took a spot in front of a machine. I eventually sat in the front row next to an elderly gentleman.
I started the game. When a ball fell in the center hole, numbers on a screen would spin like on a slot machine. If the three numbers that came up matched it was a jackpot. I heard that when this happens, around 8,000 yen's worth of balls come out of the machine all at once. I'd also heard that jackpots sometimes came one after another. However, with 1,000 yen I was only able to play for a few minutes. Thinking, "Next will be it," I continued playing until I'd lost all 10,000 yen in only 30 minutes.
Coming back to my senses and looking around the hall, I saw that around 80 percent of the over 300 seats were filled. About one in seven or eight people had won a jackpot, and they had stacks of boxes filled with balls. After noon, the hall's seats were almost filled. I looked at the display over the machine of the man next to me. He'd been playing the whole time, but the display read, "Number of jackpots: 0." It had been three hours since the hall opened. Based on the 30 minutes it took my machine to devour 10,000 yen, the man may have lost 60,000 yen. A few minutes of the game is leisure, but more than that is entering the world of high-stakes gambling.
I talked to a few customers leaving the hall. When I asked, "Did you win?" they all gave vague responses, and they all had gloomy expressions. A middle-aged woman who had come to the hall said, "People who lost won't say anything because a lot of them keep their visits here secret from their families.
"The people who line up at the start of business come every day, even on borrowed money," she added.
"Did you get a jackpot?" I asked the man next to me as he got up to leave at around 1 p.m. He looked at me with an uncomfortable expression when I said I'd been sitting next to him since opening.
"Today was bad," he said. "But I came out ahead the day I had 11 jackpots in a row." He couldn't, though, remember exactly when that was or how much he'd won.
When I asked why he still came every day even when he lost badly, he said, "Before the earthquake I didn't do it much. I lost my son to the tsunami, my house was washed away, and now I live with my wife in temporary housing nearby. I don't know anyone there, and I have nothing to do, so it's something to pass the time." He said he has played pachinko since he was young.
A person with ties to the pachinko business in Sendai told me, "Pachinko halls are particularly numerous in Ishinomaki and other coastal areas where there aren't many recreational facilities. I think that New Year's business in Miyagi Prefecture at the top hall of each of the chains was much higher than during the same period the year before the earthquake. There are halls still suffering negative effects from the earthquake, but this year the business as a whole will probably start making a profit again."
Tsukasa Endo, 49, who works for a non-profit organization supporting Ishinomaki, says, "There are many people who visit pachinko halls to escape the harsh realities of post-earthquake life and get hooked. The earthquake probably also serves as something of an excuse. Some lonely disaster refugees are getting addicted to gambling or alcohol, and it's tragic."
According to Hokkaido Mental Health Welfare Center head Hitoshi Tanabe, who has spent many years treating addiction, rises in gambling addiction after disasters are common.
"When disaster-affected lifestyles are prolonged, people with gambling or alcohol addictions or tendencies towards those addictions have an increased risk of relapses or worsened symptoms. The jobs, schools, or family connections that would normally be the focus of their energies are gone. Bad temporary living situations and anxiety about the future continue for a long time, leading to an increased desire to drink or gamble. The risk is even higher when disasters cut patients in support groups off from their group therapy," says Tanabe.
Gambling addiction often sets in when a person in an emotionally vulnerable state, like depression or very low self -esteem, gets a thrill from winning at gambling. It becomes habitual to the point that the person can no longer be happy without gambling, and will even spend money they need for the most basic living expense to support their habit. If the person vows to stop, they may continue while hiding it from their family.
"The first thing this person needs to do is go to a hospital or mental health center that treats addiction for diagnosis," Tanabe says. "Treatment starts with the patient and their family accepting there is an addiction. The patient must attend a support group regularly and change their lifestyle while getting expert advice. A person will not recover by just telling themselves that all they need to do is not gamble."
For the disaster areas, he adds, "In addition to passing out addiction checklists and fliers telling people where they can get help, cooperation between judicial scriveners at debt consultation centers -- often visited by gamblers who have hit rock bottom or their families -- and addiction specialists is also effective." A group of judicial scriveners in Miyagi Prefecture has already invited gambling addiction specialists to open study courses.
However, another volunteer mental health worker helping disaster victims says, "When you say 'disaster survivors,' that includes people in a variety of financial conditions, from those who have received life insurance or donation payments to those who have lost their jobs and not received any compensation. Even if they are playing pachinko, if it's within boundaries it's just leisure. For a volunteer, it's hard to find out how disaster survivors are using their money."
At 7:00 p.m. I visited the same pachinko hall again, and there were people waiting for seats. A girl who seemed to be about junior high school age was searching for someone. She approached a woman who had five boxes of winnings stacked next to her. After an exchange of words, the woman handed 1,000 yen to the girl, who for a split second looked sad.
I caught up with the girl after she left the hall and asked if the woman was her mother, and she nodded. I asked about the 1,000 yen.
"She said, 'Go eat next door.' I'm going to the restaurant now," the girl replied. I asked her whether her mother came to play pachinko every day. "She leaves the house saying, 'I'm going to my part-time job,' but..." the girl said, trailing off.
Gambling addiction is surely not a problem that can be solved by blaming anyone, I thought, standing near the blue-white neon lights of the hall. (By Joji Uramatsu, Evening Edition Department)
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