DOA's Huebsch on tribe's "Menominee Bucks for Milwaukee Bucks" offer, 'we don't believe you!!!'

Just amazing. The Menominee tribes offer to put up the rest of the money for the Bucks arena, and to cover the Potawatomi's losses and any other costs, exposed Scott Walker's politically convenient decision as just another shrewd calculation on his way to the White House. After all, Iowa conservative warned him not to do it:

Walker isn't even considering the proposal, and no one is buying Mike Huebsch's annoying and disrespectful shrug that the offer isn't believable or that it's a media ploy. Here's WKOW's Greg Neumann's coverage:

jsonline: Just hours after the Menominee tribe floated the idea of paying $220 million to cover the taxpayers' share for a new downtown Milwaukee arena … it would post to cover any potential state losses from the Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk casinos … in exchange for approval of its proposed Kenosha casino, Gov. Scott Walker's administration quickly shot down the offer.

No dice, said Mike Huebsch, Walker's administration secretary. "We're finding out through news releases," Huebsch said in Madison. "When you get to the point that you're negotiating by news release, you realize that there isn't any validity to these offers. On looking at it, I don't believe these are genuine offers that they can fulfill."

What, no meetings, no discussions, no negotiations? So what about the jobs and taxpayer money saved? Iowa presidential primary voters said NO:

Iowa  Conservatives there had urged him to reject the project. From the Menominee point of view, the commitment includes the $220 million toward an arena, a $275 million bond to cover losses, plus the estimated $1.2 billion in Kenosha gaming proceeds the tribe has committed to the state. 

Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) said if Walker rejected the latest offer on the casino, it would be difficult for him to support Walker's proposed budget that includes bonding for the Bucks. 

Mr. "Unintimidated" Scott Walker running from Casino decision till After Election?

Looks like the casino decision is more toxic than signing away women's health issues. Or maybe this had something to do with delaying it...this headline from the jsonline:

Potawatomi tribe pours $35,000 into GOP coffers

Remember when the big talking governor gave a hard deadline of 60 days:

Walker said he … believed fast action was important after a debate … "If it's going to happen, it should happen," Walker said. "If it's not, we should move on."

Well, nothing is more intimidating than losing tens of thousands of dollars around election time:

Walker wants to Protect other Statewide Casino's from Kenosha Plan.

This video clip shows Scott Walker's upside down kind of thinking on the Kenosha casino. He actually thinks the Kenosha casino would have a negative effect on casino's in Sauk and Dane County. Really? People in southeastern Wisconsin wouldn't think twice about driving 100 miles or more to gamble?

“Enough Already!” Casino opponents hate the idea of being a good corporate neighbor?

Ask a “free market” supporter why taxpayers should bribe companies to setup shop in their community, and you usually get a blank stare or hear some mumbo jumbo about the "job creators."

But when a corporate neighbor like the Menominee Tribe, with their proposed Kenosha Casino, reaches out to support the local area, conservatives start screaming bloody murder. Like Enough Already,! and this ridiculous headline in their press release:

Menominee Rewrites Playbook on “How to Buy Community Support”

Heaven forbid a business reaches out to their local communities instead of the other way around. Take a look at the Menominee's disgusting offer:

Tribe’s Countless Promises Help Drive Support : The Menominee Tribe has worked overtime to buy community support, in an extraordinary manner that has rewritten the rules of, “How to Buy Community Support.” Examples of the known support that the Menominee Tribe bought include:

A Unionized Casino—The tribe threw the doors of their desired casino open to union organizers, allowing them to employ “card check” a controversial means of unionization. Card check takes away secret balloting commonly used for considering unionization, and allows face-to-face intimidation tactics for approval. If built, this would be the first unionized casino in Wisconsin.

Making Friendly with the Neighbors—The Menominee Tribe has taken “being neighborly” to the nest level, and in doing so earned the support of Racine County Executive Jim Ladwig and other local elected officials. In exchange for Ladwig’s support, the Menominee Tribe has agreed to hire 15% of its workforce from Racine—an unheard of reverse-residency deal.

That’s bad? Any of this bad? The horrors of unionization and employment promises? There’s more:

A Tribe Flips to Support, Price Unknown—Initially, the Oneida Tribe hadn’t taken a position … In yet another backroom deal, the Menominee bought the Oneida’s support in a late-breaking backroom deal for “Provide a variety of financial and banking-related services for the Kenosha casino project.” This is more than getting a toaster when opening a checking account, this is a wink-and-a-nod deal to garner a tribe’s support.

Ouch, brutally friendly. 

This group of “sky is falling” casino paranoids describe their existence like this:

Enough Already! is an active coalition designed to inform the public of the potential off-reservation casino threats.

Keep in mind the area around Green Bay has five casino’s, the entire southeastern Wisconsin area has one. They can’t explain that one.

Where was State Journal when the state saw its 25th...or 26th Casino? Now a new 27th casino is a "bad bet?"

It's funny how no one complained before about too many casinos. I'm still waiting for the media to notice how southeast Wisconsin is served by only one casino, while the less densely populated area around Green Bay has 5....anyone?

Walker supporter and casino opponent "Enough Already! WI" helps make Wisconsin a not-so-open place for Business.

It bears repeating; Wisconsin is open to those businesses supported by Republicans, which in turn, support them back with campaign donations.

Are you a businesses contemplating a move to Wisconsin? Better check to see if you’re ideologically compatible with our state government, or you’ll find yourself vilified, battling red tape and regulation like you’ve never seen before.

Let’s face it, Scott Walker is the biggest impediment to economic progress this state has ever seen.

Enough Already WI press release: “The reality is 94% of Assembly and Senate Republicans sent Governor Walker an even stronger message by not signing the letter of support for the off reservation Kenosha Casino,” said Brian J. Nemoir, Executive Director of Enough Already! WI.

Are you ready for some “down-the-rabbit-hole” economic voodoo advice from a hard core right winger? Put simply: (1) Job creation doesn't achieve Walker’s 250,000 jobs goal, and (2) any increase in employment will only be offset by job losses somewhere else. I kid you not!!!:

“Republicans in the state capitol recognize what John Torinus, a widely respected expert in economic development, said in his column this week that building a new casino in Kenosha will not create jobs.” 

Torinus: “Economists on his (Walker) team should point out that another casino would not help him reach his goal of 250,000 additional jobs by the end of his first term in 2014. Any new casino jobs will be offset by job losses elsewhere in the Wisconsin economy.”

 Torinus once said on Upfront with Mike Gousha, "So if you want to go get your heart bypassed, go find the cheapest hospital. Now that's counter-intuitive, but if you think about it, it's not." You could see Gousha back away, realizing his guest just blew the interview and his credibility in one fell swoop.

The Side Splitting Anti-Menominee Casino Ad Campaign...I can't wait for the next one.

Soooo dumb!!! The following ad against the Menominee tribes proposal to build a casino in Kenosha is so hilariously dopey that you've got to see it to believe it. Take this line for instance:

"Look, Wisconsin already has 24 casinos...and that's a good number!" 

Yeah, no likes the number 25? "A good number?" What does that mean? And this Kenosha casino is bad for business, despite adding thousands of permanent jobs:

"Studies show it'll also steal jobs, revenues and tourism from other cities, resulting in no net gain for Wisconsin. And that sounds bad for everyone else." 

Competition, more business...that sounds bad? Can we say the same thing about Wal Mart stealing customers from nearby small town shops too? Too many nearby McDonald's for Taco Bell and Wendy's? Or Target stealing revenues from Shopko? Gee, adding more stores results in no net gain for the state. Really? This is what Walker means by being open for business?

Throughout this Onion-like ad, the opponents appear to have no real reason to oppose the Menominee casino.

If you look at the map in the ad, you'll see there are five casinos in the Shawano/Green Bay area alone. Now take a look at the most densely populated area of the state in southeastern Wisconsin. One. Just one casino. And they're whining about the competition.

It's even paid for by, get this, "Enough Already Wisconsin."

You'll laugh, you'll cry, but you won't forget the stunning stupidity of what I think is a bizarre but funny ad. I don't like gambling, but after seeing this, I support the casino.