Not a good idea
The Sun-Times editorial board thinks that Attorney General Lisa Madigan should broker a deal to help Neil Bluhm's group take over the idle 10th casino license.
Though her office has initially indicated otherwise, there may be enough flexibility in the language of the Riverboat Gambling Act to allow the license to pass to another party through a negotiated settlement. Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, the last standing contender for the license, asserts strongly that that's the case. Headed by real estate magnate Neil Bluhm, Midwest Gaming says a settlement allowing it to build a casino in Des Plaines would provide five-year tax revenues of $1.1 billion. He's showing us the money.
Bluhm's outfit became a prime contender after Rosemont was effectively removed from the picture by Madigan, based on allegations of mob ties that put the northwest suburb "under a cloud of doubt and mistrust." Rosemont is now seeking restitution of the $45 million it claims it spent on a parking garage for the casino. Bluhm's lawyers and others believe that the garage issue can be resolved through bankruptcy court without impeding his plans under a settlement that could be reached in just a few months. [...]
With so much on the line for the state treasury, we think Madigan should exhaust all possibilities to broker an agreement.
The problem with this is pretty obvious. Bluhm was a huge contributor to AG Madigan's last campaign. The Rosemont people already believe that she shafted their boat to help Bluhm. If she negotiates an agreement to help a major campaign donor, she could be letting herself in for lots more criticism.
posted by Rich Miller @ 11/29/2005 03:02:00 AM
11 comments
11 Comments...
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That isn't the only problem.
Casinos are SUPPOSED to be in impoverished areas. How can you justify Des Plaines when Waukegan and places like Matteson and E. Chicago don't have one?
You can't. Rosemont made no sense except as a political payoff. And that's the only way Des Plaines makes any sense.
And as for the 45MM garage, TOO BAD.
Wait..wait..wait...I am confused...which mobsters are we talking about? The government (Madigan) mobsters, or the real mobsters? I am trouble keeping them straight these days.
Things were so less hypocritical when the real mobsters were running the gambling operations.
Madigan has proven to be extremely ethical thus far - there is no reason to believe she will act otherwise now. Only time will tell, though. If she really wanted to do this, she could have already; overall she has done well so far and deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Lisa has won over a lot of non-believers in this state. I have been a supporter of hers and will continue no matter what she does in this case. But if she involves herself in this and become part of the negotiations instead reviewing after the fact, she will lose a ton of the voters who have gotten over her just being Mike's little daughter.
Isn't Desplaines mobbed up, too? Bluhm is as sleazy as it gets, but he's got connections. Guess if you're not as high profile as Don Stephens you can be a sleaze and still get a casino...
Pat. Talk about way-laiding something. What about how the Flynns and Rosemont waid-laid the people of Illinois. The way that law was written is a joke. They wrote the law so that the 10th license would drive itself to Rosemont and their group. They did it by buying off the other boats by allowing them to go dockside and the horse racing industry by giving them a piece of the 10th license (which they haven't received a dime but it got them onboard). I don't think the Flynn's got anything snatched away from them. They lied and were pompous about it from the get go. They deserve what they are getting. NOTHING.
George Theo also aggravated the situation with certain issues.
Lisa Madigan is a very politically astute lady. She realizes that for her to embroil herself and her office in this "revenue enhancer" for the state of Illinois would be a mistake. Neil Bluhm and his politically connected and wealthy business associates are going to have to pull in markers from someone other than Lisa. I am a Republican and yet I find it refreshing that Lisa will not lower herself into the political fray and simply do what her Party leaders request. This woman deserves to be judged upon her own merits and not based upon who her step-father is nor based on her Party affiliation. She is going to be around for a long while and she is not going to soil herself by being a political lackey for anyone. As a result, she will pull many Republican votes as well as Democrat votes in the next and other upcoming elections. This woman can think for herself and has the ingredient that other political types seem to be lacking-integrity. I only wish she were a member of the Illinois Republican Party.
Don't buy a new suit for Mr. B.'s groundbreaking anytime soon, fellas. Aside from having Bob Clifford fighting for the Flynns in court, he has a teensy weensy legal problem of his own having nothing to do with gaming but everything to do with being able to get a license. His company paid the wrong guy a finder fee.
A tough break for such an engaging chap.
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This is just what Illinois needs, Lisa Madigan selcting who does and doesn't get a casino. Heck, I thought Lisa was against casinos!
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