Does anyone remember Tommy Thompson and the dog track "enhancement" program? I bet that made a great deal of money with which we supported our public schools. It seems that political memories are short and convenient, depending upon which side one supports.

MooShoo

It worked for Doyle.

I'll bet that gambling is a risky development plan. But I'll still see you at the casino, I enjoy the company of other losers.

Just like the cooperation with our Wisconsin Legislature.

janesvillean

"Gazette editorial today pretty much agrees with my assessment"

Both are opinions, and we all have one. As far "pubic opinion", wasn't there a statewide referendum in 1993, when the majority of the state did not want an increase in gambling in Wisconsin?

janesvillecomments stated...
"The tribes are in competition with each other"

It makes perfect sense that the tribes should come to some type of agreement BEFORE Walker makes a final decision.

I don't believe Walker has made a final decision , first the Feds have to give the go ahead. He did list some criteria he would like to see before he would approve a new casino, as listed in the article below.

Walker: Casino needs all tribes’ support

http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/walker_c...

I would like to see a casino open in Beloit, but I don't get to make the decision. I am sure Ms. Klett would like to see some jobs come to her home town of Beloit, we all would. The Potawatomi need to start compromising, but it seems they are unwilling to even talk with the others. You can blame Walker if you want, but cooperation must come from the tribes first, if they want more gaming.

wislady, I don't know what points you're trying to score here, except it looks like you want to run to teacher and claim I pushed you on the playground at recess. It's pretty much the only comeback you have -- changing the subject, pretending your opponent has an inconsistent position, and waving your hands furiously to distract from the real issues. If you were on a school debate team, they would have ejected you out of embarrassment.
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Walker's position here makes very little sense and you have done nothing to refute that. The Gazette editorial today pretty much agrees with my assessment. Even Walker's own tourism secretary, Rock County's own Stephanie Klett, advocated for the casino, but he sure threw her under the bus on that one. Walker has a responsibility to come clean about the basis for his illogical position, or open up the process to a public decision.

reader101

It was very obvious the "special" connection Doyle had with the tribes. One person went to jail over the money laundering that was done to get the casino approved. Doyle should have been on trial also.

woody
The aquatic center is still there, hopefully under better management.

http://www.whitewateraquatic.com/

This is again part of Walker's plan to divide and conquer. Only this time it is the tribes. He is not on very good terms with the Northern tribes right now.

"even Whitewater has an aquatic center"
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You mean the one that went broke? Good one wisslady, just what jville needs, another money pit.

Walker supports most anything to foster economic development and job creation? Please. He has a terrible track record. Track, get it? Think of the economic boom to the State and all of the jobs that would have been created if he had not rejected federal funds for the light rail system.

The tribes have been fighting for more casinos for many years, this is nothing new. They were allowed to expand when they paid Doyle off. There should have been a John Doe into that scandal and money laundering, Troha isn't the only one who should have been convicted.

Bowlgal

I agree. It is amazing that for all the money Janesville spends on ice arenas and ball fields, the city can not figure out how to have a water park, even Whitewater has an aquatic center. I enjoy casino visits (especially during the winter), and it would be nice to have a facility closer than an hour drive. A lot of families head to the Dells for the water parks, so if the Beloit project included a nice water park, that would be a real plus.

Having the tribes arrive at a consensus is a good start.

janesvillean

You must have hated Doyle and his sleazy tactics.

Remember the scandal involving Dennis Troha (a large Doyle contributor) and the developer of the Menominee casino in Kenosha? Troha and 12 of his family members were donating to Doyles 2002 and 2006 campaigns, in exchange for support for gaming and the relaxing of trucking restrictions. Troha was convicted of money laundering.

Then, he transferred 200 Million from the Wisconsin Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund to the state’s general fund. the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in 2010, that transferring the money was ILLEGAL and it was ordered to be paid back (which Governor Walker did).

So, tell us more about transparency.

But will add, I am for a Beloit Casino with hotel and convention center that would mirror the Wis. Dells facility.

I need more to this story then one line pulled from an article with no link. For now, keeping an open mind and my opinion to myself.

wislady, you are the one with the reflexive politics that supports Walker in every single way. What I am against is decision-making being behind closed doors and centralized in an office whose resident has shown that he has no interest in consulting with citizens. If Walker were to open up this process and give it to a blue ribbon committee or handle it normally through existing offices that would be an entirely different story.
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The issue is not that I dislike what Walker "decides". The issue is that, bizarrely, Walker is the one and the only one making this decision. It's the opposite of Wisconsin political tradition. It's like the entire rest of the state government has ceased to exist except insofar as a tool to advance what Walker wants.
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Really, can you explain to me in simple terms why he has made this decision? It has no public history of comment or discussion. He has just decreed something. I expect the decision is as opaque to you as to anyone else who is not named Scott Walker.

He is obviously against it!

So, being that the tribes are going to fight the mining bill, this is his payback to get tough with them? Maybe if the tribes didn't have the money making casinos, they wouldn't have money to hire lawyers? Is that it, scooter?

"Line my pockets." Quote unknown.

It's like saying any voter can veto Scooters governorship....hey, wait a minute...I kinda like THAT.

How' bout it Scooter? Do you really feel that good about it?

Didn't think so hypocrite.

janesvillean

Whichever way Walker would chose, you would dislike it. Now, he is saying the tribes should decide on the casinos, and you don't like that.

The tribes are in competition with each other. If Governor Walker has to arbitrate a solution, it will be a lot of time-consuming work with 11 different groups that have special Federal status. It's almost a guarantee that not everyone will be happy with whatever solution or compromise he might come up with and he might wind up in court over it.

This way, he saves a lot of his and state employees time and effort, and whatever consensus the tribes reach, the tribes can't blame him for the results.

It's like the solution a Mother would use for dividing up the last of a cake or pie between two kids. If mom cuts the dessert up, no matter how evenly she divides it, one or both kids might complain about the other getting the bigger piece. If she tells one kid to slice it and the other kid gets 1st pick, they can't complain to Mom - it was their own choices.

Casino's and the lottery are merely taxes on people who are bad at math.

Is everything ok Greg?? You AGAIN hold down every single spot for the 'community' bloggers only this time 3 of them don't end with a question mark. Anyways, I hope all is well.

In Wisconsin, this would have been decided by consultation with the tribes, public hearings, and participation by our elected legislators. In Wississippi, Walker just decides.

Could it be that the eleven tribes haven't contributed to Walker's campaign fund? Or could it be that only one contributed and this is his payback?