Dates for Dodge City/Ford County casino decision - Sept. 18-19

[Note that "The emphasis throughout the process will remain on doing things in the open." There are and have been conflict of interest issues in the Dodge City decisions -- private gain planned that was clearly not discussed in the open. Since no doubt these conflict of interest issues will come up in the July public hearings in Ford County and involve the city/county CFAB committee chair -- unless Mr. Starks is off of CFAB by then -- wonder how they will play with the state?]


Gaming board's job won't be lit by neon, Hutchinson News, June 9, By Carl Manning

Deciding who will manage the four state-owned and operated casinos in Kansas won't be a task filled with glitz and glamour.

More likely, it'll be filled with non-glitzy topics such as revenue estimates, population projections and targeted markets.

By the end of September, the decisions will have been made by the seven-member Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board on the developers for a single casino each in Cherokee, Ford, Sumner and Wyandotte counties.

It's important for the board to pick the strongest proposals and the ones offering the best deals for the state. But it's just as important to do it in the open, where the public can see what's happening. Gambling automatically raises concerns for many.

Over the years, the gambling industry has worked on its image, promoting its locations as family friendly, touting its amenities, donating to various causes and making "gaming" the industry term of art.

"There is a sleaze factor associated with the gambling industry, and some of that is deserved from years ago, and they've worked hard to change that. But the sleaze factor is still there, which makes transparency even more important," said Joe Aistrup, head of Kansas State University's political science department.

He said that makes it even more important for the board to go out of its way to show that everything is on the up and up.

"They want to make sure people perceive the decision was made on the merits of each bid compared to a decision being made based on somebody lining their back pockets," Aistrup said.

Chairman Matt All, the former chief lawyer for Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, has emphasized the need for doing everything in the open. To him, transparency is the hallmark of success....

The decision about who will operate the casinos in Cherokee and Sumner counties will come Aug. 21-22 and for Wyandotte and Ford counties Sept. 18-19. Between now and then, board members will conduct public hearings, hear sales pitches from prospective casino managers, talk to their consultants and among themselves....

The emphasis throughout the process will remain on doing things in the open.

"If it gets tainted, then you have the first steps of casino gambling going down the wrong path," Aistrup said. "It could lead to some people wanting to reconsider gambling in the state and maybe legislation affecting the casinos."

Of interest: Butler folds on Edwardsville casino application

Thursday, November 1, 2007

"Butler folds on Edwardsville casino application


On Thursday, the Olathe-based company (Bulletin Board: BUKS) asked the city's planning commission to pull its zoning application for a development that could include a casino, according to a city release.

"The request related to a 140-acre site on Riverview Avenue, southwest of Interstates 70 and 435. Butler said Oct. 10 that its proposal for the site could include a casino, hotel, indoor ski slope and other amenities, but that the indoor ski slope was its only interest at that time. ..."

Kansas City Business Journal

Butler National Services Gaming: Part Two: Donate Land

One other question that didn't get ask by the Dodge City commission of Butler National Service (aka, Butler Gaming) -- given that Why Not Dodge tax funds will be used to prepare the land up to fifty feet from the possible casino -- ie., $4-5 million or more to put in roads, water, utilities, et al. -- often the quid pro quo is that the private land is donated to the cities involved.

Why didn't Mr. Sowers or Mr. Lee or Mr. Lembright ask about that ? (Mayor Smoll and Mr. Sherer were not at the meeting, by the way -- seems odd that the meeting couldn't be scheduled with all the commission present, but did avoid the questions about Smoll being on the Boot Hill Gaming board until recently and Sherer being on Boot Hill Museum board, etc.)

Donating the 33 acres (out of 400 Butler said they purchased) to the City of Dodge City for the Event Center would be a great way to 'pay' Butler Casino's share of this millions of dollars for improvements, won't it.

Since the Events Center is to be built years before the casino, I guess that buying that 33 acres from Butler would be much better for their cash flow, so no doubt not an idea that Butler Gaming wanted to talk about. However, the lack of any questions of meaning after the presentation -- is the casino going to be built with 'green' design elements, for example -- or with reduced water usage -- those also went unasked.

And no questions were asked at all about this new unnamed foundation Mr. Thorpe talked about that promises to help 22 counties, etc., and Boot Hill Museum, too. Seems like foundations make fees for managing money. That is a good question, also -- who will make money from this or will it be done volunteer with no fees?

Casino presentation -- need each citizen of SW Ks to come 10 times each year: half Latino

The over 1,000,000 visits a year to the casino required in the presentation by Butler National Services (ie, Butler National Gaming), means that over half of the visitors will be, of course, Latino. The ethic food area of the casino, it would seem, would be Mexican food. And of course, the 600 part-time and full-time workers -- goes without saying, that most will be speaking Spanish.

But, with no non-Anglo members of the city at the meeting today, this wasn't asked about -- nor was Boot Hill Museum promised anything directly in the presentation -- just a promise that a new, unnamed foundation would take money and distribute it to 22 counties -- no names, no officers, no nothing else official or yet on paper. Even the resolution voted on didn't have a number -- must have been some emergency to have such a fast meeting, huh.

That 90 percent or more of the profit made at the casino will go out of the county was not asked about, either.

There was talk of "high-roller" special rooms -- where people that didn't want to be seen, might gamble -- stars ?

Hey, this is going to be funny. More tomorrow after I stop laughing. By the way, Boot Hill Gaming, although the name was used, doesn't seem to be making the presentation anymore ? Can't be sure what's up with that corporation now.