The Escapades of Navajo Jim
(By Bob Manzke with parts taken from several Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel articles, e-mails, radio shows and other printed sources)
    Governor Doyle appeared on the public radar screen back in the late 1980s. He stepped into the political spotlight as a candidate for the job of Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin. He ran against a man named Hanaway. His campaign claim was that he could better handle the treaty rights problems that were raging at the time, because of his extensive work for the Navajo Tribe. He claimed to be well equipped for the job, because of his knowledge of Indians and how to deal with them.
    And deal with them he did, or maybe I should say deal for them. He refused to appeal the Voigt case which gave the Chippewa the ceded territory, lock, stock & barrel.
    Next federal judge Barbara Crabb legislating from the bench, shoved the word lottery up the citizens of Wisconsin’s nose. She claimed that since the word lottery (which she claimed meant all forms of gambling) appeared in the State Constitution the tribes had the right to turn the state into Nevada. Guess what? Navajo Jim sat on his hands, no appeal of the Judges decree.
    Next, the Potawatomi had a contract with the city of Milwaukee to operate a bingo hall only. The Potawatomi installed slot machines, and The City of Milwaukee raided the place and confiscated the slot machines. The Potawatomi ran to Barbara Crabb and she told Milwaukee to wipe their fannies with their contract. Of course State Attorney General Mr. Doyle applied all his knowledge and ability to handle Indian problems, and did what he had always up to this point; nothing. So now, as a result of the diligent work of the Attorney General, the Potawatomi now have a full blown Las Vegas style casino in the city of Milwaukee. Doyle’s stance & quotes     "I’d like to see the Legislature take that power back. They conceded it to the governor back in the '80s -- this power to negotiate… It's really kind of amazing to me that the Legislature has never taken it back"…Jim Doyle, in August 2000, on whether Legislature should have approval of tribal gaming compacts. Doyle, elected attorney general in November 1990, had a particular disdain for the lottery, which he once blasted in an interview as "government raising money by making people think they might get rich." He liked the lottery even less later that year when a federal judge ruled that because Wisconsin voters had approved a state lottery in 1987, Indian tribes had the right to conduct all forms of casino gambling on tribal lands.
    In June 1991, only days after that ruling, Doyle said in an interview that short of repealing the constitutional amendment that legalized the lottery, there was nothing for the state to do but negotiate with the tribes to avoid wide open gambling on reservations. But a year later, Doyle urged the Legislature to pass a bill proposed by Gov. Thompson that would have prohibited casino gambling in the state. And later in 1992, Doyle endorsed another proposal to ban all Indian gaming in the state by enacting a constitutional amendment prohibiting casino gambling. Tribes buy themselves a Governor     Just days before the November, 2002 election, the three tribes with the most to lose - or win - in state casino negotiations dumped $700,000-plus of soft money into Democratic coffers to help elect Jim Doyle governor. Previously undisclosed federal election reports show that the Ho-Chunk, a tribe that has long wanted to open a full fledged casino in Madison, made a $500,000 donation to the Democratic National Committee on Oct. 29. The very same day, the Potawatomi contributed $200,000 to the same fund. Two days later the Oneida, which just signed a tentative deal allowing it to offer a wider array of casino games 24/7, sent $25,000 to the Democratic fund. That national fund then turned around and within days kicked back about $1 million to the state Democratic Party, which used the money to boost support for Doyle and the rest of the party ticket. Potawatomi score big time     Suddenly Doyle found himself in the position of pay back, the Potawatomi demanded and got the following for their campaign contribution.
1) Expanded betting: Pari-mutuel wagering would be allowed on live horse and dog races; no limit on number of slot machines at Milwaukee casino; roulette, craps and other games allowed if they're operating at northern Illinois casinos or in other Wisconsin tribal casinos.
2) Expanded hours: Casino could be open all day. And the compacts were forever. Payments to state: Potawatomi would pay the state $6.4 million on June 30 under old deal; $40.5 million in 2004; and $43.62 million in 2005 Payments after 2005: In 2006, 7% of net profits; 2007-'08, 8% of profits; 2009, 7%; 2010-'11, 6%; and 6.5% thereafter. 25 year review: The state or tribe could seek to amend the compact but not until mid 2029. The Governor's crafty and cunning negotiating team got just one enormous concession from the Indians for the state, but it's a biggie. They got them to give up Sovereign immunity. That's right the tribe bought the whole shebang with something that never existed. Death of dog tracks?     The compact also allows the tribe to offer betting on simulcast horse and dog races, something an official with Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha said would likely be the death knell of that facility." It's absolutely unconscionable. What little gas is left in our tank is now being totally drained from us," said Roy Berger, Dairyland's executive vice president. He said he saw no prospect for relief for the tracks once the new gambling deals are finalized. Only two of five dog tracks that started in the late 1980s remain in operation - Dairyland and Geneva Lakes Greyhound Park in Delavan. The track owners, in conjunction with tavern operators, have been seeking legislative approval for video slot machines hooked up to the state lottery, something the new tribal casino compacts would effectively quash.
    The provision that would have given The Potawatomi exclusive rights within 50 miles of its Menomonee Valley operation was later removed by the BIA to clear the way for a Kenosha casino. Citizens say ENOUGH     The uproar of the citizens of the state prompted the state legislature to say ENOUGH, we need to get this under control. More than two thirds of Wisconsin residents believe the Legislature should have the final say over tribal gambling compacts negotiated by Gov. Jim Doyle, a statewide poll shows.
    Pollsters found that 68% of those surveyed favored lawmakers getting a vote on the big money deals that Doyle needs to balance the upcoming state budget, while 29% said the governor should continue to have ultimate approval of the deals. And a majority of respondents also gave a thumbs-up to video gambling in taverns on a 58% to 37% split, if the taverns paid a fee to the state. Legislative action     In response to the above poll the state legislature passed two bills that would give them (the legislature)and consequently the taxpaying public more say in the negotiating of the tribal compacts. Doyle vetoed both bills. Governor Doyle sure did a flip-flop. As late as August 2000 he felt the legislature should be part of compact negotiations, and now he vetoes the same legislation. Behold: The power of Indian gambling money Doyle Veto     Even though the Republicans have a simple majority in both houses of congress, a 2/3 majority in the senate was needed to override Doyle’s veto. The voting was pretty much along party lines, and the necessary 2/3 vote wasn't achieved. Therefore the overrides failed.
      The votes of two democrats are interesting and should be investigated. First, democratic black state senator Gary George of Milwaukee voted to override the veto. He also made a stirring speech on the senate floor condemning gambling. Shazam!!! Just like that a coalition came out of nowhere to recall Mr. George. Could this be "The power of Indian Gambling Money?"     And then there is State Senator Roger Breske, who claimed to support the override of Doyle’s veto of the legislature's bill to include congress in the negotiation of Indian Compacts. The last minute, he changed his vote, allowing the veto to stand. PARR heard that Senator Breske claimed that he made a deal with the Governor that went like this: In turn for his vote the Governor will back the Senator's push to keep the state's intoxication level at point one. It's PARR’s understanding that this kind of vote dealing is illegal, and that's probably why we only heard about this once. PARR Editor. Tribal admission of fact     "We're an industry. If government treated every industry like this, we'd have empty grocery stores and lines outside gas stations," DelaRosa, a councilman for the Oneida tribe told lawmakers. That statement is right on the nose, that's exactly what the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 proclaimed; that Indian tribes are corporations and not sovereign nations. Did giving the state to the Indians help the average tax-paying-citizen of Wisconsin?     Although Gov. Jim Doyle's budget calls for $237 million in Indian gaming revenue in the two years ahead, a top aide said Monday the figure may be less than $200 million, in part because the poorest tribes would get a break on payments to the state.
    The projected increase in tribal payments is a key part of Doyle's plan to close a $3.2 billion budget deficit in the 2003-'05 state budget. If the tribes pay $37 million - or 15% - less than what's in Doyle's budget, the state will either have to cut spending or increase revenue by that amount to make up the shortfall.
    Total property tax bills in December could rise between 8.2% and 9.4% under Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed state budget. How much are property taxes expected to go up on a home valued at $132,796 are under Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed state budget? If local governments levy taxes to make up for the cuts in local aid included in Doyle's budget: $2,704, an increase of $187 from the year before. Source: Legislative Fiscal Bureau by the Numbers. A 9% increase in property taxes would be the highest one year increase in three years, officials said. Satellite Reservations     The Federal Indian Gaming law of 1987 states in part as follows: Expansion of Gaming to Other Tribal Lands. Generally, Class III gaming may not be conducted on trust lands acquired after October 17, 1988, unless the land was adjacent to the boundaries of the reservation as they existed on that date.  And, a 1993 Constitutional Amendment that limits gambling was established by the following question on a state referendum which passed by an overwhelmingly big margin, stated in part as follows: Gambling expansion prohibited. Shall article IV of the constitution be revised to clarify that all forms of gambling are prohibited except bingo, raffles, pari-mutuel on-track betting and the current state run lottery. These two laws seem to be pretty much straight forward, yet during Jim Doyle’s watch he is now babbling about further expansion of satellite casinos & the games they are allowed to play.  Doyle’s political bankroll: Apparently Mr. Doyle has politically bankrupted himself with his I have been elected King of The state of Wisconsin and the screw the legislature and the wish of the citizens.
    In the first election since he won the state's highest political post, Doyle endorsed two candidates - former Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and state Senate wannabe Alex Paul. Team Doyle's record on election night: 0-2. And, in Paul's case, the Democratic Governor went all out for the rich guy cutting ads, making appearances, and the candidate still got clobbered, losing by better than a 2-to-1 ratio. Behold: The power of Indian gambling money Failed! PARR Ed Note: Appears that Doyle has one ally left, and when he no longer can pay back his debt to the United Tribes of Wisconsin, they will drop him like a hot potato also.
    And how about the poorer taxpayers? Property taxes are paid by all; property owners and renters alike. We don't see the compassion for them. Apparently you have to be a blood brother of Chief Navajo Jim.
    The Wisconsin State Lottery is slowly declining. The yearly property tax relief has dropped from over $200, when the lottery first started to considerably less than $100 - ($76 in Milwaukee). The Indian Casinos in Wisconsin which are raking in phenomenal amounts of money, most of which has no bearing on tax relief, are contributing considerably to the demise of the State Lottery. The state can't provide entertainment, cut rate drinks, food, lodging, etc., to entice gamblers. The state Lottery was enacted for the sole purpose of providing property tax relief and is being run out of business.
    As above mentioned, the legislative committee approved a bill placing a number of limitations on the governor regarding gambling compacts with Wisconsin tribes—to include "Allow any new gaming activities based on gaming activities in Canada." This reminded your editor of the following comment made by the Canadian expert on Canada's INDIAN INDUSTRY concerning Canadian tribal gambling in his book: (OUR HOME OR NATIVE LAND) "The second principle on which a new policy must be built is the principle of law which treats all Canadians equally. It is contrary to all that Canada stands for to support a policy that extends special privileges based on race or ethnicity. This principle is so fundamental to liberal democratic societies that it should not even be necessary to state it. And yet, this principle is ignored by governments in Canada in furtherance of the native agenda."