Hotel Online Special Report
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Stopping Casino Gambling in Detroit Before It Starts!
Still Time for Legislative Initiative by Petition to Be on Nov. 3, 1998 
Statewide General Election Ballot
 
LANSING, Mich., Aug. 27, 1998 -  The following is a statement released today by Coalition to Repeal Proposal E:

"Yesterday we asked Gov. John Engler to remove JamesAlexander, the senior attorney of Gov. Engler's two Republican appointees on the Board of State Canvassers. Gov. Engler has the obligation to remove any appointee for conflict of interest, abuse of office and malfeasance.

"To the extent that John Truscot can be trusted to speak for the Governor, Engler was reported today to reply: 'Jim Alexander absolutely has no conflict of interest.'

"However, in the same Lansing news story, Alexander is quoted as admitting: 'I made a mistake. I shouldn't have initiated the vote at last Monday's meeting that delays consideration of the anti-casino petitions until September 18.'

"Additional investigation today of 1996 and 1997 campaign finance reports of the two committees that raised and spent $11.3 million to get Proposal E passed by a 1 % margin in 1996, and Alexander's January 25, 1998 'Lobby Registration Report' filed with the Secretary of State Bureau of Elections, further implicates James Alexander in serious wrongdoing. Probably bribery.

"We have a paper trail in state records of how James Alexander has corrupted the political process in Michigan for personal gain by not disclosing his attorney/lobbyist representation of gambling casino promoters since 1995.

"Alexander, as Chairman of the Board of State Canvassers, voted to validate petition signatures to put Proposal E as a Legislative Initiative by Petition on the November 1996 general election ballot. Previously unchallenged records show most of the petition circulators were not registered voters from Michigan as required by state election law. Alexander's secret clients paid over $1 million to an out-of-state firm to send in crews from California, Ohio, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

"'Native American gambling casino operators' joined Las Vegas gambling casino operators in funneling $8 million into Michigan during the final three weeks of the 1996 campaign. They barely won voter approval for the State of Michigan to license three gambling casinos in Detroit. Campaign treasurer for the main committee was Thomas Celani, CEO, Action Distributing, Inc., 35455 Veronica, Livonia, MI 48150.

"Something called 'Z.R.X., L.L.C.', listed in Secretary of State records at the same Celani address, reported contributing $5,061,000.

"Yesterday's THE DETROIT NEWS described how Thomas Celani stopped delivery of Miller Beer from Action Distributing after receiving 'what were described as bomb components at his Bloomfield Township home three days before the sale of Action, according to Tom Shields, a spokesman for Action Distributors and Atwater Casino Group.'

The story further states: 'Celani was trying to sell Action to pave the way for a casino license,
but a Teamsters dispute partially blocked the sale.'

"As described in our August 26 letter to Gov. Engler demanding immediate removal of James Alexander from the Board of State Canvassers, Tom Shields, Roger Martin and John Pirich, all Lansing touts for Las Vegas and Indian gambling casinos in Michigan, are using Shields' Lansing office as a front for 'Citizens to Protect Michigan Jobs.'

"Celani, Ilitch, Nellie Varner, Las Vegas and Native American gambling casinos have evidently set up that front group to orchestrate James Alexander to keep our grassroots citizen Legislative Initiative by Petition from being validated by the Board of State Canvassers before Friday, Sept. 4.

"According to our Michigan Constitution, we have every right to expect our petitions will be validated by the Board of State Canvassers in time for the November 3, 1998 statewide general election. "The Secretary of State Bureau of Elections has been checking the numerical sufficiency of registered voters on our petitions for almost two months. We turned in 277,815 when we only needed 247,127. Close scrutiny repeatedly demanded by James Alexander on behalf of his gambling casino front group still has not reduced the number of valid signatures below the minimum number required.

"If Gov. Engler will immediately remove James Alexander as an unlawful roadblock, the Board of State Canvassers could schedule a public meeting upon 18 hours' notice, and voters could decide on Nov. 3, 1998 to stop casino gambling in Detroit before it starts. Opinion polls show voters will prohibit gambling casinos in Detroit if the issue is on the ballot as Proposal D on Nov. 3, 1998."
 

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Contact:
Bill McMaster, 
McMaster Marketing PR, 
248-646-1892, or home, 248-645-2352, 
for Coalition to Repeal Proposal E
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Also See:
U.S. Gaming Revenue Growth to Drop by More Than 5O Percent This Year, Bear Stearns / April 1998 
Three Casino Groups to Proceed with Hotel/Casino Developments in Detroit / Nov 1997 
City of Detroit and Casinos Sponsor Forums to Sign up For Casino Jobs and Business Opportunities / June 1998 

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