The Menominee tribe of Wisconsin are seeking to get
a casino into the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, where it seems local residents are
in full support of such an undertaking. At the heart of this venture is a tribal
trust agreement sought for Dairyland Greyhound Park by the tribe, which needs to
be signed by Governor Jim Doyle in order for the casino gambling venture to be
approved.
Although it looks likely that Doyle will sign off
on the trust, the unknown factor is whether Governor Doyle will even have an
opportunity to do so before the upcoming November gubernatorial elections. Doyle
has openly credited tribal casino gambling revenue for helping to keep the state
ledger healthy and in check. He has also said he would largely base his decision
for signing the trust agreement on how the majority of the residents of Kenosha
feel about letting a casino into their city. Since the Kenoshan's have voted two
times in favor of a casino, it would seem the odds of Governor Doyle giving the
agreement a green light are looking good.
The one thing going against Doyle, however, is his
opponent for the Governor's seat - House Republican Mark Green of Wisconsin.
Green has indicated that he would be inclined to permit the agreement as well,
which may cause some voters to second guess Doyle's decision. Another con is
that the trust agreement would give a large portion of casino gambling revenues
to the Mohegan tribe in Connecticut for operating the track for the first few
years.
In the meantime, Indian gaming developer, Dennis
Troha, announced that a required environmental impact study regarding the direct
affects imposed by the casino would be finished by the end of September, at
which time the trust agreement would be one step closer getting in the hands of
Governor Doyle. The Menominee tribe still have to negotiate a revenue agreement
with the State of Wisconsin, which some say should generate nearly $2 billion in
state revenue over a twenty-five year time period.