Citizens for More Michigan Jobs Submits More Than 500,000 Signatures to State for November Ballot Consideration

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CONTACT:  Emily Gerkin Palsrok

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                                                                                                                                           epalsrok@lambert-edwards.com

Citizens for More Michigan Jobs Submits More Than 500,000 Signatures to State for November Ballot Consideration

Lansing, MICH –  Two weeks  shy of the July 9 deadline, Citizens for More Michigan Jobs (CMMJ) today delivered 509,777 signatures to the Secretary of State office – demonstrating overwhelming support from the Michigan electorate for the initiative.

"Despite a massive effort in the past month to deter voters from signing our petitions, more  than half a million Michigan residents endorsed our plan to raise the casino tax rate and create thousands of new jobs through the construction and operation of eight new casinos," said Emily Gerkin Palsrok, spokesperson for the coalition.

"We feel confident that our plan offers a positive alternative to the status quo," continued Palsrok.  "Not only does our plan create thousands of new jobs and raise the tax rate on casinos, but it also dedicates the revenue that casinos generate to important items like K-12 spending, police and fire, road improvements and to local counties and municipalities.  The people of Michigan, instead of Lansing politicians, will get to direct how the new revenue is spent, and every dollar will be accounted for on a new public website that will track revenue and expenditures."

Palsrok said the opposition's attempt to dissuade voters from signing the petitions had little or no effect on the effort.

"Voters saw through the hypocrisy of the existing casinos fighting against more competition and an increase in the gaming tax," said Palsrok.  "It is clear that they are not concerned with job creation, or with generating new revenue for important programs like education and public safety.  Rather, they are intent on maintaining the status quo, which allows them to enjoy a very low gaming tax and limited competition.  They made clear from the outset that they are willing to say anything to maintain their monopoly."

CCMJ is proposing eight new privately owned casino locations, which would – if approved by voters in November – creates thousands of good paying jobs and increase state taxes on all private gaming facilities.  The new revenue would directly benefit Michigan schools, roads and bridges, law enforcement, and local units of government.  

The proposed sites would be located in Detroit, Birch Run, Grand Rapids, Romulus, Clinton Township, Clam Lake (Cadillac), Pontiac and DeWitt Township (Lansing).  CCMJ estimates the new casinos will generate $275 million annually in new revenue for the state and create more than 16,000 new jobs.

Currently, Michigan has 25 casinos, but only three are privately owned and pay taxes – one of the lowest tax rates on gaming in the country.   CCMJ’s proposal would increase that tax to 23 percent, with a specified distribution system to benefit core statewide programs, such as education, police and fire programs, road, local government and gaming addiction programs.

With signatures now submitted to the state, CMMJ plans to officially kickoff proactive campaign efforts in July.

CMMJ was formed by Jobs First LLC, a group of Michigan business leaders focused on increasing jobs and economic development across the state by targeting convention and tourism areas.  All proposed private casino locations are on land already owned by Michigan Developers.                                                                    

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Group seeking 8 new casinos in Mich. submits ballot signatures | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

Group seeking 8 new casinos in Mich. submits ballot signatures | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com


The constitutional ballot measure also would increase Michigan's gaming tax to 23 percent from the current 19 percent that MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity and Greektown casinos pay. The current tax is split between the city and the state, while revenue from the proposed 23 percent tax would be dedicated to local communities, state school aid, state road repair and host counties, as well as police and fire in communities throughout the state.

"We feel confident that our plan offers a positive alternative to the status quo," Emily Gerkin Palsrok, Citizens for More Michigan Jobs spokeswoman, said in a statement. "Not only does our plan create thousands of new jobs and raise the tax rate on casinos, but it also dedicates the revenue that casinos generate to important items like K-12 spending, police and fire, road improvements and to local counties and municipalities."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120626/BIZ/206260400#ixzz1z0wEUSIn

Atlantic City's future looking bright after week of positive news - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Atlantic City | Pleasantville | Brigantine

Atlantic City's future looking bright after week of positive news - pressofAtlanticCity.com: Atlantic City | Pleasantville | Brigantine

Maybe we can learn something from Atlantic City's efforts and success in implementing a long term plan. Please see excerpts from the article below:

While casino win figures released Friday were not positive, Atlantic City’s overall economy is on the brink of a turnaround likely to result in an investment stampede, predicted Israel Posner, executive director of Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

“It’s the idea that we’ve been discussing for many years, that Atlantic City is transforming into a full-scale entertainment resort,” Posner said. “That transformation, that vision, is emerging in full bloom. You can see it this summer. You can feel the energy all over the city.

Posner also said that investors who have been shunning the city for the past few years now will be tempted to take a second look. He cautioned that they could lose out if they wait too long.

“I think that what could happen very quickly is that investors will be tripping over each other,” he said. “If you’re late, the opportunities are not there. The early participants that are drawn by the excitement have the most to gain because they are coming in during the threshold of the transformation. If you wait, the risk will be lower, but the reward will be lower, too.”

The Atlantic City Tourism District Master Plan, approved by the CRDA Board Feb. 1, advised that Atlantic City diversify offerings and perhaps partner with other towns on artistic, cultural and other nongaming initiatives. The marketing strategies behind the events themselves matter, too, particularly with social media, the 300-page document stated.

“Everyone is excited and understands we’re in it together, and need to work as a team,” Palmieri said.“That’s a positive thing. And from what I understand, that’s a new thing for this city.”

A Tale of Two Arenas: Detroit's Silverdome vs. Pittsburgh's Civic Arena

  Democracy in America

A Tale of Two Arenas: Detroit's Silverdome vs. Pittsburgh's Civic Arena

• Matt Stroud
• Oct 11, 2011
• 16 Comments

Courtesy Wahlia Creative

A 127-acre, 80,300-seat domed stadium, the all-purpose Pontiac Silverdome, once hosted NBA and NFL teams, the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and musical performances from Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd and many more.

But faced with decades of economic decline, the City of Pontiac—about 30 miles northwest of Detroit—was famously forced to auction the stadium in 2009.

Though the Silverdome was built for $55.7 million in 1975, it sold for a paltry $583,000 in 2009 to Toronto-based developer Andreas Apostolopoulos.

Major publications explored the sale as yet another metaphor for Pontiac’s downfall. One Pontiac resident told the Washington Post the sale made the city look like "the laughingstock of the country."
But in retrospect, the Silverdome sale doesn't look so bad. Instead of spending millions in tax dollars to demolish the stadium and clear 127 acres of land, the Silverdome is still operational; Apostolopoulos has spent millions of his own to rehab the facility and is working on a deal to host a Major League Soccer team.

The Silverdome deal, in fact, may have been rather sweet compared to the saga of a similar property in Pittsburgh.

Built in 1961, the Civic Arena—known as the Igloo—sits in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. It was the first retractable roof venue in the world and it hosted NHL and NCAA games as well as nearly every mainstream musical act to visit Pittsburgh in the last 50 years. While the Igloo’s construction arguably helped sever Pittsburgh’s economic center from its most prominent black neighborhood, the Igloo also represents much of the city’s 20th century history, both good and bad.

In 2007, the Lemieux Group, owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins, arranged with local and state governments to build a new arena, the Consol Energy Center, across the street from the Igloo, which would in turn be razed and converted into a parking lot. (Recent reports have laid out plans for new offices, residences, and chain restaurants like TGI Friday’s and Subway.)

Though Consol’s construction was complete by August 2010, debate over the Igloo’s demolition continued.

In the face of that debate, demolition was set to begin this year. Preservation Pittsburgh—a group that lobbies to conserve historic architectural and environmental sites—appealed to the Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission to halt the Igloo’s demolition on the grounds that the building is a landmark.
That assertion was rejected. But a lawsuit filed in July put brakes on the demolition again. And according to Rob Pfaffmann, a local architect and key member of Preservation Pittsburgh, a main reason behind the push to delay demolition was a behind-the-scenes discussion with Silverdome’s owner, Andreas Apostolopoulos.

Pfaffman says Apostolopoulos expressed interest in purchasing the Igloo and contracting it to Montreal-based Cirque Du Soleil. The circus arts group had, according to Pfaffman, considered using the Igloo as a U.S. training facility. Cirque has never publicly acknowledged that it considered the deal but earlier this year, Pfaffmann, inspired by a tip from a high-level Cirque employee, unveiled an extensive proposal for a Cirque-centric Civic Arena that would, he says, bring “real jobs to the city, new viability for Pittsburgh’s failing airport and a plan that makes use of a historic building rather than tearing it down.”

That proposal fell on deaf ears.

Preservation Pittsburgh’s lawsuit was dismissed last month and a judge gave the go-ahead to begin tearing down the Civic Arena from the inside. The demolition should take months and redevelopment could take years.

While Pfaffman considers the issue closed, he says demolishing the Civic Arena will serve as an example of Pittsburgh destroying its assets unnecessarily.

“You’d think the city would be eager to use the Silverdome as an example here,” he says. “But they haven’t. They want more TGI Friday’s and Subways instead.”

Above image courtesy Wahila Creative

Keywords: Detroit, Pittsburgh, Silverdome, Civic Arena, Sports, Stadiums

Matt Stroud writes about crime, healthcare and city issues from Pittsburgh. All posts »