(Facebook.com)
For the last two and a half years, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin – along with their partner the Seminole Tribe of Florida – have been trying to woo the Kenosha community and elected officials to get approval for their latest attempt to open an off-reservation casino in Kenosha. That’s not particularly surprising – they need elected officials’ and community support in order to get their casino application approved.
However, taking a closer look at the Menominee Tribe’s efforts show that they actually spent the last two and a half years catering to Democrats and helping get them elected in an effort get their off-reservation casino application approved.
Just look and some of the high profile actions the Menominee Tribe has taken since announcing their latest casino proposal.
The Menominee Tribe announced their plans to build a new off-reservation casino in Kenosha in July 2022. Only three months later, the Menominee hosted two “Get out the Vote” events on their reservation. The events, held on October 17 and 19, 2022, were only three weeks from the November 8 General Election in Wisconsin.
The featured guests included the Democratic candidates for Governor and United States Senate – Tony Evers and Mandela Barns. No Republican candidates for office were present at the events.
At the rally, Menominee Tribal Chairman Ron Corn heaped praise on Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Said Corn, “When a governor reaches out to the native communities like Governor Evers has, good things happen.” And adding, “We owe a lot of gratitude to the Governor.”
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Winkler was also at the rally, reminding tribal members how many Democratic votes come out of Menominee County and how important they are to helping Democrats win statewide.
“There’s no county in Wisconsin where more people voted for Democrats than in Menominee county. In Milwaukee County 69 percent of the voters cast ballots for Democrats. In Dane County, Madison, where I live, 76 percent of voters cast ballots for Democrats. In Menominee County, it was 82 percent, a statewide record,” said Winkler.
The words of encouragement at the rally from Menominee tribal leadership, Governor Tony Evers, and Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Ben Winkler paid off. In the 2022 General Election, Menominee County continued to generate Democratic votes at eye-popping percentages.
Tony Evers won Menominee County with a staggering 78.7 percent of the vote. Just like 2020, no other county – including Dane and Milwaukee – voted for Democrats at a higher percentage than Menominee County.
And while Mandela Barnes didn’t win the race for U.S. Senate, he overwhelmingly won Menominee County with 78.5 percent of the vote. Again, the highest percentage of Democrat votes in the state.
Democrat Tony Evers won re-election to a second term in 2022. Following his victory, Menominee Tribal Chairman Ron Corn issued a statement saying,
“On behalf of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, I extend our sincere congratulations to Gov. Tony Evers on winning reelection to serve another four years as the state’s chief executive. We offer our best wishes for his success as he continues his service to Wisconsin. The Menominee have been proud to host the governor for several visits to our reservation over the past number of years, and we consider him a friend and someone who understands our culture, our history, and our needs. The next four years will be important both for Wisconsin and the Menominee Nation, and we look forward to working with Gov. Evers on the issues of economic development, elderly services, education, health care, and other topics and challenges facing both the state and our Tribe.” – Menominee Chairman Ron Corn, November 9, 2022
Having helped secure some significant statewide victories for the Democrats in 2022, the Menominee then turned their sights on the 2024 election and worked to ensure that a Democrat would retain the White House.
And once again, the Menominee Tribe backed the Democratic candidate and turned out in force to support Vice President Kamala Harris. In late October, two weeks before the November 2024 election, Menominee Chairwoman Gena Kakkak traveled on Air Force One with Democratic President Joe Biden.
On election day, more than 80 percent (80.5%) of Menominee County voted for Kamala Harris. Again, no other county voted for Kamala Harris at a higher percentage than Menominee County. And while tribal reservations around the country saw significant increases in votes for Donald Trump, Menominee County was one of the exceptions.
However, despite the Menominee Tribe’s best efforts in the 2024 election, Republican Donald Trump won both Wisconsin and nationwide. And with some key wins down ballot around the country, Republicans will also control Congress. A Republican Administration will now also control the fate of their proposed Kenosha casino.
Given the Menominee Tribe’s history and past actions to support and elect Democrats, Republicans should be weary of the Menominee’s intentions. The Menominee Tribe has put in a lot of effort to help Democrats over the years, but it looks like their history of bad bets have finally caught up to them.
28 Responses
Republicans have been hostile to Indian gaming for decades, would you blame them? As a business you always give money to politicians that can help your cause. Gov McCallum a Republican killed the Casino for Kenosha. Lets not forget history.
It was Scott Walker that stopped the Kenosha effort in 2015.
Scott McCallum stopped the Casino on the Minnesota border in 2001.
Yes, let’s not forget history.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/05/15/wisconsin-governor-bars-indians-casino/71bc1097-e15a-459a-b9ec-546c48e143f1/
….. around them countless social problems not to mention all the dollars associated with those social problems.
Divorce. Alcoholism. Family dissolution.
It’s been studied many many times.
Additionally the local $$$ cost to “assist” those local families when gambling destroys the family unit is more $$ than the Casinos profess to add to the local community.
And because they are sovereign and pay no property taxes they are under no obligation to pay for the problems they caused.
They say they will pay a yearly stipend to those entities but it’s can never make up for the cost to the moms and dads and the children that suffer because of the bad choices.
Look it up.
Humans are born with free will. Alcohol is a bad addiction, smoking is a bad addiction. So many things can “cause” dissolution of marriages, casinos are no different. I’d never go there to gamble, just like I choose not to go to IL and buy THC…
Easy access to gambling harms the community it’s in.
Yes nobody forced you to go but we don’t need to make it even easier than it already is.
Is it too far to drive to Milwaukee ?
Or Waukegan ?
When is enough enough ?
Not to mention all the scum it attracts to the community. Leave it in Milwaukee
Really??
How about the good it might do. Jobs? Revenue??
Revenue ?
If you’re talking about for the community in taxes to Kenosha ? They aren’t obligated to pay any. Indian Tribes are sovereign.
The only money going into local coffers is negotiated before hand. But it’s a wash or even not enough when you consider all the services that that building requires not to mention all the social services that the community will have to generate from the broken families and alcoholism and financial ruin the burden of the undisciplined gambler will bring home.
Nice try though.
Thanks for playing !
SO GLAD SCOTT WALKER STOPPED IT! We don’t need it!
This is a new proposal. Goes to Evers.
My bet is that he will approve it.
Just a matter of when
The pick-me Republicans on the last county board couldn’t remove their heads from the Native butts during the woo’ing process. Those board meetings were tough to watch- kinda like the ugly fat girls trying out for the cheerleading squad.
Those of us on the right who were screaming, “NO!” are having some hella, “Told ya so!” moments.
Sam Kerkman is the ugly fat girl poster child.
Of course the people living on the reservations vote Democrat. They, as “payment” for the horrible treatment they received, and the theft of their land, are the biggest recipients in the country of government entitlement programs. As a direct result, Menominee County, and the other reservations in the U.S. are the poorest and have the highest rates of alcohol and drug abuse. Off reservation casinos are just another way to siphon off cash from other people and to give the middle finger to the taxpayers who were stuck with the financial and human costs of police enforcement and increased addiction.
They, as “payment” for the horrible treatment they received, and the theft of their land, are the biggest recipients in the country of government entitlement programs.
Indians never believed in land rights so not sure if theft is a proper classification.
Nice revisionist history!
The RHINOS who voted YES for the casino last year following County Executive Kerkman’s lead were Supervisors Dave Geertsen, Erin Decker, Brian Thomas, Jeff Gentz, Brian Bashaw, Aaron Karow, Amanda Nedweski, John Poole and Zach Rodriguez.
Decker, Thomas and Rodriquez even made a day trip up there to pick the moccasins.
When it came to giving you the taxpayer and resident a voice the same supervisors above all voted NO on a binding referendum.
Most of these are your Republicans Mr. Mathewson.
Here’s a link from Westofthei from a story Darren Hillock did 10 years ago Friday.
Below is the statement Samantha Kerkman made at that time voicing her Full Support for the casino at the dog track then.
https://www.westofthei.com/2015/01/10/rep-kerkman-casino-pact-ruling-puts-gov-in-better-position-to-approve/50717
Add up any jobs this casino creates, then add in all the payouts for any winnings on any games, and it’s nothing compared to the cash they siphon from the communities.
SCAM
Scott Walker decided against this new location and expansion in the state.
There was also an issue with the competition in Milwaukee. Some legal eagles said that that was workable while others said it wasn’t.
Additionally it was at a time Illinois was thinking about expanding their gambling footprint beyond their Riverboat restrictions. Which they have now done. In that thinking it was Illinois saying they would give Waukegan a Casino and Wisconsin trying to beat them in a race to put a casino on or close to the state border. Hence Kenosha.
We all know the daily busses that come up from Illinois to Milwaukee to bring all those retired gamblers. Now it will be a different calculation.
All that said, with all the social ills gambling brings, isn’t Milwaukee or Waukegan close enough for you to get your fill ?
Really? What kind of cash gets siphoned from the community? Examples?
Take a minute and google social cost to a community from casinos in their city.
Study after study will show you the aftermaths of the community problems.
Just look it up
Funny how County Board Supervisors, all Republicans, supported shoving the casino down our throats in a matter of a few weeks. Thanks to Nudo, Decker, Geersten, Poole, Karrow, Nedweski, Bashaw, and let’s not forget our lack of a leader, Samantha “Photo Queen” Kerkman. The truth will come out about how they all benefited from their votes and support of a corrupt casino and tribe!! Drain the swamp!!!!
County board is a joke. Sam Kerkman is a clown. She kisses ass with the lefties because she thinks they will like her. They will kick her ample backside to the curb first chance they get. She is a waste of oxygen
Kerkman is a 🤡 but without another Republican brave enough to run against her, she’s going to get 4 more photo-filled years. 🤮
Considering the trend to go red, I’ll bet that a serious conservative candidate will run against Sam in a primary because this next time around it’s almost a certainty that Kenosha will stay red.
With that surety a conservative candidate won’t feel like a run is just wasted money.
Has a good chance to win
Greed for all. Devils
Biden left the meeting with a duffel bag full of cash, after taking a sh*t on the carpet.
Biden always leaves with cash and a sniff of some child’s hair