The tribe's Ho-Chunk casino refuses to pay
3 February 2005
In Madison, the tribe was given an ultimatum either to transfer revenue payments, accumulated over the past two years from the Ho-Chunk Nation casinos, or else it is bound to be closed by the commissioned Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. The tribe's debt to the state is gauged in $60 million. State Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah expressed his indignation in regard to the tribe's conduct saying that the least they could have done was to make a good-faith effort. But the tribes refuse to acknowledge the terms of a compact assigning to it its own interpretation. A Ho-Chunk spokeswoman said no payments will be transferred since no such obligation can be inferred from the terms of the compact.
The tribe allegedly agreed to pay thirty million dollars of annual payments, because it received a green light to offer additional games such as poker, craps and roulette without an expiration date. However, the tribe ended up not catering these games, since the state Supreme Court ruled early last year that Doyle, having no appropriate authority made a similar deal with the Potawaromi tribe. This has brought Ho-Chunk, together with 10 other tribes to face another negotiation trial with Doyle. The other nine tribes continue to cater an expanded suit of games and make annual payments to the state.
After the Potawatomi suit, Republicans, keep suffocating state's endeavors to negotiate the best deals, when Kaufert demands $8,3 million a year from the Ho-Chunk casino. His rationale was as follows: while the expanded games are not offered the casino is still operated "for free". Doyle who is not authorized to shut down the casinos, still hopes by the next week to reach an agreement with the Ho-Chunk, when he is due to deliver his budgets to the Legislature.
Source: Online Casinos News Staff
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