Riley's Web of Deceit » State

Country Crossing files fundraising complaint against anti-gambling group

deceit enforcer — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:52:19 +0000

The Country Crossing Bingo facility south of Dothan Ala., on US 231. Country Crossing has filed a fundraising complaint against the anti-gambling group Citizens for a Better Alabama, claiming it has not disclosed details of its fundraising. Citizens for a Better Alabama president Eric Johnston says his group is not required to disclose those details. MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A Country Crossing representative on Thursday filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, accusing a prominent anti-gambling group of breaking the law by not disclosing details of its fundraising to the state.

But the president of the anti-gambling Citizens for a Better Alabama, Eric Johnston, said state law doesn’t require such disclosures from his type of group, and the complaint is a ploy to distract from an ongoing criminal probe into pro-gambling lobbying.

“I think all they’re trying to do is call attention from the FBI investigation, just point fingers back in the opposite direction,” Johnston said.

Country Crossing spokesman Jay Walker said the complaint he filed is “very real and very serious.”

“It is a crime in Alabama not to disclose a political action committee’s financial records,” Walker said. He added that “the investigation that a lobbyist for Country Crossing is under is as political as a race for county commissioner.”

Investigators have, in recent days, questioned Jarrod Massey, who lobbies for the Dothan-based gambling and country music venue, as well as other interests.

In a letter, dated Thursday, to Assistant Attorney General Brenda Smith, Walker notes that Johnston’s group received $138,000 in contributions from GOV PAC. Gov. Bob Riley, a staunch gambling opponent, is listed as the chairman of that political action committee, or PAC.

However, two different PACs named Citizens for a Better Alabama — one of which Johnston chairs — have not filed campaign finance reports with the Secretary of State’s Office recently.

“I ask that an investigation of these organizations be conducted immediately, and that both organizations be compelled to file any required current financial disclosures,” Walker’s letter said.

A Riley spokesman noted that a leading pro-gambling group, the Let Us Vote Coalition, also has not disclosed details of its fundraising.

Both the pro- and anti-gambling lobbies have been running advertisements on the issue, but neither group likely needs to produce campaign finance records for the state, Johnston said. Such disclosures are only required for groups seeking to influence Alabama elections — not for groups lobbying only for particular issues, according to Johnston.

“We haven’t raised money to influence a campaign or a referendum, so there’s no requirement to file,” Johnston said.

Marion Steinfels, a spokeswoman for the Let Us Vote Coalition, said her group is also not required to file campaign finance reports under state law. She said “hotel operators, track and facility operators and entertainment providers” fund the coalition, but did not give more details.

“As for a list of contributors, with the ongoing barrage of attacks and efforts to intimidate anyone who disagrees, I’d be hesitant to ask our funders to put themselves in their crosshairs,” she said in an e-mail.

Steinfels added that her group has disclosed more information than has Johnston’s.

State law requires that a PAC file campaign finance reports prior to any election in which the group “receives contributions or makes expenditures with a view toward influencing such election’s result.”

Asked how the statute would apply to the gambling lobbies in question, staff within the Secretary of State’s Office said that determination would have to be made by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Troy King has feuded publicly with Riley about gambling and is currently trying to take control of the state’s gambling litigation from the governor. King Chief of Staff Chris Bence indicated that would not impact the decision.

“It will be treated as all other complaints of violations of the Fair Campaign Practices Act,” Bence said. “Beyond that, we cannot comment at this time.”

From the Mobile Press-Register. Article By George Altman; Photo by Joe Songor

April 09, 2010, 8:31AM

GOP says it can block electronic bingo bill in the Senate

corruption reporter — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:57:26 +0000

March 24, 2010, 3:01PMRepublican senators said today they have the votes to block an electronic bingo bill.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Republican state senators who blocked a bill to tax and regulate electronic bingo said Wednesday they have enough votes to stop a new version that they called worse than the original.

Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, tried to get the Senate to begin debate on his original electronic bingo bill March 3, but he needed 21 votes and only got 18. Opponents, including some Democrats, had 16 votes.

This week he came back with a new, simpler bill, but the opposition remained.

“We are confident we have at least our 16 — 12 Republicans and four Democrats,” Senate Republican Caucus leader Jabo Waggoner of Vestavia Hills said at a news conference.

Bedford said he will ask the Senate to address the bill “as soon as I can get 21 votes.”

His original bill specified 10 locations for electronic bingo casinos. The new version doesn’t say where electronic bingo casinos will be. If the Legislature passes the bill and if it is approved in a statewide referendum, then many details — including the casino locations — will be worked out by the Legislature and a state gaming commission.

Bedford said his new bill doesn’t promise anyone a monopoly and requires casinos to pay a minimum tax of 25 percent on the money left after paying winners.

“I don’t think they have any more votes than they had on the old version of the bill,” Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said.

But Republican Caucus members said the new bill is worse than the old one because it has no limit on the number of casinos, it allows casino operators to make unlimited campaign contributions to legislators, and it permits bingo machines to be played with one push of a button like slot machines.

“I don’t think they have any more votes than they had on the old version of the bill,” Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said.

While Bedford was hunting for votes for the bill, two casinos that had announced plans to reopen Wednesday postponed them. Country Crossing in Dothan and White Hall Entertainment Center in Lowndes County decided to wait while the courts determine whether the state attorney general can take over the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling and stop raids on casinos.

Both casinos have been closed nearly two months to prevent a raid by the governor’s task force.

Republican Caucus members said Wednesday they are not taking a position on the legal feud between the Republican governor and the Republican attorney general.

Bedford, a former Democratic candidate for attorney general, figures Attorney General Troy King has the lead in the legal fight.

“It would appear to me the attorney general is the top law enforcement officer in the state,” Bedford said.

(This report was written by Phillip Rawls of The Associated Press.)The Associated Press

An out-of-touch Bob and Patsy talk down to people of Alabama

deceit enforcer — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:15:59 +0000

Patsy Riley shushes the crowd then proceeds to talk down to Alabama voters, comparing bingo halls to meth labs and houses of prostitution. What an outrage! Money doesn’t flow so easily to the hard-working men and women of Alabama as it seems to for the Riley family.

Out of touch in nature, angry and in unprecedented fashion, First Lady Patsy Riley tells the crowd to “get a legal job!” I don’t know if she has ever had a job or not. But it is clear that she and Governor Riley hold the people they were elected to serve in contempt.

The arrogance and condescension they both show in this video is outrageous! Governor Riley says “gambling destroys jobs”? This coming from the same man who himself has destroyed over 3,000 jobs with his warrantless raids! You have to see the video to believe it. He talks about “people thinking they have a birthright to a monopoly”! Again, Riley fails to point out the monopoly he is protecting and desperately hopes to permanently create for the Indian Casinos in Alabama.

While shouting at the people whom they serve, the Riley’s are obviously desperate! Maybe they are seeing their Mississippi connections unravel and are desperate to show their Mississippi Indian Casino buddies a return for the millions given in campaign cash. The monopoly over electronic bingo in Alabama, which was crafted by Governor Riley’s friends–former press secretary and convicted felons–Michael Scanlon and Jack Abramoff . Now in prison for the corruption they committed on behalf of the Mississippi Indian Casinos, one has to wonder if they are in their cells snickering, “Gimme five, Bob”!

But don’t take my word for it—you need to see the videos for yourself on RickeyStockesNews.com.

AG King: Governor’s Task Force create risk of armed confrontation

deceit enforcer — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:35:45 +0000

You can watch this video here.

You can also review AG King’s news conference HERE or read back over all our coverage from the bingo battle.

This is the full statement from AG King’s press conference:

Good afternoon. Let me begin on a personal note. It has been my privilege to work in the Office of the Governor of Alabama on two different occasions and for two different governors – Fob James and Bob Riley. No one in this state has more respect for the Office of the Governor than I do. From first-hand knowledge and experience, I can tell you that that office is the most powerful office in our state, and, when used properly, it can do great things for our people. For the past 6 1/2 years, Bob Riley has exemplified the good that can be done with such power. I have always admired him and I have held his accomplishments in the highest regard. I was proud to have worked for him and to have called him a mentor and a friend . . . I still am.

What brings us here today may best be described as a situation where the right thing is being done the wrong way . . . and with serious consequences. That “right thing” is to seek an answer to a legal question: can bingo be played electronically where constitutional amendments, approved by the voters, allow it. The Governor and I have differed over where this question should be answered. I still do not think the kind of judicial activism he seeks is best. Nevertheless, the Governor has set us on a course where that is how these matters will be settled. That said, no crisis was required to answer this question. Such questions are answered hundreds of times a day in an orderly way in courthouses across Alabama. This is a simple question that needs a simple answer – yes or no. So far, those who favor bingo and those who oppose bingo have played loose and fast with the court decisions, seeking some public relations advantage from mischaracterizing the latest court ruling. It is time for a definitive yes or no answer to be sought and gotten. If the answer is no, we must immediately close down every bingo game in Alabama and deliver a monopoly to the Indians. Incredibly, contrary to what our citizens have been told, as of today – 416 days since the Governor appointed a gambling task force – that question still has not even been put before the Alabama Supreme Court. In fact, as recently as November 13, 2009, the Supreme Court expressly stated that the question of the legality of electronic bingo in Alabama had not been brought before it, and, therefore, they were expressly declining to answer it. Do not take my word for it, read it for yourselves. As you all know, a simple, definitive answer from the Alabama Supreme Court would become indisputable law – law that is definitive, clear, and due to be uniformly enforced. Until then, we will continue to struggle with the difficulties of having a mishmash of 17 different constitutional amendments in 16 different counties and no amount of saying the law is uniform will make it uniform. Until clarity comes, gambling operators will continue tweaking their operations to stay one step and one more lawsuit ahead of the law.

It is my honor to have been practicing law in state government for 16 years. Four years in Governor James’ office, four years as an assistant attorney general, two years in Governor Riley’s office, and six years as Attorney General. In all those 16 years, I have never seen a more ill-advised and reckless approach to a legal issue than the current approach now being undertaken by the Governor’s task force. Rather than moving quickly in a court of law to obtain the answer, the task force has regrettably chosen drama, intimidation, and force. Anyone, anyone, who questions the appropriateness of their actions (whether by questioning the costs of these activities or the necessity of the reckless approach that has led to armed law enforcement standoffs over misdemeanor violations of state law or by pointing to the monopoly that is being delivered to the Indian casinos throughout Alabama) is given the same response from Mr. Tyson, the Governor, and their spokesmen – that they are simply enforcing “the rule of law.” I submit that there are other “rules of law” that are just as important and that are being ignored – such as equal enforcement of the law, equal protection of the law, and due process under the law. Pointing out that these laws are also important and that they are due to be respected does not place one on the side of the pro-bingo debate, but, rather, on the side of the Constitution. After all, those who wrote the Constitution and its amendments, men like Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, did not have a side in a bingo dispute when they wrote these ideals into our United States Constitution, its Bill of Rights, and its amendments. Instead, they had in mind putting some of America’s most prized liberties into words and into a document from which these principles would still be protecting us over two centuries later. Without understanding that all of these ideals work together to make a single rule of law that protects all of us from our government, the “rule of law” becomes less a process and more a weapon that serves political agendas as “might makes right.” That is not the nature of our system, our state, or our citizens.

State law clearly establishes the Attorney General as the state’s chief law officer, and the Supreme Court has affirmed this to be the case on many occasions. It is within the authority of the Office of the Attorney General to intervene into the controversial and irresponsible activities of the task force, and to direct Mr. Tyson’s actions. Frankly, that is an option that I have strongly considered for the past two weeks. The task force’s pending armed confrontation with Greene County authorities left me no choice but to consider this option. It is beyond comprehension that we now find ourselves in a position where armed law enforcement in Greene County may soon be confronted by armed state troopers – all in the name of the “rule of law.” This situation was unnecessary and cannot be tolerated. The safety of law enforcement officers and even the general public cannot be so recklessly put at risk. Yet, out of deferential respect for the Governor, assuming direction over Mr. Tyson is not an option that I am prepared to exercise . . . yet.

I will not question the Governor’s intentions or his motivations. I have made it clear that I will not engage in the empty, counterproductive rhetoric surrounding this issue, and I intend to keep it that way. I invite the Governor to rejoin me on a higher level from which we can implement a solution to this problem that does not demean the process. Regardless of the personal attacks that may have to be endured to perform my constitutional and statutory obligations as Attorney General, I am duty bound to inform the Governor when it is the legal opinion of this Office and its lawyers that his actions are questionable or potentially expose our state to devastating liability . . . even if he does not want to hear it . . . perhaps, especially when he does not want to hear it. I have offered this advice in general terms on several occasions. It has gone unheeded. Perhaps, that is because my advice to this point has been general. Today, I seek to correct that.

As a friend, as a lawyer, as a former legal advisor to Governor Riley, as Attorney General – I remind the Governor that the “rule of law” is more than mere words, and certainly more than a catch phrase, which, when repeated, can justify any action. It is a process, the very foundation upon which fair and orderly government depends. It is not too late for the task force to correct its ill-advised and dangerous course. I am, therefore, advising the Governor, I am imploring the Governor, to immediately implement the following specific, responsible three-step plan:

First, John Tyson, Commander of the Governor’s Task Force, should immediately file simultaneous and expedited actions seeking declaratory judgments in Greene, Houston, Lowndes, and Macon Counties, over the question of whether those counties’ amendments, enabling statutes, local rules or regulations, and ratification debates permit electronic bingo in those jurisdictions. Mr. Tyson should, as quickly as possible, file the Governor’s test cases in every county where he challenges the lawfulness of the bingo operation, develop a full record complete with expert testimony, and seek review of each decision in the Alabama Supreme Court where definitive rulings can finally be had. A federal judge has stated that civil declaratory actions such as I am recommending are proper. He is right.

Second, Mr. Tyson and the Governor’s task force should take steps in the civil courts in Lowndes County, Houston County, Greene County, and Macon County to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to keep these facilities that are closed closed and to close others. After all, such decisions must be made by courts in accordance with proper legal processes. Forcing their closure with threats of massive warrantless raids after attempts to get a search warrant is denied by a judge is not such a process . . . and saying so does not put one on the side of the gambling interests. After all, if this is allowed, it may not be gamblers to whom it happens next. If Mr. Tyson cannot close these facilities through a proper court proceeding, he should not attempt to close them by force, fear, or intimidation.

Third, in light of the fact that we anticipate these facilities will abide by court instructions, Mr. Tyson should not risk harm to law enforcement or the public with further warrantless raids. The elected district attorneys in the various circuits can continue to enforce the criminal laws there.

Even as these matters wind their way through the courts, I again call on the Legislature, which to this point has not acted, to end this whole debate by allowing the people of Alabama to settle this issue of whether they want electronic bingo in their state at the ballot box with the passage of the short, straightforward constitutional amendment I have proposed that would replace the 17 constitutional amendments we now have that allow bingo and the confusion they create with a single, simple, statement of law. My amendment simply allows our citizens to vote to prohibit electronic bingo with no preferences or special protections for anyone. In 1901, Alabama’s bingo law was this. Today, it is this. This is neither uniform nor easy to enforce. The people of our state should have the ability to make it both again.

Today, I will be sending the Governor a letter outlining these recommendations. I urge him to take these steps toward a safe, fair, and reasonable resolution. Failing to do so will leave me, once again, with no choice but to re-evaluate this Office’s response.

WHY DID GOV. RILEY LIE to WTVY TV?

corruption reporter — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:15:11 +0000

There is a multi-part video piece by TV Station WTVY about the Bingo situation in the state.
In the 2nd part of the series Governor Riley states ON CAMERA

““I have never been in an Indian Casino, I have never had a conversation with a Choctaw Indian,”

This as we have found out through some digging is a bold faced LIE!!!!

January 6th 2009 the Mobile Press Register had an article about the opening of the WIND CREEK CASINO in Atmore.

NOTICE in paragraph 12 this statement:

“We have a Class II gaming facility at present, because that is what the law allows,” said Buford Rolin, tribal chairman. “The governor did visit us about eight weeks ago, and admired the hotel. I didn’t push it.”

What follows is the full article:

Press-Register (Mobile, AL)

January 6, 2009

ATMORE CASINO OPENS TODAY

Author:

CONNIE BAGGETT; Staff Reporter

Edition: 03

Section: A

Page: 01

Estimated printed pages: 3

Article Text:

WIND CREEK ATMORE CASINO OPENS TODAY

CUTBACK IN MISSISSIPPI/4A

By CONNIE BAGGETT

Staff Reporter

ATMORE – A day before Wind Creek Casino and Hotel was scheduled to open, workers scrambled to put the finishing touches on the towering resort, which represents the Poarch Band of Creek Indians’ $240 million wager on its expansion in the gaming industry.

The resort’s casino and restaurants open today. The hotel is scheduled to open later this month.

Poarch Creek officials and their PCI Gaming management team described the resort in a presentation to elected officials and media representatives.

”Our research shows us that some 8.8 million visitors from Alabama and Florida visited Mississippi casinos in 2007,” said Jay Dorris, PCI Gaming president and chief executive officer. “We just want to invite them to come check our electronic machines, our better facilities, better staff and the better way we will take care of them. We open Jan. 6, but will have a grand opening Jan. 31. We hope things will be going so well we may be able to announce an expansion at that time.”

Dorris’ prediction was met with enthusiasm as people toured the shiny new building ready for the expected crowds, even as Indian gaming officials in Mississippi announced cutbacks at their operations.

”Our performance so far has been stunning,” said David Gehman, tribal councilman.

He said he voted against borrowing the $150 million to build the complex, but now can see the potential. He said projections show the tribe might be able to pay off the debt in three years instead of five. The struggling economy does not seem to be affecting gaming income for the bingo hall here, he said.

”We have heard rumblings of trouble in Philadelphia, Miss. We don’t believe that will happen here because we have a great location along Interstate 65, and we can pull gamers from Pensacola and Mobile.”

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians announced Monday that it is cutting operations and eliminating more than 500 jobs at its Golden Moon Hotel and Casino near Philadelphia.

Although the Wind Creek Casino holds 1,600 electronic bingo games virtually indistinguishable from slot machines, there are no Class III games such as poker, blackjack or roulette.

”We have a Class II gaming facility at present, because that is what the law allows,” said Buford Rolin, tribal chairman. “The governor did visit us about eight weeks ago, and admired the hotel. I didn’t push it.”

Rolin said all it would take to have Class III gaming was a compact or agreement with the governor. “Hopefully in the future we can add those games,” Rolin said. “The not-too-distant future.”

PCI officials said the main difference between slot machines and electronic bingo machines is slot machines are independent, with the player versus the machine in a game of chance. Bingo machines are linked in groups by computers, so players are competing with each other and the machine in the game of chance. Legal descriptions are still the subject of debate.

The resort’s location is striking. In the middle of farming country, the hotel tower rises 16 floors high and features more than 230 rooms. The casino and restaurants open at 8 a.m. today, and the hotel will begin taking reservations for the middle of this month.

Chef Stafford DeCambra, described by PCI officials as the “rock star” of the development, said the four restaurants in the casino are ready for business, with staff members still learning and polishing their service skills. It was a trial by fire for most, he said, when 4,000 people invited for a test run Dec. 30 swamped the food outlets, which offer international cuisine, short orders and fine dining.

“We started at 11 a.m. and I was on the grill line,” DeCambra said. “I didn’t leave the line until after 4 p.m. Opening all these at once is scary for a chef, and we are on a learning curve, learning what people like. The goal is to make dining here an experience for everyone.”

CONNIE BAGGETT/Press-Register

Electronic bingo machines stand ready for action Monday at the Wind Creek casino in Atmore.

The TRUE facts about the REAL correlation between Bingo and Crime!

corruption reporter — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:41:26 +0000

Birmingham – Many bingo opponents believe legalizing the game would lead to more crime.

But several police departments say in their experience, that’s not the case. Some departments saw a decrease in crime while the bingo halls were in operation. They don’t know whether they can credit the halls for that. But not one department ABC 33/40 spoke to blamed bingo for an increase in crime.

The once bright, ringing, and clanging bingo halls are still temporarily closed.

“We need something in this town. Can’t do nothing else. Everything else is illegal,” said J.D. Duncan, a bingo player.

Some people want to keep electronic bingo illegal, and concern over increased crime has put the issue near the hearts of some Republicans.

“When you have gambling, you are going to have crime,” said Republican Senator Jabo Waggoner after the committee hearing on the bingo bill Tuesday.

But contrary to what players and some Republicans believe about the bingo halls, police say these halls have not dramatically affected the crime rates.

“Around the Eastlake area was the main area we saw a bingo operation and we didn’t see in an increase in that area,” said Sgt. Johnny Williams of the Birmingham Police Department.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office couldn’t provide any statistics.

But Birmingham and Fairfield police say they saw a lower crime rate while the halls were open.

And spokesmen for the Bessemer Police Department and Walker County Sheriff’s Department say they didn’t see a change at all despite the fatal shooting of a would-be robber at It’s Your Lucky Day near Jasper last summer.

None of the departments were certain whether the halls contributed to those rates. But if there were problems, they would have been recorded in police logs.

“Unless we get a call to a specific address where a business is located, that’s the only way to tell if that business is making some kind of impact on our crime trend,” said Williams.

And when asked whether the department got calls from the Birmingham bingo halls, he said, “no, we didn’t.”

The Blount County Sheriff’s Department was also contacted but no statistics were released.

Source: ABC3340 News | Video Here

Alabama Senate committee approves bill that would kill gambling task force

corruption reporter — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:31:49 +0000

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Opposition by the governor and the Alabama District Attorneys Association wasn’t enough to stop legislation that would halt raids on casinos by the governor’s antigambling task force.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill Wednesday, with seven Democrats voting for it and three Republicans voting against it. The bill now goes to the Senate, where Republicans promise a strong fight.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would take away the governor’s power to initiate and direct any civil or criminal court proceeding or investigation. The bill would void any investigation or court proceeding that has already been started by his Task Force on Illegal Gambling, and it would vest all authority to supervise civil and criminal litigation with the state attorney general.

Leaders of the Alabama District Attorneys Association said the attempt to address the gambling issue would give super powers to the attorney general and would have unintended consequences on many other legal issues where the governor’s involvement is needed.

“I recognize that the gaming is the elephant in the room,” District Attorney Chris McCool of Carrollton said.

Bryan Taylor, policy director for the Republican Gov. Bob Riley, said the bill “would basically end the criminal investigation of some very powerful and politically influential people in this state.”

The governor’s task force does not include GOP Attorney General Troy King, and Riley and King have been at odds on the legality of bingo machines.

Singleton, who has the Greenetrack casino in his district, said he was upset that the governor’s task force recently tried to raid the VictoryLand and Country Crossing casinos without search warrants.

Greenetrack and three Indian-run casinos are the only electronic bingo halls that remain open in the state.

(This report was written by Phillip Rawls of The Associated Press.)

(Updated at 3:46 p.m.)

Source: AL.com

We should all object to the warrantless raids on casinos

corruption reporter — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:15:04 +0000

By MARK WHITE (Bham News)

This is the time to object. Whether you favor gaming or are opposed to it in any form, as a citizen of this great state, you should be concerned and alarmed at the recent actions taken by John Tyson, Jr., the commander of Gov. Bob Riley’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling.

The recent actions Tyson and the task force have taken are contrary to the most basic and fundamental principles on which this country was founded. The United States is unique in having a written Constitution designed to protect its citizens from a government that rules by oppression. Nothing is more desired by our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering under the rule of dictators than our constitutional mandate that no person shall “be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.”

The task force has intentionally and repeatedly exceeded its authority. It was created to assist local law enforcement authorities when they requested it. It has taken actions in direct contravention of the stated wishes of the duly elected district attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit and the sheriff of Macon County, who have carefully reviewed this issue.

Tyson, without the benefit of any warrant, court order or court decision, went to a business establishment under cover of darkness and sought to take someone’s property solely based on his opinion that he should and could take and destroy the property. No court determined the property he sought to seize was illegal. No court found probable cause and issued a warrant authorizing Tyson to act.

At what was no doubt great cost to the taxpayers of this state, Tyson took with him scores of state troopers and other enforcement officials.

Under the new Alabama Supreme Court ruling, no Alabama court could enjoin a modern-day Bull Connor from turning dogs and fire hoses on schoolchildren or a modern-day Jim Clark from beating peaceful civil-rights marchers as long as such egregious acts were claimed to be taken as “enforcement of criminal laws of the state of Alabama.”

With the recent letter to Alabama Beverage Control Board personnel, Riley’s administration has forbid employees to go to, patronize or associate with Country Crossing, VictoryLand or similar businesses. Additionally, the letter commands that no employee communicate with anyone associated with any of these locations. Incredibly, the letter goes on to require notification of and information on any family member or close friend connected to the industry.

Much like the witch hunts under McCarthyism, when anyone with any tie to the gaming industry becomes suspect and subject to edicts of behavior and communication, it appears that in modern-day Alabama, it really is possible for a single person or group of people to create an atmosphere of fear and persecution such as that of McCarthyism.

Whether for electronic bingo or against it, everyone has an interest in making sure that no one (including Tyson, the governor and his self-appointed task force) tramples the rights of Alabama citizens. Consequently, if this conduct is permitted, you and every other citizen of this state are at risk. If the governor and his “commander” are licensed to be judge, jury and executioner, they are free to crush us all under the boot heels of oppression. My concern is not solely about gaming; rather, it is about unconstitutional abuse of power. Left ignored, it will fester and spread as an intellectual plague that eventually will infect and affect you and your family.

Martin Niemoller was a pastor in Nazi Germany who served time in a concentration camp for his opposition to the wrongful takeover of German churches by the Nazis. After his camp was liberated by the Allied Forces, he returned to the pulpit and shared these words:

“First, they came for the communists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a communist;

“Then, they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist;

“Then, they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew;

“Then, they came for me — and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

The decision as to who is right and who is wrong in this instance can and should be resolved in a court of law. If state lawmakers and we as the citizens who elected them decide we want to change the law, there is a process by which that change can take place. What none of us should tolerate or condone is anyone, regardless of office or title, acting as if he is above the law. The time for us all to object is now, before it is too late.

Mark White of White, Arnold & Dowd is an attorney for VictoryLand. E-mail: mwhite@waadlaw.com

{Editors Note} Many would call this over the top and scare tactics but one must remember the ever truthful statement of George Santayana “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.”

Stalin in his first move BANNED history from all state education systems as he saw it as does all of communism/altruism as false and written by elitists.

The lesson that must be learned from this is that we do NOT live in a democracy as so many would love you to believe. We live in a representative repubilc.

A democracy by its very nature can be simplified to this, a room with no doors and inside are two wolves and a sheep.

For ONCE the B’ham News has rational conversation on gambling vote

corruption reporter — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:03:51 +0000

Alabamians could be forgiven if they woke up today begging for a break on bingo. Or, rather, a break from bingo. Over the past week or so, there’s been no letup in the fight over electronic bingo: overnight raids, restraining orders, court rulings, rallies, charges, countercharges, and on, and on, and on.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, left, and John Tyson, commander of the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling. (AP Photo/Phillip Rawls)

By the end of the week, three of the state’s largest gambling facilities, including the gigantic VictoryLand, were closed for business, and Gov. Bob Riley’s gambling task force all but declared “mission accomplished.” But the bravado should be taken with the same grain of salt as George W. Bush’s premature victory dance over Iraq.

The legal battle over bingo is very definitely not over. Although the state Supreme Court on Thursday lifted a restraining order that had blocked a raid at VictoryLand, the core issue of what is legal and what is not remains unresolved. Separate legal cases have arisen over other gambling venues, including those in the Bessemer Cutoff in Jefferson County, which were shutting down after a court hearing Friday.

Meanwhile, the gambling dispute is playing out in the Legislature as well. Among other things, state Rep. Marcel Black, D-Tuscumbia, last week introduced the 2010 version of his perennial bill to expand, regulate and tax legalized gambling in the state. Another bill, from state Sen. Marc Keahey, D-Grove Hill, would, with a few variations, do likewise.

Which brings us to the point: It’s time for Alabamians to have a serious talk about gambling.

We got where we are through a long, twisted route. Start with a state constitution that bans gambling. Continue through a series of local exceptions, carved out county by county, for fraternal lodges and churches to have charity bingo. Follow the trail as charity bingo morphs into slot-style electronic games thanks to technological advances, actions by politicians and bold moves by gambling interests. The destination? A state whose untaxed, unregulated and unchallenged bingo industry at one point was described as the Wild West of gambling.

The issue has become an embarrassment to the state, among other things triggering open warfare between Riley and Attorney General Troy King.

King argues gambling in Alabama is a mess because the law varies from county to county, and technology outstripped old definitions of bingo.

Riley says it’s a mess because some officials, including King, refused to enforce the clear laws against slot-machine gambling. Their inaction, he says, forced him to form his own task force.

Both make valid points.

As King says, Alabama’s bingo laws do vary from one county to the next. The constitutional amendment for bingo in Greene County even specifically legalizes electronic forms of the game. Other counties have bingo amendments granting varying degrees of leeway.

But as Riley says, a number of jurisdictions ignored the local parameters as they opened the door to this kind of bingo. King is among those who must bear responsibility for a number of gambling enterprises operating at the very least in gray areas of the law.

But Riley’s task force under Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson has taken some legal leaps itself in its recent attempts to raid gambling facilities without search warrants. While in some cases raids may be absolutely appropriate, the task force can’t really treat every gambling establishment equally when the laws governing every gambling establishment are not equal.

It’s part of the dreadful fix Alabama is in with regard to bingo. Whether you support gambling or not, the rules at least need to be clear. The people of Alabama need to know, without question, what is legal and what is not.

We have hoped, and continue to hope, for a court decision that will offer the sort of clarity necessary to bring this spectacle to an end.

But an argument can also be made that, for the long term, the people of Alabama need to speak on this issue. Do we want to have this kind of gambling in our state? And if so, under what conditions? And what kind of taxes and regulation should be imposed?

Several proposals already pending in the Legislature would give Alabamians a chance to answer those questions. But the problem, this year and in years past, has been legislation crafted more with an eye toward protecting gambling interests than Alabamians’ interests.

One of this year’s proposals would impose a 20 percent tax on gross gambling revenue. Another would impose a 28 percent tax on gambling receipts. Those are not the highest rates in the country — some states impose a tax above 50 percent on gambling revenue — but they are not totally out of line, either.

The proposals would also establish a statewide regulatory commission, which, in our view, would be preferable to some of Alabama’s current practices, such as vesting a local sheriff with all powers to regulate the gambling in his county.

A bigger sticking point in the legislation involves who will get a license to run gambling facilities. The bills would grant licenses to the existing electronic bingo facilities, like those at Greenetrack, VictoryLand and Country Crossing. They would also legalize electronic bingo at other locations, including the Birmingham Race Course.

Although any legislation on gambling should limit the venues, the idea of granting what is in essence a monopoly to some — especially those like Country Crossing that opened on shaky legal premises to begin with — is troubling. A more competitive process should be considered.

Don’t misunderstand. This newspaper still believes gambling is a bad bet for the people of Alabama and the governments that would rely on its revenue. But we also believe in the concept of self-rule. If the people of Alabama want to legalize gambling, it’s a decision they should be able to make.

In the push to let the people vote, though, there must be an equal push to ensure they have a reasonable proposal to vote on. At this point, it’s not just a question of who supports gambling or not. People on all sides of the issue need to come to the table to talk.

Source: AL.COM

{Editors Note} Given the propensity of the legislature to write unclear and in many cases purposefully vague legislation it is up to the people to pressure them and Bingo Bob to actually make it tangible and in black and white so that the voters can give it an up or down and be DONE with it.

Riley: Working hard to stimulate job growth in Mississippi!

corruption reporter — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:05:23 +0000

Over 1,800 VictoryLand employees picked up paychecks at the Macon County Courthouse on Saturday following the casino’s shutdown this week, according to The Montgomery Advertiser.

The facility shut down on the heels of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling lifting a court order that temporarily stopped Gov. Bob Riley’s Task Force on Illegal gambling from raiding VictoryLand and Country Crossing in Dothan.

VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor shook hands with employees as they were coming out, and promised to reopen the casino. Several workers said they weren’t certain what they would do without the pay check or benefits.

Full Report Here