Breaking News - BARWEST COMPACTS DEAD

This just in……..

THE BARWEST COMPACTS
ARE DEAD!!!

As is often the case, The Verifiable Truth had it first. What, you were thinking you would hear about it first from the Desert Dispatch? Yeah right! Snap out of it.

On Saturday, September 08, TVT reported the news under the heading:
BREAKING NEWS: SB 157 has been gutted indicating the Barwest gaming Compacts for Barstow are DEAD!
"As of September 7, 2007, SB 157 "An act to add Sections 12012.53 and 12012.54 to the Government Code, relating to gaming" has been gutted by its author Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) and is now "An act to amend Sections 23356.1, 23399.6, and 25503.9 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to alcoholic beverages." [click here for full story]


You didn’t have to be psychic to predict this outcome. The only place that you could find anyone that believed in the ratification of these compacts was in the fantasy land of Barstow, home to the BarWest Kool-aid Club. Only there can you find people that ignore conventional political wisdom and buy into the lying spin being generated by BarWest Liar-in-Chief, Tom Shields.

And I am not sure that even they really believe it but when your under the influence of the greed-tainted Kool-aid, it is too traumatic to recognize reality even when you are being challenged with it from a big mouth like mine. A couple months ago, I challenged the Barstow City Council and the Kool-aid Club to find one single objective person who believed that the compacts stood a snow ball chance in hell of passing.

Watch the video

More recently, even the city’s own lobbyist, Nick Medeiros, was reporting that the compacts would die and was blaming the Governor’s total “lack of enthusiasm” as the principal target for the failure of the compacts. And this despite that the Governor’s signature on the compacts was touted as the number one reason that local redneck hillbillies and sell out politicians were using as their best reason for wanting to violate the Ancestral Rights of legitimate local tribes like the Chemehuevi.

Of course the ONLY real news here is that in an act of euthanasia, one of the two authors of the bill, Senator Wiggins, pulled the plug on the bill a full ten days prior to the compacts natural
death when they were scheduled to expire on September 17.

One can only speculate as to why she held the pillow over this terminal patient and choked the last breath out prematurely. Since we are unlikely to ever get the real story out of Senator Wiggins, and we know we will never get the truth out of the BarWest politicians in Barstow, let us take a moment to speculate shall we?

1. Could it be that the Senator has suddenly come to her senses about her role in the assault on the Ancestral Rights of the legitimate local tribes of Barstow and is now embarrassed that as a Democrat she has abandoned the core Democrat values of standing up for Indian Sovereignty?

2. Could it be that she could no longer justify her involvement in the BarWest schemes after Big Lagoon Chairman Virgil Moorehead announced a couple of months ago that he was pulling out of the BarWest con game in pursuit of a legitimate casino project in Big Lagoon country?

3. Could it be that she no longer wants to be associated with sell out politicians like Mayor Dale, Council Member Hackbarth-Silva, and Councilman Silva or sleazy, lying, political hacks like Tom Shields?

4. Or is it possible that with the on-going investigations into the multiple campaign violations of BarWest partner Michael Malik by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) which could easily implicate her as the top out-of-state donor to Wiggins 2006 campaign just prior to her signing on as one of the two authors of SB 157 the BarWest Compact legislation?


Fresh after paying a $6,500 fine for failing to report a $26,600 contribution to then Congressman Richard Pombo's County GOP Committee, Malik was desperate to find a last minute stooge to author his Reservation Shopping Bill. Now, amongst other issues, the FPPC is also investigating the fact that Malik made two contributions to Sen. Wiggins campaign in the Fall of 2006 which he again failed to report to the FPPC and which exceeded the aggregate amount he could contribute to Wiggins in the last election cycle. Malik was the top out of state donor to Wiggins 2006 campaign.

All of this has left Barstow officials scampering for cover since any comprehensive investigations will inevitably lead to the City of Barstow. And we have already documented inconsistencies, under reporting and other wrong doing in the BarWest meddling in our election process and the death of local democracy.

But by now, nobody expects that we have seen the last of Tom Shields and the BarWest thirst for Reservation Shopping schemes. As the saying goes: “you break it, you own it”. With hundreds of thousands of dollars that BarWest has spent buying politicians and influence in Barstow, we know that the billionaire Detroit developer doesn’t plan on pulling up stakes this soon.

Many of us have been speculating as to what the ‘Plan B’ will be for the local chapter of the BarWest Kool-aid Club that they have in motion, once it was uncovered that Big Lagoon would no longer be part of their schemes. But even before that, we knew that they were leaving the door open for other possibilities. BarWest was never in any hurry to turn the land over to the tribes and the sign announcing the project never bore the names of the two tribes.

"Barwest Gaming" sign in Barstow but no tribe names
Now Big Lagoon is gone and Los Coyotes
don't qaulify for a 'stand-along' project

Now they have an eleventh hour media blitz that they are running in selective districts where key legislators reside.

Watch the Video

However, even as the Barstow politicians were embarrassing themselves and the city by acting like paid lobbyist and pawns in Sacramento, BarWest and Los Coyotes were working on a stand-alone project for the Los Coyotes tribe. This despite the fact that the Governor is tired of this whole albatross that has dragged him through the BarWest Reservation Shopping mud and has already ruled that the Los Coyotes do not qualify for a stand-alone project in Barstow.



On September 5, while Barstow’s sell out politicians were knocking on doors in Sacramento, John Myers of KQED reported on his “Capitol Notes” that the Los Coyotes has reopened negotiations with Governor Schwarzenegger’s office for a stand-alone project. He also reports confirms what we have been saying for awhile now. The Governor was stuck with this albatross insider deal.

His lack of enthusiasm stems from his strong stance that the Governor took against the evil of Reservation Shopping prior to getting suckered into signing the compacts. Even the Big Lagoon Chairman came to understand that the Governor didn't really want it and neither did the local tribes and that it was a bad idea all along. I feel that by moving ahead on his own Ancestral lands Chairman Moorehead takes the honorable path and restores any integrity that the tribe might have loss due to their mere association with this greedy Detroit developer.

I salute you Chairman Moorehead!

Thanks John for getting the story and getting it right. The following passages from John's blog say the whole story! [Read the full story on John's Blog Here]

"Meantime, the vice-chairman of San Diego's Los Coyotes, Shane Chapparosa, told reporters that his tribe has now begun separate negotiations with the governor's office for a solo Barstow casino. The governor's office won't confirm whether that's the case."

At a news conference this morning at the state Capitol, the tribes announced an 11th hour media campaign, with a TV ad that they say will be broadcast in Sacramento, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles over the next few days.


But there's no indication that the casino deals will be ratified before legislators adjourn for the year early next week. While the two tribes signed formal casino compacts with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2005, those compacts have been in limbo in the Legislature ever since. Critics say the projects might set a precedent for tribal casinos on non-tribal land. And several politically powerful tribes in southern California say that's why they oppose the casino deal -- even though Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon accuse those tribes of being more concerned about casino competition in the region.

So what's happened since late May?

"A lot's happened," said Big Lagoon chairman Virgil Moorehead, alluding to the ratification of amended casino deals for some of the tribes opposing his project.

"Our [compact] got pushed down, kind of to the bottom of the barrel. Why did it get pushed down to the bottom of the barrel? Because these tribes don't want us down there.

Moorehead also said he thinks Schwarzenegger hasn't done enough to cajole legislators into ratifying the deal, an accusation the governor's office disputes.

Meantime, the vice-chairman of San Diego's Los Coyotes, Shane Chapparosa, told reporters that his tribe has now begun separate negotiations with the governor's office for a solo Barstow casino. The governor's office won't confirm whether that's the case."

Read the full story her on the John Myers, KQED Blog Here.

All of this is going to be great fodder for major fireworks at the up-coming September 17 Barstow City Council which just happens to be the date that the compacts were scheduled to expire on their own. Ah, only in Barstow!

Open Letter to Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce

Clifford Brock
President
Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. BOX 698
Barstow, CA 92312-0698


Dear President Brock:

I am contacting you for a policy statement regarding the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce. I would like to clarify what the Chamber’s current position is in regard to it’s support for BarWest and the compacts they represent on behalf of Big Lagoon and Los Coyotes.

I am the past Vice President of the Grand Terrace Area Chamber of Commerce where I also served as their Treasure. I also sought and received funding from the City of Grand Terrace to launch a twelve page newsletter that was distributed to every house in the city. In that capacity, I was the publisher, editor, writer, advertising director and distribution agent. During my tenure on the Board of Directors, we took the chamber from a do-nothing ‘good ole boys club’ and transformed it into a vital organization for promoting the city’s image and well being.

During that same period, I was also a member and interacted with the chambers of commerce for Colton, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Redlands, and Riverside. I mention this background as way of saying that I am not unfamiliar with the role and purpose of any chamber of commerce in promoting the business community and the image of the city that they represent.

In my opinion, Barwest is a corrupt developer from Detroit that is attempting the impossible and violating the Ancestral Rights of local tribes with established aboriginal lands in the Barstow region. In my opinion as a Political Scientist, the BarWest never stood a chance at success because of these factors.

In pursuit of a lucrative market, BarWest brought their pattern and practice of buying influence to Barstow. I believe that they understood all along that they had a slim chance and the only way that they could succeed is getting as many local leaders on board as they could.

I found it deeply disturbing that they were able to turn the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce into a public relations firm for BarWest. At the time that the former President, Tim Silva, fell pawn to their efforts, I confronted Tim on that issue. I told him that the purpose of any chamber of commerce is to promote the business community as a whole and not one business against another competing interest.

At the time that the Barstow Area was allowed to become compromised, I suspected that President Silva had made a ‘deal’ for some personal gain in the process. Those suspicions were confirmed when it was widely rumored that BarWest had offered him a position on the Council in exchange for his support. I had numerous people involved with the Chamber who told me how furious and disappointed they were at Mr. Silva for “selling out the chamber.” Those same individuals refused to endorse the BarWest candidates because of that history.

What followed was Tim as President of the Chamber, making appearances at City Council meetings to ratify the Chamber’s exclusive support for BarWest. It was at one such occasion that I told Tim of my complete disagreement with the Chamber taking such a position. It is especially offensive when the Chamber is funded with $50k of tax payer’s money and cheap rent. I told Tim that if I were the Chemehuevi or any other business interest that was harmed in the process, I would be inclined to take legal action to sue the Chamber and the City in order to stop this practice.

What also followed was all of the various lobbying efforts on the part of the Chamber’s President up in Sacramento and locally here in Barstow. Last November, BarWest fulfilled it’s promise to get Tim and Julie elected to the City Council. We all know that Tom Shields masterminded that campaign and helped bank roll it through their PAC, Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development (BCRED). We also know that now that they are on the Council, they continue to ratify the City’s support for BarWest and continue to disrespect and violate the Ancestral Rights of local tribes.

In pains me to say this but I was disheartened to see your involvement in the BarWest campaign to elect Tim and Julie. You strike me as a person who is professional in everything you do and maintains a high sense of values and ethics in the process. I believe a lot of good people got innocently caught up in the frenzy of enthusiasm for the BarWest projects. It is my hope that if and when they come to some of these realizations, they will retract their prior support in favor of a neutral position or one that favors legitimate Native American Ancestral Rights.

The nature of my inquiry herein, is to inquire as to the current position of the Chamber in regard to it‘s exclusive support for BarWest. As of this writing, the BarWest website, still caries the following post with a quote from Tim Silva as the “Chamber’s President”:

[ see http://www.barstowcasinosandresort.com/chamber.html ]

From the Barstow Chamber of Commerce

“I think that everyone will tell you that Barstow is struggling economically. The Barstow business community has overwhelmingly supported the Big Lagoon/Los Coyotes casino resort as the economic catalyst necessary for business growth and development. Mere anticipation of the casinos and resort has already generated opportunities and positive developments. The spin-off benefits of this project for Barstow are nearly limitless.”

Tim Silva,
President, Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau


Since you are not listed as the current President with your own quote, it begs the question as to what the Chamber’s current position is now. Has the position of the Chamber changed or does it remain the same as under the previous President? If the position has change, please explain how? If the Chamber’s position has NOT changed, is there any plans to consider that change? Whether there is a change or not, is this by a vote of the Board?

I can tell you for certain, that these issues are foremost in my decision not to get involved in the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce. As a life long businessman, I have always valued the role of any chamber of commerce in networking and promoting the image of the city it represents.

I am open to discussing these issues in person or on the phone but I would really appreciate a response to my questions ‘for the record’ in writing. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

With respect,

Larry D. Halstead

Shields carrying $150k debt for Barstow PAC

Monday, August 13, 2007 from TheVerifiableTruth.com

Barwest Agent Tom Shields still carrying nearly $150k debt for Barstow Political Committee's June 2006 campaign tsunami

Sworn court depositions indicate, agents for Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch -- namely Tom Shields (Marketing Resource Group) and attorney Michael Yaki -- formed Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development and recruited a couple of locals to front for them during the 2006 Primary and General Elections.

Lansing-based Tom Shields ran Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development. The committee bombarded the small Barstow community with a $200,000 political advertising tsunami during the June 2006 primary election in order to bury a local ballot measure and keep control of the Barstow City Council. (NOTE: That's likely much more than the sum of all Barstow's local political campaigns over the last quarter of a century.)

What's interesting is the Barwest driven campaign spent $200,000 or more primarily in the June 2006 election; however, more than a year later the Barwest controlled committee still carries a debt of more than $147,000. That's how much money campaign manager Tom Shields advanced in payments to vendors, campaign committee workers, etc. during the June primary election. The committee reports Shields' Marketing Resource Group has yet to be reimbursed for $147,055.93. In advancing payments of nearly 75% of the campaigns total costs and carrying that burden for more than a year, Shields has operated as a lendor/major donor.

Shields' firm represents numerous other affiliates of Barwest principals Marian Ilitch and Michael Malik including the Detroit Tigers, Little Caesars Pizza, MotorCity Casino and the Detroit Red Wings as well as several other off-reservation casino efforts in Michigan and New York.

The Committee has been carrying a deficit since June 30, 2006. It spent another $6,000+ during the November 2006 General Election campaign; however, the committee has not raised any additional funds since the week before the June 2006 Primary Election.

On May 18, 2006, Barwest principal Marian Ilitch contributed $20,000 as did her partner Michael J. Malik's affiliate MJM Manistee, Inc.; approximately $8,000 in misc. cash and in-kind contributions was raised from other sources including Tom Shields. The committee raised a total of just $47,937, less than 25% of what the committee likely spent (with more than 83% of that coming from Malik & Ilitch). The committee carries a cash balance of $3,947.29 as of June 30, 2007.

So how will (did) Tom Shields get paid?
Why haven't Marian Ilitch and Mike Malik covered the debt?
Or is someone else expected to pay?
Who funded Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development?

Certainly a seasoned campaign manager like Tom Shields certainly isn't going to put his company out on the line and lose almost $150,000 in payments to vendors he made on behalf of the Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development political committee?

The Barwest Scam in Barstow

The Barwest Scam in Barstow
by
Larry D. Halstead,
Political Scientist

Since the idea first surfaced, I have been supportive of Indian gaming in Barstow for several reasons. First and foremost, as many as 80% of our citizens are in favor of one or more casino projects. The hope and promise is that it would bring jobs, entertainment, and economic development to a region that has long suffered with a depressed economy. Resort-style casino projects have the potential to make Barstow a destination city rather than just a pit stop on the way to Vegas or the river.

I also believe that Indian gaming has done much to increase the quality of life for Native Americans. Besides the much needed funding for housing, health care, education, jobs, and basic infrastructure that gaming has provided, it has done much to provide self respect, self determination, and the power to negotiate with strength.

As an individual of European decent, it does my heart good to see the scales of social justice lean in a direction of compensation for the ugly history of atrocities and genocide that my people committed on Native Americans throughout the history of this country.

I was originally project neutral on Indian gaming in Barstow and was eager to network with representatives from all tribes involved. But early on, I had difficulty in understanding the strategy that Barwest had for getting these compacts through a Democratically dominated State legislature in Sacramento by buying Republican influence in Barstow. The more I came to understand the question of "reservation shopping" and how that relates to Indian Souvernty, Prop 1A, Prop 5, the more baffling it was that Barwest could be so confidant that their project would ever get approved.

Barwest sign in Barstow, notice the lack of any tribe names and the
deceptive reference that this is a Community of Barstow backed project
when Barwest and Mayor Dale refuse to take it to a vote of the people.

I quickly retracted my support for Barwest when some simple internet searches exposed Barwest as a right wing developer with ties to former Rep. Pombo and the Jack Abramhoff scandal. It didn't take long for Barwest to demonstrate exactly what their strategy and style is, as they began buying up influence in Barstow and the state capitol in Sacramento. The good people of Barstow have been hood-winked, bamboozled, and led a stray as our leaders have compromised themselves and sold out the institutions they represent.

Two elections bought and paid for by Barwest and millions of dollars in influence later, Barwest now owns the old guard of Barstow. They ownMayor Dale and the two members of the Council that they had elected. Tim Silva was promised a seat on the council if, as president, he could deliver the support of the Chamber of Commerce and against the competing project. Julie Hackbarth was on the Fire Board and active from the beginning with the Barwest formation of their PAC, Barwest Citizens for Real Economic Development as was Tim. Her family was one of the sellers of the land for the Barwest project. Both Tim and Julie have accompanied Mayor Dale on numerous trips to Sacramento to lobby on behalf of Barwest, both before and after their election to the city council.

The campaigns of Tim and Julie were marked by a relative low involvement by the candidates as it was totally orchestrated by Tom Shields and his operatives. The campaign duo were billed as "the turn around team". Barwest utilized, and no doubt subsidized, the local Republican caucus to get out the absentee vote. This effort, along with the slickest color campaign literature ever to hit Barstow, and an advertising budget funded by their PAC, coupled with an all out attack on my integrity, resulted in Barwest now having a solid three vote lock on all city policy.

This means that they control the direction of policy in favor of Barwest and against any other project. Essentially, the Barstow Council has become a public relations/ lobbyist firm for Barwest. The first act of the new council was to ratify their support for Barwest, throwing out all conflict of interest ethics in favor of unconditional support and loyalty to their benefactor.

As all of these realizations have unfolded, I have made an increased pattern of exposing local Barwest influence in Barstow. When the compacts started going through the Senate and Assembly Government Organization Committees, I began contacting members if those committees and sending them relevant documents. I watched the video of those proceedings and have spoken to some of them about Barwest contributions and their influence in Barstow. The feedback they have given me has always been consistent that the compacts will never be ratified.

At the recent August 6, 2007 City Council meeting, Mayor Dale again abused his position as Mayor to orchestrate a political attack on me by Barwest, Los Coyotes, and himself. Tom Shields, chief spin doctor for Barwest, was first on the attack with a pathetic accusation that I had tried to extort him into hiring me or I would "sign on with the other side and attack him." He said that when he refused to hire me, I got hired by "the other side" and have been attacking Barwest as a hired gun ever since. He went on to say that I was "for sale to the highest bidder" and how "negative" I always was.

This "for sale to the highest bidder" and "negativity" charges were repeated by two members of Los Coyotes Shane (?) and Tina Johnson. Tina created her own lie that I had asked her "who cut the checks for the tribe" and that they needed to buy me off. Later on, it was the Mayor's turn to chime in on the "negativity" and added that this negativity was somehow damaging the image of our city and the integrity of the good people of Barstow.

Lies and accusations of extortion aside, the real truth is that none of that ever happened. While I fully expected this from Mr. Shields or even this Mayor, it is a shame that members of the Los Coyotes would bring dishonor to themselves and their tribe by engaging in these lies.

For the record, I have never received a penny from any tribe to represent them in any capacity. I have never been asked by any member of any tribe to say a single word or do anything on their behalf. Never.

Over the past couple of years, I have been networking with various other tribes. I have been doing this because I know, and they know, that the Barwest compacts as currently structured will never be approved by the Democratically dominated state legislature. The Governor has decreed that only when these compacts die their due death, then and only then can we bring a casino project to Barstow. Only then can we proceed with a casino project that will enjoy the support of the CA Nations Indian Gaming Association, the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, and those tribes that have a rightful say in bringing a casino project to Barstow.

Over the same period of time, I have come to know Chairman Wood of the Chemehuevi Tribe and have developed a deep respect for him and the Tribe he represents. He is an honorable man who would never stoop to the sleazy tactics demonstrated regularly by the Barwest Kool-Aid Club or the lies now being told by members of the Los Coyotes.

After over two years of speaking out on the Barwest grip of influence on our city, I met some representatives of San Manuel through my participation with Congressman Joe Baca and the County Democratic Party. After much persuasion on my part and some deliberation on the part of San Manuel Tribal leaders, the tribe made a one time contribution to my campaign. I believe they did so on the basis of my respect for Indian Souvernty and how that relates to Indian gaming. Since then, I have encouraged them to get more involved in the Barstow Indian casino issue but they have been quite reluctant to do so. To date, they have never asked me to do anything, say anything or take any other actions on their behalf.

I have challenged the City Council or anybody to come up with the name of a single individual outside of Barstow and the Barwest Kool-aid club that thinks these compacts stand a snowball chance in hell of succeeding. The fantasy of these compacts succeeding is something one has to wonder if even Barwest still believes. For this hoax, this corruption of influence to be allowed to delay by several years, a real project that would succeed, there needs to be proportional level of accountability we demand of leaders who led us astray for personal gain.

In the meantime, I will not stand idly by and allow Barwest and members of the Los Coyotes to slander my good name. The Barwest operatives will not be allowed to get away of accusing me of extortion in order to continue their hoax on the Barstow people. Furthermore, I will continue to shed light on their lies and corruption. At the same time, I intend to do what ever I can to help bring a casino project to Barstow that has the proper backing need to succeed.