It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that it’s now being reported Republican Gov. Scott Walker may not make a decision on the proposed Indian casino proposed for Kenosha until after the 2014 election comes to a close in November 2014.
Gov. Scott Walker may postpone a decision on whether to approve the $800 million Indian casino proposed for Kenosha until after he stands for re-election in November, according to the governor’s top aide.
The state is hiring outside attorneys and a financial adviser to examine the issue, and they may need the extra time to analyze the off-reservation casino proposed by the Menominee tribe, Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Huebsch, who is the administration’s point man on the issue, will engage in “shuttle diplomacy” to negotiate with the Menominee and two tribes strongly opposed to the proposal, he said.
The Forest County Potawatomi and the Ho-Chunk tribes both fear a Kenosha casino would take market share away from their profitable operations by luring gamblers from northern Illinois and parts of Wisconsin. The Potawatomi operate the state’s most profitable casino, in Milwaukee. The Ho-Chunk have significant gambling operations near Wisconsin Dells and Madison.
Keep in mind the Kenosha casino proposal has been sitting on Gov. Walker’s desk since August 23, 2013. Over two months after the proposal was approved by the U.S. Department of Interior, Gov. Walker said he’d make a decision within a week, but that decision never came.
Given how he makes every decision with his own political ambitions as the primary concern, Gov. Walker’s attempt to delay having to make a decision until after he stands for reelection in 2014 makes perfect sense. After all, it allows him to avoid making a decision that will no doubt be politically disadvantageous no matter what he decides to do.
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