The Milwaukee Post

September 5, 2014 • Milwaukee County Post • 13 By MATT MASTERSON Conley News Service NEW BERLIN — Gov. Scott Walker said Aug. 27 he is in no hurry to make up his mind regarding the Menominee tribe's pro- posed Kenosha casino. During a campaign stop at Letterhead Press Inc. in New Berlin, Walker said he plans on using the full 18 months allotted to him before making a decision about whether or not to approve the proposed $810 million casino and Hard Rock Cafe restaurant. Following the Bureau of Indian Affairs' approval of the casino last year, Walker has until Feb. 19, 2015 to reach a decision. Earlier last week, a spokesman for the Potawatomi tribe — which runs a casino in Milwaukee — said the tribe is withholding its $25 million annual payment because the state may end up owing the group money. The governor said he is concerned that Wisconsin could owe the Potawatomi $100 million or more due to a compact signed by former Gov. Jim Doyle requiring the state to refund previous payments made by the tribe if a new casino should be approved. Walker said it took the federal govern- ment nine years to approve the Kenosha casino project, so there should be no con- cern about his decision to use all the allotted time. "The decision should not be based on pol- itics and timing, it should be based on what is in the financial best interest of the state," Walker said. "Whether we make it today, next week or a week before the 18 months are up, the bottom line is the people elected me to be a good steward of the taxpayers' money." A poll released last week by the Marquette University Law School showed more than 49 percent of respondents believe Walker should approve the proposal, while just 34 percent are against the plan. That same poll showed the governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke in a virtual dead heat leading up to the November election. Walker leads Burke by a count of 47.5 per- cent to 44 percent, which is within the poll's 3.5 percent margin of error. However, among likely voters, Burke holds a lead with 48.6 percent to Walker's 46.5 percent. The governor said he has expected a tight race for more than a year, but he believes as voters learn more about Burke, they will begin to turn away from the former state secretary of commerce and Trek Bicycle executive. "The more that they see she supports Jim Doyle's policies entirely ... when they com- pare that to our track record and the vision we have for the next four years — to help people take home more of their paycheck, to see taxes lowered, to keep tuition frozen, to build a better economy," he said, "I think it is a stark contrast between our Wisconsin comeback and the third term of Jim Doyle's policies." Walker also touched on one of Burke's recent ads, which claims Wisconsin is dead last in Midwestern in job growth. The gover- nor countered that numbers released last week show the state is actually third in the Midwest in job growth, and Burke's ad is based on "cherry-picked" data which is eight months old. "Our ad just started running on Monday that shows the most up-to-date statistics that show Wisconsin is third in the Midwest for private-sector job growth," he said. "No mat- ter how many attack ads Mary Burke and her allies from the big government unions run — the facts are the facts — and the facts are we are third in the Midwest in private- sector jobs." Contact Matt Masterson mmasterson@conleynet.com Walker: No rush to decide about Kenosha casino Criticizes Burke's job growth ad during area campaign stop Photo by Charles Auer/ Conley News Service Michael Graf, right, presi- dent of Letterhead Press Inc., shows Gov. Scott Walker a sheet of gift cards during a recent tour of the company. STEREO ONE 1 235874007 To see if you, or your loved one qualifies, contact them at (414) 476-3900 The Lamplight Inn of West Allis 7400 West Greenfield Ave. West Allis. WI 53214 The Lamplight Inn of West Allis, lighting the way to affordable assisted living. Lamplight Communities strive for outstanding living at affordable prices. They even accept senior residents who are receiving county assis- tance. All of the studios are private with private baths, activities, meals, weekly housekeeping and linen services. Lighting the way to affordable assisted living. 239869030

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