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Wisconsin Officials Discards Casino Report

MADISON, Wisconsin – As reported by the Wisconsin Capital Times: "A report from the Dane County Regional Planning Commission staff on the economic impact of a casino in Madison was discarded by city and county officials as insignificant, but the handling of the report could play a role in the fate of the Feb. 17 referendum to approve or reject the casino.

"No one, not even the commission itself, saw the draft report labeled 'Bingo-Casino Development Impacts' after it was given to a combined group of city, county and commission staff in September.

"…The 29-page draft report was issued Sept. 5 and a six-page addendum highlighting the socio-economic impacts of Indian gaming in Dane County was issued Sept. 17.

"Numbers in the report show a positive economic impact of about $305 million a year and a negative economic impact of about $120 million a year if the DeJope bingo hall became a casino, for a net positive gain of $184 million a year.

"…Sharyn Wisniewski, executive assistant to County Executive Kathleen Falk, said the numbers varied so widely in the report that Chief of Staff Topf Wells viewed the report as 'not useful to us.'

"…One group that felt the report was useful is No Dane Casino, the anti-casino movement that came together the past three weeks trying to marshal forces to defeat the referendum…"

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