A Man With Integrity
Director Joe Eitrem is a man of integrity. Reared in Sugar island. Joe comes from a large family. Married for 46 years to his wonderful wife Dorothy, they raised 3 children and were blessed with 12 wonderful Grandchildren.
As a young man Joe went to work for Algoma Steel rising to the ranks of foreman. Upon Algoma Steel shutting down Joe became their liaison for nearly 15 years. Later Joe became a Realtor and sold real estate for 15 years.
Upon Joe's retirement he decided to run for Board and put his business skills to work to help the people of the Tribe. Joe was elected to the Board in 2004.
Joe co-sponsored the resolution to end double dipping with Director Causley and was met with some strong opposition from the Chairman and his associates. Although many campaigned to end double dipping, when it came down to it many cowered from their word for personal interest votes. Todd Gravelle likes to take credit for ending double dipping, but the seed was planted long before that.
Several years ago some unsavory characters attempted to come out under aliases to defame, libel, and shame many innocent people. Director Eitrem brought forth a resolution in St. Ignace to have these individuals investigated. The strongest opposition came from Aaron Payment and Todd Gravelle. It was suspected by many that these two individuals had a vested interest in the promoting chaos. All Director Eitrem was looking for was to find the truth and let justice be served. Unfortunately that never happened.
Director Eitrem and several other Board Members have been working real hard to re-establish political ties for a Romulus Casino that were obstructed mainly because of Chairman Payments insistence on Flint. These obstructions have put us 2 years behind on the Romulus vision.
All and all Director Eitrem has maintained honesty and integrity throughout this childish ordeal. If given the opportunity to utilize his skills without obstruction, Director Eitrem can help lead this Tribe into a brighter more prosperous future.
A vote for Joe Eitrem is a vote for integrity. Joe is a giver, not a taker. Don't be fooled by the other generic candidates.
Many have called Bob LaPoint Sleeping Bear. Bob is by far from sleeping. He has managed to take care all his friends and relatives while lining his own pockets. Most recently seen at a Gaming Control Meeting courting Diana Knowles and her Sister Lori Hall. Apparently trying to convince the Commission to have a forced sale of Greektown. Many have suspected for a long time that these people are pushing for the sale to Tony Defoe. Sell-outs is the best word to describe these people. They do not have the best interest of the Members and the Members never appointed them to.Greektown Casino financing questionedDetNews.com - Detroit,MI,USAAfter the board meeting, Sault Tribe Chairman Aaron Payment said Entertainment Interests Group's investment would give Greektown the financial leverage it ...See all stories on this topicAccording to sources Tom Miller (Unit 4) entered into a partnership with a business after he was elected to the Board of Directors. Afterwards the company applied for a supplier license to do business with Greektown Casinos. Since then the company has been getting a steady stream of business. The business is reportedly located in Minneapolis, MN and provides onsite services at Greektown Casinos construction project close to 1000 miles away in Detroit, Mi.
That must be some contract for a business to purse it from so far away from their home office. There must be something incredibly special about this company that provides a one of a kind service that caters to the gaming industry. So why would Tom Miller enter into a partnership with a specialty company that would end up doing business with a gaming enterprise in which he has clout. Did he receive his partnership through some form of trade for his position on the Greektown Board? When did Miller become a partner?
How did he become a partner? If there are no issues why did Tom Miller not openly talk about it in one of his unit reports. If there are no questions of inappropriate behavior then why the secrecy.
The Board had a very little reaction to it and seemed to be common knowledge amongst them. Apparently Miller had disclosed it to the Board but not to the general public. It's alarming when the elected officials of the Tribe collaborate together to keep information from the general public.
Whether through inaction or direct action to hide information from the Tribal Members isn't the issue. It's their mutual obligation of united accountability of their peers. If the Board of Directors are not going to police themselves how long do they expect Tribal Members to tolerate this kind of sneaky behavior.
Aaron Payment replied to the Tribal Member by saying that an outside contractor was awarded the project and it's up to them to pick the sub-contracts. Payment's deflection that a general contractor does all the bidding is not quite true.Skanska was contracted by the Tribe to build the new resort in Greektown and involved with the new resort in St. Ignace. According to do*****entation Director Bob Lapoint's son has some ownership in a company that was given a contract worth nearly a million dollars from Kewadin Shores Casino. The company was not the low bidder and it was against the recommendation from Skanska. At same time another Tribal Member owned business had a contract taken away even though it provided the lowest bid.CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE AND DO*****ENTATION(Greektown Construction Project 4/07)
It's pretty clear that Skanska took orders from someone and since Payment is the CEO of Sault Tribe who do you think told them what to do. What is the timeline of events from Miller's new partnership leading up to that company receiving profits from Greektown Casino. Is this Miller's payoff for being a loyal subject of Payment? Would it be any surprise?So far through do*****entation or other public information it's been good to be one of Payment's supporters.Marta Diaz $248,000 contract paid offSteve Morello $795,000 contractNancy Hatch $750,000 contract paid offIn addition, Morello handed out millions in contracts to law firms that are still on payroll today. Dozens of other Payment supporters given jobs with inflated salaries. Tom Miller has been steadfast voter for Payment in any crucial vote and nothing more then a yes man. So would it be any surprise at all that this is just another veiled payoff for one of Payment's top political supporters?
The second strong supporter of Aaron Payment is stepping down from the Greektown Board and will no longer serve as a board member on it. Apparently the issue surrounds some financial transaction that Bob Lapoint was involved in that could cost him his license with the MGCB. Allegedly Lapoint accepted money from some outside source that he was trying to shop Greektown Casinos to them. The factual reason why Lapoint resigned may never be known but most sources are saying it certainly revolves around some kind if financial transaction.
It certainly holds the hallmarks of the elusive "Payment Plan". It was not long ago that Payment promoted a change for requirements on the Tribal Board of Directors. Previously the Board Members would have to be able to hold a license from the MGCB. Any suspensions or loss of license would result in removal or suspension from the Board of Directors. Allowing an outside agency to have this control over the Board was a mechanism put in place to help safeguard the Tribal Membership. By having a requirement for Tribal Board Members to hold a clean license form the MGCB provided the a level of scrutiny and security the Tribe does not offer.
The MGCB puts the Tribal Board Members under the microscope and review their history for past several years as well as updated reviews of current license holders. They look for the potential fraud, illegal spending or acceptance of money. If they find something that is wrongful the MGCB has several remedies which include allowing the license holder to rectify the situation, suspension of license and termination.
According to sources Lapoint's infraction was so wrong that he decided rather then be faced with a forced termination of his license he resigned to avoid persecution. So what would Bob Lapoint have done that would eventually lead to terminating his license? The MGCB is a strict regulatory agency but they are not without some level of reasonability. They allow for a license holder to rectify the problem or give a limited suspension and fine. However, Lapoint did not want to chance it and rather resign from the Greektown Board to avoid an investigation by the MGCB.
So question is what would Bob Lapoint had done so wrong that would lead him to believe that he would lose his license? And does he really think he will get away with it just because he resigned?
Vice-Chairman Lapoint tries to play himself off as some kind of concerned elder and a "straight arrow" for the people of Sault Tribe. It is quite a different story in a case involving a driveway he built illegally by committing a form of forgery and fraud.
In 1999 Vice-Chairman Lapoint obtained property that was land locked from any road access. Apparently he tried to get some of the land owners around him to give him an easement so he could build a driveway in order to access to his land. The landowners around must had denied his request and Vice-Chairman filed a lawsuit against one of them for an easement across their property.
However, that was not good enough. He decided on April 13th 1999 to go ahead and apply for a building permit for a trunk line right of way. On this do*****ent it clearly states that the person signing the form must certify that they are legal owner of the property or owner's authorization agent. Vice-Chairman Lapoint signed this do*****ent without permission from the land owner and did not own the land itself. This constitutes a form of forgery. It is obvious he knew what he was doing since he already filed suit over building this driveway.
So what happens next?
The owner then filed a counter suit against Vice-Chairman Lapoint.
The case made it to court in 2000 and Vice-Chairman's lawsuit was dismissed while the counter claim proceeded. Vice-Chairman Lapoint lost against the counter claim and was forced to pay over $16,000 to the owner of the land he trespassed upon.
It would seem that this could have easily been a criminal offense. The Vice-Chairman did knowingly sign a legal do*****ent that was in principal a forgery. He was already in a lawsuit over the matter and instead of waiting for the court to decide. He took it upon himself to pay a contractor to build a driveway across someone's property without their permission.
There can be no doubt that Vice-Chairman Lapoint was found guilty of wrong doing in this matter. It cost him over $16,000 and a chasting from the Judge in this case calling his lawsuit frivolous.
It is unclear whether this information was given to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) for review. As a Board Member, Lapoint would be listed as an "owner" and fall under Section 6: Casino licenses of the MGCB rules and regulations. Under this section there are some clear rules for eligibility.
432.206 Casino licenses.Sec. 6.
(4) An applicant is ineligible to receive a casino license if any of the following cir*****stances exist:
(c) The applicant has submitted an application for a license under this act that contains false information.
(h) The board concludes that the applicant lacks the requisite suitability as to integrity, moral character, and reputation; personal and business probity; financial ability and experience; responsibility; or means to develop, construct, operate, or maintain the casino proposed in the certified development agreement.
(5) In determining whether to grant a casino license to an applicant, the board shall also consider all of the following:
(i) Whether the applicant has filed, or had filed against it, a proceeding for bankruptcy or has ever been involved in any formal process to adjust, defer, suspend, or otherwise work out the payment of any debt.
(n) Whether awarding a license to an applicant would undermine the public's confidence in the Michigan gaming industry.The Michigan Gaming Control Board has the final approval over any license but it would seem by their own rules that Vice-Chairman Lapoint is unfit for a gaming license. Whether they were made aware of this information before is not known but they are today!
 The question that remains is if the Gaming Board considers allowing Vice-Chairman Lapoint to possess a license undermines the public's confidence in the Michigan gaming industry.Closer to home the Tribal Board should be asking themselves do we need a Vice-Chairman with a checkered past?
Here are the do*****ents for all to see that the comments made here are truthful. Some of the files are very large and if your on 56k it may take a few minutes to download them but it's worth the wait.
Initial lawsuit filed by Lapoint on February 4, 1999
Application for work permit signed by Lapoint on April 13 1999
Original lawsuit court hearing against the other property owner
Counter-suit against Lapoint from property owner
Court Proceedings judgment against Lapoint for attorney and other fees
Deposition of Lapoint
Deposition of witness 1
Deposition of witness 2
Ripping Off The Sault Tribe Members For 10 Years
Campbell acquires stake in Greektown Casino
By Bill SheaJerry Campbell has added a 40 percent stake in Greektown Casino reportedly worth $100 million to his growing entertainment holdings in metro Detroit.
The retired chairman of Citizens Republic Bancorp in Ann Arbor is also developing the $142 million Pinnacle Race Course being built on 320 acres in Huron Township near Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Campbell said he signed a deal Friday to acquire the portion of the casino from Greektown’s majority owner, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, but did not reveal details. He said a small group of investors are part of the deal, including longtime friend and business partner Jack Krasula, owner of Southfield-based executive search firm Trustinus L.L.C. and host of a show on WJR AM 760.
“We’ve had an interest in (Greektown) for a long time,” Campbell said. “We think it’s important to the area and city.
”Campbell expected more details to be released Wednesday.
The deal is between the tribe and Campbell’s Bloomfield Hills-based Entertainment Interests Group Inc.
A source close to the deal said Campbell’s group began a due diligence period 30 days ago and that period recently finished. The next step is to get state approval, he said, noting “it’s a done deal.”
The cost for the 40-percent stake is $100 million, the source said.
Campbell said the deal still requires regulatory approvals, including from the Michigan Gaming Control Board, but he’s confident because he has casino licenses in other states because of his gaming involvement on the board of directors for Aurora, Ontario-based Magna Entertainment Corp. Magna owns race tracks with casino operations outside of Michigan.
Magna halted plans last year to build a $100 million track and entertainment center by 2009 on a 212-acre site Detroit Metro, but the company abandoned those plans because of continued losses in the state.
Campbell acquired the Michigan racing license that Magna surrendered.
Former MotorCity Casino investor Tom Celani was in talks to buy a 22 percent stake in Greektown, but the deal later fell through earlier this year. The tribe had been seeking outside investment because it failed to meet state-mandated income benchmarks last year, and the gaming board had warned of a possible forced sale.
Campbell and Krasula have other ventures under way, as well. Along with several other local partners, they raised $50 million to start a Tampa-based bank-holding company, CNBS Financial Group Inc., and opened the first branch of its Community National Bank of the South in Orlando a year ago.
Other partners in that venture include Dana Cluckey, who was president and CEO of Republic Bank before its merger last year with Citizens Bancorp Inc.; Bob Liggett, owner of Warren-based Big Boy Restaurants; Kathleen McCann, senior vice president of Detroit-based Soave Enterprises L.L.C.; and Art Van Elslander, founder of Warren-based Art Van Furniture Inc.
Dan Duggan contributed to this report.
How Much More Foolish Are We Going to Look?
Anyone who makes a deal behind closed doors and in secret obviously has something to hide and is not acting on the best interests of the tribe. The board should exist only to ensure that the future of the tribe and its members is progressing and growing just as any other government. Once people stop working for those in which they are there to represent, they serve no purpose than self-preservation.
The board for the casinos and the other businesses must be separated for no other reason than that it is utterly impossible for someone to operate the government of the tribe and at the same time ensure the financial well being of the tribe from all of its businesses. There is simply no way anyone could operate both, there are not enough hours in the day.These folks need to be interviewed and selected based on skills, leadership abilities, and business acumen. They should get a base salary and performance bonuses.
The reason the banks are breathing down our neck is because they see the turmoil we are under on a daily basis. They see all of the political unrest and they see poor financial skills, thus they are very worried and they should be! All they care about is getting paid, so we need to pay them and plan to move forward with the completion of Greektown. If we need a partner, I can think of quite a few that would love to get in on the deal who are NOT our competitors. C'mon guys, let's think about this deal. really...... ...
I feel that the reason that so many of these decisions are being done behind closed doors is that members of the council are afraid to make an honest mistake because they will be publicly humiliated. Just as they are there to represent us and act in our best interests, we must support them and enable them to make honest mistake while operating on the "tribes" best interests.
As long as these mistake are not repeated and people are not profiting in any way from them, then we must allow our members of the council to operate free from public humiliation.
Being a public servant (or any elected position) means putting not only your job out there, but also your entire personal life for all to see. Speaking from my own experience, it is not an easy position for anyone, especially if you have an ax over your head every single day.
Look, we have to learn to respect each other, trust each other, and support each other to make the RIGHT decisions. Decisions based on facts, based on the best interests of all members of the tribe and not personal vendettas or educated guesses.This comes form having people to lead this tribe who are not there to lay blame or to constantly remind us of mistakes made years ago, but to lead us, to plan for us, to ensure that we are progressing, expanding and maintaining a healthy progressive environment that all members can be proud of.
JFK once stated "The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings."
In order for our members to once again regain trust in its leaders, we must move toward a free and open government. We must act in the best interests of ALL of our members. We must move forward financially by planning tactically and intellectually to secure today and plan for tomorrow. We must enable our members to share in the gains of the tribe and partake in the shortcomings as well.
So many of our elders have given so much of themselves to give us the freedoms and securities that we share each and every day. We must enable those who wish to share their expertise to do so. This should not be and "us against them" state of mind. It should be a "we" state of mind. What can i do to make my tribe better? What is good for one should be good for the entire tribe.
I have no issues with our elected officials being paid a fair salary; however why not a base salary and bonuses based on performance just like others? I mean if you really think about it, we are somewhat like a publicly traded company. We are the shareholders and the board runs the operation. However, our board is making decision's behind closed doors and making deals that are undisclosed and that is no way to run a company, nor a government.
The bottom line is that we fail as a tribe and we gain as a tribe and who will really care 20 years from now who is at fault? We will only care that we have something really good an we ruined it because of a lack of planning and a lack of execution.We need to take responsibility for our actions, access the damage we are in and execute a plan to ensure our financial stability over the next 3-5 years. From there, we can build a plan for long term growth which will enable all of our tribe and its members to flourish.
Until then, we have to tighten our belts, stop spending money that we do not have, cut where we can and get our act together and get some folks in Detroit that know how to swim with the sharks and take care of business. It can be done! We Can this around! We must act together.
My Best~Scott Killips
