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Bad news for the Rock Island riverboat.

llinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan Monday stood by an opinion written by one of her deputies that could prevent the Casino Rock Island from moving to southwest Rock Island.

In a meeting with Quad-Cities legislators, Ms. Madigan said that, while she wouldn’t rescind the opinion, she would help write legislation that would clearly give the Illinois Gaming Board authority to approve a proposed move by the Casino Rock Island from its downtown Rock Island location to a site near Interstate 280 and Illinois 92. […]

Passing new legislation has many potential pitfalls, Sen. Jacobs said. He is concerned about an anti-gaming attitude that pervades the House, and is unsure whether Gov. Rod Blagojevich would sign a gaming bill. He also raised concerns that the initial vision of any bill introducednow would be changed by the time it is voted on.

That’s no overstatement. Any gaming legislation automatically becomes a potential Christmas tree.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 2:40 am

Comments

How does a non-binding opinion written by a legal aid to L. Madigan, force the lawmakers of N’Western Illinois, to now have to push thru legislation in order to move the boat within the community? Does the 300 feet expansion/move by the E.St.Louis boat need legislation too? Who is Don Mofitt, and why is he preventing development in another community? Or is this a slap back at young Mike Jacobs? Hey the rest of Illinois, “Forgotonia” still is here… give us our approval to move our own boat!!

Comment by none Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 5:29 am
Our own boat?

Get a grip dude. The boat belongs to a company and is permitted to be where it is. It isn’t permitted to be elsewhere.

The legislators are all trying to get something for home and not addressing the screaming problem of the budget. The boat could move if those legislators now with boats would suggest it and do a little ol’ fashioned horse trading so that gaming could be expanded.

If Chicago or Waukegan gets a boat or casino, that ain’t gonna stop Jimmy and Lois from Galena or Freeport from going on over to Rock Island.

The AG is right…any gaming nibbling ought to stop until someone stands up with a big picture view that addresses the gigantic hole in the budget.

Comment by Mongo Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 8:06 am
Mongo-
apples to apples please, be germaine… madigan has no legal foot to stand on to implement this stay of the opinion from one of her deputies; And it is “our boat”, I work there, and so do many others, and its peripheral impact is felt by many others here in Forgotonia. So we have a vested interest. Using the word our boat inmplies pride, and loyalty. Nothing wrong with that. Stop playing politics with one of the most economically depressed parts of our state. Lisa, RI County HELPS Democrats…. and your getting input on this from mofitt??

Comment by none Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 8:34 am
Mornin’ none

as long as the legislators are just looking out for their own little region, this big problem with the budget won’t get solved. That’s all I meant. I actually have friends in Forgotonia and they too are proud to live there.

But still, please, the sooner we are all willing to give up a little, the sooner we’ll all get more…that’s usually how this works. And Forgotonia won’t be, well, forgotten.

And please, Mongo no know Moffitt.

Comment by Mongo Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:08 am
And good morning back to you Mongo. My apologies. Just a little frustrated up here in NW Illinois with L.Madigan. It appears that she is putting the kibosh on a project that brings in construction jobs and economic development to our region. Add to that level of frustration to an area of our state that looks like Detroit in the 1980â€™s, (closed manufacturing sites {right Moffitt?} empty prisons, expansion galore just right over the river in Iowa) and one can see why we are frustrated. I know you can punch out a horse, so I donâ€™t want to make you madâ€¦ but is it me or where is our leadership coming from now to address situations like this, now that we have one freshman Senator, one sophomore Rep., and one disinterested Rep.? Now I am on the one not being germaneâ€¦

Comment by none Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 9:47 am
Don’t forget Lane “I don’t do squat but I stil get elected” Evans.

Comment by Pat Collins Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:37 am
The whole point of riverboat gambling was to be a tool for economic development. Im glad we got one in Rock Island, it has done so much for the downtown in creation of “The District”

The casino is the hub of the district however, what happens when it moves completly out of downtown. I dont think its a good idea, the approach that should be taken is to allow the casino to develop thier existing property in downtown. Let them tear down the armory structure instead of moving 3 miles down the river depriving downtown of the traffic which is helping it to actually grow.

There also is an enviromental issues with the new site, I have yet to see any study about the impact on the wetlands and Upper Mississippi WIldlife Refuge that may be threatened by this deleopment.

Comment by PrairieStateDem Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:46 am
Pat- I mentioned the disinterested Rep (Evans) His weak economic team doesn’t help either.

Comment by none Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 10:57 am
As long as Blagojevich is governor, don’t touch gambling. He is too unstable to work with on this or any other gaming issue.

Comment by Vanilla World Tuesday, Apr 26, 05 @ 12:38 pm
Lane who?

None, these across the river battles (Iowa-Illinois, Illinois-Mizzou, Indiana-Illinois) are a great study in successes and failures on both sides. I kind of agree with PSD though about the boat anchoring the downtown district, but as I say that I admit I have not been to the boat and don’t know the community…therefore it isn’t my call to make. But PSD does have some good logic.

As to leadership, it starts in Springfield (wait, I’m sorry, Chicago) and the Governor just has not stepped up. That goofy Opportunity Returns program he created just cannibalizes other state programs and turns them into dole for the guy with the hair. He has no plan for economic development in the regions throughout the state that his press releases talk about.

Comment by Mongo Wednesday, Apr 27, 05 @ 7:52 am
Lane who?

These state river border issues are great case studies in success and failure, whether Illinois-Iowa, Illinois-Missouri, or Illinois-Indiana. I kind of liked PSD’s logic re the boat and the downtown district, but I admit I don’t live there, have not been on the boat, and would defer to “hometown” logical arguments that were persuausive.

As to leadership, it should start with the Governor and he hasn’t stepped up.

His goofy Opportunity Returns plan just cannibalizes existing State programs and turns them to dole for the guy with the hair. His press releases claim to have an economic plan for each region…that’s gotta be a crock. I’d love to see those…

We need a person with some spine and some ideas to be Governor.

Comment by Mongo Wednesday, Apr 27, 05 @ 7:55 am
None,

I wouldn’t lose any sleep over young Senator Mike Jacobs and Pat Vershoore getting the job done. The fact is, these folks are well liked and respected in the Capitol. Now if you had to count on Boland, yes, you would be in serious trouble!

At the end of the day, against very long odds, Sen. Mike Jacobs and Rep. Pat Vershoore will get the job done!

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Apr 29, 05 @ 8:04 am