About 25 people gathered in a law office downtown Sunday night to put together a plan of attack against the proposed DeJope casino in Madison.

Spearheaded by attorney David Relles, No Dane Casino invited an anti-casino heavy hitter to help kick off the campaign.

The Rev. Tom Grey, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, told the group that grass-roots efforts will be most effective in fighting a casino.

"Put together a coalition of businesses, civic groups, religious organizations and political leadership," Grey said. "You can win this."

Dane County voters will decide on Feb. 17 whether the Ho-Chunk Nation can convert the DeJope bingo hall on Madison's far southeast side into a full-fledged casino.

Relles was frustrated a couple of weeks ago when all he was hearing was how the casino was "a done deal," so he wanted to get a movement going to fight it.

He went to a Tavern League meeting last week, but while the organization opposes DeJope expansion, it didn't come up with any cohesive plan, so Relles pushed on with his own meeting last night, hoping to generate some interest from community leaders.

Although Relles was pleased with the turnout, he told The Capital Times afterward that he was disappointed no elected officials came to the organizing meeting.

"I fear that it means all these officials who should be thinking about the future of Dane County already have made up their minds or will sit this one out," Relles said.

Grey said that even though there are only 58 days before the referendum, a strong fight against the casino can be mounted and won.

"This is the state capital," Grey said. "My God, you are going to let them put a big slot machine on the outskirts of the city? If you give anyone a pass on this, for shame."

Grey and his organization have been fighting legal gambling for a dozen years. In 2003 alone, there were 45 "battles" in 29 states, he said.

"Out of 45 battles we won 42 and lost three," he said. "With all that political muscle, the gambling interests weren't able to expand, even in tight economic times."

The positive spin put on having a casino, including the $91 million promised to Dane County and the city of Madison over the next 13 years, needs to be countered with the negative aspects of gambling, Relles said.

"By having our government becoming a cheerleader for gambling, what are we telling our children and grandchildren?" he said. "This is one of the ways our children learn. By the government saying it's OK, the children are learning it's OK."

Grey said the government appears to be endorsing an addictive product.

"We are seeing an epidemic of gambling, especially among women and young people," he said. "Casinos are in the business of separating people from their money.

"What we're talking about here is whether gambling belongs on Main Street in the state capital."

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk has gone on record in support of the casino because of the millions of dollars the Ho-Chunk Nation would pay to the county.

Madison developer Bob Keller, who sits on the board of directors of Downtown Madison Inc., an organization already on record against the casino, said elected officials just see the up side of getting the money and not the down side of gambling.

"They want the casino money," Keller said, "and no one wants to take on the county executive."

No Dane Casino is putting up a Web site, www.nodanecasino.com, and will take donations to help defray expenses in its battle to keep a casino out of Dane County. Donations can be made to No Dane Casino, 301 N. Broom St., Madison WI 53703.

The organization is also filing papers today at the county clerk's office as a campaign registration committee, so it's an official political group "trying to influence the outcome of an election," steering committee member Carol Weidel said.

The steering committee also includes Scott Webb, Suzanne Leimontas, Keller and Relles. No Dane Casino is hoping to hold a large public meeting the first week of January.

Local peace activist and retired UW professor Robert Kimbrough said what the local government is trying to do in favoring a casino "just stinks."

"We are letting down the principles of democracy by letting our government use funds scraped off the poor to support social services," Kimbrough said. "We are putting a tax on the backs of the citizens who can least afford it."

Rosemary Lee, who tried to persuade the Dane County Board in November not to approve holding a referendum on the casino, said No Dane Casino faces an uphill fight, especially against those who will cry 'racism' if a casino isn't allowed.

"I hear people say we owe it to the Indians because we took their land away," Lee said.

Relles said the fact the casino is an Indian casino has nothing to do with the movement against it.

"This is not against the Indians, it's against anybody trying to bring in a casino," he said.

Grey said when there's millions of dollars at stake, politicians on both sides of the political fence get caught up in getting some of the free money without asking what the cost is.

"Both parties are pigs at the gambling feeding trough," Grey said. "This is not about liberals or conservatives. It's about holding elected officials accountable for what they choose to do."

Source: www.madison.com
E-mail: bnovak@madison.com