It wasn’t a surprise that the state’s casino review board selected the Mulvane site for a casino resort in Sumner County. Though the two sites near Wellington were also strong proposals, the Mulvane location, which would be operated by Harrah’s Entertainment, was projected to produce more revenue, which was part of the selection criteria. It’s unfortunate that the location choice has been so divisive, pitting Mulvane against Wellington and Mulvane residents against one another.
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33 Comments
Another tax on citizens of the Wichita metropolitan area. What about the single mother with three kids in two needing to win to pay her next rent?
with all due respect JWink, how is choosing Harrah’s a “tax on the citizens of the Wichita……..”?
Going to the casino is a choice.
If you want to gamble, you go. If you don’t want to throw your many away on a game of chance, you don’t.
The long arm of the Wichita GOBN had its hand into this one.
Gambling – “Many must lose in order for a few to win.”
Congrats to Mulvane for landing this one. Wellington was a lousy choice; it’s out in the middle of nowhere. Mulvane will be a lot more convenient to Wichita.
Too bad Wichita wasn’t progressive enough to vote in favor of a casino. The revenue and increased business will be a boon for a town the size of Mulvane.
I feel sorry for the Chamber woman in Wellington who worked so hard and so long for her little community, and then, as Reg said, felt the long arm of the GOBN reach out and steal the fruit just as it ripened. Like racoons picking corn the farmer has so carefully cultivated to perfect ripeness.
Welcome to the real world of economic development, darlin’. The world where “there aint no coup de ville hiding in the bottom of the Cracker Jack box”.
And have I mentioned that “economic development” is the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on the American taxpayer? It’s the lynch pin of The Wrecking Crew at the local and state levels.
And even when you have good local folks doing the right thing, working hard, playing by the rules and trying to create a rising tide that will lift all boats? The big boys will step in at the last minute and reap all the benefits. They were laughing at you and your most excellent efforts all along the way. They know that hard work and doing the right thing are no match for the GOBN.
Sorry Shelly. I could have told ya, but you were a true believer, the kind the GOBN just loves to work, and you wouldnt have believed anyone who pointed out the truth of “economic development”.
And XXX post illustrates the real tragedy of this whole casino thing down there. Wichita thought it was too good to soil it’s hands with the casino, but it sure wanted a share of the plunder. What to do?
Dupe a little town nearby to take the fall. Let Mulvane deal with the problems while Wichita reaps a ton of the economic benefits. All the pleasure, none of the pain. Except…
Those damn pesky folks in Wellington who actually WANTED the casino in their town, did the work, and were willing to take the good with the bad. But again, not to worry. They propped up Mulvane with their long and muscular political arms. Mulvane will get the trash while Wichita gets the gravy. Slick, no?
heheheh. Sorry. Good guys only win in westerns. Otherwise, money talks, and bullshit walks.
The Wellington Casinos was more about pride and conceit than it was about actually bringing any revenue to the State or the County.
Their attitude of “if we don’t get it, nobody should get it” shows where they stood.
Especially when Rep. Vetta tried to pass a state law to block Mulvane’s annexation to the Harrah’s site, and the Wellington Judge who is continuing the county’s lawsuit against Mulvane, and people think that the GOBN of Wichita is doing something about this? LOL! This is all Wellington and it was their actions that lost their own casino.
And besides! How smart is it to build a Casino less than a mile down the road to their High School.
No! This is nothing more than small town rivalry, just as you see in High School Sports in these small towns. Wellington keeps touting that they were the majority of the voice of Sumner, when Wellington is only 33% of the population of Sumner.
Now Wellington officials with Rep. Vetta are seriously looking at trying to repel the State Casino law in next year session. They now want to take it away from KC, Dodge City and S.E. Kansas. Talk about looking for sympathy from other communities in the state.
Well, Shelly is ashamed of being a Kansan (her words on TV.)
Shelly Hansel’s meltdown.
KFDI interview. OMG! Did she loose it.
http://news.kfdi.com/News/Story/tabid/5154/story/24916/Default.aspx
ksfarmgrrl
Posted August 23, 2008 at 8:33 am | Permalink
And XXX post illustrates the real tragedy of this whole casino thing down there.
Shreveport LA comes to mind. Though not much of a gambler, I’ve been there and talked to some of the locals. Everybody I talked to said the casinos were a positive thing for the city. They were a benefit for local business and triggered a major renovation of the downtown district. There were lots of specialty shops around and the area was clean, well lighted, and well regulated.
Locating the new casino in Mulvane just makes good economic sense.
Ok…to you conspiracy theorists…I was born in Missouri, the ’show me’ state. As such, I want to know how you assume this “GOBN” as you call it is involved in this and was the deciding factor.
Making claims is easy…what do you base this on? I am not saying there wasn’t some influence, but am not just blindly accepting that it was based on some mysterious, no names “GOBN”. Let’s see some facts or evidence of that, shall we?
In the meantime, placing a casino within feet of the Sedgwick county line most likely has the NO CASINO people absolutely livid. For this rare instance, I must agree with Apophis, going to a casino is a choice people make.
Yes, there will be those that abuse it..just like there are people like me that abused alcohol. Does that mean all alcohol should be banned because about 10% of us can’t handle it? No.
I moved to Derby last spring. I look forward to new dining and entertainment opportunities just down the road vs having to drive to Wichita and deal with the traffic crazies.
Wish I had some cash to buy up some of the farm land between Wichita and Mulvane, on Rock Road and on K-15.
Well, those farmers aren’t stupid, they will want top dollar!
Franklin
Posted August 23, 2008 at 10:38 am | Permalink
Wish I had some cash to buy up some of the farm land between Wichita and Mulvane, on Rock Road and on K-15.
Good point, Paul. I see the casino development as a solid economic opportunity for the entire surrounding area.
Shelly was wrong to blow up like that.
Nobody died.
Nobody went to jail.
There was nothing to be ashamed of, she LOST, pure and simple.
She is a poor sport.
Shelly should look at the resolutions involved.
Nobody voted to put the Casino in any specific area.
The State came up with its own process.
We all were a part of that process.
I am upset that we did not get the “race-ino” or something to keep the dog track open.
I am very conflicted on the gambling issue.
Most people in financial services feel the same way.
We are starting to get voice recordings of more and more transactions, in insurance and investments, because, I guess, “customers are too dumb to think for themselves and the government has to protect them.”
Show me a 75 year old near senile widow who buys the “wrong” health care plan and puts the “wrong” investments into her IRA, simply by the arbitrary decision of some relative, and I will show you a financial professional who had to spend thousands of dollars in his own defense, to protect his career, even if he wins.
That same 75 year old can blow the entire home equity at the casino, and there is NO recourse for her, or anyone in her family.
I also notice that some who decry the “payday loan” loan shark outlets are all for Casinos.
Hey, I am conflicted as I know some can not handle responsibility and can not make sound choices.
But, Casinos were comming, and I am glad the Mulvane location won.
Very simply put: It was the job of the site selection people to pick a location that would provide the MOST benefit to all of Kansas.
The Mulvane site fits that goal very well.
Also, the Casino vote was close, in Sedgwick County.
Those who voted against the Casino in this county do not get to tell the other residents not go drive to Newkirk Oklahoma, or to Mulvane!
Apparently, I didnt make myself clear. I am very much pro-casino, and no, I dont gamble myself. Farming is enough gambling for me. I dont think that it’s a tragedy that a casino is going in. I just think Wichita was dumb for saying it couldnt go into your county, and just mean to take it away from Wellington, that wanted it, and give it to Mulvane, which, IIRC, also voted against it.
There’s something absurd about the casino-based industry.
Wayne Newton became a star in Vegas, although I wouldn’t walk across the street to see him perform at the neighbors’ pool party. Some people travel to Branson (which is what Vegas would be if Hitler had won the war) to see Lee Greenwood perform a medley of his hit and Andy Williams joke that’s he’s not gonna sing “Moon River.”
Second-rate has-beens (can you spell “Gallagher?”) will provide the “star-studded entertainment” at this backwater venue. People will flock to Mulvane to see Dawn in concert! (Not Tony Orlando, mind you. Just Dawn. Tony’s playing the Iroquois casino outside of Muncie that night.)
Harrah’s will open five themed restaurants that’ll serve out of a common kitchen. The steak place, the fish place, the pancake place, the taco place, and the Italian place will nuke pre-packaged Harrah’s-approved portion-sized corporate food to the rubes who flock in to play the slots.
Hey, Mulvane might succeed as a tourist attraction. Some people still visit the Wisconsin Dells, f’r cryin’ out loud. Go figure.
But eventually the casino golden goose is gonna die. The “big room” at the Mulvane casino will headline a Freddy Fender tribute band or the drummer from Iron Butterfly’s one-man show.
The only thing that’s gonna save this enterprise is some hot high-dollar hookers.
I see the development between Exit 33 and 47th St in Wichita and S. SG to boom.
Especially that KDOT is going to redo the 47th St interchange and that developer who is going to put in a huge retail development, it only makes sense that it will continue all the way down to Exit 33.
And Ksfarmgrl, nobody “took it away” from Wellington. It’s just their Casino operators who wanted that location thought they could get a better chance in Wellington, due to politics, even though they were 3rd rate players in the Casino business. But politics, GOBN or whatever had little or no play in the Lottery Board decision. It was pure financial.
The 3rd rate operators didn’t step up, including one of them (who actually won the sole bid in S.E. Kansas) threaten to leave that deal if they couldn’t get Wellington.
But truth be told. ALL casino operators wanted the Mulvane exit on 33. But the 3rd rate players knew they couldn’t compete with MGM or Harrahs, so they went the political route and schmoozed with the Wellington officials. Showering them with gifts, to do whatever is possible to put Exit 33 out of play, including state legislation and lawsuits.
I’m sorry ksfarmgrl. I would give props to Wellington, but I can’t, because they played politics and played dirty on the whole deal. All Mulvane did was annex land as to put in city services and utilities, which is appropriate under state annex laws.
MH…funny and (can’t believe I am saying this) probably true. I agree with you, beginning with the premise that the entire industry is absurd. Then again, so is the tobacco industry and the alcohol industry when you get right down to it.
But…some people enjoy it, so far be it for me to criticize.
Am I wrong that Mulvane voted NOT to pursue the casino? I could be wrong, I admit that, but I seem to recall they voted no.
So… now they changed their mind? Or the GOBN changed it for them? Wellington put in a lot of work thinking Mulvane had voted no?
Dont tell me it was WELLINGTON that played politics with this. And really. Is there a difference between the political and the financial?
I think not.
There were men and women in Mulvane on BOTH sides of the issue.
There were men and women in Wellington on BOTH sides of the issue.
Wellington did not get the Casino.
No big conspiracy, Harrah’s promised more development, and the Mulvane location will probably attract more customers.
BTW, this stuff is common in “county option” states, as far as liquor is concerned.
Frequently the night clubs and liquor stores in “wet” counties fund the politicians in the neighboring “dry” counties.
Politics is war without guns.
It is still a fight.
“There were men and women in Mulvane on BOTH sides of the issue.”
Paul, I get that. But was there, or was there not, a vote in the city of Mulvane that ended up NO on the casino? Did I just imagine that?
If so, what changed their minds, now, after Wellington said yes and put in all the work to get the COUNTY vote to be yes?
Could someone clarify that?
Half of Mulvane is in Sumner the other half is in Sedgwick.
FYI
Meaning that Mulvane Sumner Co. is free to pursue the Casino, so is Peck, Belle Plaine, which all support the Casino at exit 33.
So…. there was never a vote in the CITY of Mulvane on the casino? I googled and found that there was a petition for a vote, but I cant find if the vote was ever held.
If I recall, the city petition was not considered valid.
They would have to get two county Election Commissioner Officers to agree to put in on the ballot.
I do not think it every happened.
Clerk in Sumner
Election Commissioner in Sedgwick
Mulvane exit, hard on I-35, made the best sense by far. It’s too bad for Sumner County that they didn’t work WITH Mulvane instead of AGAINT Mulvane. The casino could have remeined in unincorporated Sumner County and more revenue would go county-wide. But, they had to be bull-headed and lost in the end.
As the lottery people noted, they had to look at STATE law, not just local interest. And under state law Mulvane won hands down.
I agree with Joe that there will be significant development along the corridor between here and Mulvane. However, I doubt it will be quite the boom he expects.
Wasn’t Jwink a huge fan for a downtown casino? He wanted to build a huge monument to entrepenuers (or to himself) or am I thinking of some one else
Sedgwick county / Wichita blew it by only pushing for a downtown venue —- a west side venue out by the golf course would have been a big winner here — but the Wichita GOB and their partnership with some Canadians doomed it …..
…… and be careful Wichita the city and developers are eyeing the riverfront for more residential and light commercial development — when with a little vision / creativity they can make the riverfront a venue for all of Wichita with a river walk, improved parks — but it seems city leaders there really are not / have not been good stewards for all of Wichita —-
This Harrah’s developement could be a good thing for Clearwater too, along with Peck, Belle Plaine, Mulvane, and all of Southern Sedgwick and Northern Sumner Counties. Just think of the possibilities with Paula Deen and Toby Keith showing up.
“He wanted to build a huge monument to entrepenuers (or to himself)”
That was Joe! who nw goes by ictbest
http://www.peerlesstower.com/
Vince Wetta was involved in the writing of the law and he knew that a casino had to be placed where the biggest dollar gain was. Shelly Hansel knew this as well.
This is why it would have made more sense for a state wide vote and let each community court the best deal they could get for a casino. Vince Wetta could have then given Wellington their casino.
You really think you will see Toby or Paula? I have been to Toby’s in OKC several times they say they rarely see him and he lives in the area. Paula will be retired before this gets out of the courts and actually built.
Toby is in Wichita all the time.
He has a girlfriend here.
Also, he parks one of his trucks on the old Builders Square lot on East Kellog
This is a stimulating blog post, I can’t wait to other posts you post.