Hard Rock Hotel and Casino coming?

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by carolinadawg2

Here's some information I found relative to the Cherokees:

"Harrah’s provides employment for approximately 1,800 individuals with the average salary being $37,000. Each of 12,500 enrolled tribal members, children and adults alike, receives biannual checks averaging $3,500 that are drawn from the 50 percent of casino revenue that is distributed to the Indians.

Benefits for children are placed in a trust fund that they can access when they turn 18 if they have graduated from high school. If they do not graduate, they do not receive the money until they are 21. A Cherokee born today would stand to receive at least $168,000 when he or she turns 18. The tribe pays for financial training classes for both high school students and adults.

Because of the influx of money into the economy, the tribal government is also able to pay better wages to its employees and has increased its staff from 300 to 900. The tribal budget has grown from about $10 million a year to over $120 million. The tribe is developing a home ownership program that will help people buy mid-range priced homes in an attempt to get rid of the trailers. Tribal leaders have agreed to pave every driveway on the reservation.

Changes can be seen throughout the reservation in the form of better housing, attractive landscaping, upgraded water and sewer systems, and improved schools. Gambling dollars have funded a diabetes clinic, an urgent care clinic, a wellness center, a youth center, a recreational park, a visitor center, a community center, a nursery, a fire substation, and land purchases. Portions of earnings are earmarked for a higher education fund providing college scholarships for tribal members. Charitable causes in Western North Carolina also benefit from the profits. The tribe uses funds for the local hospital and also operates a senior citizens’ home."

+5
This is similar to what I saw that the Catawbas are aiming for. They also offered to pay the state of North Carolina a larger amount than what the Cherokees pay as well as other local donations.

Tim Moore was involved in the original legal work on this. In an interview with either the Shelby Star or the Kings Mountain Herald he said that if the state fails to do a deal with the Catawbas it would not nix the casino but it would make a situation where the Catawbas would not be obligated to give the state one single penny.

McCrory, Tillis, & Berger took campaign money from the Cherokee Nation with the string attached that they would block competition for the Cherokee. Money was also given to Moore but he was involved with getting the Cherokee's gaming status upgraded from slots parlors to full-blown casinos.

There were lots of articles about this in the Shelby Star.

[Wolf Howl]

Originally Posted by carolinadawg2

Here's some information I found relative to the Cherokees:

"Harrah’s provides employment for approximately 1,800 individuals with the average salary being $37,000. Each of 12,500 enrolled tribal members, children and adults alike, receives biannual checks averaging $3,500 that are drawn from the 50 percent of casino revenue that is distributed to the Indians.

Benefits for children are placed in a trust fund that they can access when they turn 18 if they have graduated from high school. If they do not graduate, they do not receive the money until they are 21. A Cherokee born today would stand to receive at least $168,000 when he or she turns 18. The tribe pays for financial training classes for both high school students and adults.

Because of the influx of money into the economy, the tribal government is also able to pay better wages to its employees and has increased its staff from 300 to 900. The tribal budget has grown from about $10 million a year to over $120 million. The tribe is developing a home ownership program that will help people buy mid-range priced homes in an attempt to get rid of the trailers. Tribal leaders have agreed to pave every driveway on the reservation.

Changes can be seen throughout the reservation in the form of better housing, attractive landscaping, upgraded water and sewer systems, and improved schools. Gambling dollars have funded a diabetes clinic, an urgent care clinic, a wellness center, a youth center, a recreational park, a visitor center, a community center, a nursery, a fire substation, and land purchases. Portions of earnings are earmarked for a higher education fund providing college scholarships for tribal members. Charitable causes in Western North Carolina also benefit from the profits. The tribe uses funds for the local hospital and also operates a senior citizens’ home."

Thanks for digging that up. Certainly sounds like it's made a positive impact in their lives so that's good. I'm more supportive of something like this if the community it's going in is not worse off afterwards.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Wolf Howl

Thanks for digging that up. Certainly sounds like it's made a positive impact in their lives so that's good. I'm more supportive of something like this if the community it's going in is not worse off afterwards.

An independent organization is projecting that the complex on the land that the Catawbas bought in Kings Mountain Township will provide 4000 jobs. Plus other job-providing companies will be attracted. At the time of the announcement I saw surveyors on some of the local roads down there as well as on I 85. There was mention in an article that I read at the time that they intend to pay for certain roads to be upgraded.

There are members of the tribe living in the area on the NC side of the border. Just my opinion, but I think that they will be assisting Cleveland & Gaston counties as well as their members in SC. More jobs in this area helps the whole region.

If they pay to upgrade roads around here that's money that NCDOT doesn't have to spend here that can be spent elsewhere in the region. The $600 million figure includes road upgrades.

[js4life]

The Catawbas are also working on a movie/TV studio, so these two projects could provide a huge boost to the area

[John Doh]

Originally Posted by Wolf Howl

That'd be an interesting addition to the region.

Has any Indian population greatly benefited by the opening of a casino on their land? A small minority of leaders probably would but what about the overall population, has that shown to improve with the addition of a casino?

From my experience it will benefit both the tribe and the local community of managed properly. As background, there are 2 Casinos in CT owned by separate tribes: Foxwoods (Mashantucket Pequot) opened first and then Mohegan Sun (Mohegan Tribe) opened. I used to live in CT and while working for a bank had one of them as my client.

Both were managed very differently, Foxwoods was managed in the majority by the Pequots, while they did OK they did not have experience in managing a casino or in managing the money that came with it in that time. The Mohegans saw this and instead hired an outside company to develop and manage the Casino (Same people as Atlantis). Foxwoods followed suit later bringing in MGM.

From my experience the Mohegans did very well. If you lived on tribal land all utilities were paid for by the tribe as was education. There was also a trust fund set up for each child so they could pay for college. Both tribes received a dividend from the casino earnings. The Pequots, however, didn't manage their cash as well and didn't have the same quality of perks. (There is a long backstory to this and I can elaborate if there is interest)

Regardless, they both did very well because of their location, halfway between Boston and NY so their market was vast and wealthy. The casinos are within 10 miles of each other.

I moved to a different group in the bank ~6 years ago and left CT a year ago so I did not follow as closely but I do know that both were hit hard by the bust in 08 and are still struggling to recover.

The casinos also brought a lot of jobs to the area, not just in the construction but for the ongoing operations. Waiters, Hotel staff, dealers, conference staff, management, etc. so it really helped the economy in that part of the state. It got to the point where they were busing people in from New Haven which was ~50 miles away since they could not fill all their open positions.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by John Doh

From my experience it will benefit both the tribe and the local community of managed properly. As background, there are 2 Casinos in CT owned by separate tribes: Foxwoods (Mashantucket Pequot) opened first and then Mohegan Sun (Mohegan Tribe) opened. I used to live in CT and while working for a bank had one of them as my client.

Both were managed very differently, Foxwoods was managed in the majority by the Pequots, while they did OK they did not have experience in managing a casino or in managing the money that came with it in that time. The Mohegans saw this and instead hired an outside company to develop and manage the Casino (Same people as Atlantis). Foxwoods followed suit later bringing in MGM.

From my experience the Mohegans did very well. If you lived on tribal land all utilities were paid for by the tribe as was education. There was also a trust fund set up for each child so they could pay for college. Both tribes received a dividend from the casino earnings. The Pequots, however, didn't manage their cash as well and didn't have the same quality of perks. (There is a long backstory to this and I can elaborate if there is interest)

Regardless, they both did very well because of their location, halfway between Boston and NY so their market was vast and wealthy. The casinos are within 10 miles of each other.

I moved to a different group in the bank ~6 years ago and left CT a year ago so I did not follow as closely but I do know that both were hit hard by the bust in 08 and are still struggling to recover.

The casinos also brought a lot of jobs to the area, not just in the construction but for the ongoing operations. Waiters, Hotel staff, dealers, conference staff, management, etc. so it really helped the economy in that part of the state. It got to the point where they were busing people in from New Haven which was ~50 miles away since they could not fill all their open positions.

Thank you. The casino in question in this thread would be maybe 2 or 3 miles from the city limits of Kings Mountain. the plan calls for the casino & hotel as well as a strip of high end shops at the back of the property. The casino would also have an entertainment facility connected.

According to the most recent articles the Seminoles would be involved and they are connected with Hard Rock.

[CouponJack]

Most people who are opposed to building the casino are the 1st people in line to yell for govco to keep their hands out of their lives...its sooooooo hypocritical.

I'd really like to understand what is the main reason why opponents are against it?

Is it because the loudest voices are against gambling which is the main draw for a casino?

If that's the case, why should I be penalized because its against your religious beliefs? If you don't like it, don't go! But again, don't penalize me.

Everytime I went to Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods in Ct, I helped their economy by booking hotel rooms, and visiting Mystic seaport in addition to playing some slots/poker. What the heck is wrong with that for this region? You'd get more people interested in Charlotte which could help the economy.

[chrharris]

Wow something in the area that's not another Walmart shopping center or a housing development, Oh we better put a stop to that.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by CouponJack

Most people who are opposed to building the casino are the 1st people in line to yell for govco to keep their hands out of their lives...its sooooooo hypocritical.

I'd really like to understand what is the main reason why opponents are against it?

Is it because the loudest voices are against gambling which is the main draw for a casino?

If that's the case, why should I be penalized because its against your religious beliefs? If you don't like it, don't go! But again, don't penalize me.

Everytime I went to Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods in Ct, I helped their economy by booking hotel rooms, and visiting Mystic seaport in addition to playing some slots/poker. What the heck is wrong with that for this region? You'd get more people interested in Charlotte which could help the economy.

Jack, there's the busybody hypocrites in Raleigh who took money from the Cherokee Nation to keep out competition. Neither of the elected officials from here are opposed. One is Tim Moore & he was involved.

Locally, there's a vocal minority who are opposed. It seems like part are opposed for religious reasons & part for the usual - it's going to make this town a den of crime bs.

WBTV seems to have someone who is in a position of authority who is opposed. They have been pushing the anti-casino view from day one. When the news first hit I ran into one of their anchors out here asking opinions. He told me that he had been at the location for hours & everyone was pro-casino. I watched their news that night. They showed one woman who was sort of opposed. They did not show a single person who was pro-casino nor did anyone mention that it took hours to get one person who wasn't excited about the prospect. They send trucks out to cover the anti casino group on a regular basis.

[southbound_295]

County officials for Cleveland County announced a reminder that no announcement of approval has come from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.