Amidst
the latest news,
a look
back at Governor
Blagojevich's
appointee
Chicago Daily Herald
Thursday, June
5,
2003, News,
Page 15
Ex-attorney general
to lobby for casino
Roland Burris to lobby
for state approval of Indian casino complex
Note: This
article is from the print edition of our
local newspaper, here in the
state capital; links
on this
page have been added for reference only... We do not necessarily
endorse the content of external web pages.
By ERIC
PETERSON
DAILY HERALD STAFF WRITER
The Ho-Chunk Nation has tapped former Illinois
Attorney General Roland Burris and his law firm to lobby for state
approval of its proposed casino complex in Hoffman Estates.
Burris, who served three consecutive terms as Illinois comptroller
before his term as attorney general from 1991 to 1995, said his run
against Gov. Rod Blagojevich in last year's Democratic primary will not
be a setback in his new job.
"I would say without a doubt that the governor would not hold that
against the Ho-Chunk Nation," Burris said.
In fact, Burris said his
rivalry with Blagojevich ended immediately after the primary. Burris
said he endorsed Blagojevich in the general election and was named vice
chairman of the governor-elect's transition committee.
"Nobody has ever perceived that there was ever animosity with the
current governor," Carlson said. "I know Mr. Burris and his firm were
chosen because of Mr. Burris' integrity, his knowledge and his legal
expertise."
Troy Swallow, president of the Ho-Chunk Nation, said Burris and his
colleagues have the right kind of reputation to speak on behalf of the
Nation and its proposal in Springfield.
Nevertheless, the nebulous attitude toward gambling held by state
officials has caused Burris to see his task as a challenge.
"It's really going to test our abilities to be successful on behalf of
our clients," he said.
Burris said his role will be simply to educate state officials on the
Ho-Chunk Nation, its ancestral claim to certain lands in the Great
Lakes area and the economic success story of its ventures in
Wisconsin.
This is not a proposal that will be competing for Illinois' 10th casino
license, Burris said. Nor will he be asked to respond to anti-gambling
activists, whose right to their position he said he respects.
"My assistance was sought to bring credibility to (the Ho-Chunk Nation)
in this process," Burris said. "This is not just gambling. This is a
water park, a major hotel and an amphitheater generating a lot of
revenue and jobs."
He said he will have no part in a simultaneous effort to have the land
put in trust by the federal government, and is encouraged by the
enthusiasm of local officials such as Hoffman Estates
Mayor Bill McLeod.
Burris has served as a
board member of the National Center for
Responsible Gaming since 1996.
The board is made up of 10 members from the gaming industry and 10 more
"lay people" like Burris.
This panel is partly funded by the gaming industry and studies the
causes and treatment of gambling addiction.
Burris described himself as anything but a gambler, confessing
ignorance of such games as poker and craps. He said he only plays the
Illinois Lottery to support education and has been known to put a few
coins in a slot machine while walking through casinos.
It is people like himself, he said, whom members of the industry
genuinely want on such panels.
"It doesn't help the industry if an individual ruins his life through
gambling," Burris said.
Eric Peterson is a writer
for the Daily Herald, and can be
reached at (847) 427-4482 or epeterson@dailyherald.com.
FAIR
USE NOTICE: This magazine letter to the editor, written in 1993 by
Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris and published in Illinois
Issues magazine (here at our
very own university), is provided for non-profit and educational
purposes, in accordance with Section 107 of
the U.S. Copyright Act.
