Half-Price Sale for Potawatomi

Apparently, Gov. Doyle realized that the Potawatomi's cash-flow would be affected by contributions to his campaign, so:

The Forest County Potawatomi tribe paid $24 million to the state Friday, or 7% of the $342.8 million in revenue the tribe's casinos in Milwaukee and Carter took in during the 2005 fiscal year that ended in September.

The money was called for in the tribe's gambling agreement with the state.

The latest payment is only slightly more than half of the $43.6 million the tribe paid the state for the previous year. That payment was a flat amount that came to roughly 15% of its casino revenue for fiscal 2004.

[Pure BS follows:] The larger, previous payment was negotiated by Gov. Jim Doyle after he approved new gambling agreements that removed slot machine limits and allowed several new games, including roulette and craps. Doyle pushed for higher payments in early years of the new gambling compacts to help plug a major hole in the 2003-'05 state budget.

Another way to write the last paragraph would be:

Doyle agreed to increase the casino's take AND decrease its payments to the State following negotiations, in an attempt to put lipstick on his State budget pig. Doyle did not suggest how the State would make up for the lost revenue. It is rumored that various tribes will contribute up to $14 million to political campaigns this fall, including Doyle's.