January 7, 2009

Dear Supporters and Friends:

The Menominee Tribe received word today that, at the direction of outgoing Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, the U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Indian Affairs has rejected our Kenosha casino application.

Today's decision was not based on the law, but on an illegal guidance memorandum which the Tribe currently is challenging in federal court.

There is absolutely no question, given the facts and the law, that the Menominee project should be approved. BIA non-political officials have twice recommended approval based on thorough legal and regulatory analysis, policy applications, economic studies, an overwhelming referendum victory, solid relationships with the local Kenosha and Southeast Wisconsin communities and thousands of pages of documentation. Our Compact with the State of Wisconsin years ago contemplated a Kenosha casino. The environmental clearances are all in hand. The project is designed and ready to build. In this time of economic uncertainty and job losses, federal approval of our project would quickly provide good paying jobs, without cost to the U.S. Treasury. As our Kenosha casino is built, we will hire thousands of taxpayers, purchase tons of supplies, and generate a multiplier effect in our regional economy. All this will boost federal, state and local tax revenues.

The Tribe will not sit back idly and allow Kenosha and Wisconsin to lose 3,000 jobs, a $1 billion construction project and billions of dollars in new revenue. Nor will we tolerate losing our lawful opportunity to meet the great needs of our Tribe and its members, particularly in these difficult economic times. The Tribe will vigorously pursue its litigation against the Department and will not allow today's arbitrary, capricious and unlawful decision to stand.

The Menominee Tribe is strongly committed to seeing this project through - for our Tribe, for Kenosha and for the State of Wisconsin. We are confident that the federal courts will force the Department to do the right thing, and withdraw this unlawful rejection.

Thank you for your continued support of our Tribe and our Kenosha efforts.

Sincerely,

Lisa Waukau
Tribal Chair