news of the day...

We had a long meeting today with the top three people at one of our Gulf Coast GCCF offices.  At this point, we believe that they are all solidly on our side as far as getting "casino" claims approved for final payment.  These are input people, not decision-making people, but their support is very important.  They will definitely have the ear of the decision-making group coming in later this week.  There was some scepticism early, but presentation of the Bill Mulvey first draft and the letter from our General Manager seemed to turn the tide.  This group recommends waiting a few more days before submitting final claims, so that we can interact with the new group of advisors coming in.  We will be checking daily with the office to ascertain when this will be.  Earlier in the day, a representative from another Gulf Coast GCCF office also recommended waiting.  He said that we will be receiving packets in the mail outlining our options in "10-14 days".  This will be an automatic mailer for all those who have filed for emergency claims.

There was a meeting among co-workers last night.  One gentleman has produced a very compelling chart comparing his '08, '09, and '10 bi-weekly paychecks.  He shows a sharp decline instead of increase for "tourist" season, and a return to normal when the blow-out was capped.  We charted our own checks for this year and show similar results.  We intend to present all of this to Bill Mulvey, our new liasion to GCCF.  There is no time-line yet, but we will be pressing hard for timely resolution.    

Happy Thanksgiving...

All offices we correspond with will be closed for the long holiday weekend.  We will enjoy Thanksgiving off with the family for the first time in sixteen years.  Geaux Saints!  Also off Friday for the Iron Bowl.

Looks like more interesting stuff will be happening with the GCCF in the next week or two.  We will be back in the saddle Monday poking, prodding, and riding herd on this whole mess.  Hoping we may yet get ahead of the curve.

Best of luck to all and Happy Thanksgiving.  Remember, give thanks and give food.  There are a lot of hungry people in our area.

first draft to Bill...

The following is the first draft of a letter to GCCF liasion, Bill Mulvey.  We have sent it to Mississippi Casino Operators Asociation Executive Director Beverly Martin and to Mary Jo Woods, Special Assisstant Attorney General, Mississippi Attorney General's Office.  We expect to hear back from them next week.  With improvements, we will send it on to Bill after the holidays.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Any discussion of "casinos" claims must begin with why they were categorically denied in the first place.  Overall quality of the group would be next, followed by the most efficient way to determine validity.

 

 

1.  We are given to understand that denial began with the notion that the casino industry was "unaffected" because casino revenue was up for a five-month time frame.  

 

The MCOA has shown that the revenue/time frame figured that each casino was up an average of $87,000/month.  Casino revenue is about 2/3 slots and 1/3 table games.  +$30,000 table games divided by 30 days = $1000/day.  $1000/day divided among 100 dealers/day = $10/dealer/shift.  We deal many thousands in action over eight hours.  +$10 over many thousands is totally insignificant to tips.  Eliminating the miniscule increase, there must be other factors affecting tipped employees' income.

 

Our casinos are experienced marketers, sensitive enough to different economic indicators to stay ahead of the curve.  When a downturn is indicated, a number of procedures kick in.  Many more coupons and promotional chips are sent out.  These are counted as revenue when they are played.  A house with $100,000 per time frame last year may show $105.0 this year from $95.0 actual plus $10.0 promotional.  Fewer real dollars, lower tips. 

 

Casinos constantly work to implement attractive game variations that increase percentage.  This drives more revenue from fewer players.  More revenue, fewer players, fewer tips.

 

BP oil clean-up people filled the hotels for these same months.  They were, for the most part, inexperienced gamblers with loose money.  Winners tip more, non-winners tip less.  Revenue up, tips down.

 

The real challenge for all of us here is to completely put aside this first notion and view our people with totally new eyes.

 

 

2.  Honesty and Integrity 

 

The Mississippi Gaming Commission conducts extensive background checks before issuing a gaming badge.  Licensed casino employees must have an absolutely clean record to begin with.  Any hint of impropriety can result in job loss, no questions asked.  Any one of a number of misdemeanor offenses can result in loss of gaming badge.  Most badged employees have many years of experience living very clean lives.

 

After Hurricane Katrina, insurance companies came in and hired literally thousands of casino employees to train as adjusters, processors, input, and office people.  Why?  Because we are known for our integrity, honesty, intelligence, and dependablity.

 

No one here is asking for anything more than we have actually lost.  Thousands of Table Games dealers, using a hundred different methods are all coming up with very similar loss numbers.  Almost all are within the $4,000 - $8,000 range.  Very statistically significant.

 

 

3.  GCCF has already established a very efficient method to determine eligiblity.  

 

Comparing '08 and '09 W2's with '10 income, projected from nine months of pay stubs, is a very simple and efficient way to establish loss.  When "casinos" claims are evaluated by these GCCF parameters, they will prove to be the most accurate and well-documented group the GCCF has received on the entire Gulf Coast.  This is a matter of simply evaluating with the same eyes as others before, not requiring any more burden of proof than has been required from any previously paid groups. 

 

We must note that claims here have been paid for grocery stores, convenience stores, landscapers, trucking businesses, beauty salons, retailers of building materials and furniture, laundry services, electricians, plumbers, and cleaning services.  These groups are down largely because our casino employees, a major economic engine of the Gulf Coast, have been down.  If these groups have shown a direct link to the oil spill, then certainly we have as well.  We are all inter-related.  We can't imagine what burden of proof they have provided that we have not.  Guests come here for ultimate hospitality; beaches, fishing, spas, casinos, golf.  Our casinos are built on or over the water.  Oil is under us, and on our beaches to this day.  Two comparisons are appropriate.  New Orleans servers have been paid generously, though they are more than fifty miles removed from oil or beaches.  Atlantic City casinos are suffering because they offer nothing but gambling.  We succeed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast because of the synergy among all hospitality businesses.  To pay one and deny another is simply unconscionable.     

 

calls, visits, emails...

We started yesterday morning with the two emails included in yesterdays blog.  Mid-morning we received a phone call from Beverly Martin, Executive Director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association.  She continues to work very hard for all of us.  She has been in touch with Bill Mulvey by both email and telephone.  Bill Mulvey is the new "liaison" between Mr. Feinberg's office and the GCCF in charge of managing continued handling of "casinos" claims.  He has asked for further information about the nature and validity of our claims.  Ms. Martin continues her remarkable work and is collecting as much pertinent information as possible to forward to him.

Yesterday afternoon we visited our local GCCF office to try to check out rumors having emanated from there.  We spoke with both an office representative and a supervisor.  They continue to provide very little hard news.  They did confirm that all "casinos" claims were categorically denied without individual review.  They did confirm that the reason that Mississippi claims overall have been so statistically skewed toward denial is that we have such a high percentage of "casinos" claims having been categorically denied.  They did confirm that what Mr. Feinberg had to say about casino claims being treated equally with tourism claims had not been implemented in a manner timely enough to prevent our tidal wave of denials.  They had nothing to say about pending "interim" payments.

On the positive side, they did mention "maybe more emergency advances".  They also said that "next week" they will have more information on what our next steps may be.  Apparently a new lawyer team will be on hand to work on this for us.  The supervisor told us that they "will answer all my questions next week".  We certainly look forward to the opportunity to clear up this mess. 

Bay St Louis rally...

Congratulations to our co-workers of Bay St Louis for presenting an excellent, high-profile rally on behalf of all Mississippi casino workers.  It is important that we show that we are honest people of integrity who are being taken advantage of.  It's important for the Coast and all of Mississippi.  Well done.  Thank you. 

letter to the editor #1 (11/22)

GCCF statistics...

The GCCF statistics that should be most important to all Mississippians are as follows, and are taken from the GCCF website as of November 20.

 

Considering resolved claims in thousands, Alabama has had 22.5 paid, 7.7 denied, an "approved" rate of 75%.  Florida has had 46.7 paid, 12.6 denied, 79% approved.  Louisiana has had 43.8 paid, 27.4 denied, 62% approved.  Since the Mississippi Gulf Coast is right in the middle of our neighbors, with whom we share very similar cultures, economies, and effects of the oil spill, we should be very similar to Alabama and Florida.  Or at least somewhere in the middle of that 62-79% window.  However, Mississippi has had only 11.7 paid with 13.2 denied for a very dismal 47% approval rate.  This stinks of more than spilled oil and rotting seafood.  We have filed 45.6 claims total, Alabama 58.4, and Florida 132.9.  Yet both actually show fewer overall claims denied than us.  It does not take a professional statistical analyst to see that this is WAY out of whack.  Mississippi is being badly discriminated against.  Alabama has been paid almost 400 million, Florida almost 700 million, Mississippi less than 200 million.  This is an issue that should concern every Mississippian.  That missing 200 million+ would significantly boost the whole coastal economy, and would be a great boost to state income tax revenue.

 

Our civic leaders should be outraged, and should be actively working to correct this horrific imbalance on behalf of every Mississippian.

letter to the editor #2 (11/22)

Response to Nov 21 editorial "Feinberg needs more than 90 days"

We agree that the GCCF task is impossibly large to complete within 90 days.  We are not sure why any claim submitted with "no documentation" would ever be accepted in the first place.  They surely would have no hope of being paid, and serve only to gum up the works.  We agree that the most vocal critics are among the ranks of casino employees, and for good reason.  Somehow, the whole casino industry was initially labeled as an "unaffected industry".  Consequently, every claim with the word "casino" in it was categorically denied.  "Additional attention" may not be the best description of what is needed now.  Real estate people have had very complex issues of figuring actual and projected losses, requiring the special task force.  Many individuals' "restaurant" and "tourism" claims on the Coast have been generously paid, with much less documentation than casino workers'.  Casino workers have generally not had difficulty documenting their lost earnings.  Many have submitted W2's from '08 and '09 and nine months of pay stubs from '10, exactly as the GCCF requires, and should be the simplest to figure.  A great many are clearly projecting a modest loss.  What is needed here is to be removed from "unaffected industry", reopened, and to be treated as fairly as so many less documented claims from the restaurant and tourism industries.  We know that some casinos have restaurants both casino owned and contract leased.  We find that, even though everyone works under the same roof with the same group of guests, contract employees are being paid while casino employees are being denied.

 

We do not question Mr. Feinberg's honesty.  However, The Sun Herald quoted him as saying "we have paid casino claims", yet found only six out of 900 having been paid.  From a WLOX interview with him on November 9, "The goal, according to Feinberg, is to make sure casino workers are considered just as fairly as others in the seafood and tourism industry.  "What we have to make sure of is that individuals are treated fairly, consistently," Feinberg said. "I'm here to pay claims, not to deny claims."  The following week saw a tidal wave of denial letters to casino employees, with no one that we know of having been paid.  Where is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

 

The first 90 days have been an abject failure for Mississippi as a whole and casino workers in particular.  The real question is whether we still have any hope at all for the next thirty days?

hopeful rumors...

Here are things we have heard second or third hand.  We will continue to make calls and visits, and send more emails to confirm.  My colleague who organized our rally got a phone call very recently from the State of Mississippi Attorney General's office.  The AG representative said that they were now taking up our cause (which should be all of Mississippi's really).  We have heard that elected officials in Alabama are now pressing for better treatment for their citizens, too.  It all helps.  More importantly is that we have heard the following information from two different sources, taken from direct conversations with gccf representatives at the local claims offices.  Supposedly, since all "casinos" claims were in a category already declared an "unaffected industry", they could not be moved or reopened until they were all returned "denied".  Make any sense?  Who really knows at this point?  But, again supposedly, they can all now be reopened somehow and reevaluated.  An associated rumor says this should be completed and paid before the end of the year.  Very heavy rumors indeed.

We have a lot of work to do in a short time.  The final day for filing emergency claims is this Tuesday November 23.  Strongly urge anyone not having filed to do so quickly.

 Again, many thanks to Anita Perez of the Sun Herald for first opening up this news and Beverly Martin, Executive Director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association for lobbying Mr. Feinberg so effectively.  Senator Roger Wicker has offered to help.  Now, thanks to the Mississippi State Attorney General for fighting for us.
   

lotta new stuff...

The elevator ride continues.  The Sun Herald web site reported today that the Justice Department is urging "greater transparency" about the claims process.  We have been strongly pushing for this, and have used the term "stone-walled" several times.  In an Associated Press article by Harry R. Weber,

"NEW ORLEANS -- The Justice Department is urging the administrator of the $20 billion fund for Gulf oil spill claims to show greater transparency about the process so the victims can feel they are being treated fairly."
   

"Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli said in a letter to Ken Feinberg on Friday night this is a critical time for the claims fund as it transitions from initial emergency payments to paying interim and final claims."
 

"Perrelli said he continues to have concerns about the pace of the claims process."

“I think it’s always wise to listen carefully to constructive criticism from the Department of Justice,” Feinberg said. “They want me to improve transparency, and I plan to do so.”
On the transparency issue, Perrelli said more information should be provided to victims about the principles being used to decide claims. He said there is very little reason not to do so."

Read more: http://www.sunherald.com/2010/11/20/2656342/feds-oil-spill-claims-process.html#ixzz15uuOKTGx

It appears that the gccf website is already somewhat more informative and should continue to become more so.  Further, it appears that the gccf employees here on the ground and in the Ohio call center are starting to become a little more forthcoming as well.  We can only hope this trend will strongly continue. 

Round 2...

We have had a tidal wave of denial letters in the past week.  Now we are really wondering about Mr. Feinberg.  On Monday last, he told us that we would be treated the same as all others in the "tourism" and
"restaurant" groups.  However, the opposite seems to have happened.  We know of at least one casino on the Coast where all servers working in contract restaurants have been approved and paid generously, while all servers in casino-owned restaurants have been, again, 100% denied.  WTF?  We are all working at the same property and dealing with the same guests.  And, still, no answers at all from gccf.

We are continuing to work all of our contacts to try to find out how this travesty happened. 

We will, of course, be filing a final appeal.  We are very concerned that simply resubmitting the same information will get us only the same result.  We have been told by phone people at the gccf 800 number that finals are judged differently than emergency claims.  However, they are unable to tell us how or why our emergency claims have been denied, or how we can change our information to help us more likely enjoy a positive result.  At this point, this is looking like a very strong class action.      

waiting again...

Our local power company had our neighborhood out for repairs several days ago.  When they turned us back on, we experienced several great surges.  Pop, out went the cable box, and, Pop, out went the modem.  Happily, the computer itself seems unaffected.  Gotta get a bigger surge protector.  Also, we have to wait for a new modem to arrive in the mail.  Hate losing our window on the world.  Really hate not being able to check our claim status the usual four times a day.  We do have new hope with Mr. Feinberg asking Beverly Martin to send him names and claim numbers of casino employees.  We certainly hope to be reviewed with new eyes and in a timely fashion.  Still, there is no way for us to check on it.  Very frustrating.  We do enjoy a good roller coaster ride, but only live, not mentally.

Thanks again to Connie Penuel for organizing our beach rally last Monday.  Very timely.  It made for very good press coinciding with Mr. Feinberg's local meeting.  Many thanks to all who came out.  It was handled very cleanly and professionally.  Our general manager, much to his credit, has told us that our right to peacefully rally will be respected by him and our company.

We are approaching a week out from the first list of names and numbers having been sent to Mr. Feinberg.  Looking for the FedEx truck any day now...  Will definitely be nice to see the first five or six checks come in.              

opportunities...

Wish to share an email I received from Beverly Martin, Executive Director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association. 

"Can you have the casino workers send me their claim numbers, please? Mr. Feinberg asked if I had them, today, but I did not. I want to get them to him asap.
Thanks,
Bev"

I did warn her that she might be taking on a task far larger than she had originally thought.  Apparently Mr. Feinberg is taking this very open-mindedly and very seriously.  Am definitely recommending that anyone with a legitimate bp claim, pending or denied, email Beverly Martin with your name, your claim number, and, perhaps a brief note of thanks for her help.

Connie Penuel and I tonight celebrated together our joint projects having such a serious impact on our Gulf Coast economy.

---Beverly Martin"

Executive Director, Mississippi Casino Operators Association

     

results...

Our campaign efforts have borne fruit.  We started two weeks ago with two "letters to the editor".  Anita Lee of the Sun Herald interviewed us on a Wednesday afternoon.  Her great front page story was published on Thursday 10/28.  Beverly Martin, Linda Hornsby, and Bobby Moak joined the battle in Mary Perez's Friday article.  The Mississippi Business Journal reported as well.  We have emailed our Governor, our Senator, and our Representative.  We have exchanged emails with our Mississippi Casino Operators Association, the Sun Herald, and WLOX.  We have had very productive meetings with Beverly Martin, Executive Director of the MCOA, and David Vincent, General Manager of WLOX.  Our compatriot, Connie Penuel, organized a powerful and very timely rally on our behalf.

Two weeks ago, we were dumped in the ditch two miles back.  Today, we are on the front burner.

This huge change could mean a possible 10-20 million dollar impact for our Mississippi Gulf Coast.

We are, by no means, out of the woods yet.  We would all like to see some "casino" claims being paid.  As previously reported by the Sun Herald, with less than half of "casino" claims checked, six were "paid" and almost nine hundred were still "denied claimant".

Still, we are now light years ahead of where we were two weeks ago.  WLOX reports, "The goal, according to Feinberg, is to make sure casino workers are considered just as fairly as others in the seafood and tourism industry."  We are about to get a whole new look through "new eyes".

Anita Lee, of the Sun Herald, deserves a Pulitzer Prize for bringing this into the light.  Again, millions of dollars are at stake here for all of us on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Thank you also, Mary Perez and Stan Tiner.  Beverly Martin, Executive Director of our Mississippi Casino Operators Association, has stared down the bull and opened his eyes.  Wow.  Krystal Allan, thank you for absolutely top notch reporting and editing.  Thank you, David Vincent and Brad Kessie for listening.

Mr. Kenneth Feinberg, thank you for visiting us.  Thank you for a new ear. 

---Brad McDonald...

Rally Monday morning...

Rally Monday morning 10am-1pm at the Lighthouse in Biloxi to express solidarity about being GCCF "denied claimants".  Parking will be in the lot on the south side of Hwy 90, and up and down the beach if needed.  It's a great location for many reasons.  Our Lighthouse has long been the actual and symbolic beacon for our Gulf Coast.  This rally will shed light on the great injustices being done to Mississippi by bp and the GCCF.  Across the street, our new Visitors Center is nearing completion.  This represents how equally dependent we all are on tourism and each other.  It's right on the beach, where tar balls are still being cleaned up, and within sight of casinos whose employees are being discriminated against by the GCCF.  This is one of our highest traffic areas with highest visibility, and a great backdrop for media coverage.  The rally has been well-organized on short notice.  Mr. Kenneth Feinberg will be in town for a private meeting with Gulf Coast business leaders on Monday to discuss our Coastal economy.  Beverly Martin, Executive Director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association has the casino employees' fight at the top of her agenda.  We can only hope that the GCCF mind is not already rusted shut.

Anita Lee of the Sun Herald on Friday reported "Feinberg responded through a representative, 'We have paid casino workers...'".  Oh, Really?  She also reported that a review of fewer than half of the Mississippi claims listed on the GCCF website shows 895 casino claims have been denied, with only six paid.  We venture to say that tipped servers in non-casino restaurants have been paid in the opposite ratio.  We have on good authority that not all of their restaurants filed claims or showed losses.  We are obviously all interdependent here, and have all suffered the destruction of a potential banner year in all of our industries.

Of the 20 billion that bp pledged to rebuild our Gulf Coast, 18 1/2 billion remains.  Mr Feinberg, Write that check!

  

sad to think...

Sad to have to think of GCCF and Mr Feinberg as the opposition.  This is akin to some in our culture  teaching kids that the Police are our friends, and some teaching kids to beware of the Police.  Which is it here?  bp spends millions in the media to state that they are "making things right" and will be here until things are "made right".  And yet, every day we are hearing about legitimate casino worker claims receiving denial notices, either on line or in the mail.  How wrong is that?!?  It is our thought at this point, bp must want to corner all casino employees.  No emergency claim money forthcoming.  MAYBE, final settlements being offered in low-ball amounts, hoping that we will accept, signing away our rights to join class-action later.  Aren't we the main economic engine of the Gulf Coast?  HELP!!! 
     

much happening...

Today was hopefully a very productive day for our "casinos" "denied claimants".  We talked with Executive Director of Mississippi Casino Operators Association, Beverly Martin, on the phone for about a half hour.  Later we stopped by the MCOA offices and discussed the upcoming meeting with Mr. Feinberg for most of two hours.  She has heard from many of us, and has been hard at work organizing talking points for the Monday meeting.  We covered a lot of ground together preparing for her to present our most convincing arguments for including rather than excluding "casino" claims.  She is really on our side and will be spending most of the weekend bunkered in preparing for battle.  (Please forgive us, Bernie, you can have her back soon, we hope.)  This meeting had been set up quite a while back, but it looks like the agenda has been updated.  Cross your fingers.  It will be a private meeting with Mr. Feinberg and twelve local business leaders.  We know that included will be the Executive Director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association, two casino executives, and eight others.  No elected officials will be included, apparently at the request of Mr. Feinberg.  Apparently, no media will be allowed, either.

After meeting with Ms. Martin, we stopped by WLOX.  We spoke briefly with News Director Brad Kessie, and at length with General Manager David Vincent.  These good fellows obviously cannot take sides, but they have asked that we keep them informed of news.  Dave Vincent and I had what I felt was a very productive and informative discussion.  Brad Kessie mentioned to me that there has been a permit issued for a public gathering on Monday in the area of our Lighthouse.  Heads up.  Might be big...

The main obstruction here seems to be that GCCF (Feinberg) wonders that if casino revenues were up, how could tips be down?  The first and most obvious reason to me is that our hotels were largely filled with bp boat people and clean-up people.  Glad as we are to have had them here, they were not very smart gamblers and not very good tippers.  Revenue up, tips down.

Consider this, our Coast casinos were reportedly averaging revenue up about 90,000/month each.  That's about $60,000 slots and $30,000 Table Games.  $30,000 divided by 30 days = $1000/day.  $1000/day divided by 100 dealers = $10/dealer/shift.  We have pointed out that if we deal blackjack for eight hours, we are handling many thousands of dollars in action, and a ten dollar more or less win over eight hours is totally insignificant to tips.  There are obviously other factors involved.  See above.  We have information that some local restauranteurs have reported no losses, yet most of their staffs have been paid on loss of income.

All we ask is a fair look.  GCCF stats still show that Mississippi has filed 10,000 fewer claims than any of our neighbors.  Yet, of resolved claims, we are now being denied at almost 50%.  Next closest is Louisiana at 30%.  Perhaps we should still all move to Florida, 13% denied.  Florida has had paid almost as many claims as we have totally filed, and has had denied only about half as many as us.  And we're right here on the front lines of the blowout!  Mississippi  40.0 filed, 9.4 paid, 9.1 denied; Florida 108.0 filed, 39.0 paid, 5.9 denied.  Really?          

critical meeting...

emailed the following this morning to WLOX General Manager David Vincent and others...

David Vincent,

 

Monday marks a very critical meeting for the future of our Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Many millions of dollars are at stake for our economic future.  Mr. Kenneth Feinberg will be here to meet with local and state officials, specifically concerning the handling of thousands of bp claims from casino employees.  As we here all know, casino employees are a large and important part of our Coastal economic engine.  We have happily already seen electricians, plumbers, cleaners, and many more paid emergency claims.   It's pretty obvious that the reason they have come up short is that we have come up short.

 

We are all very happy that bp paid many boat people and clean-up people to come here and work.  These delightful people have been very much appreciated.  Here are some differences though.  Many rooms were paid full price, instead of having been comped, increasing casino revenue.  Most boat people had little gambling experience.  Generally, they lost more and tipped less.  Revenue up, tips down.

 

Speaking of our very sacred 1st Amendment, free speech is easily bought by those with billions, and hard won by those with a cause.  Thank you so much for looking out for us.

 

Thanks again, 

meeting with Mr. Feinberg...

Monday, 11/08, Mr Feinberg will be here on the Coast for a private meeting with local, and hopefully, state officials about our casino claims.  This is our best chance so far, by far, to get our claims recognized as legitimate and to have them all evaluated properly.  We have a number of local powerhouse people working for us.  Beverly Martin, Executive Director of our Mississippi Casino Operators Association is working hard for us all.  Linda Hornsby, Executive Director of our Hotel & Lodging Association will be there as well.  Bobby Moak?  Not sure yet.  We are working hard to try to be there to give voice to the person on the front lines.

And, oh by the way, as of November 4, 49% of our (Mississippi) resolved claims have been denied.  Louisiana 29%, Alabama 19%, and Florida (for gosh sake no oil) 12% ! ! !

Congratulations to our brothers who appeared on WLOX News Wednesday evening outside the LeMoyne Blvd office of the GCCF.  Very humanizing.  Very courageous for featuring your families and how much this has really damaged us all.  This is exactly the message we are trying to send to Ken Feinberg.  Hey, we are people here, and we have been hurt by this!  Great work, guys!!!

working for insurance companies...

This is going to be short and sweet...  After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a number of insurance companies looked first to hire hundreds of casino workers.  Why?  Because we have security clearance.  Also, because we are a mature, honest, hard-working group of people.  We have recently forwarded these thoughts to Beverly Martin in hopes that she will carry them to Mr. Kenneth Feinberg. 

communications...

Seems to be a lot happening.  Over the last six days, GCCF is still denying MS at double the rate of any other state.  Of course, this insane flood of baseless claims is really gumming up the process for the rest of us.  I have heard back very productively from Dave Vincent, General Manager, and Brad Kessie, News Director at WLOX.  Brad Kessie asked if I knew anything about a protest outside the LeMoyne Blvd GCCF office scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.  I told him I had not.  Just want to let everyone know that WLOX is very interested.  And if you have solid info, please share it with them.  (and with us, too!)

Has anyone else noticed a significant increase in bp television and print ads the last few days?  Mr. Feinberg's Public Affairs director, Amy Weiss, has been very busy indeed.

We have further emailed Beverly Martin.  Hope to hear from her soon.

 

bp ad on local television...

There was a bp ad on WLOX this morning at 8:30.  More smoke-screen.  We have written twice before to WLOX, no reply.  Here is the letter we sent this morning to Dave Vincent, General Manager:

Dave,  First, thank you for your inciteful editorial comments.  We try to watch at least one WLOX news cast every day, as well as attend your website.  This morning, Monday 11/01 at 8:30am, your bp commercial featuring Pete Boyd felt very wrong, given bp and GCCF's statistically abberant treatment of Mississippi claims.  We hard-working and self-reliant people of our beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast have filed fewer claims than any of our neighbors, yet are being denied at incredibly greater rates.  As of yesterday morning, AL, FL, and LA were being denied at an average of 13%.  Mississippi's claims were being denied at 40%.  These are percentages of claims having been resolved.  GCCF publishes stats daily.  I believe Pete said something like "...bp helping all kinds of people".  I am sure you must be aware that any claims related to casinos seem to be denied categorically.  Perhaps they are being reviewed still, but GCCF website information offers conflicting information.  "GCCF Program Statistics", "Mississippi Claims Details Report" shows every "casino" related claim to be "claimant denied".  The GCCF 800 number tells us that we have not been denied, but, then, why does it indicate so on their website?  Further, if we are still being considered, we are finding ourselves totally stone-walled regarding any time frame for resolution.  Friday's Sun Herald front-page article reported that State House of Representatives Gaming Committee Chairman Bobby Moak, Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association executive director Linda Hornsby, and Mississippi Casino Operators Association executive director Beverly Martin are all contacting Kenneth Feinberg on Mississippi's behalf.  We fervently hope that WLOX will fight for us all, as well. 

If there is any way I can contribute further, please contact me.  We try to publish info daily at http://www.casinobpclaims.blogspot.com/.

People on our side...

There are now some very influential people on our side.  Friday's Sun Herald article featured some powerful people who will probably make a big difference in Mississippi's case with bp oil-claims.  Please read it on the Sun Herald's website.  Look it up under "business", then "casinos".  Beverly Martin is executive director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association.  Linda Hornsby is executive director of the Mississippi Hotel & Lodging Association.  Bobby Moak is the State House of Representatives Gaming Committee Chairman.  This morning, we have sent emails to each thanking them for their involvement on behalf of the State of Mississippi.  The letters are very similar.  One follows:

Beverly Martin, 

 

Can't thank you enough for your Sun Herald interview regarding oil-claims not being paid.  And for your getting involved with Kenneth Feinberg on our behalf.  Hopefully, with your help, and that of Linda Hornsby and Bobby Moak, he will get the point we are trying to make.  He and Amy Weiss seem to be out of touch with some of the realities of economic conditions on our beautiful Gulf Coast.

 

What is most disturbing to me is that Mississippi claims are being denied at a so much higher rate than our neighboring states, though we have filed far fewer claims than any other.  These stats are published daily by GCCF.  Also disturbing is that we are being stone-walled in our efforts to get a time frame on claim reviews from GCCF.  We really do need to know something soon.

 

Our letter to the editor, which was quoted in the Thursday article, was published in it's entirety in Sunday's paper.  The numbers are a few days old.  They change daily, with Mississippi being denied at higher and higher rates.

 

If there is any way I can contribute further, please contact me.  We try to publish info daily at http://www.blogger.com/. 

 

bp ad in the paper...

The Sunday October 31 Sun Herald included a full-page ad from bp on 5-A.  Please find it and read it if you can.  Totally smoke-screen stuff.  We did write a letter to the editor commenting on it.  Hope it runs. 

     Sunday's Sun Herald features a full page ad for bp.  Really?  This ad is entitled "Making This Right".  Sadly, it is about a restaurant in Louisiana.  This restaurant is glad that bp paid clean-up people to come to their area.  Really?  Beyond the "...come down..." quote, this is obviously all bp propaganda.  They say that they have supported businesses, and we do appreciate that.  On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, bp's boat people filled casino hotels, but mostly with little play at the tables.  bp says that they have kept local businesses open.  Really?  Open?  But how many dollars have been lost, how many jobs have been lost, how many tips have been lost, and how many hours have been cut back?  Consequently, many hourly and tipped employees (including casinos) on our own Gulf Coast have been severely skunked.  Of course we are a great place, ready to welcome people when they "come down."  But, please, this ad tries to camouflage the very serious economic damage that bp has done to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.

     As of this morning, the GCCF website shows Mississippi with a bp claims denial rate of 40%, while our three neighbor states, AL, FL, and LA are being denied at only 13%.  Who is stomping on Mississippi and why?  Are any of our elected officials pitching in on this?  Can we please hear from Gene Taylor and Haley Barbour before the election next Tuesday?