the hits just keep on coming...

Wow.  This is rich...

It seems that Ken Feinberg received a letter from Louisiana's Attorney General questioning Feinberg's independence.  Since, oh by the way, Mr. Feinberg is being paid $850,000 a month by BP to administer the gccf.  And, oh by the way, all money left in the fund will be returned to BP, presumably with all interest accrued, as well.  In response, Mr Feinberg sought legal advice from a New York University professor, Stephen Gillers, a "nationally recognized expert in the field of legal ethics".  Mr. Gillers and an assistant were paid a total of $1425.00 an hour to study the case and issue an opinion.  In a letter to Feinberg, Gillers wrote, "You are an independent administrator."  Who do you imagine paid the Gillers bill?  BP.

Really?

Check out the entire Associated Press story on Sun Herald or WLOX web sites. 

letter to Bill Mulvey, gccf-casino liaison...

This pretty much sums up the day's efforts.  Very seriously hope to hear from Bill with significant answers.

Bill,
  

In early October, the gccf was filing, evaluating, processing, paying, and delivering claims in five to seven days.  And very accurately, I might add.
  

My wife and I filed our Interim Claims with the managers and attorneys at the local office Monday morning 12/20.  When I called the 800 number in Ohio on Tuesday afternoon, 12/28, they had no record of our claims having ever been filed.  As of the 29th, the claims were acknowledged as having been received.  Nine days simply to have received the claims?  We had certainly hoped that this process would have been streamlined instead of having been so badly bogged down.  Perhaps I am wrong in my understanding, but the thought down here has been that the liaison was created to increase efficiency in processing casino workers' claims.
  

The second person I spoke with in Ohio on Wednesday said, "gccf is finalizing the methodology for evaluation of Interim and Final Claims".  Finalizing the methodology now?  This is like saying, "I'm going to jump in the water and invent a scuba system while I'm down there!"  Finalizing the methodology?  Really?  How long do you imagine this might take?
   

At the third level up, I spoke with a supervisor, Tom Bender.  Tom said that "casinos" claims are "being held to different standards" than our brothers' and sisters' in the hospitality and tourism industries before us.  Other quotes include, "authentication process", "more in-depth investigation", "verifying tax returns".  "Verifying tax returns"?  How?  I will mention to you again that this will prove to be the best documented group in Mississippi.  Many of us are very much in "emergency" states still.  How can we move forward with maximum efficiency?

wait, wait, wait, Part 2...

We filed our Interim Claims at the local gccf office on Monday morning 12/20.  As of Tuesday, 12/28, eight days later, the gccf processing office in Ohio has no record of them having ever been filed.  We must reference the "good ol' days" of early October when non-casino claims were being filed, examined, approved, and paid, all within five to seven days.  One would have hoped that with new and improved systems in place and far fewer claims to process, things would have been proceeding much more efficiently with the Interim Claims.  The local buzz says that some who have called Ohio have been told that their claims have been received.  Some, like us, show nothing on record at all.  Further, one gccf representative in Ohio reportedly said that all of our information must first be "authenticated", whatever that means.  Then the claims will be passed along to the adjusters, who will have ninety days from that point to resolve them.  Could this possibly get any gummier?  Why can't we simply be treated exactly as so many tourism and hospitality employees before?

Our local gccf office managers have promised to try to find out about the status of our claims on Wednesday the 29th.  We will try to ask a few more questions, and, perhaps get a few more answers.    

USA Today interview...

USA Today www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-12-27-casinoworkers27_ST_N.htm or just look up USA Today online and look at "Nation & World"...

Please note that the purpose of this blog has always been to gather and disseminate information about the gccf process, and never to "gather gripes"...

BILOXI, Miss. — When Brad McDonald saw the robust tips he usually earns as a dealer on blackjack and craps tables dip abruptly last summer, he did what scores of other Gulf Coast workers have done in the wake of the BP oil spill: He applied for an emergency payout from the oil company's compensation fund.

No dice, he was told. The claim was denied by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, the agency doling out the $20 billion in BP's compensation fund to victims of the spill.

McDonald, who works at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, soon noticed that hundreds of other casino workers also were being denied, although the casinos are right on the Gulf of Mexico.

"Everybody who had the word 'casino' in their claims had their claims denied," says McDonald, 58, who started a blog to gather gripes from other uncompensated casino workers. "It's been extremely frustrating."

McDonald is one of hundreds of casino employees along the Gulf Coast — dealers, bartenders, waitresses, bellhops — who say their requests for compensation have been denied even as non-casino bartenders and waitresses have been paid.

There are about 11,000 casino workers along the Mississippi coast, and one-third of those rely mostly on tips for salaries, says Beverly Martin, executive director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association. She has received more than 500 e-mails from casino employees claiming they were denied BP compensation, she says.

While the BP oil disaster and cleanup effort played out a few miles offshore, summer tourists who regularly flock to the Mississippi coast for the beach, dining and gambling stayed away, she says. Gaming revenue for most of the casinos held steady over the summer because casino executives offered incentive packages to bring in more players and because BP contract workers filled seats, she says.

Even though gaming revenue stayed the same over the summer compared with last year, that doesn't mean workers were tipped as usual, she says.

"It doesn't necessarily translate into a customer spending the same amount of money," Martin says. "We're very dependent on those regular customers, especially during our summer months."

McDonald says he kept busy dealing for BP workers and others at the tables. But the lack of experienced gamblers lowered his tip averages noticeably, he says. He lost about 10% of his usual tips over the summer.

"When players win, they tip more," McDonald says. "When they don't win, they tend to tip less. We saw a lot of non-winning and a lot of non-tipping."

Last month, Kenneth Feinberg, the attorney in charge of the claims facility, met with Martin and other casino and state officials and promised to take another look at casino employees' denied claims. He also appointed Washington attorney Bill Mulvey as casino liaison to the facility.

No workers should have been denied just because they worked at a casino, Feinberg says. Previously denied casino employees holding good paperwork showing they lost tips and wages this summer could reapply for interim payments, a final lump-sum payment and also, if approved, could receive the emergency amount they were initially refused, he says. The deadline to apply for emergency payments was last month.

"I'm sensitive to the casino workers' claims," Feinberg says. "We have every intention of honoring documented casino workers."

Some casino workers say they showed ample documentation the first go-round and were still rejected. Roderick Miller, 44, a dealer at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino-Biloxi, says he applied in mid-October, submitting paycheck stubs and tax records for the past two years to show he lost more than $7,000 in tips over the summer. His claim was denied.

Miller's usual repeat customers who travel from Georgia and Florida to Biloxi with their families to spend big on the craps, roulette and other tables told him they were staying away this summer because of the spill, he says. "We should get more consideration," Miller says.

Laurie Lambert, 37, a server in a casino restaurant in nearby Hancock County, says she received and kept two checks from the compensation fund totaling $21,100 — 10 times what she requested. Claims by other servers at the same restaurant and dealers at the casino were denied, she says. No one at the local facility office has been able to explain the inconsistencies, Lambert says.

Merry Christmas ! ! !

A Very Merry Christmas to All...  Today we put aside the struggle and enjoy the company of family and friends.  Our Christmas this year has been much more family oriented and certainly much less about presents.  Our ability to give materially is less this year, but perhaps, we appreciate each other even more.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! ! !

claim forms in the mail...

We have just received the gccf Interim Claim forms in the mail.  We are given to understand that co-workers are getting them as well.  We definitely recommend filing Interim Claims.  The forms are very short and easy.  For those who have filed "emergency claims" before, simply entering your claim number here will automatically attach your previously submitted financial information to your new Interim Claim.  For most of us, pages 2, 7, 13, and 14 are all we need to fill out.  You can mail this in if you wish, but the wait time at the local gccf offices is fairly short.  People are available to answer most of your questions and process your information.  Again, we strongly recommend preparing in advance to streamline entry time and maximize results.    

Interim Claims filed...

Our personal Interim Claims were filed Monday morning.  The process seemed very efficient.  Definitely more so because we had assembled our claims packages over the weekend.  We very definitely recommend preparing the Interim Claims form in advance.  Nobody wants to be stumbling inaccurately over input questions at the local office.  Interim Claims packages are just beginning to be received in the mail now.  They are also available in all local offices.  It is most efficient to complete this form while personal records are readily available.  It's also an opportunity to organize thoughts and personal information concisely.  According to a gccf source, the more information included in the package, the better.  We included our paystubs from the date of the emergency claim to the present.  We also included a letter from our General Manager and a transcript of WLOX's David Vincent's editorial supporting casino claims.  Some Table Games dealers have produced income charts or spread sheets showing the direct effect of the blow-out.  Details like these should be presented in a readily understandable fashion.  Raw data presented may be hard for the laymen adjusters to understand.

To repeat an earlier note, those who file Interim Claims, will enter their previous "emergency claim" number on the form.  All previously submitted information will be automatically included.

We were told officially that these claims should be resolved within ninety days.  Off the record, it probably will be sooner.

Interim Claims...

Interim Claims are now being filed.  Most of us have not yet received the promised information by mail, but all three Mississippi local offices do have the forms.  Only the Harrison County D'Iberville office hosts a team of lawyers for more detailed answers and advice.  Information and forms can be downloaded from the gccf website, http://www.gulfcoastclaimsfacility.com/.  These forms will include our "emergency" claim number and automatically pick up all of our previously included financial information such as W2's and paystubs.  We do recommend updating our 2010 numbers to include most recent pay periods.  A gccf representative has recommended waiting for our 2010 W2's in early February, but agreed that it was not really necessary.

Some Table Games dealers have included charts showing a drop in personal revenue after the blow-out, instead of the usual tourist-season rise.  Whatever new information that can be included, should be included.  We recommend including new cover letters; letters from our employers, as are available; a copy of David Vincent's WLOX editorial supporting the casino employees' cause; as well as any other news or personal communications that might be beneficial.

Basically, let's dot our i's and cross our t's.  We personally believe that our casino employee information is as coherent and comprehensive as any group before us.  Hopefully, we will now be treated as appropriately as our neighbors before.  

Bill was Right !

Finally, accurate information for the first time!  Earlier in the week, Bill Mulvey, gccf-casino liasino said that Interim Claim paperwork would be available for processing in the local offices on Friday, December 17.  And it WAS!  Wow.  Thanks, Bill, you are the Man!  As of mid-morning Friday there was a mile-long line outside the D'Iberville office.  Information says there was a long line in Bay St. Louis as well.  Pascagoula was just a walk-in, five-minute wait.  The Pascagoula input people still do not have much in the way of answers, however.  There is a team of lawyers available for consultation in the D'Iberville office only.  We now have an appointment to chat with them either Saturday or Monday morning.

At this point, we are still recommending everyone file an Interim Claim.  The forms seem simple enough.  By filing this form, all of our previous financial information should automatically be picked up.  Online entry is not yet available, but the information and forms can be downloaded from the gccf website for those not wishing to visit the local offices.

disappointed...

The local gccf office and gccf 800# calls told us that their "next phase" would begin on November 24th.  On the 25th, a local gccf manager promised us that a team would be in place the following week (of Nov 29) to "answer all of our questions".  Later that week, they told us that additional training was required and that the team would be in place the following week (Dec 6).  Of course, they are still not there.  Late that week, our gccf telephone contact told us that Interim Claim information packets were being mailed out, to arrive the week of Dec 13.  Yesterday, Dec 15, the same source said that packets had not started mailing...  This source also indicated that Interim Claim paperwork would be available in local offices Friday Dec 17.  Really?  Absolutely nothing gccf has promised with our claims has come true so far.  The emotional roller coaster ride continues...

We had had very sincere hopes that the appointment of a casino liasion would have released us from "Denial Hell" and paid us as quickly and as generously as so many others in our area before.  Speaking for casino employees, and Table Games people in particular, we are very sure that our claims have been well documented and in no way should be held to any different standards than so many miscellaneous claims having been approved before.  Certainly server claims are also as well documented as others that have been generously paid. 

In light of the purported liasion mission, and in light of our already-filed, well-documented claims, we are very disappointed that so little has moved forward thus far.  We are also extremely disappointed to have been offered the suggestion that perhaps we would be better off to wait until February to file our Interim Claims.  The reason given that our 2010 W2's might be more accurate than our ten months of paystubs having been already submitted.  This strongly smacks of different treatment and different standards.  We all know that ten months' pay can very accurately predict the year, as it so obviously has for so many others.  We have waited two months, and now we are being asked to wait an additional two months?  When so many others have been paid within days.  Really?

We must point out that gccf has now resolved over 400,000 claims in less than 120 days, an average of over 3000 per day.  We estimate there being between 3000 and 4000 "casinos" claims in Mississippi.  This seems no more than two days work, especially given the excellent documentation, and especially given the appointment of a special liasion to facilitate and expedite.  Two months?  Really?  How about the two days that it should actually take?

interviews...

Rick Jervis of USA Today called this afternoon.  We talked for most of an hour about the whole Gulf Coast "casinos" claims.  We are scheduled to meet with a photographer late tomorrow afternoon to firm up details.  After having been on the phone with Bill Mulvey recently, we have emailed him twice today asking for definite, positive details on our process that we can pass along to the national media.

PS:  We are thinking of finding someone with a "grinch" costume to be in the photo.

great interview...

Well done, our Bay St. Louis colleagues.  Most excellent appearance on WLOX, extensive interview with Doug Walker and Dave Elliott.  Well said.  We are very proud of so many concerned Mississippians for pulling together on this.  We now have our Mississippi Casino Operators Association, State Legislator, State Attorney General, Gulf Coast newspapers, and Gulf Coast television station involved.  After speaking with leaders and decision-makers, we feel more confident than ever that the GCCF is seriously motivated to clean up this mess.  Will it be before Christmas?  That would be nice.  Don't really see it happening that fast, but we do definitely see it happening. 

on track...

Bill Mulvey seems to be a very sincere gentleman who is genuinely concerned with our situation, and as GCCF-casino liaision, wants to push through the Interim Claims process as efficiently as possible.  We have every reason to think that we are on track for successful resolution of our claims.

Fact update:  December 31 is NOT a hard deadline for filing our first Interim Claim.  Our first claim, no matter when filed, will go back to April 20, the day of the blow-out.  Subsequent Interim Claims may be filed once quarterly thereafter.  GCCF is pushing for accuracy in it's own forms and website information.  We had hoped to have the Interim Claims info by now, but we may still be looking at another week.  There had been thoughts that GCCF might have wanted to push through as many Final Claims as possible before Christmas, but that looks like so much conspiracy theory now.  Final Claims will probably not even be considered until next year.

We have been on the front page of the Sun Herald two days in a row now.  We all owe a great debt of thanks to Anita Lee of the Sun Herald for breaking our story and following it thus far.  And very much gratitude to Beverly Martin, Executive Director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association, who is working closely with Bill Mulvey to establish 2010 pay rate guidelines relative to a good 2008 instead of an off year 2009.  She is a huge difference-maker for all of us. 

We are in a wait-and-see mode right now.  Let's get our Interim Claim info in the mail, check it out, and file accurately.  Our local GCCF office called today to congratulate us all on our front page story.  They will call us as soon as they are prepared to process Interim Claims.

Letter to GCCF liaison Bill Mulvey...

This morning we have emailed the GCCF-Casinos  liasion:

Bill Mulvey,

 

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".  

 

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.  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.  Hundreds 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 for the year.  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.  Many tipped casino employees have established charts showing very definite drop-offs of income relative to the Blow-Out.  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, golf, and casinos.  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 only because of the synergy among all hospitality businesses.  To pay one and deny another is simply unconscionable.

 

Supporting our claims, we have the Mississippi Attorney General's office, the Mississippi Casino Operators Association, letters from our employers, editorials from our local television station, and constant support from our local press.

 

We very much look forward to meeting you and moving forward with this process in a timely fashion.  We understand that information packets for Interim Claims should be received this week by all claimants, and that Interim Claim processing teams should be in place at local offices next week.  Given that Interim Claims quarterly must be filed by Dec 31, this gives us a very small window in which to work, especially given the Season.  It would seem that our main challenge here is to inform as many claimants as possible to file Interim Claims before the end of the year.       

 

Thank you, and please call or write, ...

 

Lotta News...

Here we are simply copying our correspondence with the Mississippi Attorney General's office.  Please read carefully and pass along as much and as soon as possible...

Thank you for forwarding the Protocol.  We spent a good while studying it
and found both answers and questions (not surprising, huh?).    A
knowledgeable lady named Sheila answered the phone at the GCCF 800 #
yesterday, and we had a very productive talk.  According to her, they have
been somewhat delayed (again, not a surprise) in getting "Interim Claim"
paperwork out and new teams in place for processing the claims.  Apparently,
information packets will be mailed to all claimants to arrive sometime this
week.  Processing teams should be in place at local GCCF offices next week.
The rub here is that all claims must be filed by Dec 31.  Very small window
there, especially in light of the Season.  Interim Claims may be submitted
quarterly going forward.  Importantly, the first Interim Claims will cover
losses from the April blowout until the end of the year.  In other words,
just like the Emergency Claims were supposed to do.  The local GCCF office
is scheduled for a phone conference this evening to receive this updated
information.

Another rally is scheduled at the Lighthouse today.  Given the "cool" only
the most dedicated are expected to show.  This information will be
disseminated, and as Bill Mulvey has envisioned, "informal communications"
will hopefully spread quickly.  Perhaps we will be able to enlist the aid of
our local media to help get the word out.

It's important to note that "Interim" and "Final" claims are not exclusive,
but, rather, both can be filed.  Interim Claims should be filed first and by
all claimants, just as Emergency Claims previously.  Final Claims may be
filed after Interim Claims have been resolved.

Time line:  GCCF plans to finish all Emergency Claims by Dec 15.  Interim
Claims will then be processed, to be resolved within 90 days and hopefully
sooner, perhaps within 15-45 days.  Final Claims will not even be looked at
until the first waves of Interim Claims have been resolved.

Thank You,

ACTION ! ! !

There will be another rally supporting casino workers' claims this Tuesday, December 7, at the lighthouse, from 10am until 2pm.  There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes for our situation.  Keeping up the public pressure can only be positive.  David Vincent, WLOX General Manager, recently produced a very strong editorial comment on our behalf, and we do expect additional coverage at the rally.  We feel very strongly that we may yet have a positive outcome, but we have been treated very unfairly so far, and our story needs to be told.  Please try to get out as many people as possible...

 

WLOX Editorial

Casino workers claims should not be denied

Updated: Dec 02, 2010 6:04 AM CST

We hope Kenneth Feinberg who is administering some $20 billion in BP oil claims will take a hard look at the casino workers in South Mississippi. The casino workers are a big part of our tourist industry. There are thousands of them working in the coast's 11 casinos. Many of them work as dealers or work in one of the many casino restaurants.
So when the oil spill news made national headlines and coast tourism took a big drop last summer, the paychecks of many of these workers dropped as well. A lot of casino employees depend on tips to help round out their income. If there are fewer tourists coming to the coast, it would stand to reason that the tips would decrease as well.
Claims should not be systemically denied just because someone works at a casino. If a casino employee can show their income has dropped this year, then we believe they should be considered for some payment.
This is not about greed or trying to get something for nothing. These are legitimate claims being made by thousands of Gulf Coast families that are trying to pay the mortgage and put food on the table. Everyone who has been impacted by the oil spill should be eligible to receive some compensation. To leave an entire group out of the process is just not right.
That's our opinion, we would like to hear yours. Email your thoughts to editorials@wlox.com, or post your comments below.
David Vincent
WLOX-TV General Manager

wait, wait, wait, oil...

We met again with our local GCCF bosses Friday afternoon.  They still have no hard information for us.  They were expecting a new team to come in this past week to deal with interim and final claims, but, no dice.  Who knows when?  They do have "final claim" packets available, but nothing yet on interim claims.  They do have our phone number and have offered to call us as soon as they hear anything new.  Anything else floating around right now is pure rumor.  They do recommend we all wait for their new team, so we may be best informed about future courses of action.  Our colleague at work received a phone call from the Mississippi Attorney General's office.  The AG representative recommended not signing off yet on final claims.  We are of mixed emotions ourselves.

Please check out ABCNews' "Exclusive:  Submarine Dive..."  There is a LOT of oil out there on the Gulf floor.  A large area is totally dead.  And there is still major national media attention.  We all know how damaging that can be to tourism.  We certainly hope that we are all on the rebound ecologically and economically.  But who knows what the near future will bring in terms of media, seafood, tourism, and God Forbid, hurricanes stirring it all up.

Attached is our Saturday morning letter to Amy Weiss, whose public affairs office has been hired by Mr. Feinberg to handle dissemination of information.

Amy Weiss,

 

Amy, maybe you can help me out in getting some accurate information for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  The local GCCF bosses were expecting a new team to be here this past week to handle interim and final claims.  That didn't happen and now they seem to have been postponed indefinitely.  Also, they had never heard of Bill Mulvey, and don't seem to be receivng any accurate or timely information from either Mr. Feinberg or the GCCF "home office".  In fact, they tell me that I seem to know more than they do, and ask me to kindly keep them informed.   We have exchanged telephone numbers.  Will Bill be coming to the Coast anytime soon?  Definitely look forward to meeting him and discussing moving forward.  What is your current time frame?

 

As you know, our Mississippi Attorney General's office has joined the fight, and I hear that they are largely recommending not signing off on final claims.  Our local television station just issued a strong editorial comment supporting the Coast.  And our local newspaper continues to keep BP and GCCF in the news as well.  A most timely resolution would be beneficial for all.

 

Please let me know as soon as possible what's going on from your point of view.

  

David Vincent, WLOX...

This morning at 6:30am on WLOX' Good Morning Mississippi, General Manager David Vincent delivered an editorial directed to Mr. Kenneth Feinberg and the GCCF regarding the systematic denial of "casino" claims.  This was a very powerful and positive statement on behalf of all of us in South Mississippi.  We have asked permission to print a transcript and present it with future interim or final claims.   

Casino workers claims should not be denied

Updated: Dec 02, 2010 6:04 AM CST

We hope Kenneth Feinberg who is administering some $20 billion in BP oil claims will take a hard look at the casino workers in South Mississippi. The casino workers are a big part of our tourist industry. There are thousands of them working in the coast's 11 casinos. Many of them work as dealers or work in one of the many casino restaurants.

So when the oil spill news made national headlines and coast tourism took a big drop last summer, the paychecks of many of these workers dropped as well. A lot of casino employees depend on tips to help round out their income. If there are fewer tourists coming to the coast, it would stand to reason that the tips would decrease as well.

Claims should not be systemically denied just because someone works at a casino. If a casino employee can show their income has dropped this year, then we believe they should be considered for some payment.

This is not about greed or trying to get something for nothing. These are legitimate claims being made by thousands of Gulf Coast families that are trying to pay the mortgage and put food on the table. Everyone who has been impacted by the oil spill should be eligible to receive some compensation. To leave an entire group out of the process is just not right.

That's our opinion, we would like to hear yours. Email your thoughts to editorials@wlox.com, or post your comments below.

David Vincent
WLOX-TV General Manager

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