South Florida Tea Party Will Monitor Plans For Casinos In The Sunshine State

“Current Casino Revenues Must Be More than replaced to be Viable” WEST PALM BEACH-South Florida Tea Party Chairman Everett Wilkinson, whose organization opposed the Destination Casino Resort Legalization sponsored by Senator Dennis Jones ( R- Seminole) in the last session of the Florida Legislature, said the SFTP would evaluate any upcoming proposals to legalize Casino Gambling in Florida “to ensure that Florida taxpayers get maximum benefit”. “We in The Tea Party are not necessarily social conservatives” said Wilkinson. “We are fiscal conservatives interested in what is best for Florida taxpayers as the state contemplates casino Gambling. We are anxious to see what Rep. Erik Fresen puts foward in a Casino bill" “Florida has guaranteed twenty years revenues-- a projected $6 billion-- from slot machines under the state’s compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe” said Wilkinson, who heads the state’s largest Tea Party group. “we also have millions more from the seven pari-mutual tracks in Dade and Broward ,Any expansion of casino gambling in Florida must not jeopardize or in the case of the Indian’smust more than replace these revenues”. Wilkinson pointed out that the Seminoles compact provides for exclusivity when it comes to slot machines and requires that the rate of current payments to the state for certain table games must be renegotiated after five years, Payments to the state from the Seminoles could cease or be decreased depending on how and when Florida legalized Casinos. “We think it is vitally important that Florida maximize this opportunity by adopting a proposal that is limited to South Florida and subject to local referendum. “The local voters must approve a casino in their back yard” said Wilkinson” The South Florida Tea Party SFTP will fight any proposal that does not have a local county vote”. Wilkinson said the Tea Party will act to oppose any plan that does not also protect revenues from parimutuel racetracks as well as Seminole Indian Tribe” said Wilkinson.” We want to see something additive” he said. Last year the South Florida Tea Party generated over 1.6 million emails and faxes in opposition to the Jones Casino resort bill last year. The South Florida Tea Party has gained over 216,000 members since then and is considered the largest and most technologically proficient grassroots Tea Party organization in Florida. Wilkinson quickly won the opposition to the bill from House Republican Speaker Dean Cannon who sent the signal that he opposed the Jones bill. “Dean Cannon is really the one guy in Tallahassee with the guts to stand up for the taxpayers” Wilkinson told the Florida Clarion “We will support Governor Scott if he decides to expand Casino Gambling” said Wilkinson, a former US Marine whose Tax Day Rally in Boca featuring Donald Trump was attended by over 5,000 supporters. “We are for open competition and the best deal for Florida” said Wilkinson. “We will be watching carefully”.