Measure E campaign discloses $250,000 in donations for card room in Milpitas

By Ian Bauer, Milpitas Post

Owners of Bay 101 Casino have solely funded a Nov. 4 ballot measure that if passed by voters could allow the relocation of the card room from San Jose to Milpitas, according to campaign finance reports released this week.

Bumb & Associates Inc. and affiliated entities including Bay 101 contributed nearly $314,000 in the effort to bring their card room here.

By contrast, Voters Against Measure E, the grassroots group opposed to a card room's presence in the city, raised $5,550.

Filed on Monday, state-mandated Fair Political Practice Commission statements disclosed campaign monies raised by Milpitas' mayoral and city council candidates as well as both Measure E campaigns for the filing period July 1 through Sept. 30, for all who have committees.

The Bumb family, who filed their required campaign statements Tuesday and Wednesday, hope Measure E's passage will allow a card room to operate here. Proposed is a 10.5-percent card room tax that will result in approximately $8.4 million in annual general fund revenue to the city and possibly gross $80-million each year for the card room operator. If voters pass the measure, the card room would locate on the outskirts of the city, west of McCarthy Boulevard.

To counter the card room's advances here, No on E received a $2,000 donation from the group's spokesperson, former Milpitas school trustee Mike McInerney. Group member Jerry Epps also donated $2,500.

In addition, No on E also received $100 from K & P Reed Enterprises Inc. of Milpitas; $200 from Earl Riebold of Milpitas; and $350 from Elizabeth Cilker, co-owner of Cilker Farms and Milpitas Center -- a West Calaveras Boulevard shopping center not far from the possible card room site.

Mayor and city council races

Eleven people are running for Milpitas City Council this year, with three stepping forward as mayoral contenders. They are Daniel Bobay, 59, vice president of Milpitas Unified's Board of Education; Mayor Jose "Joe" Esteves, 67, who's running for re-election; and retired engineer Robert Marini.

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Measure E campaign discloses $250,000 in donations for card room in Milpitas