Measure E supporters campaign for card room in Milpitas

By Ian Bauer, Milpitas Post

Bay 101 Casino, the San Jose card room that sought to relocate to neighboring Milpitas but saw state-level lawmakers fail to advance that plan last month, will attempt to reenergize efforts to make the move. This time around, the gambling operator wants Milpitas voters to plead its case in November by passing Measure E, which calls for a card room here and paves the way for new legislation to be advanced in Sacramento.

"We are fully engaged," said Ed McGovern, a lobbyist for Bay 101, now promoting Measure E. "All of the traditional types of activities you do for an election year campaign we're doing."

The "Yes on E" campaign, financed by Bay 101 owners the Bumb Family and in part guided by former Milpitas mayor Bob Livengood, who is a paid consultant to that family, includes canvassing the city, knocking on doors, creating lawn signs, gaining critical endorsements including ones from public safety unions, phone banking, conducting a survey of voters, and holding a rally Saturday.

"We don't need Sacramento legislation to let the voters approve Measure E," McGovern said.

The lobbyist alluded to the Aug. 30 non-vote that killed Assembly Bill 2549, which would have allowed the card room at San Jose's 1801 Bering Drive to potentially relocate to 15 acres on the western edge of the city near North McCarthy Boulevard and generally between state Route 237 and the Newby Island landfill, west of Interstate 880.

If Measure E is passed by a simple majority of voters, McGovern said City of Milpitas will have additional arguments to make to state lawmakers to push forward with re-introducing a new bill in the Assembly by December. He added Bay 101's Sacramento team -- led by lobbyist David Kim -- will chart its course depending on how the vote goes.

"We're not just waiting, we're obviously engaged in the campaign," McGovern said.

Bay 101 says City of San Jose's high cost of taxation -- with at least $7 million in table tax revenues from the operator going to that city annually -- and limits on the number of card room tables gambling operators can utilize there in part prompted the desire to move.

According to city reports, a one-time election cost per the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters to place Measure E on the Nov. 4, 2014 election ballot is estimated to be $274,000. Bay 101 is expected to pay for the cost of the ballot measure.

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Measure E supporters campaign for card room in Milpitas