JJ is going to court against Gulfside Partnership Casino in Hinds County Chancery Court. Gulfside built the $58 million Island View hotel in Gulfport. Gulfside applied for a sales tax rebate under the tourism sales tax rebate program administered by the Mississippi Development Authority. Gulfside sued MDA and the Kingfish (oui, c'est moi) on September 10
after this website asked for copies of all rebate applications
submitted to MDA. Gulfside Partnership Casino petitioned Chancellor Dewayne Thomas in September to seal records that were part of its application for the rebate. Judge Thomas granted the protective order on September 11. JJ filed a motion to for relief from the order on December 30.
A short hearing was held on December 30. Judge Thomas told all three parties and their attorneys he was going to hold a hearing on the motion. It is scheduled for February 4.
JJ sent a request to MDA in August for copies of all applications submitted to the agency under the tourism sales tax rebate program. Jim Hood lawyer Royce Cole (assigned to MDA) sent a notice to Gulfside so it could have the opportunity to seek a protective order if it did not want any proprietary information or trade secrets released.
Gulfside argued it needed a protective order as it wanted to prevent competitors from obtaining financial information about the Island View project. Gulfside applied for the rebate on April 13, 2015. MDA approved the application on April 28. MDA estimated Gulfside would be eligible for a rebate of $24,221,221.
Gulfside asked the court to seal tax ID numbers, percentage of ownership, financial information, job creation projections, attendance projections, business plan, timetable for project, tax returns, financial statements, marketing plan, and amount of revenue subject to the sales tax for first ten years. Gulfside said such information would provide an unfair advantage to its competitors . However, the rebate is based upon revenue information that the company wants to keep secret.
Ironically, Gulfside filed a motion to dismiss this correspondent as a defendant on the same day that the motion for relief from the order was filed. Earlier post.
Kingfish note: It is really quite simple. The taxpayers have a right to know how their money is spent. Given what has taken place at the Mississippi Department of Corrections and other agencies, trusting our government officials to spend our money with no oversight is laughable. The November 24, 2015 post stated:
What is egregious is the fact that the Kingfish was never noticed on this lawsuit. This correspondent found out about the existence of the lawsuit last Thursday. Gulfside attorney Amanda Alexander claimed in her petition that she did not have my address so her client did not serve notice upon me. You read that correctly: Gulfside sued the Kingfish yet never provided notice of the petition. Judge Thomas actually issued the order without providing any opportunity or notice to this party.
What Ms. Alexander does not state is that my public records request that was provided to her by MDA had my phone number and email address. Ms. Alexander made no effort to contact me or provide notice of the lawsuit filed against me. It is the opinion of this website that Ms. Alexander perpetuated a fraud upon the court.
Oh, and remember that fight between the Clarion-Ledger and Mattiace? Did the newspaper ever actually publish any of the records or information in them that was obtained through the settlement?
18 comments:
Those establishment Republicans don't take kindly Kingfish to people looking into their dirty business.
I would not want to be gulfside partnership. I think they are about to find out they messed with the wrong blogger. my money is on the kingfish.
The Truth shall set you free....or in this case, probably in jail.
Good luck. Rick & Terry have a lot of clout. There's a reason why they are the only casino in Gulfport.
Time to take up another collection and have money sent to the attorney in Madison. Pony up true-believers. And I don't mean chump change.
He who represents himself has a fool for a client. But I guess since Crowley is no longer available...
Oh, I'm sorry. Did I not say who my attorney was? How careless of me. Pieter Teeuwissen is representing me on this case. My apologies.
Extra caution here because Josh Gregory is their man in Jackson.By the way, they did not build the hotel but bought it after Katrina and renovated the building.
Feel told me he is for corporate welfare. No money for the peoples, but money for big contributors.
The $250 million that Feel has put up would pay for 10 years of ObamaCare and create more than 9000 jobs, including 3000 physicians.
Until you've been in politics you've never really been alive.It's tough and sometimes it's dirty and it's always hard work and tedious details. But,it's the only sport for grownups--all other games are for kids. The most practical kind of politics is the politics of decency. The whole art of politics consists in directing rationalally the irrationalities of men. You play the game and you deal with the consequence's
The interesting side story is that Judge Thomas can't stand KF because of their past interactions.
2:08 Real elaqwent their Clark. Politics has basically become a way to enrich people who have no marketable skills and would otherwise be stealing in a manner that would have them incarcerated. Independent of party affiliation and with few exceptions.
Oh Good Lord, 2:18 am
That you see politics as a game rather than public service and leadership is exactly why we are in such a mess!
You aren't playing chess or trying to prove you can outsmart or best others, you are dealing with the fate of your community, your state or your Nation!
You should be trying to find rational solutions to difficult problems . You should educating, persuading or inspiring others to join you that effort as needed.
It's very nice that you see decency as an element, but for God sakes, if you lack the moral fiber to "spend political capital" as Longwitz was quoted to have said ,if you see this as a game of win/lose for you personally and if it is what makes you feel " alive" rather than the love of home and country, get the hell out! You ARE the problem!
And, if I've misunderstood you, it's not just because that you can't spell "rationality" but that whole sentence is a grammatical disaster! Your lack of communicative skills make you a poor gamer!
Once again Kingfish does the heavy lifting while nearly all the other media outlets, mainstream and alternative, only talk about transparency.
Another one who talks about spelling and grammar.
If you can understand what the poster was saying enough to complain about it you should not be complaining.
Thomas is not the brightest bulb on the judicial tree. Prefer getting any of the other Hinds chancellors.
And at this very time the State is cutting the budget & using a chunk of the "Rainy Day Fund" (is it more than $24 million KF?) How thoughtful of folks at MDA to squander OUR money for the benefit of a CASINO!!
Makes the use of similar funds for a Costco development seem pretty mild.
Don't think this is a MDA decision. It was the legislature that in their infinite wisdom passed the law creating this credit. MDA's job is to process the applications and if they qualify they have to approve the project.
Can't blame the casino or Costco for applying if their projects meet the criteria. Can't blame MDA for approving them.
You want to complain - check your legislator's and others' voting record on the bill to create and the bill to eliminate this credit.
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