No on Measure U, Richmond, CA – “Vegas”

Richmond, California has seen some tough times in recent years. Unemployment has been on the rise, providing what appeared to be a ripe opportunity for the passage of Measure U and the potential development of a mega-casino and hotel at Point Molate on the Richmond Shoreline. Promising thousands of jobs, this “off-reservation” Native American gaming proposal combined the priorities of the out-of-area Guidiville tribe with the financial and manpower resources from the developers and their local allies.

However, due to it’s immense size, location on the shoreline and other concerns, Measure U generated significant opposition from a diverse coalition. Opponents included the Mayor of Richmond and her progressive allies, local environmental groups, US Senator Dianne Feinstein and other tribes with on-reservation gaming. TBW was hired by a broad-based coalition of Measure U opponents and produced a six-piece targeted mail plan highlighting the detrimental effects the casino would have on Richmond residents and businesses. Spotlighting the size of the proposed Vegas-style casino, “Vegas” was the best-received piece of mail in the No on U campaign.

In November of 2010, Measure U and the Point Molate casino went down at the polls by a 16-point margin of 58%-42%.