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V O L U M E 15 N U M B E R 4 ! APRIL 2013
The
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It’s the most god-awfulhuman activity that doesn’tinvolve physical pain.—— FORMER REP. BARNEY FRANK, remarking on
constantly having to solicit campaign donationsfrom wealthy interests, which he candidly calls“begging” and “debasing yourself.”
W R I T T E N B Y J I M H I G H T O WE R ! P U B L I S H E R , P H I L L I P FRA Z E R
eople were affronted by the most naked example inrecent times of the power of corporate campaign cash to buy an obscene injustice. Here were America’s mostprivileged elites in plain view, jetting into the capitol cityto call in all of the favors they were owed for the political“donations” they had previously made. That binding,ongoing dependence of lawmakers on Big Money is what
allowed the Wall Street titans to (1) escape jail for their reckless self-ishness, which crashed our entire economy and destroyed millionsof our jobs; (2) keep their top-executive jobs, their grossly inflatedpaychecks, and their even-more-inflated sense of self-worth; and (3)be handed trillions of dollars from us taxpayers and Federal Reserve“regulators” to bail them out whileworkaday people were left to sink.
Brandishing the tea party bannerin 2010, a bevy of new candidatesparlayed the public’s fury into aRepublican takeover of the USHouse. However, having gained thepower to push for a little less cor-ruption, one of the very first actionsthese fire-breathing “reformers”took after being sworn in was tomake special-interest politicalmoney more influential than everby voting to kill the PresidentialElection Campaign Fund (PECF),the sole financing mechanism forclean elections in national law. Itdisburses no-strings-attached pub-lic funds to presidential candidatesso they don’t have to debase them-selves by dragging a sack down K-Street, through Wall Street suites,and into the penthouses of the super-rich— literally selling them-selves to private interests, one check at a time.
Admittedly, the presidential fund has been greatly weakenedsince it was enacted in 1974. But, in the wake of the Wall Street
bailout scandal, the logical step to takewould’ve been to strengthen and extend that public financing alternative as a way to limit the spoilage thatinevitably flows from special-interest political spending.
But no. Such pinheaded potentates of the House as MajorityLeader Eric Cantor strutted out to declare that killing public financingwas “a no-brainer” (a phrase that, ironically, admitted the mindless-ness of his move).
The supremacy of private-interest funding has turned our elec-tions into a crass auction of government power to the wealthiest ofmoneyed elites.
Who are these masked men? We the People have a right to followthe money, right down to the brand names that take our consumerdollars and convert them into political donations that produce anti-consumer, anti-worker, anti-environment, anti-democracy public poli-cies. This month and next, the Lowdown will name as many of theseheavy hitters as we can unmask, including some of the severely shyones trying to hide their self-serving corporate donations by funnel-ing them through secretive “dark money” front groups.
In this issue, we chart the flow of publicly reported contributionsthat corporations make throughtheir executives, PACs, and “softmoney” channels. The numbershere are drawn from the compre-hensive compilations of our coun-try’s two preeminent trackers ofpolitical money: OpenSecrets(www.open secrets.org) and theSunlight Foundation (www.sunlightfoundation.com). We break thebrand name donors into industrygroups, listing major corporationsthat gave $100,000 or more to theGOP’s presidential and congres-sional campaigns, with at least two-thirds of their money going toRepublican presidential and con-gressional candidates, party groups,or outside electioneering fronts.We also list the top-20 brand namebackers of 2012’s Democratic can -didates for the White House and
Congress. In the May issue, the Lowdown will focus on the self-serving corporate donations funneled in by secretive SuperPACsand dark-money front groups run by the likes of Karl Rove and theUS Chamber of Commerce.
THE SPARK THAT IGNITED TEA PARTY WRATH in 2008 wasnot such right-wing bugaboos as “Obamacare,” the federaldeficit, or states’ rights, which were added on later by Koch-created front groups. Rather, the uprising sprang directlyfrom the public’s raw outrage over Washington’s flagrant coddling of Wall Street banksters.
P
Logo Lowdown from the 2012 elections. Part 1—donors on the record
Here’s who is buying America’s democracy
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Total contribution indicates the amount contributed to all parties. Percentage contributed reflects the amount given to a single party and/or members thereof.
2 Hightower Lowdown April 2013|
DoSomething! Check out these great groups
Two strong groups who follow the money in politics are the Center for Public Integrity's Opensecrets andthe Sunlight Foundation. To learn more about initiatives to keep money out of our political arena,
check out the nonpartisan reform group, Public Campaign.! Open Secrets
www.opensecrets.org! Sunlight Foundation:
www.sunlightfoundation.com! Public Campaign:
www.publicampaign.org
AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
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SUPERMARKET CHAINSPublix Super Markets $1,103,598 83%
Kroger $365,067 81%
Shamrock Foods $254,235 100%
Meijer $235,689 96%
Houchens Industries $116,800 100%Houchens Markets, IGA, Save-A-Lot, Mad Butcher,Piggly Wiggly, Tobacco Shoppe.
RETAIL SALES AND SERVICESHome Depot $2,151,998 76%
Amway/Alticor $761,200 87%
Best Buy $361,712 65%
Lowe’s $339, 862 75%
THE FINAL SERVICE: Even dyingcan have a political twist. Whilefuneral homes aren’t big politicaldonors, undertakers who docontribute tend to be morbidlyRepublican. The National FuneralDirectors Association put $133,750into last year’s elections, 73% toRepublicans. However, four funeralhome operators (O’Donnell, Bass-Smith, Brunswick and Fernwood)interred 100% of their modest-level donations in Democraticcampaigns.
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CORPORATE FARMS AND SUPPLIERSJohn Deere $874,605 88%Tractors, mowers, tools, bbq grills, chemicals, wagonsand toys for children, etc.
Monsanto $536,604 66% Pesticides (especially its “Roundup” brand) and seeds(top maker/marketer of corn, soybean, cotton, andothers seeds that have had their DNA altered withgenetically modified organisms). These seeds,branded as “Roundup Ready,” are bio-engineered tomake the plants they produce able to absorb heavierdoses of “Roundup” pesticides.
Cargill $412,941 80%Global grain trader. Also markets animal and foodprocessing ingredients. Brands include Purina,Nutrena, LNB, Provimi, Cargill.
Sanderson Farms $213,700 77%Chicken products.
Agri Beef $181,950 97% Packaged beef products include Snake River Farms,Double R Ranch, St. Helens, Rancho El Oro.
PictSweet $171,038 96%Brand of frozen vegetables.
Peace River Citrus $159,250 92%Fresh citrus and frozen juice products.
J.R. Simplot $153,150 88%Major supplier of potatoes to McDonald’s, BurgerKing, and Wendy’s.
Case New Holland $149,988 95%Tractors, other agricultural equipment, andconstruction equipment.
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Altria Group $1,721,888 81%Tobacco giant (Philip Morris), but also owns such wineriesas Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14 Hands, Antica Napa Valley,Antinori, Col de’Salici, Columbia Crest, Conn Creek,Distant Bay, and Erath.
Dean Foods $331,967 74%Owns dozens of milk brands including Borden, Oak Farms,Meadow Gold, TruMoo, Swiss Premium, Dean’s, GarelickFarms, Lehigh Valley, Shenandoah’s, Morning Glory, AltaDena, PET, Purity, and Hygeia. Also owns Horizon, thelargest seller of organic milk products, and Silk, whichmakes soymilk, almondmilk, and coconutmilk.
Tyson Foods $294,261 65%America’s biggest factory farm operator and meatprocessor. Brands of poultry, pork, and beef include Tyson,Bonici, Mexican Original, Wright, IBP (formerly Iowa BeefProcessors), and Lady Aster.
SABMiller $278,736 76%Miller beers, Blue Moon, Coors Light, Hamm’s, HenryWeinhard’s, Icehouse, Leinenkugel’s, MGD 64, Mickey’sMalt Liquor, Milwaukee’s Best, Old English 800 MaltLiquor.
Bacardi $264,295 96%Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire, Oxley, Eristoff, Grey Goose,42Below, Martini, Noilly Prat, Martini sparkling wines,Dewar’s, Cazadores, Corzo, B&B, Benedictine, Drambuie,Disaronno, and Hatuey beer.
ConAgra Foods $213,697 80%Reddi-wip, Hunt’s, Ro*Tel, Healthy Choice, Swiss Miss,Marie Callender’s frozen foods, PAM, Chef Boyardee,Orville Redenbacher’s, Egg Beaters, Fiddle Faddle,Fleischman’s, Gulden’s, Hebrew National, P.F. Chang’s,Parkay, Penrose, Peter Pan, Poppycock, Ranch Style beans,Rosarita, ACT II popcorn, Alexia, Andy Capp’s, Banquet,Bertolli, Blue Bonnet, Crunch ’n Munch, Jiffy Pop, KidCuisine, Libby, Manwich, SlimJim, Snack pack, UltraGrain,VanCamp’s, Wesson, and Wolf Brand Chili, etc.
Trident Seafoods $211,370 98%Biggest US seafood processor. Brands of frozen, canned,and prepared products include Louis Kemp, Red King,Alaska, Salmon Burger, and PubHouse.
Johnsonville Sausages$206,750 100%
H.J. Heinz $200,790 71%Heinz, Bagel Bites, Classico, Jack Daniel’s Sauces, Lea &Perrins, Nancy’s, Ore-Ida, Poppers, Smart Ones, T.G.I.Friday’s frozen foods, and Wyler’s bouillon and soup/dipmixes.
Flowers Foods $195,500 100%Nature’s Own, Whitewheat, Cobblestone Mill, Sunbeam,Bunny Bread, ButterKrust Bakery, European Bakers,Tastykake, Mrs. Freshley’s, Blue Bird, Mi Casa.
Russell Stover Candies $190,302 100%Russell Stover’s, Whitman’s, Pangburn’s.
Sugar Creek Packing $173,000 100%Provides bacon, turkey, pork, and vegetables to grocerystores, companies, schools, and prisons.
Silverado Vineyards $184,750 73%
Patrón Spirits $182,650 73%Patrón, Ultimat Vodka, and Pyrat Rum.
J.M. Smucker $161,410 93%Adams peanut butter, Café Bustelo, Crisco, Crosse &Blackwell, Dunkin’ Donuts (in stores), Dutch Girl, EagleBrand, Folgers, Hungry Jack, Jif, Kava, Knott’s Berry Farm,Laura Scudder’s, Magnolia, Martha White, Mary Ellen,Pillsbury, R.W. Knudsen, Santa Cruz Organic, and Smucker’s.
JBS $126,000 84%Swift meats, Gold Kist Farms, Pilgrim’s Pride (Pilgrim’sCo.), 1855, Aspen Ridge Natural Beef, 5 Star Beef, Miller’sBlue Ribbon Beef, Liberty Bell, Moyer, Packerland.
McKee Foods $119,815 98%Little Debbie snacks, Sunbelt, Heartland, FieldstoneBakery.
Jel Sert $108,800 100%Freezer Bars (Fla-Vor-Ice, Pop-Ice, Otter Pops, Bolis, Mr. Freeze, Frootee Ice, Slush Puppie, Wyler’s, Kool Pops,Soda Pop Freezer Bars , Arnold Palmer, Sunkist FreezerBars, Snapple Sorbet Bars). Beverages (Flavor Aid,Hawaiian Punch, Warheads, Airheads). Dessert Mixes(Royal, My-T-Fine).
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RESTAURANT CHAINSMcDonald’s $1,334,547 69%
OSI Restaurant $805,670 97%PartnersOutback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, BonefishGrill, Flemings, Roy’s.
Wendy’s $447,907 84%
TACO PAC $443,250 98%Taco Bell Franchisees.
Buffalo Wild Wings $226,615 92%
Yum! Brands $211,564 85%KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell.
Pizza Hut Franchisees $197,500 98%
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CLOTHING & TEXTILESCintas $506,673 95%Uniforms.
Nike $394,607 69%
Standard Textile $268,350 99%Healthcare workwear.
Jockey International $170,325 100%
Riverside Mfg. $162,400 100%Uniforms.
Constantine Carpet $151,624 99%(Milliken)
Columbia Sportswear $133,041 87%
Perry Ellis Int’l $109,850 87%
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National Basketball $249,302 98%Association
Puma Springs Vineyard $204,499 100%
Advance $179,015 97%Publications
Simple Mobile $168,360 100%
TracFone Mobile $164,150 100%
Starbucks $159,359 83%
The Weinstein $156,450 100%CompanyFilms include, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained,The Master.
The Kennedy/ $120,000 100%Marshall CompanyFilms include Lincoln, The Bourne Identity, The CuriousCase of Benjamin Button, WarHorse.
StonyField Farms $105,175 100%
Microsoft $4,023,111 68%
Google $3,224,326 75%
Time Warner $2,662,848 77%
News Corp $1,536,683 71%
Sony $615,801 80%(film production)
Apple $603,305 86%
Overbrook $321,990 100%Entertainment
Adobe Systems $315,727 91%
Vivendi $301,943 81%Universal Music Corp., Bravado, EMI, Activision/Blizzard(video games include Call of Duty, Diablo, Starcraft, Worldof Warcraft, Skylanders).
National Amusements $1,669,897 70%
20 BRAND NAMES FOR THE DEMSTRUCKING
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Cen Tra $449,450 95%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Knight Transportation $247,200 100%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Oshkosh Corp. $245,131 68%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Allen Trucking $245,100 100%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Prime $232,300 99%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Werner Enterprises $202,850 100%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Ryder Systems $192,853 88%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Old Dominion Freight $178,910 97%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
AAA Cooper $169,500 100%Transportation
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Penske Truck Rental $155,807 96%AMOUNT % TO REPUBLICANS
Navistar International $155,726 79%
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OIL & GASExxonMobil $2,769,917 88%
Koch Industries $2,391,048 98%Millions more donated to GOP campaigns by Kochbrothers. Their front groups (such as Americans forProsperity and Freedomworks) and various right-wingSuperPAC’s and dark-money groups.
Chesapeake Energy $1,759,933 76%
Occidental $1,550,976 66%Petroleum
Valero Energy $828,919 91%
ConocoPhillips $638,902 88%
Marathon Petroleum $616,698 93%
Hess Oil & Gas $583,175 76%
Williams Companies $452,750 82%
Spectra Energy $344,586 67%
El Paso Corp. $302,744 73%
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FORESTRY AND PAPER PRODUCTSInternational Paper $943,584 66%Hammermill, Springhill, Williamsburg, etc.
Koch Industries $336,113 93%Its Georgia-Pacific division owns such paper-productbrands as Brawny, Dixie, Angel Soft, Quilted Northern,Soft ’n Gentle, Sparkle, Mardi Gras ,Vanity Fairnapkins, Zee, Advantage, and Spectrum. Also ownsStainmaster carpets and the Lycra line of clothing.
Sierra Pacific $138,550 89%IndustriesLumber, millwork, building materials.
Stimson Lumber $111,200 98%
Sun Mountain Lumber $100,500 100%
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TRAINS AND SHIPSBurlington Northern $1,935,309 66%(owned by Berkshire Hathaway)
Union Pacific $1,564,499 67%
Norfolk Southern $1,296,290 65%
Kirby $465,998 95%
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EQUIPMENT & MATERIALSCaterpillar $671,592 84%
CEMEX $238,152 91%Cement products including Brisket, Dixie, Richmortar,Richcolor, Victor, Broco, Citadel, Kosmortar.
84 Lumber stores $152,240 91%
Owens Corning $143,192 85%
Kohler $122,250 91%Bath & kitchen fixtures.
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INSURANCE CORPORATIONSUSAA $1,545,191 78%
Massachusetts $1,413,624 68%Mutual Life
Northwestern Mutual $1,142,686 67%
Zurich Financial $751,029 71%Services
Travelers $743,705 68%
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BUILDERS% TO REPUBLICANS
M.D.C. Holdings $348,150 67%Richmond American Homes.
% TO REPUBLICANS
NVR $240,984 98%Ryan Homes, NVHomes, Fox Ridge Homes, HeartlandHomes.
% TO REPUBLICANS
Granville Homes $235,400 90%% TO REPUBLICANS
Robson Communities $144,050 94%% TO REPUBLICANS
William Lyon Homes $143,100 90%% TO REPUBLICANS
Clayton Homes $141,775 85%% TO REPUBLICANS
George Lewis Homes $114,650 100%
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COALMurray Energy $1,407,352 93%
Alpha Natural $816,092 72%Resources
Arch Coal $712,703 82%
Peabody Energy $559,475 92%
Drummond Co. $395,600 89%
Patriot Coal $333,300 89%
Pine Branch Coal $292,600 79%
Boich Companies $267,600 83%
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AIRLINES/AIR FREIGHTUnited Parcel Service $2,331,745 65%(UPS)
FedEx $1,841,226 70%
AMR American Airlines $810,947 69%
Textron $495,451 73%Bell Helicopter, Cessna, E-Z-GO golf carts and utilityvehicles, Greenlee, Jacobsen.
Southwest Airlines $287,143 74%
Azul Airlines $151,600 100%
12ISSUES
15BUCKS!
12ISSUES
15BUCKS!
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HERE’S WHOIS BUYING AMERICA’S DEMOCRACY
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INVESTMENT HOUSESGoldman Sachs $7,887,924 65%
Morgan Stanley $3,729,163 69%
Bank of America $4,624,122 70%
Wells Fargo $3,579,349 70%
Credit Suisse Group $2,359,598 71%
Deutsche Bank $408,612 66%
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CAPITAL MANAGEMENT FUNDSElliott Associates $5,223,996 100%and Elliott Management
KKR $2,309,466 75%
H.I.G. $1,369,294 75%
Carlyle Group $1,083,228 67%
Madison Dearborn $836,950 83%Partners
Cerberus Capital Mgmt.$801,588 74%
Arclight Capital $763,950 99%Partners
Summit Partners $695,095 69%
AQR Capital $673,349 84%Management
SAC Capital Advisors $499,550 72%
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COMMERCIAL AND MORTGAGE BANKSPNC Financial $637,589 72%
Quicken Loans $611,524 92%
SunTrust Banks $424,645 81%
Huntington Bancshares $405,628 77%
BB&T Corp. $399,706 88%
IBC Bank $165,256 96%
Mortgage Investors $350,400 71%Corp.
Academy Mortgage $155,450 100%
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LOAN COMPANIESCapital One Finance $979,050 69%
SLM $511,762 81%
General Electric $311,595 72%
Jones Mgmt. Services $295,772 88%
CIT Group $241,852 82%
QC Holdings $216,205 77%
First Data $204,743 89%
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PRO SPORTSNASCAR $458,926 96%
Ultimate Fighting $451,362 68%Championship
Arizona Cardinals $304,470 98%
Washington Redskins $221,905 100%
Atlanta Hawks $215,790 75%
International Speedway $196,650 77%
Jacksonville Jaguars $169,900 90%
Arizona Diamondbacks $169,250 99%
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RADIO/TELEVISION/MUSICCC Media Holdings $862,637 71%Clear Channel (radio stations, billboards, etc.).
Cablevision $806,336 68%
Salem Communications$162,500 100%Dozens of right-wing and Christian radio stations,websites, magazines, etc.
Curb Records $137,500 94%
Weather Channel $103,200 75%
Liberty Global $100,005 91%Brands include UPC, Unitymedia, Kabel BW, Telenet,VTR.
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MISCELLANEOUSAltria Group $1,721,888 81%Marlboro, Basic, Benson & Hedges, Cambridge,Chesterfield, Commander, Dave’s, English Ovals, L&M,Lark, Merit, Parliament, Players, Saratoga, VirginiaSlims, Copenhagen, Cope (smokeless), Skoal, RedSeal, Husky, John Middleton cigars, Prince Albert’spipe tobacco, Nu Mark tobacco mints, etc.
Dow Chemical $843,307 77%
Timken car parts $527,420 100%
Reynolds American $465,975 94%Camel, Pall Mall, Winston, Salem, Doral, Kool, Misty,Capri, Grizzly, Kodiak, Cougar, American Spirit.
Lorillard Tobacco $354,330 74%Newport, Kent, True, Maverick, Old Gold.
Swisher International $326,000 98%Swisher, Santa Fe, King Edward, Goodies, Blackstone,Keep Moving Goodies, Kayak, Silver Creek, CasinoGold, Clasico, La Intimidad, Macbeth, Miramar, ViejaTradicion, Swisher Sweets.
US Steel $273,496 85%
Goodyear Tire & $225,132 74%Rubber
AutoNation $197,777 93%
3M $333,000 72%
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PUBLISHINGHallmark Cards $259,051 69%
Ingram Industries $227,000 97%Distributor of books, Christian books, eBooks; alsolargest US inland barge operator/shipper.
Christian Book $224,299 100%Distributors
Paisano Publications $193,200 100%Magazines include Easyriders, Road Iron, V-Twin,Wrench, Tattoo, In The Wind, Savage, Flash, RebelRodz, and Ink Fashion.
Newsmax $123,800 100%
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HEALTH CARE CORPORATIONSRothman Institute $887,700 100%
Humana $734,881 69%
Cancer Treatment $586,435 100%Centers of America
Hercules Holding $439,415 70%
HCR ManorCare $421,773 72%
Bayer $420,177 69%Bayer Aspirin, Flintstones Vitamins, Alka-Seltzer, One A Day, Citracal, Midol; Prescription: Yaz, Mirena,Adalat, etc.
21st Century Oncology $326,990 67%
Invacare $293,750 80%
American Kidney $279,000 98%Stone Management
Starkey Laboratories $213,051 100%Hearing aids.
Electrostim Medical $168,580 100%Services
AdvoCare $156,750 100%
Shaklee $99,250 72%
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RESORTS/ENTERTAINMENTSycuan Band of the $431,614 68%Kumeyaay NationSycuan Casino
Wynn Resorts $406,926 98%
Blackstone Group $422,346 65% SeaWorld, Busch Gardens; investments includeLegoLand, Madame Tussauds, La Quinta, LuxuryResorts, Hilton Hotels, The Weather Channel.
Station Casinos $365,600 72% Red Rock Casino, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station,Sunset Station, Boulder Station, Santa Fe Station,Texas Station, Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho, WildWild West Gambling Hall.
Bandon Dunes $189,900 68%Golf Resort
Herschend Family $182,997 100% EntertainmentStone Mountain Amusement Parks, Silver Dollar City,Dollywood, Dixie Stampede, Elitch Gardens, NewportAquarium.
Woodside Hotels $131,100 81%& Resorts
Abercrombie & Kent $112,050 77%
Treasure Island Hotel $110,800 100%
Moving? Missed an issue?Please call or write us at:The Hightower Lowdown
PO Box 3109Langhorne PA 19047
[email protected]’ toll-free number:
(877) 747-3517
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