“We’ve got German television in the morning, and then CBS is taping for its morning show at noon, but we can fit you in after that,” said Rene Nunez, publicity manager for the Miccosukee tribe and the University of Miami, sponsors of Thursday’s presidential debates. “It’s really busy around here.”
One million dollars buys a lot of attention.
That’s been the plan ever since last summer when university President Donna Shalala approached the Miccosukee tribe. She needed cash to pull off a debate deal years in the works; the tribe was looking to gain recognition as a major political and financial force.
Both sides seem to have gotten what they wanted. The tribe’s $1 million donation not only secured the debates for Miami, it solidified the tribe’s growing status as business leader and philanthropist.
“I knew I didn’t want to nickel and dime my trustees, in part because I knew I couldn’t get them tickets to the debate,” Shalala said Friday. “I needed one large sponsor to pay for this, and that’s when I went to Chairman [Billy] Cypress.”
Money from gambling
At first glance, the idea of a nation as independent as the Miccosukee — the tribe never signed a peace treaty with the U.S. government — hosting a presidential debate seems curious. On top of that, the tribe makes almost all of its money from gambling, a bane to Gov. Jeb Bush for years.
And the Miccosukee name won’t be shown anywhere in the debate hall at the school’s Convocation Center in Coral Gables or to the national television audience.
But a closer look at how the deal came together reveals a more traditional political tale: money, Washington connections, good intentions and mutual self-interest.
Shalala met Cypress while heading Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton. Part of that job included Indian health care, and Cypress, head of the 500-member tribe in the Everglades, was a strong and frequent voice for his people.
“Chairman Cypress worked very hard, and I got to know him well during my time in Washington,” Shalala said.
Cypress’ efforts went well beyond health care. In the past decade, Cypress and the Miccosukee tribe began expanding their gaming and resort operations and worked hard on environmental and water issues in the Everglades, even challenging state and federal officials in court. At about the same time, Cypress stepped up efforts to improve the tribe’s influence in the South Florida business world and expand its profile as a good neighbor. Flush with millions of dollars from its casino on Krome Avenue in Southwest Miami-Dade County, the tribe donated to museums, children’s hospitals and universities around Miami-Dade, civic leaders said.
“They’ve been doing a lot of good things for the community, but this is really the crown jewel of all their efforts,” Bill Talbert, president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Monday. “They have money and are willing to spend it on the community. And with all the hurricanes, this couldn’t have come at a better time for us to let the country know that South Florida survived and is thriving.”
The tribe has had great timing before, including last year when its $700,000 marketing deal with the Florida Marlins turned into a flood of publicity. As the baseball team advanced far into the playoffs and eventually faced the New York Yankees in the World Series, the tribe’s huge and colorful advertising logo hung on the left field wall of Pro Player Stadium for a national television audience.
Large donations
Besides the business dealings, tribal leaders spent more than $529,000 on political campaigns in the past three years, according to state records. About $260,000 went to the Republican Party of Florida and $125,000 to the state Democratic Party.
In addition, they plunged tens of thousands of dollars more into a so-far unsuccessful lobbying bid to get the Florida Legislature to give them even more autonomy on police matters than they already have.
By contrast, political donations totaled just $6,500 for the 2000 election season.
While Cypress promoted the tribe, Shalala was trying to boost the University of Miami’s national image. She said last week she started lobbying for the debates after accepting the UM job but before she started in June 2001.
Her interest began in fall 2000, while working as part of Vice President Al Gore’s preparation team for the debates.
“I was walking around the different campuses (where debates were being held), and I couldn’t help but think how great it would be for us to have the debate in Miami,” Shalala said last week.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the school, but I really believe this is great for all of South Florida,” she said. “Florida is a key state, and that’s one of the things I stressed.”
But all the selling points meant nothing if Shalala couldn’t come up with the cash needed by the Center for Presidential Debates. So she called her old friend, Cypress, and made her pitch.
Cypress said he was intrigued by the idea. He said he was especially interested in letting politicians and the public know the tribe is much more than a gambling hall.
“It’s for awareness,” he said when the debates were announced. “We want the president, whoever it may be, to understand Indians and Indian issues, not just take their money when campaigning.”
But even for a tribe with annual revenues estimated at $100 million — its exact finances aren’t subject to public record laws — underwriting a presidential debate meant a big commitment. So Cypress invited Shalala to a tribal meeting last August, where she won approval.
Television interviews aside, how much publicity the tribe gets outside Florida is debatable. A computer search shows that, as of Monday, the tribe’s role hadn’t been mentioned in any newspapers or magazines outside the state, and just twice in Associated Press stories dated this week.
Still, it may not matter much, public relations specialists said.
“There’s no question community relations is an important part of life for both tribes, and this shows they are willing to step up and help,” said Gary Bitner of Bitner Goodman communications, which represents the Seminole Tribe. “People don’t do things entirely for business purposes; they do it because it’s the right thing to do. Indian tribes aren’t just casinos; they are big businesses, and it’s important that they are recognized and perceived that way.”
