Introducing the Steuben Where Fun Wins Political Action Committee
Purpose
Position
Goal
Donate
Who we are
The SWFW PAC is an organized group of community leaders, business owners, and residents chaired by Chuck Nedele. They support this opportunity for long-term prosperity that government officials are presenting to Steuben County. This branch of ‘Fun Wins’ strongly supports the prospect and the benefits it would bring to the community: year-round tourism, infrastructure and utility improvements, non-profit and school support, and county revenue. Any supporter is truly a member of the PAC!
While the SWFW PAC is backing a casino in Steuben, the Economic Development Corporation, Tourism Bureau, and the Commissioners are still sharing official data and details. They combined earlier in the year to make a website and Facebook page with the same ‘Steuben Where Fun Wins’ name in order to begin releasing information to the public as House Bill 1038 was forming.
The SWFW PAC has no official government affiliation and is privately funded, but it is working alongside the already established brand. “We are here to say that we trust this process,” said Mr. Nedele. He added, “It’s so difficult to compete for commerce with other communities and to come up with ways to keep our young people here. A community either grows or declines; it cannot remain the same, and we agree with this vision for our future growth. We are a recreational community and this opportunity fits perfectly.”
Transparency over casino opponents: The SWFW PAC ‘Statement of Organization’ is filed with the Steuben County Clerk. This is done on the Indiana Election Division form CFA-2. They will file campaign finance reports, similar to candidates, that are public record including details of their receipts and expenditures. Donors contributing $100 or more in a year must have their names listed. Individual members of the PAC are volunteers and cannot pay themselves. They are legally not allowed “holdings” as the PAC does not file with the IRS.
In contrast, casino opponents are operating under a 501(c)(4) social welfare non-profit based out of Allen County, Coalition for a Better Indiana, where they can pay themselves as employees and their internal day-to-day receipts and vendor invoices are not part of mandatory public disclosures. They can maintain assets, and they file form 990 with the IRS that only categorizes expenses. Names of donors and staff lists are also withheld from their publicly viewable tax forms.