Almost exactly a year ago (Dec. 20, 2006, to be exact), Don Barden bolted out of a three-horse pack to win the lone casino license made available to Pittsburgh bidders, beating out better-known Harrah's and Isle of Capri, the latter of which promised to build a new hockey arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins should they win the license.

In the year that ensued, the Pens threatened to leave town (but were placated with a new, state-funded arena). The Steelers and Pirates threatened to raise legal hell (and did, filing lawsuits to impede the casino construction until traffic issues were ironed out). Harrah's and Isle of Capri contested their losses in court, as well (and were rebuffed). With all that behind him, a year later, Mr. Barden was finally ready to turn shovel.

And so he did, today:

"With the shout of 'Gentlemen, start your engines,' Don Barden broke ground this morning on his $450 million North Side casino. Mr. Barden pledged to make it a world-class facility and once again vowed to make it the flagship of his Majestic Star chain. In addition to the usual ceremonial groundbreaking shovels, Mr. Barden had heavy equipment operators on hand who immediately started their engines and began the actual excavation work at the site. He renewed his commitment to have the slots parlor open in April 2009. The ceremony was attended by more than 100 people, including former Steeler Jerome Bettis, singer Smokey Robinson and a contingent of family members and friends bused in from Detroit."

... But who, exactly, was starting those engines?

"One of the contractors selected three months ago to build the Majestic Star Casino won't be attending next week's groundbreaking on the North Shore. Hunt Construction Group, of Scottsdale, Ariz., withdrew from its agreement with PITG Gaming, said Bob Oltmanns, spokesman for PITG and Don Barden's Majestic Star. [In] Hunt's place will be the Keating Group, of Philadelphia. Keating has had a hand in building Bally's Wild West Casino, the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Tropicana Resort & Casino, and more than a dozen others."

That story ran last week.

... Tell us how you really feel, Don:

"In an interview, Mr. Barden rejected as 'absolutely ridiculous' a request by the Pittsburgh Civic Design Coalition to postpone today's ceremony until design issues are addressed. He called it 'another attempt to derail us based on false impressions.' He also assailed the Riverlife Task Force for its criticism of the 3,800-space casino garage, including an opinion piece with renderings that ran in Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which he described as 'outrageous,' 'insulting' and 'distorted to try to influence public opinion.'

[He also] said he is through making changes. 'They think I'm going to spend $100 million to lower the garage so they can have a pretty view?' he asked."

Well, yeah. We like our pretty view, Don. It gives us visual solace when the Steelers get thumped.

... Here's the groundbreaking speech they should have given, writes Jack Markowitz:

"Fellow politicians and politically connected business and labor interests, and of course all the rest of you folks of lesser importance here today, welcome! We should not let this occasion go by without paying tribute to the people who made it possible. Yes, I mean the men and women without whom none of us would be standing here this morning on Pittsburgh's North Shore. I don't mean the governor, you might be surprised to hear ... As for the state Legislature, some of the very leaders who voted to legalize -- in the middle of the night, with no public hearings -- got thrown out of office a year later for raising their own pay the same way. Typical, right? Nor does the owner of the new casino deserve special kudos. The real heroes of this groundbreaking today are the players! Who else but they are going to lose the millions that the casino will rake in as winnings? Otherwise there'd be nothing for us politicians to skim as taxes."

... "As Don Barden held his groundbreaking for what is intended to become Pittsburgh's Majestic Star casino, No Dice today announced a new campaign designed to reduce the profitability of casinos. 'We will make every effort to help the vulnerable people of southwestern Pennsylvania lose less money than the Majestic Star business plan anticipates,' No Dice president Bruce Barron explained. Barron said No Dice will offer presentations covering the impacts of legalized gambling, how casinos lure gamblers and keep them hooked, and what steps people can take to protect themselves and their loved ones. Those interested in more information about No Dice's activities or wanting to schedule a presentation can call (412) 835-0614 or send an e-mail to nodicepa@aol.com. "

Expect some jammed phone lines for the first couple days.

Across the state

The Supreme Court is not in the holiday spirit:

"A county grand jury can continue its investigation into whether a politically connected businessman told the truth to state regulators before they awarded him a slot-machine gambling license, the state's highest court ruled unanimously Monday," the AP reported. "The Dauphin County grand jury's probe had been suspended for two months while the Supreme Court reviewed requests by lawyers for northeastern Pennsylvania businessman Louis A. DeNaples to block the investigation."

They tried to block it by claiming the slots law is the purview of the state and its own investigators, and not under the jurisdiction of county DA or grand jury.

... Penn National wants to operate a resort casino in Kansas, with 1,200 slots and 40 table games.

Dispatches from the border

Revenues are down again in Atlantic City: "Few Atlantic City casinos were giving thanks in November: Revenue fell 7.7 percent from a year ago."

... In Ohio, they're taking baby steps toward yet another gambling referendum.

"Investors in a proposed $600 million resort casino in southwest Ohio planned to submit new ballot language to the state attorney general today, six days after the state ballot board required the change. If Attorney General Marc Dann certifies the new wording of their voter proposal, MyOhioNow.com will begin trying to collect about 400,000 signatures needed to qualify for the November ballot. The deadline is August. Ohio voters have defeated proposals to expand legalized gambling in the state three times since 1990, most recently last year."

Odds and ends

Las Vegas is planning a mobster museum ... Isle of Capri has a new CFO ... In New Zealand, they deal with problem gamblers more stringently than they do here ... It's not just Atlantic City: revenue numbers are down in Indiana, too.

Maybe that's why Don Barden has been so grumpy lately.