All the World's a Stage

In light of Monday's appearance of the Mashpee Wampanoag at the Middleboro Board of Selectmen's hearing, one of the first not to feature Glenn Marshall or a check-bearing tribe member in two years, one of my valued readers has expressed some concern.

Though I did attend the meeting, mostly for it's potential comedic value, there was, unfortunately, no room at the inn for Gladys and the other bloggers, and so we hung out in the corridor straining to listen.

I am, therefore, still waiting for some audio to fully comment.

To be honest, I'm mostly interested in what questions the Board posed to the Tribe, and what is says about them, because, not surprisingly, the answers from Mr. Cromwell even in the muffled distance sounded something like:

...it's coming... only a flesh wound... just a minor fix... times are tough... scale it back... sovereign nation... blah blah yada yada...

In the meantime, I'd like to point out that this meeting was just another in a long line of choreographed public relations appearances that occur only when absolutely necessary.

Let's see, first came Glenn Marshall, way back in May of '07, blustering about racists, posturing as a 'steward of the earth', and promising to cut checks for everything from reduced home values to lost restaurant patronage, when he graciously appeared at what he himself proclaimed to be a 'dog and pony show'.

Then, in September, came the Princess with the big check. At that appearance, Selectmen Adam Bond and Pat 'Tankman' Rogers beamed at Sean like a pair of giddy bachelorettes who'd just been deemed rose-worthy.

In April '08 Sean and his posse grudgingly showed up for the BIA hearing, gave a short speech and barely tolerated the rest of us for as long as they could before taking off for the break room.

Last summer some of them showed up for Marshmallowfest '08. I'm still not sure what that was supposed to be all about but let's face it - it was all about keeping up those casino appearances.

You didn't see the Tribe in New Bedford at the Standard Times debate last year, did you? Of course not. That wasn't an event crucial to maintaining appearances - and in fact may have very well lead to embarrassing and highly quotable slip ups - not unlike Sean's delightfully revealing radio broadcast last February which many of us so enjoyed.

Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing the Tribe at the Statehouse casino hearings, either.

See what I mean? Only when necessary.

As far as this "fix" Cedric seemed fixed on, take heart. According to the Enterprise:

Last Friday, Congressman Barney Frank told The Enterprise he does not expect Congress to overturn the Supreme Court decision. “It’s virtually a zero chance,” Frank said.

I realize that the 1,500 member Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the Middleboro Board of Selectmen, and an ever-dwindling cadre of flying monkeys are anxious to see their casino built, but let's face it, with the crises in the mortgage, banking and auto industries, harsh public reaction to stimulus bailouts, a recession, an on-going two-theater 'war on terror' and modern day pirates gunning for U.S. sailors - Congress and the President have their hands busy.

And remember, while a Congressman can sponsor some legislation to give the Mashpee a special dispensation, doing so would open up the entire IRA for revision. Now, try to imagine those Western gaming tribes covered by the 1934 provision and numbering in the hundreds of thousands, which receive millions upon millions in Federal benefits under the IRA.

If you wanted to keep those benefits, would you want the IRA tampered with?

Well, Gladys isn't sweating some imaginary "fix". Cedric is in denial. He wants to make sure Middleboro is also in denial, and that the public is sufficiently misinformed. Seems to me like Monday's meeting covered that as per the usual. Everything is staged.

By the way, have you noticed how pro-casino forces, whether Tribal or State or otherwise, need to keep the myth of inevitability alive? Their PR people will issue a statement or they'll gather together at some event to reaffirm gambling's unrelenting stranglehold on our lives. The press obediently covers it, predictably making sure to slap the requisite quote from Rich Young somewhere towards the bottom of the article where no one will read it, and soon people start to believe casinos or slots or land in trust or whatever are a done deal, orchestrated up on high by powers beyond their reach, and so, the message is clear, you may as well give up any hope of trying to stop it.

And that's if we're lucky. If the TV news covers it, our side won't get a quote in at all.

One is, wittingly or not, led to believe there isn't any real opposition to expanded gambling at all in this State.

And that's the casino investor food chain.

And yet, for some reason we all politely go along with it. Like bringing knives to a gun fight - as if to imply that we're up for the fight - but we wouldn't actually want to hurt anybody.

Well, leave it to our friends at Casino Free Philadelphia to find a way to fight politely.

It's time to take notes. See how the activists took a meeting, run by a corrupt, smug and snickering gaming board, and turned it into their event? From the bottom paragraph to the headline in a few simple steps...

There is important business at hand raising awareness around the state and around this nation as to the predatory nature of slot machines and expanded gambling. We've had two years of experience learning all about it. It's our responsibility to share that knowledge with others, and it's time we stopped letting ourselves be gaveled by our elected officials and nullified by the media.

We have always been right about the myth of inevitability. We were right about the environmental impact. We are still right about the addictive nature of slot machines, about predatory gambling, about the costs and impacts of casinos. About corruption, about crime, about quality of life and quality of lives lost.

So speak up.

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:

-Shakespeare

It's time that stage was ours.

Pulp Fiction

Early yesterday I discovered that former Middleboro Selectman Adam Bond had offered to answer the 20 first questions he got about "the" casino * on his blog.

I checked in today and noted some takers, as well as some "answers".

But for some reason, I'm not really sure who this guy "moderator" is who publishes the "answers" since "AMB" has also made comments.

I dunno. When someone asks "Gladys" a question, my first thought isn't to send in the moderator to answer it for me. But maybe I've been missing an opportunity here. From now on, whenever I get a disgruntled commentor on my blog, I'll just send in my "moderator" who'll unleash a cathartic slew of colorful profanities while I slip away for a refreshing margarita on the veranda.

Perhaps my "moderator" could also do the shopping, help my kids with school projects, and take my place on conference calls while I nap.

I'm just starting to recognize the sheer genius of this "moderator" idea. Leave it to Adam to create something imaginatively useful out of something completely non-existent.

Anyway, I wonder if "moderator" will answer all 20 questions with the same brutal honesty his elusive doppelganger exhibited when being televised reassuring the people of Middleboro the "real" meaning of Section 22B of the Intergovernmental agreement with the Mashpee Wampanoag?



Will "moderator" also carefully and methodically choose which of the first 20 questions are "relevant" to answer in the same manner he chose to tell the Secretary of the Interior that a majority of Middleboro voters voted YES for a casino agreement but declined to reveal that they also voted NO to a casino?



And will "moderator"continue to maintain Adams tradition of gently re-crafting the facts into an unrecognizable reality while hoping no one notices?

Yeah, probably. But heck, now that he doesn't command your Monday nights nor hobnob with the Wampanoag, now that the calls from the media are dwindling down and it's beginning to dawn on him that his casino isn't in the cards, Adam needs validation. To feel relevant. His former fans are walking around town wearing "Adam who?" buttons, after all. So he needs to know that he's still burning a hole in someone's heart. Therefore, he wants you to know he's still there for you with an exclusive excerpt from The World According to Adam. Yup, the "real", "untold" story.

Which would have been better revealed at the time it was happening, or to a Federal agent in the present.

As I skim the first of the "answers", they hold nothing earth shattering. With a few keystrokes Adam... er I mean "moderator" airbrushes the truth with fallacious self-deprecation.

Finally, the anti casino opinion was not disregarded. In fact, there were many issues raised by the antis that actually caused there to be better provisions in the final Agreement. For example, the issue of the Tribe buying up Middleborough with their profits was taken care of by a provision that did not allow the Tribe to take any more than a specific amount of land into trust, without reopening negotiations.

Actually, I was there and remember anti's being held in utter contempt even by el "Moderator." And doesn't "anti-casino opinion not disregarded" really mean "valid point actually used to make me look smart and give me more leverage towards getting a casino agreement signed?"

He also dilutes the impact of his own dismissive demeanor.

...I did say things, at various times, that I should not have said, and some that were in the heat of the moment that were inappropriate. That is all part of being fallible. I, however, do not recall making the idiots comment, and noone has come up with the audio. I do admit that the comment is within my vocabulary (e.g., I have used the term idiots before), but I do not remember ever making that comment at the TMFH, nor do a number of others I spoke to who say they did not hear such a comment.

Funny, that "idiot" comment was all I heard at the post-TMFH after-party.

But you see how Adam's now become just "fallible"?

Isn't that what that guy from "The Bachelor" fell back on after he asked a girl to marry him then asked for a do-over on national TV?

"Fallible" implies imperfection. Not being a flat-out jerk.

In fact, a broad definition could easily apply the word "fallible" to every poor overheated misunderstood schmuck doing time at a house of correction.

But perhaps our memories fail us...



When asked to respond as to why the Middleboro Board of Selectman never investigated Glenn Marshall or the Tribe,

Actually, the investigation that I did was relating to Herb Strather and his partner in Detroit Entertainment, LLC, Larry Deutsche (sp?)(one of the people who negotiated deal #1 and deal #2), and learned about their inability to get gaming licenses in Detroit. To me, this has never been about the Tribe, and they have little if any control over the deal--so, to me, Marshall was the salesman, and the investors were in control through SG. Marshall was a face, but not important to the process.

But, in hind sight, I agree that there should have been more investigation in a lot of areas.

But wait - wasn't it THE TRIBE that would be taking over a part of THE TOWN as it's sovereign nation?

Ah there's that convenient hindsight again...

In my hindsight version of life I would have done a million things differently, none of which even remotely approach signing a million dollar agreement to turn a section of a 330 year old town into a sovereign nation by a tribe I didn't know for a casino run by predatory investors with shady backgrounds.

I think most people charged with the enormity of the responsibility and equipped with a grasp on reality would have done everything in their power to stop the presses at this point. You just get the one chance and Middleboro didn't even attempt not to blow it.

As far as his latest lament, that he thought a casino was "inevitable", I beg to differ. A lot of people knew it wasn't and he should have made the effort to find out why. That's called due dilligence - though in the rear view mirror that concept seems to have disappeared. Poppies... poppies... Nevertheless, I make the point here that Adam's concept of inevitability or the lack of it made little difference to his participation in the actual sequence of events.

It's pretty much all like that. Admit little, revise history, brush off any real responsibility, continue to miss the point.

In other words, same Adam, different day

But heck, I suppose there are some people who, like Agent Mulder, just want to believe.

And yet, the scars of a town divided, a region concerned, and individual lives disrupted are going to take more than a fairytale to erase.

So, if you asked a question that doesn't get answered, or if "moderator" replies with an answer you think isn't totally honest, CoffeeNot! is still at your disposal, squaring casino reality and trying to keep that spaceship on the ground.

Because, though fiction can be a lot of fun - Gladys prefers keeping it real.

---

* One can never truthfully refer to the ex-casino project and subsequent dead parrot as "the" casino. It was never built. It was never going to be built. It was a figment of the imagination. A will o'the wisp. A towering windowless clock-free twenty-four-seven castle in the sky. And it was, and will therefore always be, "a" casino. An ex- one.

Two Down, Three to Go...

What would have happened in late Spring 2007 if Middleboro's elected officials had paused for a moment amidst the casino hoopla and said, "wait a minute, something's not right here"?

I don't know.

Because that never happened. But thanks to Saturday's election, we might finally get the chance to find out.

I wish the folks who won all the best.

And I wish the voters and people of Middleboro the best as well. They certainly deserved better than having the 'world's biggest casino' and sovereign nation rubberstamped and shoved down their throats, and their quailty of life threatened, without anyone in charge asking real questions.

As for those who ran but didn't win - in my previous post I mentioned those who've made the walk up Beacon Hill and even Capitol hill after being faced with a casino or failed Indian policy in their own back yard. But hats off to those who've made the 'ultimate sacrifice' - they've run for office in the hope of making a difference and making their community a better place from the ground up.

You never lose when you're in the game for all the right reasons.

From a Distance

On Tuesday night I got home late. That morning I'd been down in DC and up on Capitol Hill after attending the 2009 Citizens Equal Rights Alliance conference. The next morning I headed out to Beacon Hill for the Casino Free Mass April Fool's Gold rally at the Statehouse.

It's been exhausting, but by gosh, it feels so good to be an activist!

Even now, as I continue to endure a whopper of an allergy attack from the residual pollen of a million gorgeous cherry blossoms, and my nicotine and Febreeze saturated room at the Clarion - I can honestly say it was well worth it. And, when the Benadryl finally wears off, I'll tell you all about the things I learned about Indian sovereignty, IGRA, grassroots, the IRA, and yes, even the Mashpee Wampanoags. But for now, I can tell you (again) that it ain't comin'.

At the conference, coast-to-coast communities from Plymouth, Massachusetts to Plymouth, California were represented. I witnessed for myself that CERA is comprised of incredibly smart, educated and passionate people who live and breath the spirit of the Constitution. They've armed themselves with the facts and with research and the truth. What started out as a fight for their quality of life turned, for them, into a call to help others.

I remember, way back when, hearing Dennis Whittlesey denounce their organization as "racist". Apprehension about being labeled as racists even prevented many in my own organization from embracing their help. But heck, that's what folks like Dennis count on.

In reality, CERA, like their slogan, "Many cultures, one law", is the definition of anti-racist. A panel of Indians even spoke at the conference. And let me tell you, it was very enlightening.

All I can say is, if someone is supporting inequality in this country, it's either from ignorance, fear, or to keep an unequal share of Federal dollars flowing into their pockets.

I was delighted to be part of the 'Middleboro' delegation to the conference - a delegation which proudly included a wonderful first-time speaker, as well as our amazingly inexhaustible EIS organizer. As always, it was invigorating to meet fellow activists who quickly become friends. I know I'm not alone in the sentiment that representing that amazing group of people from Southeast Massachusetts who refused to swallow a 'done deal' in 2007 - and who were recently rewarded with proof from the Supreme Court - was infinitely sweet.

Which is why the Dennis Whittlesey's of the world wanted Middleboro to dismiss CERA's advice. Because, my goodness, what if everyone back then had realized that we were just following a script investors and gaming lawyers had written for us? A script that made us do something stupid while thinking we were really being smart.

Hmmm...

How many people accepted the inevitability of a casino simply because someone in authority told them it was true? Obviously, some of us looked into it from different directions and realized it wasn't. And if you'd have found CERA, they would have proved to you that it wasn't.

So, if you were one of the few who walked up a hill this week to raise your voice, or just to listen, you've made a difference. In fact, you're holding up the house.

For those of you who thought it all ended after the Middleboro Town Meeting (from Hell) on July 28th, 2007 - you're missing the point. That spot on the map with the big tents and the orange shirts provided concrete proof that our nation was being guided by a 'separate and unequal' philosophy. Many of us, for various reasons, accepted this. Others railed, and are still railing, against it. But even those folks who wanted a casino in Middleboro, those fellow Americans of ours, should have been repulsed and reviled by the actions of the past two years.

We can't be a united nation while divided into separate sovereignties, governed by a schizophrenic series of laws based on an archaic contrivance of guilt and presumed ethnicity. It doesn't work. In the 21st century our country has become a blended family. Our elected leader is of mixed-race heritage. Many cultures, one law. That's what works.

But the IRA sets us all upon an unbalanced national stage. The greatest benefactors of this unequal footing aren't Native Americans. They are profiteers who've learned to thrive on unintended pockets of persuasion and surreptitious loopholes created by a clash of legal inconsistencies.

In the end, some Americans end up with lawyers, investors, spokespeople and politicians defending fictitious and odious 'done deals'. Other Americans, those enrolled in Tribes or living on reservations end up disenfranchised, blackballed, shunned, extorted and worse. And it's all so that we won't put up a fight.

Yet, we forget that this nation was forged in the good fight, that it earned it's identity by refusing to be quiet and that it's always been at it's best when it asked questions, took a stand, and demanded accountability.

I suppose a lot of folks start out like me - proud to be an American but still asleep at the wheel of their own political involvement - until hit head-on by greed and rear-ended by ignorance. But finding yourself in that position doesn't mean you have to stay that way.

And that's CERA. Ordinary Americans, Indian and non-Indian who awoke one day to find their world upside down and a fire ignited in their conscience. They became an army of citizen soldiers, and, in the end, they'll celebrate the victories for which they paved the way. Because they had it right all along. Many cultures, one law.

The same goes for CasinoFreeMass. A rapidly growing grassroots movement, some of whose seeds were sown in a meeting room in the basement of the Middleboro library and fertilized by the endless manure of inevitability. At first, we worried about our own back yard. Now, we stand for everyone's back yard.

And so, while our leaders and neighbors and friends struggle with the vexing questions and seemingly insurmountable dilemmas of the day - a chosen few have worked unnoticed, with trowels and mortar, to reinforce that foundation on which we stand.

A foundation supported in the simple words repeated every morning by school children. Not a 'belief' - but an expectation that all of us are part of one nation, united and unbreakable, and that we live in a place where there is liberty and justice, not a handout or mitigation, for all.

It Tolls for Thee

The Senate Committee for Indian Affairs is meeting soon to discuss the Carcieri ruling. It's vital to the future direction of any "fix" that these people know what the Mashpee Wampanoag and their investors have been up to.

Don't assume that our congressmen know what we've been through. This process needs to change. We need to get the TRUTH into the public record. These letters will be read!

We need to tell them all about the blatant reservation shopping that went on in Middleboro. If you can't find enough to fill 2 or more paragraphs on this blog and others, then you just aren't trying!

Let them know that Carcieri should stand!

Get those letters written or make a phone call. This is important. This committee is already aware of the concept of reservation shopping. But they need to hear from the people who've lived through it. They need to hear our real-life stories.

Last year we had five minutes to tell our side of the story at a BIA hearing. Now we can take all the time we want. People from Rhode Island and other States are writing letters - so join your words with those of other people across this country to STOP RESERVATION SHOPPING!

This doesn't have to be a long letter - just a heart-felt one. A truthful one.

Send a copy of your letter to:

1.) Your Representative in Congress


2.) Senator Kennedy
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
e-mail
Phone (202) 224-4543
Fax (202) 224-2417


3.) Senator Kerry
218 Russell Bldg.
Second Floor
Washington D.C. 20510
e-mail
Phone (202) 224-2742
Fax - (202) 224-8525

4.) Sen. Byron Dorgan
Chairman, Senate Committee for Indian Affairs

322 Hart Senate Office Bldg

Washington, DC 20510
senator@dorgan.senate.gov
Phone (202) 224-2551

Fax (202) 224-1193

5.) Sen. John Barrasso,
Vice Chairman, Senate Committee for Indian Affairs
307 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
e-mail
Main: 202-224-6441
Fax: 202-224-1724
Tollfree: 866-235-9553


6.) Senate Committee for Indian Affairs:
838 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
comments@indian.senate.gov
Phone (202) 224-2251

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Still looking for a quick recap to jog your memory? Here's a few excerpts from my blog.

Keeping it Real
"A year and a half ago, the Middleboro Board of Selectmen, after gaveling public opposition, forgoing an accurate assessment of economic impacts, declining to research it's potential 'partner', refusing to personally review Federal regulations, fast-tracking negotiations, rushing a town meeting, listening only to lawyers, one of whom was a non-impartial advocate for the gaming industry, and labeling dissentors as 'braying donkeys' and 'idiots', proudly signed an Intergovernmental Agreement for a Sovereign Nation Mega Casino with Glenn Marshall, convicted rapist and pathological liar, and the Mashpee Wampanaog Tribe, which had cooked the books, lied to Congress and purchased it's recognition with payoffs to various elected officials, with help from nefarious investors and convicted lobbyists, and shunned anyone who got it's way."

---

Postcards from the Sovereign State of Denial
"The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe was not recognized in 1934. It was only recognized in 2007, after thirty years of trying, and thanks to an influx of funds from a Detroit casino developer with assistance from the most notorious lobbyist in the country. Your then-chairman lied to Congress and later turned out to be a convicted rapist and pathological liar, and was recently indicted for crimes related to gaining your Tribe's Federal recognition and criminal self-enrichment. Furthermore, roughly two seconds after your Tribe gained it's hard-bought recognition, it proceeded to plant it's flag in a Middleboro swamp identified by a 2002 Harvard study as the most lucrative location for a tribal casino in Massachusetts, then pump the local populace for a quick agreement before all the impacts could be assessed. The Governor himself does not want a Middleboro casino. Your Tribe's Intergovernmental Agreement with the town of Middleboro was obtained by questionable means, by questionable people, not to mention the fact that your Tribe has no historical or modern ties to the land and is located beyond the 25 mile radius from Middleboro required by new Federal regulations. And, lest we forget, a Federal investigation is still on-going."

---

The Big Concern - Part 2
"But wait - is that the same Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island which has about 2,137 Members and receives approximately $5.5 million tax-free federal dollars per year, and which is not required to pay taxes on any income they make on the Tribe's 1,800 acres?

Then I'd say it's a good thing that Chief Thomas ALSO doesn't have to be "concerned" about a Sovereign Nation, consisting of a modern-day Tribe he only knows from their frequent criminal escapades documented in the media isn't opening up a gambling casino next door from where he's trying to raise his kids, and which would also bring environmental devastation, increased crime, traffic, and social problems, and be funded by foreign billionaire investors with the money to influence his elected officials, while being informed that he had absolutely nothing to say about it, that it was a done deal, and that this inevitable scenario was going to play out all over this country thanks to official Federal law.

Because, I bet that would really burn his biscuits!"

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Just the Tip of the TeePee
"OK, let's see if we can keep count here. A guy from Detroit, with some help from a currently incarcerated lobbyist from D.C., aided by a selectman from New York, upon the advice of a lawyer from the Skokie, for the ultimate benefit of a couple of investors from South Africa, under the guise of helping secure a sound financial future for a middle class tribe from Cape Cod, manipulated by a State election specialist from Dorchester wants to bring class III gambling to the Bay State, in the form of the world's largest Indian casino in Middleboro, Massachusetts."

---

Here's a post that covers a lot of ground:
They Say that When God Closes a Door He Opens a Window

And just a few of Carl's gems:
For the Record
Who are the Mashpee?
Why are there Indian Casinos?

And a couple from Fiferstone I'm particularly fond of:
Beginnings
The Loophole Narrows

And let's face it, pretty much anything on Carverchick's blog - just do a search on Wampanoag or Mashpee.

---

C'mon kids, we've written a lot of letters, what's one more???? But don't wait on this! The mail moves slowly in DC! And we don't know when the hearing will be rescheduled. For everyone who's ever been subjected to the whims of the IRG or IGRA, and for everyone who may be in the future, it's our responsibility to come together and speak the truth. Once, and for all.

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee." -- John Donne

Sign of the Times

A reader on my previous post enjoyed my new slogan:

"Those who can't lead, install slot machines"

and suggested I ask for variations on that theme - as in "Those who can't lead, (fill-in-the blank)" - which I thought was a great idea.

In fact, I'll go one better and sound the call for your best anti-casino/anti-slots slogans!

What do you think the sign in the picture above should say?

C'mon, kids - why not have some fun while we wait for Cedric Cromwell to figure out he's not getting a casino.

By the way, when I look at the blank sign in the picture, you know what I think? I think it would be nice to have leaders who could grasp how WRONG predatory gambling was - so that we wouldn't need signs and blogs and editorials and grassroots organizations and Statehouse hearings with experts getting shouted down by unions - just so we can try and give them a clue.

Oh well, in the meantime...

Tail of the Dog

"Those who can't lead, install slot machines."

- Gladys

And, apparently, those who can't lead or install slots - aren't above asking for a handout."

From Wicked Local West Bridgewater comes this sad tale of slots and mitigation.

It appears that if the slots come to Raynham, West Bridgewater's leadership will be standing at the ready with a thoroughly greased and open palm.

For the record, I knew about this last year, but was hoping it was just a bad dream. West Bridgewater has been a real leader on the Regional Casino Task Force.

“I think for a smalltown, we seem to take a leadership role for things happening in this region,” Albanese said.

In fact, to his credit, Selectman Albanese offered some harsh words for how Middleboro had proceeded down it's casino road by taking a vote on the casino first and asking questions later.

And so it's unfortunate that this small town board with a self-professed reputation for REGIONAL leadership doesn't feel an equal responsibility to ask the hard questions about a revenue generator sucking paychecks out of REGIONAL pockets by means of one of the mostly highly addictive devices there is.

“Slots at the dog track could be very positive, but must be done with caution and be well thought out to make sure the town isn’t affected negatively,” said Selectman Chairman Jerry D. Lawrence.

“We know we’ll have a good watch dog to make sure West Bridgewater gets our piece of the pie,” Lawrence said of (Albanese).

I dunno, folks. Maybe now that Middleboro's casino has finally been spayed and neutered, I should change the name of this blog from Middleboro's Nosey Neighbor to Cranberry Country's Nosey Neighbor, or Metro South's Nosey Neighbor, or The South Shore's Nosey Neighbor.

Because wherever there are pie-sniffing 'watch dogs' pawing at slot machine payouts... there will always be the need for dog videos.

Perspective

According to the Fifth Amendment, private property can be taken by eminent domain only for a "public use" - and only with just compensation - usually for the purpose of building schools, hospitals, roads, rail and utility lines, etc.

But in 2005 the Supreme Court of the United States deliberated the case of Kelo v. City of New London. Essentially, the decision gives municipal governments authority to take private property by eminent domain for economic development purposes.

In the Kelo case, the City of New London exercised eminent domain in a working class waterfront neighborhood, with the intent of leveling homes and businesses to make way for a large pharmaceutical company, hotel, upscale housing and a health club. The "public use" in this case being the presumed benefit of additional jobs, a more lucrative tax base and revitalization of the waterfront area.

The Court's decision, which came down 5-4 in favor of New London, has been one of the most despised and controversial Supreme Court rulings in modern history.

There is something very un-American about a government forcing people off their own property. Ownership is the tangible reward of hard work and dreams. It's often a source of livliehood and comfort, and it provides an personal connection to history, to family and to community.

Which is probably why the framers of the Constitution added the Fifth Amendment to the Bill of Rights to ensure that eminent domain could only be exercised for "public use". But in Kelo, the court essentially interpreted the Fifth amendment to equate "public use" with "public benefit", giving government enormous and unprecedented power to take private property.

According to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor who, in her dissenting opinion, found that "Nothing is to prevent the State from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory."

Additionally, "any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms."

Yikes.

No one likes eminent domain, but it's certainly less loathsome to the property owner when it's used for the benefit of those those things that he also enjoys as member of the larger community.

For example, he drives on the highway, plugs into the electrical grid to power his home, educates his children in the school, and may seek emergency treatment at the hospital. The decision to enact eminent domain is subject to public review and discussion, possibly even a public vote. The end result generally has a long shelf life. It may remain on that same site for a hundred or more years.

The benefit from economic development, however, is less certain. A more lucrative tax base equates to more money in municipal budgets - but that money won't necessarily be spent on something directly beneficial to the private property owner being displaced, nor for the greater good of the general public. And expenditure of additional tax revenue may not necessarily be subject to public review. It could even be misspent, misappropriated, or mislaid. A private developer is subject to the whims of the market. The end result may not only not have a long shelf life - it may never be built. There may be purpose of public benefit in these uses of eminent domain, but there is no certainty of it.

Understandably, the outcry across the country over Kelo was intense and far-reaching. In fact, as I recall, it was the one and only time I ever found myself in complete agreement with George Will.

The decision was so odious that then-President George W. Bush issued an executive order directing that eminent domain be used only for “ ...the purpose of benefiting the general public and not merely for the purpose of advancing the economic interest of private parties to be given ownership or use of the property taken."

Public response to Kelo was so overwhelming that Congress was pressured to introduce several bills to limit it's ramifications.

And in the wake of Kelo, 42 States would later enact legislation which restricts the power of government to take private property for economic development.

But you're asking - what does any of this have to do with us?

Well, I think there's some of you who still have some lingering anxiety over the notion of a "fix" to Carceiri v. Salazaar.

So let's get some perspective, - if there was ever a Supreme Court case that needed fixing, it's Kelo v. The City of New London. Right?

Then, how does the Kelo ruling compare with Carcieri?

Well, for one thing, there won't be any Presidential executive order thanks to another Supreme Court ruling. In United States v. Kagama, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress alone, not the President, holds plenary (absolute) powers over Indian affairs.

And while there might be rumblings in Congress, they won't get far because the States are siding with Carcieri. States do not want the Federal government taking land off the tax rolls and telling them what they have to do. Never have. But most especially when it comes to "gaming".

In fact, when you think about it - giving the Federal government authority to take land into trust is sort of like exercising eminent domain on States.

After Kelo, Congress introduced legislation to limit the ruling, but these bills have not been passed.

In fact, the only "fix" to Kelo came at the State level - the result of a huge groundswell of outrage from coast to coast that resulted in changes to eminent domain laws in the majority of States to prevent another situation like Kelo.

What do you think? Would there be a huge groundswell of outrage in Massachusetts if the Mashpee Wampanoag can't get their casino?

Let's take a look at Kelo v. City of New London. This was not a case that could negatively effect a percentage of 2 million Native Americans, some land claims and a handful of casino investors. This was a case that had ominous negative repercussions for every home and business owner in America.

And it still has not been "overturned".

So, putting things in perspective, a "fix" to Carcieri is neither imminent nor likely.

This excellent article in Indian Country Today outlines the potential for various "fixes" to Carcieri, but still agrees with many of the points I've made in several posts on this blog.

Apparently, even Matthew L.M. Fletcher, director of the Indigenous Law & Policy Center at Michigan State University, who, immediately after the Carcieri announcement was saying that the definition of "now" would be pretty easy to fix with a "technical ammendment" to the Indian Reorganization Act is singing a different tune:

Some Indian country officials believe that a favorable legislative resolution for tribes must happen in short order. Otherwise, current and past Indian land claims will not only sit in possible jeopardy, but also more state and local interests will have time to make arguments to Congress members to try to sway their minds to leave the Supreme Court decision alone.

Fletcher cautioned that just because the Congress is now controlled by a Democratic majority does not mean a fix positive for tribes will sail through. After all, many Congress members hail from districts where Indian issues, especially gaming, are unpopular with non-Indian constituents. As a result, some legislators could see an opportunity to create a fix that might limit Indian gaming or other issues.

“There are so many political entities [including states and localities] that have just been waiting to go in and rehash a lot of things that have been going on in Indian gaming,” Fletcher said. “It doesn’t mean a quick fix is not doable, but you might end up with radical changes in the IRA.”

Talk about a new perspective...

So... want to do your best to seal the deal on Carcieri? Then write a letter, or several, to your Congressmen, letting them, in no uncertain terms, know how "unpopular" Indian gaming has been with you. Fill them in on all the fun things you've had to endure thanks to screwed up Federal Policy, and how inappropriate casinos are not only for your neighborhood, for for the whole State.

Carcieri v. Salazar has been a step in the right direction. Now, taking a cue from Kelo, we should be gathering momentum - like those Statewide grassroots movements across the country did after Kelo, and which lead to major changes in eminent domain laws. We should push for an amendment to our own State's Constitution preventing the future collection of revenue from predatory gambling practices.

Think little guys like us can't change the world?

"Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

---

Friends, if you're looking for a good book, do yourself the favor of checking out the newly released "Little Pink House", by Jeff Benedict.

Benedict is also the author of my well-worn, much beloved and irreparably highlighted, dog eared copy of "Without Reservation: How a Controversial Indian Tribe Rose to Power and Built the World's Largest Casino" - the enlightening tale of how Foxwoods casino came to be.

"Little Pink House" is not only about the all-true David and Goliath battle that was Kelo v. City of New London, it's a story of grassroots, strength, commitment, and courage. It's about real-life people facing down a colorful cast of variously zealous, indifferent, self-important and hostile characters to protect their homes and way of life.

And so, it might sound a little bit familiar.

Waiting to Exhale

From today's Brockton Enterprise article entitled:
Despite setback, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe pushes ahead with Middleboro casino plan:

... Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council Chairman Cedric Cromwell said the Bureau of Indian Affairs has given his tribe the “green light” to continue with the process that began with its August 2007 application.

The tribe contends that the court decision ruled it would take an act of Congress to take land into trust for tribes that were recognized after the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. Cromwell said the tribe was under federal jurisdiction in the 1800s, and therefore not constrained by the decision.

“We were under federal jurisdiction as part of the 13 Colonies,” Cromwell said.

Sometimes, I don't even have to blog about something because someone does it for me. Case in point, comment #44 on my previous blog:

The tribe is posturing. The only way to prove they were under federal jurisidction is if they had a treaty with the government.

They didn't.

They were under state jursidiction. Always have been.

The person who posted here and asked if the tribe was a state created tribe is absolutely right. They were citizens of the Town of Mashpee, which was considered an "Indian District". But the point is: they were citizens! Complete with full protection of our laws, and the right to vote.

The history books say so.

The Final Determination of the tribe's historical status (as defined by our FEDERAL government) says so.

They have no right to the benefits of the IRA (as Gladys will prove when she completes her research).

The tribe isn't telling it like it is.

And the media is supporting the lies by reporting them. God forbid a reporter should have to check the facts.

Besides all that......

Middleboro didn't need the SC decision in order to stop this casino. If RI had lost this case, and the tribe was granted full access to the IRA, we STILL wouldn't get a casino. There are no historical ties to the land. And even if they change the regulations, they can't change the fact that the tribe has already historically tied themselves to Mashpee. (See Carver Chicks blog, "The Ties That Bind".)

When will the Middleboro BoS start checking the law for answers, and stop reading the newspapers?

I am so sick of the colossal mistakes of our leadership. Never have I seen so many mistakes made by so few.

Short answer: If it wasn't the Carcieri decision it would have been something else to stop a Middleboro casino. It has always been a fractured fairy tale.

When the casino buzz wears off and the hangover fades what will remain is how truly pathetic Middleboro's leadership has been. But now there is an opportunity to change that. If voters re-elect Steven Spataro or any other individual convinced a casino is coming, they will be settling for another three years of someone who isn't concerned about doing their due dilligence for the town. Just another individual living in a fairy tale. And that's the bottom line.

In the meantime, the Tribe and the Town can turn blue holding their breath for the enchanted casino.

The rest of us can exhale.

Section 7 - The Dead Parrot Clause

In case you missed it, I got this comment on my previous blog:

Dear Aunt Gladys,

We attended this evening's Middleboro Candidates' Night and are confused.

Maybe you could explain.

We printed Carcieri v Salazar like responsible citizens. We read the entire decision and discussed it to ensure our accurate comprehension.

To us, the Mashpee Wampanoag Mega Middleboro Casino is DEAD.

DEAD like the poor parrot.

If you had attended Middleboro's Candidates' Night, they seem to exist in another dimension of time or space. Maybe Rod Serling could explain.

There seem to be casino supporters who still believe the future plan exists.

There was no one else we could turn to for advice.

Is it something in the Middleboro water?

Is this just denial?

Ok, apparently there is either still a lot of denial or further need for review.

Let's break it down.

As we know, there are four ways that OFF-RESERVATION land taken into trust for Indian Tribes can be used for gaming (those are the operative words).

These are known as "exceptions" to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) - and they permit gaming (with certain restrictions) on new or off-reservation land when the land in trust qualifies under that Act's definition as:

• Restored Lands
• Part of a Land Claim
• A Two-Part Determination
• An Initial Reservation

The Mashpee Wampanoag's application for Land in Trust would fall under the Initial Reservation exception according to the definitions of IGRA. In fact, the Tribe is actually asking for TWO Initial Reservations - a very unusual move - one in Mashpee and one in Middleboro.

Now, let's switch gears and take a look at Section 7 of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA). Keep in mind, the Mashpee Wampanoag currently have no reservation. They have no other land into trust. They are applying to take NEW land into trust.

SEC. 7
The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to proclaim new Indian reservations on lands acquired pursuant to any authority conferred by this Act, or to add such lands to existing reservations: Provided, That lands added to existing reservations shall be designated for the exclusive use of Indians entitled by enrollment or by tribal membership to residence at such reservations.

Notice that this is where the IRA gives the Secretary of the Interior the power to to issue a “Reservation Proclamation” to establish an initial reservation.

But wait! The Supreme Court recently ruled that the IRA does not apply to Tribes which were Federally recognized after 1934.

The Mashpee Wampanoag were Federally recognized in February of 2007.

Therefore, since the Mashpee Wampanoag no longer fall under the IRA's umbrella, the SOI cannot hand them an initial reservation, and so obviously the tribe cannot game under the initial reservation exception of IGRA.

See? You need part of one Act to qualify, for part of another Act. In other words,

No reservation proclamation = No initial reservation = No IGRA = No Casino!

But what about Tribes claiming that they should all be on equal footing? Won't that be a compelling argument to change the law?

Well, I'm preparing a blog to explain the original intent of the IRA, so that you'll see clearly, like the folks at the Supreme Court did, that it was never meant to be all things to all Tribes.

Ok, but what happens if, say, the Mashpee Wampanoag keep wheeling out that heartwarming bushwah about meeting the Pilgrims and Congress passes an Act to put the land into trust? Well, all that means is that they've got a whole lot of swampy land-in-trust - because they still can't get a reservation proclamation from the SOI because, you guessed it, the IRA still won't apply to them.

But, you ask, what if Congress reforms the IRA to include Tribes Federally recognized after 1934? As in changing "Now" to be defined as "Now and hereafter".

Well, believe it or not, this is a good thing. Governor’s all across this country will unite to force Congress to uphold the 14th Amendment, which requires States to provide equal protection under the law to all people within their jurisdictions.

And, after years of watching the Federal government take land off State tax rolls and exempt it from regulations, States are excited about the potential for opening up the land into trust process for public discussion - which has never happened before!

As we know, the only public comment period for land into trust has been during the EIS preparation period. Currently, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Administrative branch of the government, controls that information. By opening up the process for review, it will then be in the hands of the Legislative branch.

In other words, suddenly there's that magic word, transparency. And now, instead of having the public's concerns simply redlined as "N/A", the world will hear about mega casinos being built on delicate eco-systems in residential backyards, and of corruption, reservation shopping, done deals, rushed agreements and all sorts of other good stuff.

And here's something a lot of people don't know, pressure will also be coming from tribes who benefit from the IRA, but do not, nor wish to, build a casino. They, too, know that a review of the IRA will adversely affect the Act.

For Tribes, investors, and entrenched bureacrats - this would be like opening Pandora's box.

Which is ok with me.

And finally, the truth is, you can’t just reform the part of the IRA you don’t like. The whole Act is subjected to review under the current laws. They will do more to damage to the Act as a whole in trying to “fix” one part.

So, I hope that will help explain the putrid odor of decomposing ex-parrot coming from the vicinity of Precinct Street.

Please feel free to print it out and send it along, perhaps with a pair of reading glasses (still only $1.50 at Ocean State) to your favorite elected officials, candidates for office, and others still living in a chronic State of Denial.

Postcards from the Sovereign State of Denial

Dear Mashpee Tribal Leadership,

I've just finished reading a seemingly serious article in the Cape Cod Times , complete with a quote from Prof. Clyde Barrow. and a side bar detailing tribal revenue requirements, about how, due to the economy, your tribe is considering the need to "scale back" the scope of their casino project.

Hmmmm...

Ok. Let's review. The Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the land, recently ruled that Tribes recognized after 1934 are not covered by the Indian Reorganization Act.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe was not recognized in 1934. It was only recognized in 2007, after thirty years of trying, and thanks to an influx of funds from a Detroit casino developer with assistance from the most notorious lobbyist in the country. Your then-chairman lied to Congress and later turned out to be a convicted rapist and pathological liar, and was recently indicted for crimes related to gaining your Tribe's Federal recognition and criminal self-enrichment. Furthermore, roughly two seconds after your Tribe gained it's hard-bought recognition, it proceeded to plant it's flag in a Middleboro swamp identified by a 2002 Harvard study as the most lucrative location for a tribal casino in Massachusetts, then pump the local populace for a quick agreement before all the impacts could be assessed. The Governor himself does not want a Middleboro casino. Your Tribe's Intergovernmental Agreement with the town of Middleboro was obtained by questionable means, by questionable people, not to mention the fact that your Tribe has no historical or modern ties to the land and is located beyond the 25 mile radius from Middleboro required by new Federal regulations. And, lest we forget, a Federal investigation is still on-going.

And so, even if by some dark miracle Carcieri is "fixed" to include tribes recognized after 1934, the Mashpee Wampanoag still aren't getting a casino. They are part of the problem that created the need for Carcieri. They are a dual initial-reservation red-flag. They are the poster children for reservation shopping, and of Federally-sanctioned, fact-distorting, investor-funded greed.

Therefore, this might be a good time to reassess your Tribe's economic development plan - not because of the economy - but because, now that your Tribe is no longer covered by the Indian Reorganization Act, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act no longer applies either.

In other words, your casino is a dead parrot.

Respectfully,
Gladys Kravitz

The Gang's All Here

For those of you still worrying about a Carcieri "Fix" and whether Congress will cave to the interests of Tribes, investors, lobbyists and others... here's something you might take comfort in:

The

• Council of State Governments
• National League of Cities
• U.S. Conference of Mayors
• National Association of Counties, and the
• International City/County Management Association

signed on as Amici Curiae (Friends of the Court) onto the Carcieri v. Kempthorne (now Salazar) case (like Massachusetts did.)

And the Council of State Governments alone represents all 50 States as well as New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Québec, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Now, that's a lot of friends standing beside Carcieri. (And us.)

Feeling better? (You should.)

INTEREST OF THE AMICI CURIAE

Amici are organizations whose members include
state, county, and municipal governments and officials
throughout the United States.1 Amici have a
compelling interest in the two issues presented in
this case.

Disputes over the ownership of and sovereignty
over land claimed by tribes have spawned much litigation
and called into question title to property in
many jurisdictions. Several state and local governments
accordingly have entered into agreements
with tribes, subsequently codified by Congress, in an
attempt to resolve these disputes. The decision below,
however, raises doubts about the finality of
these settlements. In addition, by allowing the Secretary
to restore tribal sovereignty over property
that had long been subject to state and local control,
the judgment below denies petitioners essential
regulatory authority, which could “seriously burden
the administration of state and local governments
and . . . adversely affect landowners neighboring the
tribal patches.” City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation,
544 U.S. 197 (2005). Amici accordingly submit
this brief to assist the Court in the resolution of this
case.

Big Blonde Doofus For Governor...

Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill wants to privatize the lottery, open up some slot parlors and run for Governor. So...what are his qualifications?

Financial Whiz Kid...

Hedge funds and private equity firms would be interested in the project, as they have plenty of cash to put to work, Cahill said.

Reuters UK

Ranking Republican member Thomas Davis of Virginia said hedge funds were originally "purely private gambles" by investors, but now "pose very public peril when the bets go bad."

"Designed as a strategy to reduce investment risk, hedge funds now compound risk when complex deals start to unravel and throw off unintended consequences," Davis said.

Among those testifying were George Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management, who said hedge funds were "an integral part of the bubble. But the bubble has now burst and hedge funds will be decimated."

UPI Business News

Legal Eagle...

...an opinion issued last year by the US Department of Justice said selling or leasing a lottery to private enterprise would be illegal. The opinion, issued in October in response to a number of states considering leasing their lotteries to private companies, said federal law requires that states maintain control over all significant business decisions made by a lottery and keep the vast majority of the money.

Boston Globe

Willing to take Responsibility...

“Every time we talk about gambling ... you always take into account the social impact,” Cahill said. “It does rise in certain areas where you have more access. I would leave up to the legislature more ways to address that."

Statehouse News Service

Man of principle...

Cahill elaborated. “We’re already paying for the social consequences of people gambling. We don’t have any money in the budget right now to address any of the gambling problems, the social consequences,” he said. “We’re not looking to exacerbate the problem, just looking to capture it in the state. "

Statehouse News Service

And Unwavering Ideals...

When Republican legislators proposed privatizing the Lottery in 2007, Cahill put up a ferocious defense, reminding them that Massachusetts sets the "gold standard" among the nation's lotteries and already operates as a public-private partnership, with 8,000 small businesses that sell the product. "Why would you want to mess with the best-performing lottery in the country?" he asked at the time.

Boston Globe

Visionary....

Lobby Day 2009

Gladys had to walk back down the Hill almost as soon as she got there this morning after getting a call that Abner Jr. was sick. So, while I didn't participate in Lobby Day today after all, I did get to meet up with some of my favorite anti-casino colleagues before leaving.

A special SHOUT OUT to Frank Dunphy, Jim Knox and John Leschen who got there as early as I did, and braved those freezing gale force winds whipping through the heart of Boston this morning (though I'm certain there was plenty of hot air to be found in the Statehouse offices later in the afternoon.)

In addition to their lobbying efforts, our forces also distributed a Question and Answer book, put together by Stop Predatory Gambling and Casino Free Mass, to all the reps.



Great job, everyone!

Thanks so much to EVERYONE who participated! Your efforts really do make a difference!

See...

From Statehouse News:

GAMBLING OPPONENTS PATROLLING BEACON HILL: Anti-gambling forces wasted no time hitting back against Treasurer Tim Cahill’s proposal to bring slot parlors to Massachusetts. Members of Casino Free Mass, a coalition that worked to scuttle Gov. Deval Patrick’s resort casino proposal last session, patrolled the halls of the State House Wednesday, meeting with lawmakers to tout the ills that accompany expanded gambling. One member, Elaine Bono of Yarmouth, told the News Service that gambling in any form – including slot parlors – would “open up the gates of corruption” in Massachusetts. Bono questioned whether there were any wealthy financiers prepared to pay for the rights to operate a slot parlor, but added, “I don’t know what they know.” Casino Free Mass members also took issue with the assertion – made by Gov. Deval Patrick last year and again by Cahill this week – that revenue reaped from expanded gambling would be used to enhance services for compulsive gamblers. “That’s like handing booze to an alcoholic and saying ‘Hey, we’ve got a treatment program for you,’” said Casino Free Mass supporter Judy Thomas, a Chatham resident. Bono said she and three companions intended to visit Cape legislators, including Senate President Therese Murray and Sen. Robert O’Leary. 2:17 PM

Note: The Elaine Bono in the article is the same who served on the Town Planning Commission for the Town of Ledyard, (yes the host community of Foxwoods - from 1985 to 2001) and she has plenty to say about casinos! Yup - just another braying mule the Middleboro Board of Selectmen obviously couldn't be bothered to listen to.

Maybe reading glasses would help clarify Ms. Bono's testimony for the Board.

My Day on the Hill

Last Year
March 19, 2008

I trudged up Beacon Hill.

A girl could get sick of this place, I thought.

I'd spent a week on the Hill last night at the Statehouse hearings. And yet, here I was, a glutten for punishment, perhaps, coming back for more. The League of Women Voters had invited the membership of CasinoFacts.org and anyone else opposed to casinos in the Commonwealth to come back to the Statehouse the next day for their annual "Day on the Hill". And I am not one to let down a friend.

But I'd missed the breakfast.

Damn.

I met up with Fiferstone and we listened to speeches about various topics. It was interesting. I hadn't realized that even in the 21st century, a lot of legislation effecting women had a hard time getting passed at the mostly male Statehouse - and hence the Lobby Day - a day for the League to descend en masse on their reps so they could hear us roar - though men are welcome to roar, too.

It crosses my mind that folks in my part of the State probably have reps like Marc Pacheco (D - Tracks) and Dave Flynn (D - Slots) in part because we don't have a League of our own. I was asked if I would start a chapter. Gulp. My life is at critical mass. I don't have the time to return phone calls let alone organize a political group. But I promised to ask around.

Louise Haldeman, the League's expert on expanded gambling gave a great talk. During the question and answer period someone in the audience stated that since a "casino in Middleboro was inevitable..."

Fiferstone and I are on our feet shouting that notion down. Ow... that hurt. My back and legs, forced to spend hours in a modified fetal position at the union-cramped hearings yesterday, screamed in protest. They want to go home. They want to curl up in a hot tub with some Epsom Salt and aromatherapy.

Then it's over - it's time to head out to find our reps. Tell them not to vote for the Governor's casino plan.

I hope they don't talk back. Because I've had it up to there with blah blah blah jobs... blah blah blah... money going to Connecticut... blah blah blah inevitable... blah blah blah It's Entertainment!

And I'm just another one of the annoying killjoys who bring up costs and impacts and addiction.

I'm tired. I'm tired of crazy flying monkey death threats, I'm tired of nonsensical perseverating rants on public message boards, I'm tired of sociopathic public officials, and tired of bumping into greed and stupidity and big fat bloated egos every time I turn around.

The only bright spot in the past few days was Rep. Conroy's verbal evisceration of the guys from Harrah's at the hearing last night. But it always comes down to that, doesn't it? The money.

My mind wanders to the baby my mother told me about - the one who'll never meet his own dad because a casino was close enough to lure him in with hope - then steal it from him.

I keep walking. I'm alone on today's dark journey because no one else, not one of my Lobby Day cohorts, is going to see "Dean of the House" Dave Flynn.

Lucky bastards.

I meet Carl on the way. He is heading out from work to lobby Rep. Canessa. I've met with Canessa before and at least he's easy to talk to, even if his head's tucked so far up his backside when it comes to gambling that I doubt it'll ever see the light of day.

Carl is in a much better mood than me. I'm jealous. Other colleagues from Cranberry Country are seeking out Rep. Calter, who we have been told, is our friend. But I don't trust him. He's a politician.

In a world that attracts both opportunists and idealists, elected officials eventually seem to break down into a few easily recognizable categories: politicians, leaders - and some who successfully combine both.

But I'm not going to see any of them today. I'm going to see Dave Flynn, an odd bird. An entrenched old-school glad-hander who can't see the forest for the slot machines. And I've been informed that he isn't pleased with my blog.

On my way to Flynn's office I pass Rep. Sue Tucker's headquarters. She fiercely opposes any expanded gambling (with a capitol "F") and I wish she were my rep. How refreshing it must be to be represented by someone who actually cares about whether or not people - people other than dog track owners and their employees that is - get hurt.

In the marble-lined corridors small groups of Leaguers and Lobby Dayers like me are milling around, smiling, laughing - basically looking as if discussing issues with their reps were a positive, even wholesome, experience. Like folks leaving church after a good sermon. I hunt for a frown, a furrowed brow among them.

Nothing.

Unlike me. I am dreading this. What could I possibly say that would change his mind? I tried to get him to talk once while collecting signatures outside Bridgewater Raynham High School. He just shouted something about "eleven years to build a casino" and drove off smoking a cigar.

That's another thing I can't take much more of. Why are there are so many people so convinced they know EXACTLY what's going to happen. I've listened to them all - and if you put them all in a room together, they'd all be saying different things.

I want to go home.

A few dozen feet from Flynn's office I pass a group from Brockton ARC and overhear them say they are looking for his office too. I sneak in ahead of them. I want this to be quick. It's a safe bet that my next stop at Pacheco's office will last for a small eternity and include further toxic exposure to his unique but interminable But-For-Slots Manifesto.

Flynn's office is sunny and bright, unlike my mood. Eventually the secretary notices me and tells me Flynn isn't available today (relief!) but she'll grab an aide to come talk to me (relapse). But I figure the aide will be new Flynn-underling and Raynham selectman Joe Pacheco - which I can tolerate.

But it's not Joe. It's some pleasant looking young man in an oxford cloth shirt. I introduce myself, and get the blogging thing off my chest right off so he knows where I stand. He hasn't read my blog, he says, though he's heard of it.

Sure he hasn't read it. Because no one would make a beeline to a web site featuring PhotoShopped pictures of their boss linking arms with a Las Vegas showgirl, standing in his pajamas next to Donald Trump, or being terrified by a blue-faced Glenn Marshall dragging the chains he forged in life.

Naaahhhh...

I quickly recite my rehearsed spiel asking that Rep. Flynn kindly consider not voting for the Governor's three casino plan. Almost immediately, Oxford Cloth is on the offensive.

What alternative did I have, he wanted to know, for filling in the budget shortfall.

Well, not casinos certainly, I countered, which haven't managed to lower taxes in other States.

But Oxford Cloth persists. He is leaning in the doorway, arms crossed. Calm. Smug. Insufferable. But we can use the revenue now from the licenses... he says.

What is up with this? Why am I being challenged to a debate?

Just to show him I mean business I remind him that "if the State approves Class III gambling it could usher in an era of Tribal casinos..."

Yes, it might... he unexpectedly concurs. "But as far as getting approvals it may take up to five years for them to build those casinos."

But, I point out, after they're built those casinos will be there forever. They'll be sovereign. They'll bring an increase in crime to my town and others in the region. They'll decrease our quality of life, cannibalize local businesses, hurt schools, expose us to potential environmental problems and exacerbate social problems. Including gambling addiction. And let's face it, no one's going to want to go to the dog track if the world's biggest casino is 15 minutes away. Tribal casinos will close the tracks.

"Ah," he grins, "But that's still five years worth of revenue the State can take in before they do."

Well, how can you argue with remorseless avarice like that?

The tireless optimist, I attempt once again to locate a pulse. "Doesn't Rep. Flynn care about gambling addiction in his district?"

Oxford doesn't flinch. "What about the lottery we already have? Wouldn't you consider that gambling?"

Before I can answer, a lady from the Brockton ARC, accompanied by a young man with Down's syndrome, answers for me.

"I would!"

We give her our attention.

"My father was addicted to the lottery... Really bad..."

My work here is done. Please let Mr. Flynn know I've dropped by...

Back in the hallway, I marvel at the chilling depth of soulless detachment I have just witnessed in the office of the man who represents me and my 27,000 neighbors at the Statehouse.

I thought I was supposed to leave here smiling serenely like the other Lobby Dayers - not wanting to find the stairs so I can take a leap off the dome.

My shoes feel heavy. I can't lift them. They make soft swishy sounds on the marble.

Because my next stop is Marc Pacheco.

I half-heartedly look for directions to his office. I have trouble reading them because I realize my eyes are filled with tears. I'm tired, I know. That's it. That's all. I have to go home and work on my testimony for the upcoming BIA hearing. Another monkeyfest, I'm certain. I have to try to get someone from my town to show up. I have to get out a blog. Make dinner. Help with homework. Drive to sports. Go to meetings. Return phone calls... I have to...

...find Marc Pacheco's office.

There's a window at the end of the corridor. I stare out into the courtyard and over at buildings across the street and up at the gray sky, letting time pass, attempting to compose myself. A tissue from my purse, eyes dabbed dry. Sniffles silenced.

And that's when I decide not to find Pacheco's office. It's been a long winter, and I need a little sunshine. I'm going to do something more productive. I'm going to accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative.

And so I walk down to Senator Tucker's office to thank her for standing firm against expanded gambling in Massachusetts. There is a young man inside - Oxford's counterpart but without the smugness - he stands and shakes my hand. And I ask him to please thank Senator Tucker for me. "I don't live in her district, but I appreciate what she's done. Please thank her... for all she's done... to prevent...

Last night, this morning, next week, the whole year, the whole thing - it hits me.

"...expanded gambling in our State."

And suddenly, inexplicably, and uncontrollably, I dissolve into tears.

---

If I can do it again, so can you.

League of Women Voters Day of the Hill
March 4, 2009

9:00 a.m. Registration & Reception – Nurses’ Hall
Come meet your legislators and join us for a light breakfast.
10:00 – 12:30 Program – Gardner Auditorium
Hear featured speakers on the issues.
12:30 – Lobby Your Legislators

And it's OK to miss the breakfast...