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
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19 comments:
Wacky weed must be available in Mashpee. I read that article and it made me wonder if they shouldn't read the IGA again. How's about the few hundred million for road improvements first? Or that little matter of Class III gaming not being legal? Or that their RI investors may file bankruptcy? Business plan, my arse! Reading lessons are in order. Good job, Gladys!
Last in line, the parade finally ends signaled by the ambulance which is followed by the garbage truck sweeping up the litter, empty cans, half eaten cold, dried up fried chicken and pro casino lawn signs.
I have never been so happy to see a garbage truck...happy to see it sweeping up the casino garbage.
Hey, is that Gladys driving the truck away to the dump???
Wait a minute, I think I see a pair of legs sticking out at the top of the garbage heap in the back of the truck.
Someone has dived head first into the mound of stinking casino garbage. Who is dumpster diving? Who is desperately fishing in the wet discarded promise of casino success?
Whoa, I see a clue.
Who ever it is, is wearing very expensive designer shoes that are only sold in NYC.
Any thoughts?
Note to Mr. Rogers - "Common business pratice" would be not to sign a billion dollar deal with a group of investors before investigationg all possible impacts.
Last nights BOS meeting was a classic. "We sent a letter??"
"Who's got the tape?" Nuk nuk nuk.
Clyde Barrow could say: "Poop is purple" and make it sound believeable. Another classic article,another classic blog. Give it up Mashpees, and take the millions you'd get from the Feds without a casino. It's very close to being over.
Sorry but I believe it is OVER.
Carcieri prevents LIT. LIT saves both Mashpee and Middleboro.
If the investors couldn't make it at Twin Rivers, they're toast anyway.
The business plan should be loads of chuckles starting off with the
infrastructure improvements, the extra cops and ambulance for Mboro and the $7 million the day the door opens.
Not to mention they won't get a Compact with the state. And so on and on and on.
Someone needs to teach these people chess. This is checkmate.
Exactly.
It's a dead parrot.
(Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage...)
It's not coming back to life.
(This is an EX-parrot.)
No LIT. No casino.
(If you hadn't nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies.)
And at this point, former players, attorneys, and members of the Tribe who pretend it's not are in denial.
(pining for the fjords...)
But on a serious note, if the Tribe really wants to react to the economic downturn, it might want to stop writing those checks.
Nocasino,
5 members of that board sat like bobbleheads and nodded their consent. That includes Pat Rogers who was spineless in protest.
Let's not blame one sole cheerleader.
Did anyone put a stamp on the letter?
It's resting!
It's stunned!
It's tired, and shagged out after a long score.
'Want a slug?
The Tribe and the BOS must be Bernie Madoff's last clients.
Thanks for the cogent synopsis.Great job,Gladys.
Just like the penguin on the telly.
Intercourse the bloody casino!
Great as always Gladys!
Anon 9:13, I am picturing the infamous "Turd Polisher" from NYC in a orange jup suit, smoking a butt, hanging on to the back of the casino garbage truck as it heads down the road into the sunset.
"I coulda been a contender" are the last lines of the movie.
Thank god this story is just about over! Who gets the book rights?
Let's not pretend the story is over.
Middleboro's part of the story may be ALMOST over before we see some indictments, let's not abandoned the rest of the state.
Slots on every corner?
Only if Cahill has his way!
As much as having a casino forced onto Middleboro and surrounding towns with no input and no consideration of the impacts mobilized many to write letters to the editors, write and call their reps., and spread the information about the fallacy of casinos, we have to support others in fending off the monsters in their neighborhoods.
Just because the tracks are no longer financially viable does not justify allowing them slots to bail them out. Just because greyhound racing was voted out of the state should not mean we should allow tracks' owners slots to somehow preserve their business by promoting addiction.
The state also has a Treasurer who's in bed with casinos/gaming companies/lobbyists. The man's got an addiction problem that it appears we'll have to work to defeat.
Maybe we need a Constitutional Amendment to permanently outlaw slots, casinos and expansion of the lottery to stop continuing the senseless battle each year.
Let's not pretend the story is over.
Yes, slots are now our biggest problem, but HURRAY, NO CASINO in my hometown. I have to be happy, I have to celebrate this long hard road we have been on for so long, well not as long as some others but it seemed longer than the two yrs.
GOD BLESS all you anti's for keeping strong and never wavering in your commitment to keep at least Middleboro free from excess crime, traffic, and all the other horrid things a casino does to your town/city. YES! THANK YOU, BLESS YOU,(I just got back from Atlantic City, in area visiting family), so again, THANK YOU!!!
Gladys, extra thanks and blessings for hanging in there even with all the past unpleasantness you have had due to your honest facts about everything you blogged about. Looks like all the unbelievers can eat crow!! You saw it RIGHT and as for those individual(s) you blogged about, you told us what they were really worth,(NOTHING), and why!
I know your not done, we now have slots. I'm with you on that one also!
It would seem from outward appearances that the Mboro BOS focused solely on the shiney sheckles arriving from their Precinct St folly, AKA Jack Healey's Fuzzy Math Bailout, to the exclusion of sound fiscal policy. After Wayne Perkins negotiated 36% pay raises in excess of ANY comparable town, minimum manning and all of the other bennies, what choice was there?
There have been no attempts to economize, reduce expenses or plan for the future.
They created a fiscal train wreck that only an additional $7 million a year 2 years ago would have prevented.
No one on the BOS is capable of balancing their checkbook, never mind a budget or managing a business the size of the town.
Voters chose the dumbest amongst them to elect. They chose a single issue candidate who can't tie her own shoes. Nice lady for the Sunday Tea, but not for the BOS.
Candidates' Night is Thursday, 3-12 at the COA. Maybe if you care about your town you'll show up and ask a few questions. Maybe if you care about your town, you'll vote for change and not the Selectman who thinks those seats are CHEAP.
Otherwise, the town is ripe for the next con game to come along.
From the bottom of my heart, a very special thanks to all those bloggers who endured the attacks from the stupid and uninformed to continue to speak out.
You spoke out with the facts.
Those who are fighting the expansion of other casinos or racinos or slot parlors across the country need to have your courage!
You were always there for us, in spite of the attacks from those Flying Monkeys.
I admire your courage and tenacity.
Thank you for being there to cheer us on.
Dear Anon. 11:18,
What a nice comment to wake up to! Thanks to all the folks who kept reading us - it kept us going during darker days.
Don't worry, we'll be here for awhile. There's still a fight at the Statehouse.
Because if I've learned anything it's how bad slots and casinos are for everyone - so how could I quit now?
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?
Anon 1:41 am
What a bunch of morons.
If they were sitting in a room and someone turned off all the lights, they'd probably wait for someone to tell them its dark.
And it doesn't stop with the BoS. The RAC is going to keep going with thier casino plans until someone tells them to stop. Apparently, it needs to be someone other than the highest court in the land.
And former BoS Mr. Bond was quoted in last Sunday's paper as saying that Congress will move to fix the land that was already in trust, otherwise, what are they going to do, revoke it?
Do you even know what you are talking about AB? The decision says they aren't going to do anything about land that was taken into trust for tribes recognized after 1934. And so what if Congress does something for that land? It doesn't affect the Mashpee tribe! Couldn't you have said something a little more RELEVANT?
And your comment about the tribe paying federal taxes is either a dangerous assumption on your part (and not your first by the way) or intentional in its efforts to mislead the public. Tribes pay no taxes. In fact, if you did your homework (which WOULD be a first by the way) you'd know that the money goes the other way.
And the Mashpee tribe is upset that apparently, thier sovereignty is not respected if they are not under the IRA. You should consider yourself lucky. The IRA was to correct past injustices done to the tribes by our federal government. If you aren't covered by the IRA, its because you hadn't suffered from any of the previous actions from DC. I'm sure that the tribes that ARE covered by the IRA are fuming that you would believe you should be included now. (no pun intended).
You can say and do what you like, but the fact remains:
The anti-casino people have always looked at the laws and the process and have had thier facts STRAIGHT.
The pro-casino people have always refuted these facts with thier theories about what WILL happen when the laws change.
Well, nothing has changed, except the Mashpee have a better shot of landing on the moon than they do of getting a casino.
The pros are probably in Mashpee passing out space suits as we speak.....
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