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Rep. Barney Frank on Middleboro casino

April 17th, 2010 Leave a comment Go to comments

A couple of weeks ago, I sent an email to my representative – Congressman Barney Frank to urge him to oppose any Carcieri fix. Short background – a “Carcieri fix” would reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling in Carcier v. Salazar(Kempthorne) which said that the Secretary of the Interior can’t take land into trust for tribes recognized after 1934. More than anything else, this ruling has slammed the brakes on Mashpee Wampanoag casino being planned for Middleboro – a project that was rammed down our throats in a rushed and flawed process that drove a wedge through the heart of our community – resulting in a deal that would pay Middleboro less than half of what it could have negotiated(I had to throw that in). I had heard from various sources that Mr. Frank didn’t think there was any appetite in the House for the fix – but his response to my letter leaves no doubt.
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I will say that I’m very appreciative that Rep. Frank got back to me and was very unequivocal about his position. It’s great that he’s on my side on this particular issue, but either way I’d rather be given a clear statement than political weasel words. Also – if you haven’t contacted your Representative and Senators … you should. My letter to Senator Scott Brown is unanswered – over four months after sending it.
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Here is the letter in full:

Dear Friend,
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Thank you for contacting me about your opposition to a bill in Congress that would effectively undue the Supreme Court’s decision in Carcieri v. Salazar by authorizing the Interior Secretary to entrust Indian land for the special protection of any tribe upon recognition by the Department. I agree with you and I do not think that a proposal to circumvent the Court’s interpretation of the 1934 Indian law is likely to be considered on the House floor for a vote. Should that occur, however, I will not be supportive of passage. As for the gambling issue, I believe it is one for the state legislatures and not the federal government. As you know, there are proposals in Boston to allow and tax commercial casinos as well as expand the types of permissible gambling to include slots. What shall come from them will be something decided through the democratic process at the state level, which as I said is where I believe the proper forum should be for that policy debate. If you have not done so already, you may wish to contact your local representatives in Massachusetts so that your views on the question of gambling in the state may be more fully weighed in. But again, as a member of the U.S. Congress, I will not support House passage of a measure that would entitle the Mashpee Wampanoag to override local laws in that regard. Thank you again for contacting me.


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