Tribal Council @ BOS
Here is the audio from the meet & greet hosted by the Middleboro BOS for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribal council. I will say that neither the tribe nor the BOS seem to understand the ramifications of the Carcieri decision. In fact, they don’t even know how to pronounce “Carcieri” – which doesn’t seem to bode well for our ability to manage a large development like the proposed casino.
Of course, at this point, we have absolutely no idea how large or small the facility will be. But we have an agreement. Which is symbolic of the bass ackward process for this ill-conceived endeavor. That ain’t gonna happen.
As with all my audio and video content, please credit my my blog if you use it.
It’s amazing how much support this project still has given it’s low chance of success and even lower payments.
Marc – If the Carcieri Decision will not grant the Wampanoag land into trust, can’t they just negotiate the deal with the state? And if so, then talks with the town and the tribe should continue don’t you think?
It's Mark.
I've never suggested that we should stop talking. We should take care of the money(the deal) and do essentially nothing until it looks like something will happen.
If the land doesn't go into trust, there isn't much to negotiate with the state. At that point we are talking about a commercial casino and the state holds all the cards. The Middleboro land will first need to have it's zoning changed to commercial(doubtful) and go through a slow, painful. environmental review that it probably wouldn't survive.
Here is where I'm at:
The deal gives us insufficient payments. This is nothing new yet amazingly many pro-casino people refuse to believe it, or understand it yet continue to advocated for this loser of a project anyway. Middleboro has always been holding all the cards – the tribe desperately needs our support. We should tell them to fix the deal or get the F&$#&@ out of town.
Fixing the deal being defined as:
– revenues that aren't wholly dependendent on gaming revenue that exceeds $20M per year, and has built variablility for unforeseen impacts(schools, roads, EMS, fire, police, etc).
I would like to prevent the unlikely, but possible, situation where our revenue is tied to gaming revenue and gaming revenue goes away or decreases dramatically. The revenue should come close to 120% of standard commercial revenue.
Thank you for clarifying…Mark. I agree, the pro-casino advocates do not understand that this a straight-up legitamate bad deal. 20 million AT LEAST and share of gaming revenue…if not, beat it. That is it plain and simple. Al Rullo, Steve, the rest of the BOS, fix the deal or tell them to take a hike. Do not support this because it will ruin the town forever.
Even at $50M – I’d tell them to take a hike if it was up to me.
But being a realist, since I can’t convince this town to do something smart, like kill the deal, I’ll see if I can make them understand 2nd grade math.
Now I understand why the tribe wants us to believe the town is their “partner” in this project.
It demeans the town’s position as the card holder in this deal. They make it seem like the town, as their partner, has as much at stake in the project as they do, thus ensuring continued cooperation from the BOS.
The thing is, our BOS is getting smarter with each election. The longer this debacle drags on, the better chance the BOS will come to it’s senses and start to realize this deal is a loser for the town.
The town is weathering the economic disaster without a casino right now. Just like all the other towns in Massachusetts. Middleboro will not whither away and fall off the map if a casino is never built. Sure, extra revenue would be nice for the town, but casino revenue is not necessary for our survival. Is it really worth it for all the trouble and division it has brought us?
Its time for everyone to stop being so enamoured of the tribe and start asking the tough questions. They’re not screwing up their town with a casino, they’re screwing up our town! We have to protect ourselves and stop thinking we’re in a “partnership” with the tribe. If the town holds the cards, then we should assert ourselves to get what we want, just like we would with any other developer.
They might need a casino but Middleboro does not! Not only do we not need one, we voted at the TMFH that we don’t want one either.
NO CASINO!
BB,
If you get them to understand 2nd grade math, you will go from “local celebrity” to true POWER BROKER overnight!
With the “E” word being tossed around with every other sentence and “scaled back” in the other ones, it may be the Tribe is setting the groundwork to weasel out of the deal as it stands. Just a thought.
What was offered from day one amounted to fiscal chump change. IMO the big failing was the behind the scenes dealing of JH as he tried to give the town a farewell gift. Thanks, Jack.
Considering the casinos in Rhode Island bring in 700-900 million from Massachusetts. That would be, say, 66 million a MONTH! Oh, and they want to give us 7 million a year? Hello BOS, hello, anyone home???
You’re right bogo.
They can’t afford to do the infrastructure they’ve promised and I’ll be willing to bet that the next payment of 250K isn’t coming.
There is no path to LIT that is even remotely likely – or possibly even possible.
The Middleboro perennial casino cheerleading squad is clinging to a project that’s not coming. We are wasting our time.
I would argue that we are not wasting our time, we are winning this battle. Soon the kool aid will wear off and they will realize the reality of this deal and that it was never meant to be and their life in Middleboro is fine the way they know it.
There will be casinos but not in Middleboro. Too many hurdles to over come. Slots will be at the tracks. Legislature is behind that since it means cash.
I don’t disagree with you bogo that the chances are good. I do question that it means cash at the end of the day.
I firmly believe that once you add up regulatory costs and the socio-economic costs associated with gambling addiction, then subtract the money that leaves the existing economy due to substitution – you are left in a negative cash position.
I have yet to see any data that suggests otherwise.
The legislature can only see those license plates that say MA and the money leaving town. The other costs are not in their field of vision nor will it ever be. Not here or any other state.
BB,
Carverchick brought up a good point on Gladys’ latest blog.
If the tribe was under federal jurisdiction in 1934 as Cedric claims, then why is the tribe desparately hoping for a “fix” to the SCOTUS ruling?
If Cedric is correct, the ruling should not effect the Mashpee.
But he appears before the BOS speaking with a forked tongue. He says there will be a fix to the SCOTUS decision and the tribe was under federal jurisdiction in 1934.
You don’t need the fix if you were under federal jurisdiction.
Which is it Cedric?
On your way out of town, turn out the lights cause this casino is going to bed.
Smoking Owl – I agree with you.
It’s getting very tiresome to see this misinformation, and disinformation being thrown out there and not being questioned.
Why does being pro-casino seem to require that you don’t question or doubt anything about the project.
The likelihood of this land being put into trust is VIRTUALLY ZERO. This is a factor, a risk, a consideration that should be weighed along with all other information as we go forward.
The remaining pro-cheerleaders(Mimi, Marsha, and Pat) seem to think whistling past the casino graveyard is prudent policy. It’s not.