THE JEWEL ON THE HILL OVERLOOKING THE THAMES

IT WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL GLASS GEM PERCHED ON A HILL OVERLOOKING THE THAMES RIVER IN UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT. IT WILL BE AN AMAZING BUILDING. IT WILL HAVE AN AMAZING VIEW OF FORT SHANTOK , ROUTE 2A, PRESTON AND LEDYARD, NORWICH AND THE MOHEGAN SUN. PEOPLE LOOKING OUT QUITE AWED BY THE SIGHTS THEY WILL SEE. I AM TALKING OF THE MOHEGAN GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING.

FIVE FLOORS TALL. WE WERE TOLD THE TRIBAL COUNCIL AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WIIL BE ON THE TOP FLOOR. DIDN'T WE ELECT THE TRIBAL COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS? HOW COME THE ELDERS AREN'T ON THE TOP FLOOR TOO? WHY THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT?

WE HAVE SEEN THE FLOOR PLANS, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM. SOME WORKERS SEEM TO HAVE MORE ROOM AND OTHERS HAVE LESS THAN WHAT THEY HAVE NOW IN THE EXISTING GOVERNMENT BUILDING. IT IS RUMORED THAT SOME EMPLOYEES MAY NOT EVEN BE IN THE NEW BUILDINGS, WHAT ABOUT ARCHIEVES AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTION, IS THERE ROOM FOR THEM? WHAT ABOUT AS THE YEARS GO BY AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND COLLECTIONS GROW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO HANDLE THE EXPANSION OF THE SIZE OF OUR GOVERNMENT? IS THE BUILDING BIG ENOUGH? IT SEEMS LIKE A BIG PORTION OF THE BUILDING IS LARGE OPEN SPACES THAT WILL BE IMPRESSIVE BUT NOT OF ANY REAL VALUE IN ACTUAL WORKING AREA.

WE HAVE HEARD THAT THE GARAGE IN THE BOTTOM WILL BE FOR HIGH RANKING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. WILL IT BE SET UP SO THE TRIBAL MEMBERS WILL NOT KNOW IF THESE OFFICIALS ARE THERE OR NOT?

ON THE COMMUNITY CENTER, AT FIRST WE WERE TOLD WE WERE GETTING TWO BASKETBALL COURTS, NOW WE ARE HEARING ONE. AT LEAST ONE BASKETBALL COURT WILL BE FOR THE CONNECTICUT SUN WITH THEIR OWN ENTRANCE AND LOCKERS. WHEN IT IS BASKETBALL SEASON WILL THE TRIBE BE ABLE TO USE THIS BASKETBALL COURT? WILL THE TRIBAL MEMBERS BE ABLE TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY, WITHOUT HAVING TO SIGN IN? WILL THERE BE SECURITY TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY? WILL WE BE LIMITED IN THE USE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER BECAUSE OF ITS' ATTACHMENT TO THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING?

AT WHAT COST? WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO COST EIGHTY NINE MILLION DOLLARS. IT WAS TOLD TO US IN CONFIDENCE BY ONE OFFICAL THAT HE BELIEVES IN THE END THE NUMBER WILL BE ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION, IF NOT MORE. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO START PAYING FOR IT BEGINNING 2015. IF WE START PAYING IN 2015 WON'T WE HAVE TO PAY MORE BECAUSE WE DELAYED STARTING TO PAY FOR IT? AT WHAT INTEREST RATE? HOW MUCH WILL IT COST IN 2045 PRESUMING A THIRTY YEAR LOAN, 300 MILLION? WHAT ABOUT COST OVERRUNS? WE ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE THEM.

MAYBE THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO DO THIS, CONSIDERING THE TRIBES DEBT OF WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE ONE HUNDRED AND TWO MILLION DOLLARS AT THE MOMENT. DO WE WANT THIS ADDITIONAL DEBT, WITH OUR DEBTS OF THE MOHEGAN SUN AND POCONO DOWNS? WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMY?

INSTEAD OF BEING LIKE A RABBIT ZIG ZAGGING BACK AND FORTH LOOKING FOR A DIRECTION TO RUN, MAYBE WE SHOULD BE LIKE A TURTLE. MAYBE WE SHOULD BE SLOW AND DELIBERATE WITH A VIEW OF OUR DESTINATION.