THIRTY OR FORTY MILLION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN UP

YEARS AGO THE MOHEGAN TRIBE WAS BIDDING ON GETTING THE NORWICH HOSPITAL PROPERTY. SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT ACRES DIRECTLY ACROSS THE THAMES RIVER FROM THE MOHEGAN SUN CASINO. IN THE END WE WERE THE LAST BIDDER STANDING. THE THEN GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT, GOVERNOR ROLAND WAS SAID TO BE WILLING TO SIGN IT OVER TO THE MOHEGAN TRIBE FOR ONE DOLLAR. THE ONLY MAJOR REQUIREMENT WAS THAT THE TRIBE HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL WASTE CLEANED UP AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF FORTY MILLION DOLLARS. THE MOHGEAN TRIBE PASSED ON IT.

WE WERE TOLD ONE TRIBAL COUNCILOR SAID THE CLEAN UP COULD HAVE COST EIGHTY MILLION, MAYBE.

REMEMBER THIS , MY FELLOW TRIBAL MEMBERS, WE GET THE BEST TAX AND OTHER ADVANTAGES AS A FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE, IN CONNECTICUT . WHEN WE LEAVE CONNECTICUT WE ARE JUST ANOTHER BUSINESS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

MOVE THE CLOCK FORWARD, THE MOHEGAN TRIBE GOES FOR THE POCONO DOWNS DEAL. TODAY THAT DEAL IS UP TO ABOUT BETWEEN FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION AND SIX HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ACCORDING TO A MEMBER OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL. I SAT IN A WEDNESDAY MORNING OPEN SESSION OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBE GAMING AUTHORITY AS ROLAND HARRIS ASKED FOR THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS TO CLEAN UP THE LAND FILL AT POCONO DOWNS. THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED. SO IN THAT FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY TO SIX HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, THERE IS THIRTY MILLION TO CLEAN UP THE LAND FILL AT POCONO DOWNS..

LET US GET THIS STRAIGHT, $1.00 PLUS MAYBE 40 MILLION AND WE GET 768 ACRES ADJOINING THE MOHEGAN RESERVATION IN CONNECTICUT, OR 550 TO 600 MILLION OF WHICH 30 MILLION IS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN UP IN PENNSYVANIA? WHAT WAS THE BETTER DEAL?

EDITORIAL NOTE: ON MONDAY, AUGUST 11,2008 AMBASSADOR, COUNCILMAN MARK BROWN CALLED AND SAID THAT THE STORY WAS INACCURATE. WE ARE TRYING TO CONTACT OUR SOURCE AND AGAIN VERIFY HIS VERSION. . WE REQUEST OF MARK BROWN, TO PLEASE RESPOND TO US EITHER BY FAX OR E-MAIL, OR WE WILL GLADLY MEET WITH HIM TO HEAR HIS VERSION OF THE EVENTS, SO WE CAN THEN PRESENT HIS SIDE. READERS WE WILL UPDATE YOU AS SOON AS WE TALK TO OUR SOURCE AND RECEIVE MARK BROWNS' STATEMENT.. THE PHASE THAT MARK BROWN OBJECTED TO WAS TAKEN OUT BECAUSE IT REALLY DID NOT CHANGE THE STORY.

WHEN BROKENWING EDITORIALS TALKS TO OUR SOURCES, WE TALK TO THEM WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL NOT USE THEIR NAMES NOR ENDANGER THEM IN ANYWAY. IF WE WERE TO USE THEIR NAMES THEN THE SOURCE WOULD DRY UP AND WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIND OUT THE THINGS THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN. WE HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF PROTECTING THEM.

IF ANY OF OUR READERS, REMEMBERS ABOUT WHEN THE MOHGEAN TRIBE AND CONNECTICUT WERE NEGOTIATING ABOUT THE NORWICH HOSPITAL PROPERTY, PLEASE COME FORWARD? YOU CAN USE THE E-MAIL. WE WILL CONTINUE OUR INVESTIGATION INTO THIS SITUATION.