THREATENING THE MEDIA

I TAKE EXCEPTION TO WHAT CHAIRMAN BRUCE "TWO DOGS"BOZSUM SAID TO THE MOHEGAN MEMBERSHIP ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2008.

HE SAID THAT IF THE PRESS WAS GOING TO PRINT ANYTHING THAT EVENING, ABOUT WHAT THE MTGA WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT, THEN HE WANTED THE PRESS TO LEAVE. HE HAD NOT TOLD THE MEMBERSHIP WHAT THE MEETING WAS ABOUT. HE HAD AN EXCHANGE WITH THE EDITOR OF FEATHER NEWS. HE CLAIMED THAT THE PRESS HAD SAID INACCURACIES. THE EDITOR OF FEATHER NEWS TOLD THE CHAIRMAN THAT THERE WERE INACCURACIES AND OMISSIONS IN THE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT'S WUSKUSO NEWSLETTER.

AFTER WHAT CHAIRMAN BOZSUM THREATENED, (THAT IF ANYTHING WAS PRINTED ON MONDAY NIGHT)_ THEN HE WOULD BRING A GOOD STANDING CASE AGAINST THAT PERSON. INSTEAD OF THREATS OF A GOOD STANDING CASE, HE SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO THE PRESS FIRST AND ASKED THEM NOT TO PRINT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED. IT IS A MORE REASONABLE WAY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS THAN WHAT WAS DONE.

I TAKE EXCEPTION BECAUSE IF HE HAD A REASONABLE REASON FOR NOT WANTING SOMETHING PRINTED, THEN IN MOST CASES I WOULD GO ALONG WITH HIM. I WOULD NOT SAY ANYTHING THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT THE MTGA WORK UNDER.

AWHILE BACK THE EDITOR OF FEATHER NEWS AND MYSELF TOOK PICTURES OF THE INSIDE OF POCONO DOWNS NEW CASINO BEFORE IT WAS COMPLETED. BOBBY SOPER, JR., THE PRESIDENT OF POCONO DOWNS, ASKED US NOT TO RELEASE THE PICTURES UNTIL AFTER THE NEW CASINO OPENED. WE AGREED TO HIS REQUEST. WE HAVE NEVER RELEASED THE PICTURES ALTHOUGH AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE COULD IF WE WANTED TO.

THIS IS NOT A GOOD PRECEDENT FOR THE CHAIRMAN TO TAKE WITH THE PRESS. WE SHOULD TRY TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBE. AT NO TIME SHOULD ANYONE THREATEN THE PRESS. THE BASIC RIGHTS OF A FREE PRESS MUST AND WILL BE PRESERVED.