THE BUDGETS

THE MANAGEMENT BOARD OF THE MOHEGAN MOHEGAN TRIBAL GAMING AUTHORITY (MTGA OR MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL) VOTED EIGHT TO ONE TO APPROVE THE 2009 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET FOR THE MOHEGAN SUN CASINO. THE ONE VOTE AGAINST THE CASINO'S BUDGET WAS COUNCILOR MARK BROWN.

THE TRIBAL COUNCIL VOTED ON THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL BUDGET FOR THE 2009 FISCAL YEAR. THE VOTE WAS EIGHT IN FAVOR AND ONE NO VOTE. THE ONE NO VOTE WAS BY COUNCILOR MARK BROWN.

ON HIS VOTE AGAINST THE CASINO BUDGET, IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT MARK BROWN STATED, "I HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE IMPACT OF THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CLIMATE ON OUR ORGANIZATION. ALTHOUGH THE EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS CURTAILED EXPENSES, I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO TAKE A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO THE BUDGET NOW THEN BE FACED WITH A MORE DIFFICULT DECISION LATER IF RESULTS CONTINUE TO BE DISAPPOINTING."

CHAIRMAN OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL AND THE MTGA, BRUCE "TWO DOGS" BOZSUM SAID, "WHILE I RESPECT AMBASSADOR BROWN'S OPINION, I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO SET GOALS FOR THE EXECUTIVES THAT THEY SHOULD WORK TO ATTAIN. THESE WERE NUMBERS THAT THE EXECUTIVES PRESENTED AND WERE COMFORTABLE WITH. IN ADDITION TO PROVISION THAT REQUIRES NO LESS THAN QUARTERLY BUDGET REVIEWS, THE DAILY FLASH REPORTS AND WEEKLY TEAM MEETINGS WILL ALLOW FOR TIMELY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET, IF NECESSARY."

IF TRIBAL COUCILORS THOUGHTS ARE THE SAME AS THE CHAIRMAN'S THOUGHTS, THEN THEIR ATTITUDE IS THE MTGA WILL KEEP FIXING THE BUDGET THROUGH OUT THE YEAR. MARK BROWN'S APPROACH MIGHT BE THE WAY TO GO.

SWALLOW THE BIG PILL NOW INSTEAD OF LITTLE PILLS LATER. FIX THE PATIENT NOW INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE PATIENT TO GET SICKER AND THEN LATER TRYING TO HEEL THE PATIENT. MY IDEOLOGY, NOT MARK BROWN'S.

THE WAY I SEE IT, THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL BUDGET FOR 2009 FISCAL YEAR COMPARED TO THE BUDGET FOR 2008, WILL GO FROM AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN MILLION DOLLARS ($114,000,000.00) TO AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY TWO MILLION DOLLARS ($122,000,000.00) AN INCREASE OF AN ESTIMATED EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS ($8,000,000.00.) WHY AN INCREASE IN THE TRIBES BUDGET UNDER THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES?

AWHILE BACK, THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL VOTED TO BUILD THE NEW GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER BUILDING. THE VOTE WAS EIGHT IN FAVOR AND ONE AGAINST. THE VOTE AGAINST WAS BY MARK HAMILTON.

THE TRIBE IS TALKING AN INCREASE IN OUR TOTAL TRIBAL GOVERNMENT DEBT FROM AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED AND TWO MILLION DOLLARS ($102,000,000.00) TO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN AN ESTIMATED ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE MILLION DOLLARS AND TWO HUNDRED AND TWO MILLION DOLLARS ($192,000,000.00 AND $202,000,000.00). THE PRICE OF THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER AT EIGHTY NINE MILLION ($89,000,000.00.) AND THE BOND ISSUE ESTIMATED AT ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($100,000,000/00.)

IF ONE SHOULD LOOK AROUND THE ECONOMIES OF THE WORLD, THE UNITED STATES, AND ESPECIALLY SOUTH EASTERN CONNECTICUT, YOU HAVE TO COME AWAY WITH THE VIEW THAT WE (THE MOHEGAN TRIBE) NEED TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE IN OUR BUSINESS PROCESSES.

I THINK MARK BROWN GOT IT RIGHT ON HIS NO VOTES ON THE BUDGETS. I ALSO THINK MARK HAMILTON GOT IT RIGHT ON HIS NO VOTE ON BUILDING THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECT.

THE MOHEGAN GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS TALKING OF 13 GENERATIONS TO COME AND HOW THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THINGS BETTER THEN THEY FOUND THEM. WHAT THIS TRIBAL COUNCIL IS DOING, IS LEAVING FUTURE GENERATIONS (GREAT GRAND CHILDREN'S, GRAND CHILDREN) IN TERRIBLE DEBT.

FIVE MEMBERS OF THE CURRENT MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL WILL BE UP FOR RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR IF THEY CHOOSE TO RUN AGAIN. THEY ARE BRUCE "TWO DOGS" BOZSUM, LYNN MALERBA, JAMES GESSNER, JR., WILLIAM QUIDGEON, JR., AND MARK HAMILTON. MOHEGAN TRIBAL MEMBERS SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT THESE FIVE TRIBAL COUNCILORS ARE DOING AND CONSIDER THEIR ACTIONS AT ELECTION TIME, NEXT YEAR. ARE THESE COUNCILORS BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE? ARE THEY DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE MOHEGAN TRIBE? WHAT DO YOU THINK?