"TWO NICKELS"

Many moons ago (years ago), the Mohegan Tribe made a deal that was not very good. It was about four years after the time the Mohegan Tribe received Federal Recognition. Tribal members call it the Relinquishment Agreement.

The alleged deal was that for an estimated eleven million dollars ($11,000,000.00) that a group of investors would give the tribe, eventually was renegotiated so they would give the investors five percent (5%) of the top of the income the tribe took in.

Members of the Tribal Council from that time period have said in defense of their actions, "we didn't have two nickels to rub together." It was a bad deal. Over the years it is estimated that the tribe has paid the investors hundreds of millions of dollars, and by the end of the deal, supposedly in 2014, the estimated total cost will be into the billion dollar range.

The present Tribal Council is supposedly blaming part of the present woes of the Mohegan Tribe on this agreement. Either before these Tribal Councilors took office or shortly there after they had to know of this agreement.

When someone comes to work with an agreement in place, they accept that the agreement is in place and work inside the boundaries that the agreement creates. In other words, it may be a bad deal, but you have to make a profit from the other ninety five percent (95%).

Could this be another case of smoke and mirrors? is it an illusion? Is it a way for the present Tribal Council to excuse their bad business decisions over the years? Who should we blame?

Don't be fooled, in my opinion, the present Tribal Council is responsible for the economic woes that the Mohegan Tribe finds itself in. Yes, the economy is part of the problem but so are bad business deals. Examples are Pocono Downs, Kansas, Wisconsin, etc..

It is rumored that a member of the Tribal Council of the era, when the agreement was signed, is now again running for the Tribal Council. If that is true, tribal members should take into account, who actually signed this agreement.

At the end of the day, I guess you (tribal members) could use the excuse, " we didn't have two nickels to rub together." What do you think?