New York tribes vow to fight attempt to collect tobacco taxes
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The New York Legislature passed a bill that requires tribes to collect the state's tobacco tax on their reservations. The bill also raises the state tax by $1.60 to $4.35 a pack.
The plan will go into effect on September 1. Tribal leaders said they would fight any attempt to infringe on their sovereignty.
"This is nothing less than a deliberate effort to sabotage our federal treaty rights and rape our economy to bail out New York State," Seneca Nation President Barry Snyder Sr. said in a statement, The Buffalo News reported.
The state has tried to impose tobacco taxes on reservations in the past. In 1997, protests by tribal members led to a shutdown of the New York Thruway.
Gov. David Paterson (D) led the latest effort even as he said he wants to negotiate with tribes. A provision of the bill apparently authorizes his office to settle current and future lawsuits without legislative approval, the Buffalo paper reported.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Article taken from www.indianz.com
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
WHAT WILL COMPETITION DO TO THE MOHEGAN SUN AND FOXWOODS?
Editorial: Casino competition takes toll on Connecticut tribes
Monday, June 21, 2010
"Connecticut's two American Indian-operated casinos have known for more than a decade that competition was coming. They talked about it, strategized for it, and even said they'd welcome it. But all that was before what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke calls "the worst financial crisis in modern history."
Just as Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun casinos were hitting their stride in 2007 the Great Recession set in and has lingered. And just as businesses and individuals around the world have been stung, so have Connecticut's casinos. But the economic hard times have also hastened their competition, as states once cool to legalizing gambling are stampeding to open, and cash in on, their own casinos.
Just how big is that gambling revenue pie and how many states can get a slice of it? Rhode Island and Massachusetts are in a sprint to see which state can legalize Las Vegas-style gambling first (although Rhode Island may have violated its own state and local laws in the rush to get there).
In Massachusetts, meanwhile, some lawmakers are concerned about the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of the hurried legislation.
Then there's the Shinnecock Tribe in Long Island, just across the Sound, recognized last week by the federal government, opening the door for its planned casino enterprise."
ARTICLE TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com Is this a case of the Indians being the wagon train and being surrounded by the other guys? ARE MEMBERS OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SITUATION THE MOHEGAN SUN IS IN? What do you think?
Monday, June 21, 2010
"Connecticut's two American Indian-operated casinos have known for more than a decade that competition was coming. They talked about it, strategized for it, and even said they'd welcome it. But all that was before what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke calls "the worst financial crisis in modern history."
Just as Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun casinos were hitting their stride in 2007 the Great Recession set in and has lingered. And just as businesses and individuals around the world have been stung, so have Connecticut's casinos. But the economic hard times have also hastened their competition, as states once cool to legalizing gambling are stampeding to open, and cash in on, their own casinos.
Just how big is that gambling revenue pie and how many states can get a slice of it? Rhode Island and Massachusetts are in a sprint to see which state can legalize Las Vegas-style gambling first (although Rhode Island may have violated its own state and local laws in the rush to get there).
In Massachusetts, meanwhile, some lawmakers are concerned about the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of the hurried legislation.
Then there's the Shinnecock Tribe in Long Island, just across the Sound, recognized last week by the federal government, opening the door for its planned casino enterprise."
ARTICLE TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com Is this a case of the Indians being the wagon train and being surrounded by the other guys? ARE MEMBERS OF THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL COUNCIL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SITUATION THE MOHEGAN SUN IS IN? What do you think?
Friday, June 18, 2010
UNIONS SEEK INFORMATION ON REJECTION OF CASINO
Unions seek investigation into rejection of Menominee casino
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Two labor unions are calling on the federal government to investigate why the Menominee Nation off-reservation casino in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was rejected.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected the tribe's land-into-trust application in the final days of the Bush administration. But the regional office of the BIA supported the casino and memos that supported the casino were kept from the tribe.
The documents, however, were given to the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe under a Freedom of Information Act request. The Potawatomis used the information to bolster their case against the Menominee casino.
The Menominee Nation is in federal court in hopes of overturning a Bush-era policy that led to the rejection.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Article taken from www.indianz.com
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Two labor unions are calling on the federal government to investigate why the Menominee Nation off-reservation casino in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was rejected.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected the tribe's land-into-trust application in the final days of the Bush administration. But the regional office of the BIA supported the casino and memos that supported the casino were kept from the tribe.
The documents, however, were given to the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe under a Freedom of Information Act request. The Potawatomis used the information to bolster their case against the Menominee casino.
The Menominee Nation is in federal court in hopes of overturning a Bush-era policy that led to the rejection.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Article taken from www.indianz.com
Thursday, June 17, 2010
A SLEEP
Strange things happen in Uncasville, Connecticut. It makes me remember my dad. He has been gone a long time, but what he said rings true to this day.
My dad used to say, "He was a sleep at the switch."
I always felt it had to do with train switch men. They would at first manually turn the switches for trains. Later there were levers put in towers so the switching then was done inside.
If for some reason the switcher fell asleep or was distracted, the train could end up going down the wrong tracks, to some kind of catastrophe. The switch man would be blamed for not doing the right switching.
How about the engineer of the train? Wouldn't he see that the signal at the switch was wrong too? Maybe they would both be at fault.
Shouldn't the public demand the switch man and the engineer do their very best? The situation can never be allowed to happen.
Shouldn't the people who live in the community be protected by the train company? Are the officials of the train company also responsible?
So do we know anyone who is asleep at the switch? What do you think?
My dad used to say, "He was a sleep at the switch."
I always felt it had to do with train switch men. They would at first manually turn the switches for trains. Later there were levers put in towers so the switching then was done inside.
If for some reason the switcher fell asleep or was distracted, the train could end up going down the wrong tracks, to some kind of catastrophe. The switch man would be blamed for not doing the right switching.
How about the engineer of the train? Wouldn't he see that the signal at the switch was wrong too? Maybe they would both be at fault.
Shouldn't the public demand the switch man and the engineer do their very best? The situation can never be allowed to happen.
Shouldn't the people who live in the community be protected by the train company? Are the officials of the train company also responsible?
So do we know anyone who is asleep at the switch? What do you think?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
MASHANTUCKET MAN GETS 21 MONTHS FOR WIRE FRAUD
Mashantucket man sentenced to 21 months over wire fraud
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Christopher Pearson, a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after being convicted of wire fraud.
Prosecutors said Pearson, 51, defrauded people out of $280,000 by telling them they were investing in an official tribal development project. He ended up using the money for personal expenditures.
The 21-month sentence, to be followed by three years of supervised release, appears to be the lower end of federal guidelines.
The tribe banished Pearson from the reservation.
FOOTNOTE: Artticle taken from www.indianz.com
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Christopher Pearson, a member of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after being convicted of wire fraud.
Prosecutors said Pearson, 51, defrauded people out of $280,000 by telling them they were investing in an official tribal development project. He ended up using the money for personal expenditures.
The 21-month sentence, to be followed by three years of supervised release, appears to be the lower end of federal guidelines.
The tribe banished Pearson from the reservation.
FOOTNOTE: Artticle taken from www.indianz.com
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
SHINNECOCKS SHOULD GET RECOGNITION SOON
Shinnecock Nation expects phone call on federal recognition
Tuesday, June 15, 201
The Shinnecock Nation of New York has been told to expect a phone call this morning from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The tribe expects to receive a final decision on its federal recognition petition. A preliminary ruling found that the Shinnecock met all seven criteria for acknowledgment as an Indian tribe.
The BIA noted that the tribe has occupied a state-recognized reservation since 1703. The tribe's political and governing system has remained intact since then, the BIA said.
The tribe was one of the first to start the federal recognition process in 1978. The tribe completed its petition over 10 year ago but languished on the BIA's "ready" list.
To settle a court case, the BIA agreed to issue a proposed finding in December 2009. The final determination is now due.
Since 2000, the BIA has recognized just two tribes through its regulatory process. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts won recognition in May 2007.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Congradulations to the Shinnecocks.
Should this happen for other tribes, too? What about Connecticut tribes?
How will this affect the Mohegan Sun Casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods?
What is the Mohegan Tribal Council going to do keep its share of the gaming market? What do you think?
Tuesday, June 15, 201
The Shinnecock Nation of New York has been told to expect a phone call this morning from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The tribe expects to receive a final decision on its federal recognition petition. A preliminary ruling found that the Shinnecock met all seven criteria for acknowledgment as an Indian tribe.
The BIA noted that the tribe has occupied a state-recognized reservation since 1703. The tribe's political and governing system has remained intact since then, the BIA said.
The tribe was one of the first to start the federal recognition process in 1978. The tribe completed its petition over 10 year ago but languished on the BIA's "ready" list.
To settle a court case, the BIA agreed to issue a proposed finding in December 2009. The final determination is now due.
Since 2000, the BIA has recognized just two tribes through its regulatory process. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts won recognition in May 2007.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Congradulations to the Shinnecocks.
Should this happen for other tribes, too? What about Connecticut tribes?
How will this affect the Mohegan Sun Casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods?
What is the Mohegan Tribal Council going to do keep its share of the gaming market? What do you think?
Friday, June 11, 2010
VOTE NO
VOTE "NO"
Don't allow your petitioning rights to be eroded
VOTE NO IF ASKED
Posted by Ken Davison at 8:14 PM 0 comments
ARTICLE TAKEN FROM www.feathernews.blogspot.com
Don't allow your petitioning rights to be eroded
VOTE NO IF ASKED
Posted by Ken Davison at 8:14 PM 0 comments
ARTICLE TAKEN FROM www.feathernews.blogspot.com
TRIBE FILES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST ON ANOTHER TRIBE AND GETS INFORMATION
Menominee Nation casino documents provided to rival tribe
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Menominee Nation of Wisconsin says documents related to its off-reservation casino bid were provided to a rival tribe.
The Menominees repeatedly asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for documents that favored the Kenosha casino, attorney Rory Dilweg said. The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe ended up with them instead -- after filing a Freedom of Information Act request.
"I find it interesting the federal government chose to give it to them, but not to us," Dilweg told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We asked them for copies and they refused to provide them, saying they were internal and deliberative."
The Potawatomis used the two memos at issue to bolster their opposition to the Kenosha casino. "We followed the FOIA law and were consistent and constant in our requests," spokesperson Ken Walsh told the paper.
The Menominees found out about the documents after filing a lawsuit against the federal government. The tribe says the casino was improperly rejected in the final days of the Bush administration.
The denial was based on a new policy that makes it nearly impossible for tribes to acquire land away from existing reservations. The Obama administration has not taken any steps to address the issue.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Weren't the Menominee Tribe, the tribe the Mohegans of Connecticut were trying to help get a casino? Should the information have been given to a rival tribe? Was the federal government right in doing so?
How come under the Freedom of Information, a Mohegan Tribe member allegedly, couldn't find out about the expense accounts of Elected Officials of the Mohegan Tribal Government? Should the information be released? What do you think?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The Menominee Nation of Wisconsin says documents related to its off-reservation casino bid were provided to a rival tribe.
The Menominees repeatedly asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs for documents that favored the Kenosha casino, attorney Rory Dilweg said. The Forest County Potawatomi Tribe ended up with them instead -- after filing a Freedom of Information Act request.
"I find it interesting the federal government chose to give it to them, but not to us," Dilweg told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We asked them for copies and they refused to provide them, saying they were internal and deliberative."
The Potawatomis used the two memos at issue to bolster their opposition to the Kenosha casino. "We followed the FOIA law and were consistent and constant in our requests," spokesperson Ken Walsh told the paper.
The Menominees found out about the documents after filing a lawsuit against the federal government. The tribe says the casino was improperly rejected in the final days of the Bush administration.
The denial was based on a new policy that makes it nearly impossible for tribes to acquire land away from existing reservations. The Obama administration has not taken any steps to address the issue.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Weren't the Menominee Tribe, the tribe the Mohegans of Connecticut were trying to help get a casino? Should the information have been given to a rival tribe? Was the federal government right in doing so?
How come under the Freedom of Information, a Mohegan Tribe member allegedly, couldn't find out about the expense accounts of Elected Officials of the Mohegan Tribal Government? Should the information be released? What do you think?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
THE NEW LONDON DAY AND LYNN MALERBA ON THE MOHEGAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Mohegans say community center funds not a bailout
By Brian Hallenbeck
Publication: The Day
Published 06/09/2010
Chairwoman says $74 million in federal stimulus money makes project possible
Mohegan - For more than a year, the Mohegan Tribe's long-planned community and government center has been a ghostly, shrink-wrapped presence on Crow Hill, a monument to arrested development.
With rust appearing on the building's steel framework and the economic downturn squeezing the Mohegans' casino-fed revenue stream, tribal officials had all but decided they would have to enclose the site in a more permanent way and sit tight. At stake was the $28 million they'd already spent on design and construction. The tribe's "place of its own" would have to wait.
Enter the federal government.
Eager to push out stimulus loans and create jobs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last month that it had approved $74 million in loans for the Mohegans, enough to cover the entire cost of a scaled-down version of the center. Look for the shrink wrap to come undone in July or August and the building to be finished a year later.
For the tribe, the timing of the fed's largesse was "fortuitous," Lynn Malerba, chairwoman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, said in an interview Tuesday. Not that the money's a gift by any means, she was quick to emphasize.
"It's not about a bailout," she said. "It's about a low-interest loan. We're going to pay every bit of it back - with interest."
Indeed, the aid includes $54 million in loans funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as well as another $18 million in guaranteed loans and $2 million in nonguaranteed loans, according to tribal officials. All of it is to be paid back over 30 years at an effective interest rate of 2.8 percent.
"Our preference would have been to stop the project, but the USDA financing was available now," Malerba said. "Without a loan at such a low rate we couldn't have done it. We wanted to protect our asset and we were more than 'shovel-ready,' which was required to get these loans.
"The council thought long and hard about it."
The chairwoman addressed some misconceptions that she said have arisen, namely that the tribe's project will create some 1,300 permanent jobs and include an educational center and a health administration center, as the USDA announced in a May 27 press release.
In truth, she said, construction is expected to create 114 direct jobs. Federal officials estimate the project will create 1,239 indirect jobs through vendors and subcontractors in the region. The center will house some 300 tribal-government employees, most of whom now work in the tribe's low-slung offices on Crow Hill Road.
No longer the "Cadillac" depicted in an early rendering, the center is to be completed for $15 million less than the $89 million originally budgeted, Malerba said. It will still have four floors and a lower level, but only the two lower floors and the lower level will be completed at this time. Savings have also been realized on furnishings and landscaping.
The building will house a library and offices for the tribal and elders councils and such tribal-government departments as Health and Human Services, Education, Cultural and Community Programs, Legal, Finance, Court, Administration and Publications. A lower level will include a gym with two basketball courts, locker rooms and a fitness center. The exterior will reflect the style of the tribe's longhouses, with arched roofs and elongated wings.
The center's been a long time coming for a tribe that has long since outgrown the confines of the reservation church, Malerba said, recalling that the plans for the center were first drawn and then shelved in 1999. After years of funding expansion at Mohegan Sun, infrastructure improvements on the reservation and commitments to surrounding communities, the tribe dusted off the plans in 2006-07.
Then came the downturn and in early 2009 the shrink wrap.
Now it's time for the Mohegans to finish something "so near and dear to us," Malerba said.
Who would begrudge us that?"
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The Feather News at www.feathernews.blog spot.com added the following comment.
There have been no reports that Mohegan tribal members were asked by their government as to whether the new debt should be taken on at this time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ARE MOHEGAN TRIBAL MEMBERS HAVING BENEFITS TAKEN AWAY, AT THE SAME TIME THE TRIBAL COUNCIL IS BUILDING A GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER, THAT MOST TRIBAL MEMBERS I HAVE TALKED TO DO NOT WANT?
IN BROKENWING'S OPINION, SINCE THE TRIBAL COUNCIL MADE THIS ALLEGED MESS, WHY AREN'T THEY TAKING SOME FORM OF REDUCTIONS IN PAY AND BENEFITS? HOW ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH THEIR CREDIT CARDS TO START?
What do you think?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers please check out the negative comments, on this article at www.theday.com.
By Brian Hallenbeck
Publication: The Day
Published 06/09/2010
Chairwoman says $74 million in federal stimulus money makes project possible
Mohegan - For more than a year, the Mohegan Tribe's long-planned community and government center has been a ghostly, shrink-wrapped presence on Crow Hill, a monument to arrested development.
With rust appearing on the building's steel framework and the economic downturn squeezing the Mohegans' casino-fed revenue stream, tribal officials had all but decided they would have to enclose the site in a more permanent way and sit tight. At stake was the $28 million they'd already spent on design and construction. The tribe's "place of its own" would have to wait.
Enter the federal government.
Eager to push out stimulus loans and create jobs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last month that it had approved $74 million in loans for the Mohegans, enough to cover the entire cost of a scaled-down version of the center. Look for the shrink wrap to come undone in July or August and the building to be finished a year later.
For the tribe, the timing of the fed's largesse was "fortuitous," Lynn Malerba, chairwoman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, said in an interview Tuesday. Not that the money's a gift by any means, she was quick to emphasize.
"It's not about a bailout," she said. "It's about a low-interest loan. We're going to pay every bit of it back - with interest."
Indeed, the aid includes $54 million in loans funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as well as another $18 million in guaranteed loans and $2 million in nonguaranteed loans, according to tribal officials. All of it is to be paid back over 30 years at an effective interest rate of 2.8 percent.
"Our preference would have been to stop the project, but the USDA financing was available now," Malerba said. "Without a loan at such a low rate we couldn't have done it. We wanted to protect our asset and we were more than 'shovel-ready,' which was required to get these loans.
"The council thought long and hard about it."
The chairwoman addressed some misconceptions that she said have arisen, namely that the tribe's project will create some 1,300 permanent jobs and include an educational center and a health administration center, as the USDA announced in a May 27 press release.
In truth, she said, construction is expected to create 114 direct jobs. Federal officials estimate the project will create 1,239 indirect jobs through vendors and subcontractors in the region. The center will house some 300 tribal-government employees, most of whom now work in the tribe's low-slung offices on Crow Hill Road.
No longer the "Cadillac" depicted in an early rendering, the center is to be completed for $15 million less than the $89 million originally budgeted, Malerba said. It will still have four floors and a lower level, but only the two lower floors and the lower level will be completed at this time. Savings have also been realized on furnishings and landscaping.
The building will house a library and offices for the tribal and elders councils and such tribal-government departments as Health and Human Services, Education, Cultural and Community Programs, Legal, Finance, Court, Administration and Publications. A lower level will include a gym with two basketball courts, locker rooms and a fitness center. The exterior will reflect the style of the tribe's longhouses, with arched roofs and elongated wings.
The center's been a long time coming for a tribe that has long since outgrown the confines of the reservation church, Malerba said, recalling that the plans for the center were first drawn and then shelved in 1999. After years of funding expansion at Mohegan Sun, infrastructure improvements on the reservation and commitments to surrounding communities, the tribe dusted off the plans in 2006-07.
Then came the downturn and in early 2009 the shrink wrap.
Now it's time for the Mohegans to finish something "so near and dear to us," Malerba said.
Who would begrudge us that?"
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The Feather News at www.feathernews.blog spot.com added the following comment.
There have been no reports that Mohegan tribal members were asked by their government as to whether the new debt should be taken on at this time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ARE MOHEGAN TRIBAL MEMBERS HAVING BENEFITS TAKEN AWAY, AT THE SAME TIME THE TRIBAL COUNCIL IS BUILDING A GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY CENTER, THAT MOST TRIBAL MEMBERS I HAVE TALKED TO DO NOT WANT?
IN BROKENWING'S OPINION, SINCE THE TRIBAL COUNCIL MADE THIS ALLEGED MESS, WHY AREN'T THEY TAKING SOME FORM OF REDUCTIONS IN PAY AND BENEFITS? HOW ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH THEIR CREDIT CARDS TO START?
What do you think?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Readers please check out the negative comments, on this article at www.theday.com.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
WILL A CASINO END UP ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD?
June 08, 2010 BOSTON — Aquinnah Wampanoag leaders today threatened to build a gaming facility on their Martha's Vineyard reservation land if the Legislature legalizes casinos but the tribe does not get one of the state gambling licenses.
At a press conference in front of the Statehouse, Naomi Carney, chairman of the tribe's gaming commission, said that building a gaming facility on Martha's Vineyard is not the tribe's first choice, but that the tribe has been trying to build a casino for more than a decade and would evoke it's rights under the federal Indian Gaming Act to build if necessary.
Gaming foes, backers converge on Statehouse....Tribes showing cards todayAquinnah Wampanoag push Fall River casinoRelated Links
Read our ongoing casino coverage.....But state officials dispute the Aquinnah tribe’s rights to offer gambling on tribal land saying they waived those rights in their 1987 land deal with the federal government. In a 2004, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled in a zoning dispute that the tribe land falls under the same zoning laws, including the permitting process, as any other property.
Members of the tribe were surrounded by pro-casino forces as tribal leaders unveiled a rival plan to build a 400-room hotel and 250,000 square feet of gaming space on 230 acres in Fall River near Route 195 and Route 24 on the Fall River-Dartmouth-Westport town lines.
It's a deal they first talked about two weeks ago, but that appeared dead in the wake of that city's subsequent deal to sell 300 acres on Route 24 to the Mashpee Wampanoag for a casino, hotels and shopping mall. That plan would force city officials to move a planned biotechnology park slated for that property to another location.
Under the Aquinnah Wampanoag proposal, Fall River would be able to continue with plans for the biotechnology park that had been planned on the 300 acres now under agreement with the Mashpee tribe.
The Aquinnah proposal comes as the state Senate holds a hearing at today on its proposal to bring expanded gambling to Massachusetts. By 1 p.m. when the hearing began Gardner Auditorium at the Statehouse was packed. Most of the spectators word orange pro-casino T-shirts.
The Senate will begin debate on its own legislation, which is different from what was passed by the House in April. That plan calls for two resort casinos and slots at the state's four race tracks.
But the Senate plan, though not completely ironed out, eliminates slots at the tracks and calls for three resort casinos spread out across the state, including one for a "for a qualified Native American tribe."
According to the draft legislation, the tribe would have to enter into a contract with the state regarding the conduct of gambling on tribal lands. "The tribe would then be subject to the same conditions as any other casino license holder, including those related to revenue," the draft legislation states.
Both the Aquinnah and Mashpee tribes are federally recognized, which gives them the authority to provide gambling on their reservations once the state legalizes Las Vegas-style gambling.
At a press conference in front of the Statehouse, Naomi Carney, chairman of the tribe's gaming commission, said that building a gaming facility on Martha's Vineyard is not the tribe's first choice, but that the tribe has been trying to build a casino for more than a decade and would evoke it's rights under the federal Indian Gaming Act to build if necessary.
Gaming foes, backers converge on Statehouse....Tribes showing cards todayAquinnah Wampanoag push Fall River casinoRelated Links
Read our ongoing casino coverage.....But state officials dispute the Aquinnah tribe’s rights to offer gambling on tribal land saying they waived those rights in their 1987 land deal with the federal government. In a 2004, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled in a zoning dispute that the tribe land falls under the same zoning laws, including the permitting process, as any other property.
Members of the tribe were surrounded by pro-casino forces as tribal leaders unveiled a rival plan to build a 400-room hotel and 250,000 square feet of gaming space on 230 acres in Fall River near Route 195 and Route 24 on the Fall River-Dartmouth-Westport town lines.
It's a deal they first talked about two weeks ago, but that appeared dead in the wake of that city's subsequent deal to sell 300 acres on Route 24 to the Mashpee Wampanoag for a casino, hotels and shopping mall. That plan would force city officials to move a planned biotechnology park slated for that property to another location.
Under the Aquinnah Wampanoag proposal, Fall River would be able to continue with plans for the biotechnology park that had been planned on the 300 acres now under agreement with the Mashpee tribe.
The Aquinnah proposal comes as the state Senate holds a hearing at today on its proposal to bring expanded gambling to Massachusetts. By 1 p.m. when the hearing began Gardner Auditorium at the Statehouse was packed. Most of the spectators word orange pro-casino T-shirts.
The Senate will begin debate on its own legislation, which is different from what was passed by the House in April. That plan calls for two resort casinos and slots at the state's four race tracks.
But the Senate plan, though not completely ironed out, eliminates slots at the tracks and calls for three resort casinos spread out across the state, including one for a "for a qualified Native American tribe."
According to the draft legislation, the tribe would have to enter into a contract with the state regarding the conduct of gambling on tribal lands. "The tribe would then be subject to the same conditions as any other casino license holder, including those related to revenue," the draft legislation states.
Both the Aquinnah and Mashpee tribes are federally recognized, which gives them the authority to provide gambling on their reservations once the state legalizes Las Vegas-style gambling.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
LYNN MALERBA AT DINNER
Grace: Mohegan chairwoman transitions to tribal chief post
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
"Lynn Malerba had a "little" announcement for her best friend over dinner recently. She had just been selected as the next chief for life of the Mohegan Tribe.
"She told me so nonchalantly," says Donna Prue. "She lays it on you like it's no big deal. She said it was an honor and she couldn't refuse."
Prue met Malerba at the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing nearly 40 years ago and wondered if anybody could really be that nice.
"When I got to know her, I said, 'Oh my God, she really is that nice,' " Prue remembers.
The two women have been through many of life's milestones together - Malerba says her husband Paul had to pass the "Donna test" before they could get married - and Prue says even though Malerba is the chief, to her she will still be "just Lynn."
Malerba grew up in Uncasville, where streets and schools are named after her tribal ancestors. She and her husband live here today and regularly host Sunday dinner for the family. She says she loves to be part of the tribe's "living history."
On a recent sunny afternoon, she stopped in at the tribe's modest museum on Church Lane and lingered in front of photographs of her mother and aunts and her great grandfather, Burrill Fielding, also known as Chief Matagha.
"This is our place," she says, flashing her fabulous smile."
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Some members of the Mohegan Tribe showed me this article. Here are the questions they asked.
How about working on the financial problems of the Mohegan Tribe, which is what Lynn Malerba was elected to do?
How about fixing things that need doing?
Instead we go out to dinner with friends? Should Malerba have waited to be Chief until she fulfill er her alleged promise of a four year term?
What do you think?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
"Lynn Malerba had a "little" announcement for her best friend over dinner recently. She had just been selected as the next chief for life of the Mohegan Tribe.
"She told me so nonchalantly," says Donna Prue. "She lays it on you like it's no big deal. She said it was an honor and she couldn't refuse."
Prue met Malerba at the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing nearly 40 years ago and wondered if anybody could really be that nice.
"When I got to know her, I said, 'Oh my God, she really is that nice,' " Prue remembers.
The two women have been through many of life's milestones together - Malerba says her husband Paul had to pass the "Donna test" before they could get married - and Prue says even though Malerba is the chief, to her she will still be "just Lynn."
Malerba grew up in Uncasville, where streets and schools are named after her tribal ancestors. She and her husband live here today and regularly host Sunday dinner for the family. She says she loves to be part of the tribe's "living history."
On a recent sunny afternoon, she stopped in at the tribe's modest museum on Church Lane and lingered in front of photographs of her mother and aunts and her great grandfather, Burrill Fielding, also known as Chief Matagha.
"This is our place," she says, flashing her fabulous smile."
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Some members of the Mohegan Tribe showed me this article. Here are the questions they asked.
How about working on the financial problems of the Mohegan Tribe, which is what Lynn Malerba was elected to do?
How about fixing things that need doing?
Instead we go out to dinner with friends? Should Malerba have waited to be Chief until she fulfill er her alleged promise of a four year term?
What do you think?
WAMPANOAGS CASE FOR CASINOS IN MASSACHUSETTS
Wampanoag tribes make case for casinos in Massachusetts
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe will testify at a hearing today on a bill to legalize casinos in Massachusetts while the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe will unveil plans for its casino.
Mashpee Chairman Cedric Cromwell is set to appear with Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan at the State House in Boston. The tribe wants to build a casino, hotel and a shopping mall on 300 acres in Fall River.
The Aquinnah are also looking at Fall River. The tribe will hold a press conference on the steps of the State House to discuss plans for a 230-acre site in the city.
If Massachusetts lawmakers legalize casinos, both tribes should be able to offer the same types of games. But the Senate version of the gaming bill attempts to limit the state to one tribal compact.
GateHouse News Service 6/8)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe will testify at a hearing today on a bill to legalize casinos in Massachusetts while the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe will unveil plans for its casino.
Mashpee Chairman Cedric Cromwell is set to appear with Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan at the State House in Boston. The tribe wants to build a casino, hotel and a shopping mall on 300 acres in Fall River.
The Aquinnah are also looking at Fall River. The tribe will hold a press conference on the steps of the State House to discuss plans for a 230-acre site in the city.
If Massachusetts lawmakers legalize casinos, both tribes should be able to offer the same types of games. But the Senate version of the gaming bill attempts to limit the state to one tribal compact.
GateHouse News Service 6/8)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
CASINO REVENUE AND CONNECTICUT
Editorial: Casino revenue won't rescue Connecticut budget
Thursday, June 3, 2010
"In the annals of legalized gambling in Connecticut another milestone has been reached. In their 18 years of operation, the slot machines at the Foxwoods Resort Casino have produced $3 billion in revenue for the state of Connecticut.
As part of the deal worked out under then Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. that allowed legalized gambling at two Indian tribes’ casinos in the state, one-quarter of slot machine revenues goes to Connecticut’s budget.
When the state negotiated the deal, its terms were more favorable than they are today. Foxwoods and a second Indian tribe’s casino, Mohegan Sun, which opened five years later, were the only game in New England and New York. Mohegan Sun has sent $2.3 billion in slot revenues to the state’s coffers.
Foxwoods’ $3 billion milestone may seem large. But, it piled up over 18 years. In comparison, the state government’s operating budget for the coming year is $19 billion. Gambling is not going to rescue Connecticut from its budget problems. And that $3 billion is only a quarter of the casino’s slot machines revenue.
One can only wonder if the $12 billion lost at the casino’s slot machines could have been put to better uses, such as paying the mortgage or the weekly grocery bill."
Thursday, June 3, 2010
"In the annals of legalized gambling in Connecticut another milestone has been reached. In their 18 years of operation, the slot machines at the Foxwoods Resort Casino have produced $3 billion in revenue for the state of Connecticut.
As part of the deal worked out under then Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr. that allowed legalized gambling at two Indian tribes’ casinos in the state, one-quarter of slot machine revenues goes to Connecticut’s budget.
When the state negotiated the deal, its terms were more favorable than they are today. Foxwoods and a second Indian tribe’s casino, Mohegan Sun, which opened five years later, were the only game in New England and New York. Mohegan Sun has sent $2.3 billion in slot revenues to the state’s coffers.
Foxwoods’ $3 billion milestone may seem large. But, it piled up over 18 years. In comparison, the state government’s operating budget for the coming year is $19 billion. Gambling is not going to rescue Connecticut from its budget problems. And that $3 billion is only a quarter of the casino’s slot machines revenue.
One can only wonder if the $12 billion lost at the casino’s slot machines could have been put to better uses, such as paying the mortgage or the weekly grocery bill."
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
COMMENTS FROM DAVID COLLINS READERS ON $54 MILLION MOHEGAN STIMULUS PACKAGE
A $54 million USDA loan to the Mohegans?
By David Collins
Publication: The Day
Published 06/02/2010 12:00
COMMENTS ( 4 )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LD Posted - June 2, 2010 07:33 AM
Great job, Collins! Keep ferreting out the inequities! One curious thing I found in the article: The tribe is securing the loans with general obligation bonds. G.O. bonds are considered high quality because they are issued by a municipality which, in turn has the ability to raise taxes in order to insure there is enough money to pay back the loan in case of a shortfall. What such ability does the Mohegan tribe have to ensure the repayment of this loan?
(Report Abuse)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
billd Posted - June 2, 2010 07:32 AM
Amazing, no response from Lieberman, lame duck Dodd and Courtney just found out about it. One would think one of them would question what the hell are we thinking knowing what is going on with their constituents. The best part is I am not sure they know who their constituents are!! The tribe is a foreign nation and we the people who are struggling need the money to survive are not being protected, Maybe one of them will wake up and see what a farce sovereignty is and will initiate a bill to END SOVEREIGNTY. A nation within our nation that uses our money when we are in such need. What a joke. Yes David continue to report on these abuses and don't let them slide under the table
(Report Abuse)
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ctgirl Posted - June 2, 2010 06:35 AM
I think David Collins needs to find someone or something other than the tribes to write about--not too original and starting to sound like a one note opinion writer. By his reasoning, the State of CT that has some of the wealthiest communities in CT should not receive any federal funding either. Seems to me the taxpayers aren't subsidizing anything since it is a loan repaid with interest! A little misleading but then of course, designed to sell papers.
(Report Abuse)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roberto Domingo Posted - June 2, 2010 06:32 AM
"Once completed, the new center will provide essential government services and create an estimated 1,279 jobs for this rural community," the press release said.
Thank goodness that our federal government is looking out for the rural areas of this country. Montville has been in the dark ages for so long. Next the feds need to help out the likes of rural Hartford and maybe even Providence Rhode Island. The Mohegan tribe must have some pretty influential friends who lobby for their NEEDS in the US Capital. What an amazing story of the needs of rural America. The best part is that each and every one of us actually get to be part of this by paying for this through our taxes. We should all feel part of the solution now.
-----------------------------------------------------------
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Mohegan Tribal Members, do we need this? Who is to blame for this mess (bad press)? Could it be the Mohegan Tribal Council? Is it time for a change? Should these people go? What do you think?
By David Collins
Publication: The Day
Published 06/02/2010 12:00
COMMENTS ( 4 )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LD Posted - June 2, 2010 07:33 AM
Great job, Collins! Keep ferreting out the inequities! One curious thing I found in the article: The tribe is securing the loans with general obligation bonds. G.O. bonds are considered high quality because they are issued by a municipality which, in turn has the ability to raise taxes in order to insure there is enough money to pay back the loan in case of a shortfall. What such ability does the Mohegan tribe have to ensure the repayment of this loan?
(Report Abuse)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
billd Posted - June 2, 2010 07:32 AM
Amazing, no response from Lieberman, lame duck Dodd and Courtney just found out about it. One would think one of them would question what the hell are we thinking knowing what is going on with their constituents. The best part is I am not sure they know who their constituents are!! The tribe is a foreign nation and we the people who are struggling need the money to survive are not being protected, Maybe one of them will wake up and see what a farce sovereignty is and will initiate a bill to END SOVEREIGNTY. A nation within our nation that uses our money when we are in such need. What a joke. Yes David continue to report on these abuses and don't let them slide under the table
(Report Abuse)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ctgirl Posted - June 2, 2010 06:35 AM
I think David Collins needs to find someone or something other than the tribes to write about--not too original and starting to sound like a one note opinion writer. By his reasoning, the State of CT that has some of the wealthiest communities in CT should not receive any federal funding either. Seems to me the taxpayers aren't subsidizing anything since it is a loan repaid with interest! A little misleading but then of course, designed to sell papers.
(Report Abuse)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roberto Domingo Posted - June 2, 2010 06:32 AM
"Once completed, the new center will provide essential government services and create an estimated 1,279 jobs for this rural community," the press release said.
Thank goodness that our federal government is looking out for the rural areas of this country. Montville has been in the dark ages for so long. Next the feds need to help out the likes of rural Hartford and maybe even Providence Rhode Island. The Mohegan tribe must have some pretty influential friends who lobby for their NEEDS in the US Capital. What an amazing story of the needs of rural America. The best part is that each and every one of us actually get to be part of this by paying for this through our taxes. We should all feel part of the solution now.
-----------------------------------------------------------
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Mohegan Tribal Members, do we need this? Who is to blame for this mess (bad press)? Could it be the Mohegan Tribal Council? Is it time for a change? Should these people go? What do you think?
DAVID COLLINS AND THE MOHEGANS $54 MILLION STIMULUS PACKAGE
A $54 million USDA loan to the Mohegans?
By David Collins
Publication: The Day
Published 06/02/2010 12:00
It turns out that, for the purpose of funneling $54 million in federal stimulus money to the sovereign Mohegan Indians, you have to first define the tribe's reservation, which, on a slow day attracts tens of thousands of people, arriving on the tribe's own interstate highway connection, as a rural area.
That's right, it's the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its rural development program, that has agreed to lend the tribe the money to finish its stalled community center project.
"Through our programs, we touch rural America in many ways," the USDA says on its website about the rural development program.
In this case, the USDA is touching rural America by helping to develop, among other things, new executive offices for a tribal government that manages one of the world's largest casinos.
This is not a Tea Party fantasy. It's really true. The USDA announced the $54 million in loans to the Mohegans, money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, in a press release last week.
Since then, no one has had a lot to say about the loans.
A Mohegan spokesman said the tribe does not want to comment until a briefing for tribal members, which is scheduled for next week.
The tribal spokesman did say, however, that the project will create construction jobs, not permanent new tribal jobs, as suggested in the USDA press release.
"Once completed, the new center will provide essential government services and create an estimated 1,279 jobs for this rural community," the press release said.
Not true, apparently.
A brief statement from Sen. Chris Dodd, issued when I asked his office for a comment on the loans, also made mention of the new jobs.
"These critical loans will fund the creation of nearly 1,300 jobs for residents of eastern Connecticut," Dodd's statement said.
Well, no.
The office of U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney also responded to questions about the loans with a statement.
It said the congressman first learned about the loans when the USDA made its announcement last Thursday.
"The Mohegan project was one of 145 projects in 37 states supported by the USDA's rural development program," the Courtney statement said. "In the case of the Mohegan Tribe, they applied for the loan as an eligible tribal entity and USDA selected theirs and other projects out of a host of competing applications."
Sen. Joe Lieberman's office did not respond at all.
The loans are strange on a lot of levels, even if you could get over the notion of a rural casino with a glass-walled 39-story hotel tower.
I could understand federal assistance to impoverished tribes in remote areas, where unemployment, inadequate health care and limited education opportunities are chronic problems.
But why should taxpayers subsidize a tribe in the Northeast that is so wealthy that it pays its members a per capita stipend, dividends from its successful gambling franchise.
I did ask a USDA spokesman to explain how the Mohegans qualified for a program meant to support rural areas, and she said Montville, with a population of 18,546 in the 2000 census, falls under the department's defining threshold of 20,000 people for a rural community.
The town's own website, though, currently lists its population at 20,003, not quite so rural.
The interest rate on the Mohegan loans is "market" rate, according to the USDA, currently 4.125 percent. The term is 30 years and the loans will be secured by general obligation bonds issued by the tribe.
So there are good things to say about the assistance, too.
The government might end up making money on the loans and they will at least, in the short term, help create construction jobs.
The loans also benefit one of eastern Connecticut's largest employers at a time when it is coping with harsh recessionary and competitive pressures.
The bad labeling here reminds me of the consequences of Chris Dodd's "VIP" mortgage loans for his home refinancing, which contributed to his political downfall.
It turns out the actual rate and terms of the senator's mortgage loans weren't all that preferential.
It's how they were characterized by the lender that got him into trouble.
This is the opinion of David Collins
By David Collins
Publication: The Day
Published 06/02/2010 12:00
It turns out that, for the purpose of funneling $54 million in federal stimulus money to the sovereign Mohegan Indians, you have to first define the tribe's reservation, which, on a slow day attracts tens of thousands of people, arriving on the tribe's own interstate highway connection, as a rural area.
That's right, it's the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its rural development program, that has agreed to lend the tribe the money to finish its stalled community center project.
"Through our programs, we touch rural America in many ways," the USDA says on its website about the rural development program.
In this case, the USDA is touching rural America by helping to develop, among other things, new executive offices for a tribal government that manages one of the world's largest casinos.
This is not a Tea Party fantasy. It's really true. The USDA announced the $54 million in loans to the Mohegans, money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, in a press release last week.
Since then, no one has had a lot to say about the loans.
A Mohegan spokesman said the tribe does not want to comment until a briefing for tribal members, which is scheduled for next week.
The tribal spokesman did say, however, that the project will create construction jobs, not permanent new tribal jobs, as suggested in the USDA press release.
"Once completed, the new center will provide essential government services and create an estimated 1,279 jobs for this rural community," the press release said.
Not true, apparently.
A brief statement from Sen. Chris Dodd, issued when I asked his office for a comment on the loans, also made mention of the new jobs.
"These critical loans will fund the creation of nearly 1,300 jobs for residents of eastern Connecticut," Dodd's statement said.
Well, no.
The office of U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney also responded to questions about the loans with a statement.
It said the congressman first learned about the loans when the USDA made its announcement last Thursday.
"The Mohegan project was one of 145 projects in 37 states supported by the USDA's rural development program," the Courtney statement said. "In the case of the Mohegan Tribe, they applied for the loan as an eligible tribal entity and USDA selected theirs and other projects out of a host of competing applications."
Sen. Joe Lieberman's office did not respond at all.
The loans are strange on a lot of levels, even if you could get over the notion of a rural casino with a glass-walled 39-story hotel tower.
I could understand federal assistance to impoverished tribes in remote areas, where unemployment, inadequate health care and limited education opportunities are chronic problems.
But why should taxpayers subsidize a tribe in the Northeast that is so wealthy that it pays its members a per capita stipend, dividends from its successful gambling franchise.
I did ask a USDA spokesman to explain how the Mohegans qualified for a program meant to support rural areas, and she said Montville, with a population of 18,546 in the 2000 census, falls under the department's defining threshold of 20,000 people for a rural community.
The town's own website, though, currently lists its population at 20,003, not quite so rural.
The interest rate on the Mohegan loans is "market" rate, according to the USDA, currently 4.125 percent. The term is 30 years and the loans will be secured by general obligation bonds issued by the tribe.
So there are good things to say about the assistance, too.
The government might end up making money on the loans and they will at least, in the short term, help create construction jobs.
The loans also benefit one of eastern Connecticut's largest employers at a time when it is coping with harsh recessionary and competitive pressures.
The bad labeling here reminds me of the consequences of Chris Dodd's "VIP" mortgage loans for his home refinancing, which contributed to his political downfall.
It turns out the actual rate and terms of the senator's mortgage loans weren't all that preferential.
It's how they were characterized by the lender that got him into trouble.
This is the opinion of David Collins
TABLE GAMES COMING TO POCONO DOWNS
Mohegans’ Pa. casino adds table games
Yesterday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Connecticut tribe that owns Mohegan Sun Casino has installed table games at its Pennsylvania casino as that state prepares to open that style of gambling in July.
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs added the first 30 of its incoming 82 tables games on May 26 and the rest will be installed in the coming weeks. The table games include poker, blackjack, craps and roulette. Pocono Downs will be the first in Pennsylvania to operate table games.
The Mohegans purchased the Plains, Pa. casino in 2005. It was Pennsylvania's first casino. It includes 55,000 square feet of gambling space and 2,500 slot machines and electronic table games. The facility also hosts live harness racing for eight months each year.
Yesterday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Connecticut tribe that owns Mohegan Sun Casino has installed table games at its Pennsylvania casino as that state prepares to open that style of gambling in July.
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs added the first 30 of its incoming 82 tables games on May 26 and the rest will be installed in the coming weeks. The table games include poker, blackjack, craps and roulette. Pocono Downs will be the first in Pennsylvania to operate table games.
The Mohegans purchased the Plains, Pa. casino in 2005. It was Pennsylvania's first casino. It includes 55,000 square feet of gambling space and 2,500 slot machines and electronic table games. The facility also hosts live harness racing for eight months each year.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
ARE CONNECTICUT TRIBES FACING INCREASED COMPETITION?
Connecticut tribes face gaming threats from nearby states
Friday, May 28, 2010
Connecticut's two federally recognized tribes are facing increased competition as gaming is being expanded or considered in nearby states.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe face the biggest threat from Massachusetts, according to one analyst. Lawmakers there are considering a plan to legalize full-scale casinos.
The Mohegan Tribe plans to apply for a license if the bill passes. “We have an excellent chance to get the Palmer license," Mohegan Sun CEO Mitchell Etess said at the East Coast Gaming Congress, The Norwich Bulletin reported, referring to a site in western Massachusetts.
The Mohegan Tribe already has experience in commercial gaming. The tribe operates a slot machine facility in Pennsylvania and will be adding table games to the facility.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation also won a license for a slot facility in Pennsylvania but the project has yet to get off the ground amid financing and other concerns.
Other threats come from New York, although off-reservation tribal casinos in the Catskills have not come to fruition, and from New Hampshire, analysts said..
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: It is obvious that there is and will continue to be increased competition for the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans.
It seems that the Mohegans have not prepared very will for the increased competition. How about saving for a rainy day? Does anyone in the MTGA know what that means?
Palmer is probably a pipe dream. Poconod Downs, in my opinion, has never made money and probably never will. Has the MTGA continued to just make bad investments? Can you nane one project that has made money for the Mohegan Tribe?
Will this end up costing Mohegan Tribal Members benefits and other financial blessings? Who is to blame for this Situation? What do you think?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Connecticut's two federally recognized tribes are facing increased competition as gaming is being expanded or considered in nearby states.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe face the biggest threat from Massachusetts, according to one analyst. Lawmakers there are considering a plan to legalize full-scale casinos.
The Mohegan Tribe plans to apply for a license if the bill passes. “We have an excellent chance to get the Palmer license," Mohegan Sun CEO Mitchell Etess said at the East Coast Gaming Congress, The Norwich Bulletin reported, referring to a site in western Massachusetts.
The Mohegan Tribe already has experience in commercial gaming. The tribe operates a slot machine facility in Pennsylvania and will be adding table games to the facility.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation also won a license for a slot facility in Pennsylvania but the project has yet to get off the ground amid financing and other concerns.
Other threats come from New York, although off-reservation tribal casinos in the Catskills have not come to fruition, and from New Hampshire, analysts said..
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: It is obvious that there is and will continue to be increased competition for the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans.
It seems that the Mohegans have not prepared very will for the increased competition. How about saving for a rainy day? Does anyone in the MTGA know what that means?
Palmer is probably a pipe dream. Poconod Downs, in my opinion, has never made money and probably never will. Has the MTGA continued to just make bad investments? Can you nane one project that has made money for the Mohegan Tribe?
Will this end up costing Mohegan Tribal Members benefits and other financial blessings? Who is to blame for this Situation? What do you think?
Monday, May 24, 2010
SENECA TRIBE AND TABACCO SALES
Seneca Nation defends tobacco sales on treaty anniversary
Monday, May 24, 2010
Seneca Nation of New York commemorated the Treaty of Buffalo Creek of 1842 last week, using the occasion to criticize the state and federal government for trying to curb the sale of tobacco.
Gov. David Paterson (D) is proposing rules to require tribes to collect taxes on the sale of tobacco to non-Indians. Lawmakers are prepared to go further by imposing taxes on all sales on the reservation.
"As we commemorate this anniversary of the Treaty of Buffalo Creek, all people are reminded that a treaty is more than words, it is a sacred bond, and when you break a treaty, you break the law,” said Seneca President Barry Snyder Sr., Business First of Buffalo reported.
Meanwhile, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act goes into effect on June 29. The law prohibits the Postal Service from delivering cigarettes and certain tobacco products, effectively killing the tribal tobacco industry.
The tribe says the law could impact 3,000 jobs on and off the reservation that are connected to the tobacco industry.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Seneca Nation of New York commemorated the Treaty of Buffalo Creek of 1842 last week, using the occasion to criticize the state and federal government for trying to curb the sale of tobacco.
Gov. David Paterson (D) is proposing rules to require tribes to collect taxes on the sale of tobacco to non-Indians. Lawmakers are prepared to go further by imposing taxes on all sales on the reservation.
"As we commemorate this anniversary of the Treaty of Buffalo Creek, all people are reminded that a treaty is more than words, it is a sacred bond, and when you break a treaty, you break the law,” said Seneca President Barry Snyder Sr., Business First of Buffalo reported.
Meanwhile, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act goes into effect on June 29. The law prohibits the Postal Service from delivering cigarettes and certain tobacco products, effectively killing the tribal tobacco industry.
The tribe says the law could impact 3,000 jobs on and off the reservation that are connected to the tobacco industry.
VOTE NO
VOTE NO , ON THE NEW PETITION AMENDMENT TO THE MOHEGAN CONSTITUTION.. IT IS A BAD AMENDMENT. THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS PROPOSED THIS.
IT SHOULD NOT BE PASSED.
YOU EITHER WANT YOUR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE OR YOU ARE WILLING TO ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO RUN WILD.
IT IS YOUR CHOICE............ BE SMART,.......... VOTE NO.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: these are the opinions, ideas and facts of Brokenwing What do you think?
IT SHOULD NOT BE PASSED.
YOU EITHER WANT YOUR GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE OR YOU ARE WILLING TO ALLOW THE GOVERNMENT TO RUN WILD.
IT IS YOUR CHOICE............ BE SMART,.......... VOTE NO.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: these are the opinions, ideas and facts of Brokenwing What do you think?
Thursday, May 20, 2010
PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBES CASINO IN MAINE?
Passamaquoddy Tribe prepares to open new Class II facility
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township is getting ready to open a Class II casino.
The facility will feature 50 electronic gaming machines, a restaurant and a bowling alley. "There is a lot of interest already," Gov. William Nicholas told The Bangor Daily News.
The casino is set to open on July 17 -- two days after a new state law that authorized electronic gaming machines goes into effect. "The Passamaquoddy really did their homework,” David Bowler, of the Maine State Police gaming division, told the paper. “They wanted to do everything right and they were very good to work with.”
:
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township is getting ready to open a Class II casino.
The facility will feature 50 electronic gaming machines, a restaurant and a bowling alley. "There is a lot of interest already," Gov. William Nicholas told The Bangor Daily News.
The casino is set to open on July 17 -- two days after a new state law that authorized electronic gaming machines goes into effect. "The Passamaquoddy really did their homework,” David Bowler, of the Maine State Police gaming division, told the paper. “They wanted to do everything right and they were very good to work with.”
:
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
DO PER CAPS AFFECT TRIBAL MEMBERS HEALTH?
Study ties Eastern Cherokee health to per capita payments
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who received per capita payments from the tribe's casino were less likely to abuse alcohol and marijuana, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Tribal members began receiving a share of gaming revenues in 1996. The study tracked Eastern Cherokee youth from 1993 through 2006 and found a link between well-being and the payments.
Tribal youth were better off as adults than older tribal members who did not grow up with the revenues, according to the study. And tribal youth fared "significantly" better as adults than non-Indians, researchers found.
The tribe operates the Harrah's Cherokee Hotel and Casino in western North Carolina.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who received per capita payments from the tribe's casino were less likely to abuse alcohol and marijuana, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Tribal members began receiving a share of gaming revenues in 1996. The study tracked Eastern Cherokee youth from 1993 through 2006 and found a link between well-being and the payments.
Tribal youth were better off as adults than older tribal members who did not grow up with the revenues, according to the study. And tribal youth fared "significantly" better as adults than non-Indians, researchers found.
The tribe operates the Harrah's Cherokee Hotel and Casino in western North Carolina.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
DOES FALL RIVER WANT A CASINO?
GOING FOR BROKE: City still faces casino hurdles
By Michael Holtzman
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted May 15, 2010 @ 06:23 PM
Fall River —
If city residents and business people say bringing a destination resort casino to Fall River is a mega-gamble, it’s not just figurative talk.
There remain more hurdles to leap than an Olympic track event.There are various “ifs” playing out in the high-stakes game with the city’s wheel of fortune in the balance.
It appears a full-blown casino could be built here…IF the state Senate follows suit of the House and passes a casino gambling bill and license designations the two chambers can agree on and the governor, who’s in favor of three statewide casinos, signs.
IF a deed restriction on the 300-acre SouthCoast BioPark site banning casinos is lifted. The state Legislature needs to vote the casino restriction out.
The mayor says that takes a majority, while casino critics says it requires a two-thirds vote.IF the city’s Redevelopment Authority votes to approve the sale of the 300-acre park to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe and their financial backers.
That could happen as soon as tomorrow night. IF the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development continues to fund the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's proposed bioprocessing center and the parties can agree upon the Redevelopment Authority’s alternative site.
The Greater Fall River Development Corp. will also kick in $3 million to further what was billed as the BioPark anchor tenant project by UMass Dartmouth.IF city voters support building a casino during a required referendum vote. Mayor Will Flanagan believes 7 in 10 will.
-->
By Michael Holtzman
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted May 15, 2010 @ 06:23 PM
Fall River —
If city residents and business people say bringing a destination resort casino to Fall River is a mega-gamble, it’s not just figurative talk.
There remain more hurdles to leap than an Olympic track event.There are various “ifs” playing out in the high-stakes game with the city’s wheel of fortune in the balance.
It appears a full-blown casino could be built here…IF the state Senate follows suit of the House and passes a casino gambling bill and license designations the two chambers can agree on and the governor, who’s in favor of three statewide casinos, signs.
IF a deed restriction on the 300-acre SouthCoast BioPark site banning casinos is lifted. The state Legislature needs to vote the casino restriction out.
The mayor says that takes a majority, while casino critics says it requires a two-thirds vote.IF the city’s Redevelopment Authority votes to approve the sale of the 300-acre park to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe and their financial backers.
That could happen as soon as tomorrow night. IF the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development continues to fund the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's proposed bioprocessing center and the parties can agree upon the Redevelopment Authority’s alternative site.
The Greater Fall River Development Corp. will also kick in $3 million to further what was billed as the BioPark anchor tenant project by UMass Dartmouth.IF city voters support building a casino during a required referendum vote. Mayor Will Flanagan believes 7 in 10 will.
-->
Friday, May 14, 2010
DO THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAGS WANT TO PUT A CASINO IN FALL RIVER?
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe negotiates for a new casino site
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is in talks to buy land in Fall River, Massachusetts, for a casino.
The tribe wouldn't comment but a state lawmaker told The Brockton Enterprise that negotiations are underway. That would apparently mean the tribe's plans for a casino in Middleboro are dead.
“I’m very disappointed, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Middleboro Town Manager Charles J. Cristello told the paper. “Where’s there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
The tribe reached an intergovernmental agreement with Middleboro in 2007 and started the land-into-trust process in August of that year. But the tribe changed investors and started looking at other locations for a casino.
The tribe's land-into-trust application also faces questions under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which restricts the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934. The Mashpees didn't gain formal recognition until May 2007
Get the Story:Fall River land deal could spell end for a casino in Middleboro
Friday, May 14, 2010
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is in talks to buy land in Fall River, Massachusetts, for a casino.
The tribe wouldn't comment but a state lawmaker told The Brockton Enterprise that negotiations are underway. That would apparently mean the tribe's plans for a casino in Middleboro are dead.
“I’m very disappointed, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Middleboro Town Manager Charles J. Cristello told the paper. “Where’s there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
The tribe reached an intergovernmental agreement with Middleboro in 2007 and started the land-into-trust process in August of that year. But the tribe changed investors and started looking at other locations for a casino.
The tribe's land-into-trust application also faces questions under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which restricts the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934. The Mashpees didn't gain formal recognition until May 2007
Get the Story:Fall River land deal could spell end for a casino in Middleboro
MASHANTUCKET PEQOUTS WANT GAMBLING AGE LOWERED?
Pequot Tribe seeks lower gambling age, longer alcohol sales
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut wants to lower the gambling age from 21 to 18 and to extend alcohol sales at casinos.
Chairman Rodney Butler wants to talk with the governor and lawmakers about the changes. He said they will make Connecticut more competitive as gaming options increase in New England and the Northeast.
The gambling age in New York is 18 although it's 21 at some facilities, The Hartford Courant reported.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Maybe the gambling age should be lowered so that Connecticut casinos could be more competitive with New York Casinos.
However, how do the casinos control drinking of alcohol on the gambling floor, when the drinking age is 21? This seems like it could be a logistical nightmare.
If the casinos want to be truly competitive with Atlantic City and Las Vegas, then they should be allowed by Connecticut to have drinking 24 hours a day? What do you think?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut wants to lower the gambling age from 21 to 18 and to extend alcohol sales at casinos.
Chairman Rodney Butler wants to talk with the governor and lawmakers about the changes. He said they will make Connecticut more competitive as gaming options increase in New England and the Northeast.
The gambling age in New York is 18 although it's 21 at some facilities, The Hartford Courant reported.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Maybe the gambling age should be lowered so that Connecticut casinos could be more competitive with New York Casinos.
However, how do the casinos control drinking of alcohol on the gambling floor, when the drinking age is 21? This seems like it could be a logistical nightmare.
If the casinos want to be truly competitive with Atlantic City and Las Vegas, then they should be allowed by Connecticut to have drinking 24 hours a day? What do you think?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
IS TOBACCO BIG BUSINESS FOR THE SENECA TRIBE?
Tobacco shops on Seneca Nation put 1,000 people to work
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tobacco is big business on the Seneca Nation in New York, where about 1,000 people are employed by smoke shops like the one owned by J. Conrad Seneca. 50, runs the Native Pride Travel Plaza. He employs 120 people, most of them non-Indian.
"We have our treaties with the United States that guarantee us certain rights. It doesn't matter whether a treaty was made in 1842 or 1794, or New York state is $8 billion in the hole," Seneca told The Ithaca Journal, citing a treaty right to sell tobacco free of state taxation.
Gov. David Paterson (D) wants to tap into the reservation revenue stream and require smoke shops to collect taxes on the sale of tobacco to non-Indians.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tobacco is big business on the Seneca Nation in New York, where about 1,000 people are employed by smoke shops like the one owned by J. Conrad Seneca. 50, runs the Native Pride Travel Plaza. He employs 120 people, most of them non-Indian.
"We have our treaties with the United States that guarantee us certain rights. It doesn't matter whether a treaty was made in 1842 or 1794, or New York state is $8 billion in the hole," Seneca told The Ithaca Journal, citing a treaty right to sell tobacco free of state taxation.
Gov. David Paterson (D) wants to tap into the reservation revenue stream and require smoke shops to collect taxes on the sale of tobacco to non-Indians.
CAYUGAS TO SUE TWO NEW YORK COUNTIES
Cayuga Nation to sue two counties for raid on smoke shops
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Cayuga Nation plans to sue two New York counties for raiding the tribe's smoke shops and seizing tribal property
.
The tribe always contended that Cayuga and Seneca counties lacked jurisdiction over its two smoke shops. A ruling from the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, confirmed that
.
The counties seized over $500,000 of tobacco products and cash from the smoke shops in November 2008. The property was never returned.
"They’re done, they’re past the spoilage date….Of course, all of this was completely avoidable," Daniel French, an attorney for the tribe, told The Syracuse Post-Standard.
New York Appellate Division Decision:Cayuga Nation v. Gould (July 10, 2009)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Cayuga Nation plans to sue two New York counties for raiding the tribe's smoke shops and seizing tribal property
.
The tribe always contended that Cayuga and Seneca counties lacked jurisdiction over its two smoke shops. A ruling from the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, confirmed that
.
The counties seized over $500,000 of tobacco products and cash from the smoke shops in November 2008. The property was never returned.
"They’re done, they’re past the spoilage date….Of course, all of this was completely avoidable," Daniel French, an attorney for the tribe, told The Syracuse Post-Standard.
New York Appellate Division Decision:Cayuga Nation v. Gould (July 10, 2009)
MASHANTUCKETS HIT THE THREE BILLION MARK
Mashantucket Tribe reports $3B shared under gaming pact
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation will hold a ceremony today to mark a milestone in its relationship with the state of Connecticut.
The tribe signed a Class III gaming compact in 1993. The agreement requires the tribe to share 25 percent of slot machine revenues with the state.
Since 1993, the tribe has contributed $3 billion to the state. That comes to an average of $160 million a year
.
The Mohegan Tribe has shared $2.3 billion with the state in the past 13 years.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation will hold a ceremony today to mark a milestone in its relationship with the state of Connecticut.
The tribe signed a Class III gaming compact in 1993. The agreement requires the tribe to share 25 percent of slot machine revenues with the state.
Since 1993, the tribe has contributed $3 billion to the state. That comes to an average of $160 million a year
.
The Mohegan Tribe has shared $2.3 billion with the state in the past 13 years.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
ONEIDAS DEAL WITH C D FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Oneida Nation details arrangement for casino alcohol sales
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Oneida Nation of New York offered details about a business deal that will bring liquor to the Turning Stone Resort and Casino.
The tribe will lease all of the restaurant, hotel, entertainment and gaming floor space at the casino to CD Food & Beverage. Gaming operations space and retail outlets will not be included.
CD will pay sales taxes to Oneida County and to the state, along with a county occupancy tax on hotel room. CD will also pay an 8 percent sales tax to the tribe and a 3 percent occupancy tax to the tribe.
The deal does not call for the tribe to waive its immunity. CD agreed to be held liable for drunken driving cases.
STORY TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Oneida Nation of New York offered details about a business deal that will bring liquor to the Turning Stone Resort and Casino.
The tribe will lease all of the restaurant, hotel, entertainment and gaming floor space at the casino to CD Food & Beverage. Gaming operations space and retail outlets will not be included.
CD will pay sales taxes to Oneida County and to the state, along with a county occupancy tax on hotel room. CD will also pay an 8 percent sales tax to the tribe and a 3 percent occupancy tax to the tribe.
The deal does not call for the tribe to waive its immunity. CD agreed to be held liable for drunken driving cases.
STORY TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com.
WHITE EARTH GOVERNMENT REJECTS PETITION FOR RECALL
White Earth council rejects petition to remove chairwoman
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Erma Vizenor, the chairwoman of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians of Minnesota, won't face a removal election.
Tribal members submitted a petition with 567 signatures last month. They said Vizenor was disregarding the tribal constitution. They also complained about not being able to work at the tribal casino and about tribal enrollment issues.
The tribal council examined the petition and said it found numerous deficiencies. Only 375 signatures were valid, not enough for a recall.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Petitions have the potential to make governments accountable.
Why is the Mohegan Council of Elders trying to change the Petition Rights in the Mohegan Constitution? Is making your government accountable a good thing?
Do we (the Mohegan Tribe) need changes in Petition Rights in our Constitution? What do you think?
STORY TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Erma Vizenor, the chairwoman of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indians of Minnesota, won't face a removal election.
Tribal members submitted a petition with 567 signatures last month. They said Vizenor was disregarding the tribal constitution. They also complained about not being able to work at the tribal casino and about tribal enrollment issues.
The tribal council examined the petition and said it found numerous deficiencies. Only 375 signatures were valid, not enough for a recall.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Petitions have the potential to make governments accountable.
Why is the Mohegan Council of Elders trying to change the Petition Rights in the Mohegan Constitution? Is making your government accountable a good thing?
Do we (the Mohegan Tribe) need changes in Petition Rights in our Constitution? What do you think?
STORY TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com.
APPEALS COURT SIDES WITH CAYUGA ON TABACCO TAXES
Appeals court sides with Cayuga Nation in tobacco tax case
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The court said the tribe can continue to sell tobacco at two smoke shops. The facilities are located on "qualified reservation" property -- as that term is defined by state law -- even though the properties are the subject of a pending land-into-trust application.
"But based on existing precedent and federal consideration of the fee-for-trust application, the United States government continues to recognize the existence of a Cayuga reservation in New York," the court said in a 4-3 decision.
The court said the tribe cannot sell tobacco to non-Indians without collecting a state tax. However, the state has yet to implement regulations that would facilitate the process so the court said it would be "unduly burdensome' to force the tribe to pay the taxes at this time
.
The appeals court is the highest court in the state.
STORY TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The court said the tribe can continue to sell tobacco at two smoke shops. The facilities are located on "qualified reservation" property -- as that term is defined by state law -- even though the properties are the subject of a pending land-into-trust application.
"But based on existing precedent and federal consideration of the fee-for-trust application, the United States government continues to recognize the existence of a Cayuga reservation in New York," the court said in a 4-3 decision.
The court said the tribe cannot sell tobacco to non-Indians without collecting a state tax. However, the state has yet to implement regulations that would facilitate the process so the court said it would be "unduly burdensome' to force the tribe to pay the taxes at this time
.
The appeals court is the highest court in the state.
STORY TAKEN FROM www.indianz.com.
Monday, May 10, 2010
WILL TRIBAL GAMING COME TO MASSACHUSETTS?
Opinion: Opening door to tribal gaming in Massachusetts Monday, May 10, 2010
"Robert DeLeo wants to bring legalized gambling to Massachusetts. He wants two casinos and slots at four racing tracks, and right now, it looks like he’s going to get his wish.
And, potentially, a lot more. In DeLeo’s rush to appease the building trades and carve out some action for the two racetracks in his district, the speaker of the House is setting the table for a gambling expansion in Massachusetts that has the potential to be far broader than anything he’s pitching. He’s opening the door to new gambling halls on Martha’s Vineyard and the Cape, in Middleborough and Fall River. It’s also something neither he, nor anyone else on Beacon Hill, can control.
Forget, for a second, all the reasons we know we should worry about legalized gambling — its regressive nature, the way it cannibalizes money that would otherwise be spent at local businesses, the negligible benefits it offers strained government budgets, the staggering social and regulatory costs. None of that has swayed DeLeo, or anybody else on Beacon Hill whose opinion actually matters these days. Two years ago, the Legislature was debating whether to legalize casinos at all; now the body is just wondering how many to greenlight.
The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Aquinnah, the state’s two federally recognized Native American tribes, have each expressed serious interest in owning a gleaming gambling hall. They haven’t been able to follow through on those urges because, legally, they can’t.
The tribes are sovereign, but they’re only allowed to set up a gambling shop at the highest level of gaming that’s legal in their home state. Right now, they could peddle scratch tickets, or maybe hop into the high-stakes bingo game. There’s no serious money in either pursuit. That changes the moment the governor signs a casino bill into law this summer. Each will be freed to set up gaming operations on their tribal land, on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard. And the state wouldn’t be able to touch a dime of whatever rolls in."
"Robert DeLeo wants to bring legalized gambling to Massachusetts. He wants two casinos and slots at four racing tracks, and right now, it looks like he’s going to get his wish.
And, potentially, a lot more. In DeLeo’s rush to appease the building trades and carve out some action for the two racetracks in his district, the speaker of the House is setting the table for a gambling expansion in Massachusetts that has the potential to be far broader than anything he’s pitching. He’s opening the door to new gambling halls on Martha’s Vineyard and the Cape, in Middleborough and Fall River. It’s also something neither he, nor anyone else on Beacon Hill, can control.
Forget, for a second, all the reasons we know we should worry about legalized gambling — its regressive nature, the way it cannibalizes money that would otherwise be spent at local businesses, the negligible benefits it offers strained government budgets, the staggering social and regulatory costs. None of that has swayed DeLeo, or anybody else on Beacon Hill whose opinion actually matters these days. Two years ago, the Legislature was debating whether to legalize casinos at all; now the body is just wondering how many to greenlight.
The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Aquinnah, the state’s two federally recognized Native American tribes, have each expressed serious interest in owning a gleaming gambling hall. They haven’t been able to follow through on those urges because, legally, they can’t.
The tribes are sovereign, but they’re only allowed to set up a gambling shop at the highest level of gaming that’s legal in their home state. Right now, they could peddle scratch tickets, or maybe hop into the high-stakes bingo game. There’s no serious money in either pursuit. That changes the moment the governor signs a casino bill into law this summer. Each will be freed to set up gaming operations on their tribal land, on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard. And the state wouldn’t be able to touch a dime of whatever rolls in."
Thursday, May 6, 2010
EIGHT DOLLARS MORE PLEASE
Uncasville, Connecticut...........One customer of the Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel said, "they're nickel and diming us to death."
What was this customer talking about? It seems for over a year now, the Mohegan Sun Hotel has been charging $8.40 including tax for the use of the indoor pool (the only pool), the gym and to get a newspaper in the morning. These items over the years have been provided free, now they are being charged for.
I asked the hotel, if what I had been informed was true. I was told it was. I asked why couldn't the charge be included in the room charge. I was told that state law required a separate charge.
This doesn't sound like good business practices to me. How many people are angry about this? One customer, I talked to, said if they went to another hotel there wouldn't be a charge for the gym, the pool or a newspaper.
HOW MUCH BUSINESS IS BEING LOST FROM THIS PRACTICE? What do you think?
What was this customer talking about? It seems for over a year now, the Mohegan Sun Hotel has been charging $8.40 including tax for the use of the indoor pool (the only pool), the gym and to get a newspaper in the morning. These items over the years have been provided free, now they are being charged for.
I asked the hotel, if what I had been informed was true. I was told it was. I asked why couldn't the charge be included in the room charge. I was told that state law required a separate charge.
This doesn't sound like good business practices to me. How many people are angry about this? One customer, I talked to, said if they went to another hotel there wouldn't be a charge for the gym, the pool or a newspaper.
HOW MUCH BUSINESS IS BEING LOST FROM THIS PRACTICE? What do you think?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
SHOULD THE U.S. ARMY TEACH SOLDIERS ABOUT WOUNDED KNEE?
Editorial: Incident shows need to learn about Indian people
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
"It seems as though overreaction successfully was avoided last weekend after a controversy at the Wounded Knee memorial.
The Colorado Army National Guard unit seeking to land its helicopters at the site didn't know much about the site's history. In fact, the reason the Guard members were there was to learn more about the 1890 massacre.
The helicopter unit's commander, Capt. Todd Stansbury, sought permission to land at the memorial from Oglala Sioux President Theresa Two Bulls. In turn, she asked for input from Wounded Knee District representatives. Not hearing anything back, Stansbury's request was approved.
Despite her efforts, the Guard unit's three helicopters were greeted by protesters as they attempted to land. Not wanting confrontation, the unit instead flew to Rapid City.
The fact that there's still so much serious mistrust in Indian Country highlights the need for efforts such as the Year of Unity to take hold at the ground level. There need to be even more attempts, however awkward, on the part of non-Indians to learn more about Native American history."
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Doesn't the United States Army teach its soldiers about history? Could this be a real blunder by some members of the U. S. Army?'
Native Americans should be outraged. Is this another example of where Native Americans need to unite? Does what happens at a reservation in South Dakota have an effect on tribes in other parts of the country?
Native Americans need to stand together. If something is done to one group, should other groups come forward and stand up and be counted? What do you think?
ARTICLE COPIED FROM http://www.indianz.com/.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
"It seems as though overreaction successfully was avoided last weekend after a controversy at the Wounded Knee memorial.
The Colorado Army National Guard unit seeking to land its helicopters at the site didn't know much about the site's history. In fact, the reason the Guard members were there was to learn more about the 1890 massacre.
The helicopter unit's commander, Capt. Todd Stansbury, sought permission to land at the memorial from Oglala Sioux President Theresa Two Bulls. In turn, she asked for input from Wounded Knee District representatives. Not hearing anything back, Stansbury's request was approved.
Despite her efforts, the Guard unit's three helicopters were greeted by protesters as they attempted to land. Not wanting confrontation, the unit instead flew to Rapid City.
The fact that there's still so much serious mistrust in Indian Country highlights the need for efforts such as the Year of Unity to take hold at the ground level. There need to be even more attempts, however awkward, on the part of non-Indians to learn more about Native American history."
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Doesn't the United States Army teach its soldiers about history? Could this be a real blunder by some members of the U. S. Army?'
Native Americans should be outraged. Is this another example of where Native Americans need to unite? Does what happens at a reservation in South Dakota have an effect on tribes in other parts of the country?
Native Americans need to stand together. If something is done to one group, should other groups come forward and stand up and be counted? What do you think?
ARTICLE COPIED FROM http://www.indianz.com/.
ARMY HELICOPTERS TRIED TO LAND AT WOUNDED KNEE?
Army unit wanted to learn from Wounded Knee 'mistakes'
Tuesday, May 4, 2010.
But the unit was turned away when three helicopters tried to land on the Pine Ridge Reservation on Saturday morning. Some tribal members thought landing near the Wounded Knee massacre site was disrespectful to the 300 people who were killed and victimized by the 7th Cavalry on December 29, 1890.
"Why would you want military helicopters landing at the Wounded Knee massacre site?" Belva Hollow Horn, whose ancestors survived the massacre, told The Sioux Falls Argus Leader. "That is totally insulting."
One helicopter landed but took off after less than a minute. The other helicopters never landed, the paper reported.
“While the Battle of Wounded Knee is a dark chapter in the history of the Army, without learning from the mistakes of our past we are doomed to repeat them,” Capt. Michael Odgers, a public affairs officer, said in a statement to the apper. “This trip was taken to better understand our shared histories, and we hope those who protested the visit can begin to understand our motives.”
President Theresa Two Bulls wanted the Army unit to hear from massacre descendants but took the blame for not communicating about the visit more closely.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010.
But the unit was turned away when three helicopters tried to land on the Pine Ridge Reservation on Saturday morning. Some tribal members thought landing near the Wounded Knee massacre site was disrespectful to the 300 people who were killed and victimized by the 7th Cavalry on December 29, 1890.
"Why would you want military helicopters landing at the Wounded Knee massacre site?" Belva Hollow Horn, whose ancestors survived the massacre, told The Sioux Falls Argus Leader. "That is totally insulting."
One helicopter landed but took off after less than a minute. The other helicopters never landed, the paper reported.
“While the Battle of Wounded Knee is a dark chapter in the history of the Army, without learning from the mistakes of our past we are doomed to repeat them,” Capt. Michael Odgers, a public affairs officer, said in a statement to the apper. “This trip was taken to better understand our shared histories, and we hope those who protested the visit can begin to understand our motives.”
President Theresa Two Bulls wanted the Army unit to hear from massacre descendants but took the blame for not communicating about the visit more closely.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
MAINE TRIBE WATCHING GAMING REFERENDUM
Editorial: Maine tribes keep an eye on gaming referendum Monday, May 3, 2010 Filed Under:
"The ballot will tell you one thing, but the people behind the latest casino referendum are saying something else. If voters want to make sure they know what they are voting on next November, they should be paying attention to both.
The citizen intitiated ballot measure that will ask Mainers for the fourth time in six years whether they want to expand gambling in Maine talks about a single project, a casino resort to be built in Oxford County.
Peter Martin, the spokesman for Black Bear Entertainment, delivered the message that the hopes of expanding gambling Downeast rest on its success moving into western Maine.
"We believe that if Oxford County fails, it will be game over for Washington County," Martin told the Bangor Daily News.
"However, if we win, we believe the Passamaquoddy tribe will be granted permission for a casino at the next legislative session. Our win is their win."
So, in other words, the ballot may say one thing, but it will mean something else.
Martin's comments may just be political fence-mending. The Oxford County supporters pushed to stop a movement by some in the Legislature to piggyback on the same ballot as their question with a competing measure, which would have expanded gambling operations by the Passamaquoddy
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: This article taken from www.indianz.com/
"The ballot will tell you one thing, but the people behind the latest casino referendum are saying something else. If voters want to make sure they know what they are voting on next November, they should be paying attention to both.
The citizen intitiated ballot measure that will ask Mainers for the fourth time in six years whether they want to expand gambling in Maine talks about a single project, a casino resort to be built in Oxford County.
Peter Martin, the spokesman for Black Bear Entertainment, delivered the message that the hopes of expanding gambling Downeast rest on its success moving into western Maine.
"We believe that if Oxford County fails, it will be game over for Washington County," Martin told the Bangor Daily News.
"However, if we win, we believe the Passamaquoddy tribe will be granted permission for a casino at the next legislative session. Our win is their win."
So, in other words, the ballot may say one thing, but it will mean something else.
Martin's comments may just be political fence-mending. The Oxford County supporters pushed to stop a movement by some in the Legislature to piggyback on the same ballot as their question with a competing measure, which would have expanded gambling operations by the Passamaquoddy
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: This article taken from www.indianz.com/
Friday, April 30, 2010
IS A HOTEL COMING TO MOHEGAN SUN AT POCONO DOWNS?
Mohegan Sun officials hope to break ground this year on a 300-room hotel - in Plains Township, Pa., site of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Speaking Wednesday at a function in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Bobby Soper, president and chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania racetrack casino, told business leaders the facility has signed an agreement with a hotel developer who would finance and build the $60 million hotel, which Mohegan Sun would manage and lease. Under the agreement, Mohegan Sun would have the right to purchase the hotel from the developer at some point in the future.
Soper, in a phone interview later in the day, downplayed the significance of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the casino and the developer, whom he declined to identify.
"The MOU is less important than having them obtain the financing," he said. "We've been working with the developer for some time and we do have an MOU in place. But the reality is that it (only) ensures the developer has to procure financing.
"Until then, we can't determine when we can break ground," he said. "But we're hoping to break ground this year."
Soper said plans call for the hotel to bear the Mohegan Sun name. "As of now, it would be under our brand," he said.
Mohegan Sun also hopes to build a hotel at its Uncasville casino, where it had planned to erect a 39-story hotel tower as part of a major expansion suspended in 2008. Casino officials, who have indicated they are looking to pursue the hotel portion of the project with a partner, have yet to reach any agreement, Jeffrey Hartmann, Mohegan Sun's executive vice president and chief operating officer, said.
"We're not close to signing anything," Hartmann said. "We haven't even presented anything to the board." The Mohegan Tribal Council serves as the management board of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which operates the casinos.
Hartmann said he could provide no details about the Uncasville hotel project, which is expected to be substantially larger than the one proposed for Pocono Downs.
Plans submitted last year for the Pocono Downs project called for a nine-story hotel and a 25,000-square-foot conference center. Since then, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and some of Pennsylvania's other "racinos" and slot parlors have begun installing table games, which the state legalized in January.
Soper, in fact, discussed the impact of table games in his presentation to business leaders Wednesday, saying the expansion of gambling would spur investment in the area. He cited the Pocono Downs hotel project as an example of such investment.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: This article was taken from the New London Day. I am not in a position to know the details of this deal, however it doesn't sound that promising. What the MTGA should do is lease the land, have someone build the hotel and operate it, and pay rent and a percentage of the profits to the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Until the developer gets the financing in place, this a not a deal. What do you think?
Speaking Wednesday at a function in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Bobby Soper, president and chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania racetrack casino, told business leaders the facility has signed an agreement with a hotel developer who would finance and build the $60 million hotel, which Mohegan Sun would manage and lease. Under the agreement, Mohegan Sun would have the right to purchase the hotel from the developer at some point in the future.
Soper, in a phone interview later in the day, downplayed the significance of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the casino and the developer, whom he declined to identify.
"The MOU is less important than having them obtain the financing," he said. "We've been working with the developer for some time and we do have an MOU in place. But the reality is that it (only) ensures the developer has to procure financing.
"Until then, we can't determine when we can break ground," he said. "But we're hoping to break ground this year."
Soper said plans call for the hotel to bear the Mohegan Sun name. "As of now, it would be under our brand," he said.
Mohegan Sun also hopes to build a hotel at its Uncasville casino, where it had planned to erect a 39-story hotel tower as part of a major expansion suspended in 2008. Casino officials, who have indicated they are looking to pursue the hotel portion of the project with a partner, have yet to reach any agreement, Jeffrey Hartmann, Mohegan Sun's executive vice president and chief operating officer, said.
"We're not close to signing anything," Hartmann said. "We haven't even presented anything to the board." The Mohegan Tribal Council serves as the management board of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which operates the casinos.
Hartmann said he could provide no details about the Uncasville hotel project, which is expected to be substantially larger than the one proposed for Pocono Downs.
Plans submitted last year for the Pocono Downs project called for a nine-story hotel and a 25,000-square-foot conference center. Since then, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and some of Pennsylvania's other "racinos" and slot parlors have begun installing table games, which the state legalized in January.
Soper, in fact, discussed the impact of table games in his presentation to business leaders Wednesday, saying the expansion of gambling would spur investment in the area. He cited the Pocono Downs hotel project as an example of such investment.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: This article was taken from the New London Day. I am not in a position to know the details of this deal, however it doesn't sound that promising. What the MTGA should do is lease the land, have someone build the hotel and operate it, and pay rent and a percentage of the profits to the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Until the developer gets the financing in place, this a not a deal. What do you think?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
WILL NEW YORK GIVE THE ONEIDAS A LIQUOR LICENSE?
New York liquor board considers alcohol at Oneida casino Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The New York State Liquor Authority is considering a liquor sales arrangement at the Oneida Nation casino.
The tribe entered into a partnership with the owners of the Beeches Restaurant. The tribe will lease space at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino to CD Food & Beverage, which applied for the state permits.
The liquor board in the past has denied permits to the tribe due to legal issues, mostly concerning taxation. The new partnership would appear to address some of those concerns because CD Food would pay local taxes.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: If you go to Emerald City (Yonkers Raceway) a trotter horse track with slot machines and go to the Turning Stone Resort Casino (Oneida Tribes casino) you will notice a big difference. The difference is that Emerald City serves alcohol and Turning Stone doesn't. Why was Emerald City given a liquor license and Turning Stone wasn't. It doesn't seem fair. Can anyone explain? What do you think?
The New York State Liquor Authority is considering a liquor sales arrangement at the Oneida Nation casino.
The tribe entered into a partnership with the owners of the Beeches Restaurant. The tribe will lease space at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino to CD Food & Beverage, which applied for the state permits.
The liquor board in the past has denied permits to the tribe due to legal issues, mostly concerning taxation. The new partnership would appear to address some of those concerns because CD Food would pay local taxes.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: If you go to Emerald City (Yonkers Raceway) a trotter horse track with slot machines and go to the Turning Stone Resort Casino (Oneida Tribes casino) you will notice a big difference. The difference is that Emerald City serves alcohol and Turning Stone doesn't. Why was Emerald City given a liquor license and Turning Stone wasn't. It doesn't seem fair. Can anyone explain? What do you think?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
POLL MAJORITY WANT CASINO IN NEW BEDFORD
Poll: New Bedford supports a casino
By Richard Asinof Contributing Writer
DARTMOUTH – A new poll shows increased public support among residents of New Bedford to build a new gambling casino there, according to results released Monday by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
The survey, which sampled 603 New Bedford residents, found that 63 percent of New Bedford residents favor locating a casino there, and with 58 percent favoring locating a casino in the Hicks-Logan area of the city, at the intersection of Interstate 195 and Route 18.
Clyde W. Barrow, director of the Center for Public Analysis, who supervised the polling, said that it showed support for the casino has definitely increased during the last two years. In July 2008, the center conducted an identical poll which found that 53 percent of New Bedford residents favored hosting a resort casino, while 51 percent favored locating such a casino in the Hicks-Logan area of the city, according to Barrow.
The 2010 research was commissioned and paid for by Citizens for a Hicks-Logan Casino. The 2008 research was commissioned and paid for by the Northeast Resorts Group in East Longmeadow, Mass., which has the options for the land in the Hicks-Logan area. “We used the same questions for accurate and valid comparisons to track changes,” Barrow said.
“A resort casino in the city of New Bedford would be well positioned to recapture the more than $200 million that leaves Southeastern Massachusetts annually for Rhode Island’s slot parlors and to compete for the additional $230 million that Rhode Islanders currently spend at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun,” Barrow said. These figures were taken from the center’s New England Casino Gaming Update, he said, which was released in late March.
The 2010 results to the question, “Do you support or oppose locating a resort casino in New Bedford, or are you undecided?” were 63 percent in support, 16 percent opposed, and 21 percent undecided.
The 2010 results to the question, “Do you support or oppose locating a resort casino in the Hicks-Logan area of New Bedford, or are you undecided?” were 58 percent in support, 21 percent opposed, and 21 percent undecided.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
By Richard Asinof Contributing Writer
DARTMOUTH – A new poll shows increased public support among residents of New Bedford to build a new gambling casino there, according to results released Monday by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
The survey, which sampled 603 New Bedford residents, found that 63 percent of New Bedford residents favor locating a casino there, and with 58 percent favoring locating a casino in the Hicks-Logan area of the city, at the intersection of Interstate 195 and Route 18.
Clyde W. Barrow, director of the Center for Public Analysis, who supervised the polling, said that it showed support for the casino has definitely increased during the last two years. In July 2008, the center conducted an identical poll which found that 53 percent of New Bedford residents favored hosting a resort casino, while 51 percent favored locating such a casino in the Hicks-Logan area of the city, according to Barrow.
The 2010 research was commissioned and paid for by Citizens for a Hicks-Logan Casino. The 2008 research was commissioned and paid for by the Northeast Resorts Group in East Longmeadow, Mass., which has the options for the land in the Hicks-Logan area. “We used the same questions for accurate and valid comparisons to track changes,” Barrow said.
“A resort casino in the city of New Bedford would be well positioned to recapture the more than $200 million that leaves Southeastern Massachusetts annually for Rhode Island’s slot parlors and to compete for the additional $230 million that Rhode Islanders currently spend at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun,” Barrow said. These figures were taken from the center’s New England Casino Gaming Update, he said, which was released in late March.
The 2010 results to the question, “Do you support or oppose locating a resort casino in New Bedford, or are you undecided?” were 63 percent in support, 16 percent opposed, and 21 percent undecided.
The 2010 results to the question, “Do you support or oppose locating a resort casino in the Hicks-Logan area of New Bedford, or are you undecided?” were 58 percent in support, 21 percent opposed, and 21 percent undecided.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
MAKE NASSAU COLISEUM INTO A CASINO?
Mangano in Talks to Bring Casino to Nassau Coliseum
Proposes site as possible location for Shinnecock Nation gaming facility
By Timothy Bolger on Apr 27th, 2010
Two of Long Island’s most-debated plans—a casino and a multi-billion dollar mixed-use development in Uniondale—might join forces, it was announced Tuesday.
The latest possible destination for a casino, should a Southampton-based Native American tribe achieve the prerequisite federal recognition to establish one, could be at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum—if negotiations spearheaded by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano are successful.
Insert casino here: An artists rendering of the proposed Lighthouse Project
“My administration has been in discussion with the Shinnecock Indian Nation with respect to Nassau Coliseum being listed as a site for an entertainment destination center and casino,”
Mangano said Tuesday. “Serious consideration must be given to this economic development opportunity that would create jobs, expand the tax base, build a new Nassau Coliseum and retain the Islanders.”
The aging coliseum has been the center of debate over how best to redevelop the arena and the surrounding 77 acres. New York Islanders owner Charles Wang wants to build The Lighthouse Project, a $3.7 billion development that has languished in the planning stages for years. He has threatened to move the team if the plan does not get approved.
The Shinnecocks are expecting final approval this spring for federal recognition. The nation has been considering various locations on and off Long Island as possible locations for a casino.
Mangano emphasized the talks are in the earliest stages.
The tribe said it would work with all parties to find suitable sites. A Wang spokeswoman did not immediately comment
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Taking the old Nassau Coliseum and making it into a casino is a novel idea. It seems like both Nassau and Suffolk Counties, in New York, are trying to get the Shinnecocks casino in their counties. What do you think?
RESIDENTS, IN NEW YORK THAT I HAVE TALKED TO, BELIEVE THAT THE SHINNECOCKS WANT A CASINO IN SUFFOLK COUNTY. TIME WILL TELL. What do you think?
Proposes site as possible location for Shinnecock Nation gaming facility
By Timothy Bolger on Apr 27th, 2010
Two of Long Island’s most-debated plans—a casino and a multi-billion dollar mixed-use development in Uniondale—might join forces, it was announced Tuesday.
The latest possible destination for a casino, should a Southampton-based Native American tribe achieve the prerequisite federal recognition to establish one, could be at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum—if negotiations spearheaded by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano are successful.
Insert casino here: An artists rendering of the proposed Lighthouse Project
“My administration has been in discussion with the Shinnecock Indian Nation with respect to Nassau Coliseum being listed as a site for an entertainment destination center and casino,”
Mangano said Tuesday. “Serious consideration must be given to this economic development opportunity that would create jobs, expand the tax base, build a new Nassau Coliseum and retain the Islanders.”
The aging coliseum has been the center of debate over how best to redevelop the arena and the surrounding 77 acres. New York Islanders owner Charles Wang wants to build The Lighthouse Project, a $3.7 billion development that has languished in the planning stages for years. He has threatened to move the team if the plan does not get approved.
The Shinnecocks are expecting final approval this spring for federal recognition. The nation has been considering various locations on and off Long Island as possible locations for a casino.
Mangano emphasized the talks are in the earliest stages.
The tribe said it would work with all parties to find suitable sites. A Wang spokeswoman did not immediately comment
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Taking the old Nassau Coliseum and making it into a casino is a novel idea. It seems like both Nassau and Suffolk Counties, in New York, are trying to get the Shinnecocks casino in their counties. What do you think?
RESIDENTS, IN NEW YORK THAT I HAVE TALKED TO, BELIEVE THAT THE SHINNECOCKS WANT A CASINO IN SUFFOLK COUNTY. TIME WILL TELL. What do you think?
ONEIDAS WIN APPEAL
Oneida Nation wins on appeal, Madison and Cayuga counties can't foreclose on land to collect taxes
By Glenn Coin / The Post-Standard
April 27, 2010, 1:31PM
The Oneida Indian Nation scored a major legal victory today when a federal appeals court ruled that Oneida and Madison counties cannot foreclose on nation land to collect taxes.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Oneida nation is immune from lawsuit. A tribe can't be taken to court unless Congress specifically allows it, the appeals court said.
The 31-page decision concedes that the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005 found that the Oneidas cannot claim sovereignty on land they have bought in the past few decades. Appeals judges noted, however, that the sovereignty a tribe has over its land and its sovereignty against being taken to court are two different things.
The ruling leaves the counties without their ultimate means of enforcing tax collection.Lawyers argued the case in 2006.
By Glenn Coin / The Post-Standard
April 27, 2010, 1:31PM
The Oneida Indian Nation scored a major legal victory today when a federal appeals court ruled that Oneida and Madison counties cannot foreclose on nation land to collect taxes.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Oneida nation is immune from lawsuit. A tribe can't be taken to court unless Congress specifically allows it, the appeals court said.
The 31-page decision concedes that the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005 found that the Oneidas cannot claim sovereignty on land they have bought in the past few decades. Appeals judges noted, however, that the sovereignty a tribe has over its land and its sovereignty against being taken to court are two different things.
The ruling leaves the counties without their ultimate means of enforcing tax collection.Lawyers argued the case in 2006.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
AQUINNAH WAMPANOAGS THREATEN TO SUE OVER WIND FARMS
Aquinnah Tribe says it is prepared to sue if Cape Wind is approved
Posted by Beth Daley April 26, 2010 02:49 PM
As US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar prepares a final decision on the proposed 130-turbine offshore wind project this week, the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe on Martha’s Vineyard issued a statement today saying they are prepared to sue if he approves it.
The tribe says it has retained a lawyer experienced in tribal historic preservation efforts to “fully prepare for administrative and judicial relief should the project move forward.” The tribe identified over 14 legal shortcomings by the Minerals Management Service under the National Historic Preservation Act and may sue under other federal laws.
Two Wampanoag tribes say that the proposed 400 plus foot tall turbines would disturb spiritual sun greetings and possibly ancestral artifacts on the seabed that was once exposed land.
Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais says the tribe is in favor of renewable energy, but not in Nantucket Sound.
She says the lawsuit would help their tribe, but also help avoid future devastation to tribal historic sites throughout the Country.
. “We view the Interior’s actions regarding the project to be the litmus test for the promises National Historic Preservation Act and may sue under other federal laws.
Two Wampanoag tribes say that the proposed 400 plus foot tall turbines would disturb spiritual sun greetings and possibly ancestral artifacts on the seabed that was once exposed land. Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais says the tribe is in favor of renewable energy, but not in Nantucket Sound.
She says the lawsuit would help their tribe, but also help avoid future devastation to tribal historic sites throughout the Country.
. “We view the Interior’s actions regarding the project to be the litmus test for the promises made by President Obama to Tribes – to respect and honor the government-to-government relationship between the Federal Government and the First Nations of these lands,” Chairwoman Andrews-Maltais stated.
The statement said the tribe “has not ruled out” its option to help the federal government properly site an alternative location for the property.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Why aren't other First People (Native Americans) helping and supporting the Wampanoags in this fight?
Native Americans need to ban together and help each other in the various fights that are going on nationwide. UNITY IS STRENGTH.
Look what happened with tobacco sales in New York? Look at the legislation that Obama signed ..... . Should tribes have stood together on that issue? What about standing up on this issue?
What are the Mohegans doing about this? What do you think?
Posted by Beth Daley April 26, 2010 02:49 PM
As US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar prepares a final decision on the proposed 130-turbine offshore wind project this week, the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe on Martha’s Vineyard issued a statement today saying they are prepared to sue if he approves it.
The tribe says it has retained a lawyer experienced in tribal historic preservation efforts to “fully prepare for administrative and judicial relief should the project move forward.” The tribe identified over 14 legal shortcomings by the Minerals Management Service under the National Historic Preservation Act and may sue under other federal laws.
Two Wampanoag tribes say that the proposed 400 plus foot tall turbines would disturb spiritual sun greetings and possibly ancestral artifacts on the seabed that was once exposed land.
Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais says the tribe is in favor of renewable energy, but not in Nantucket Sound.
She says the lawsuit would help their tribe, but also help avoid future devastation to tribal historic sites throughout the Country.
. “We view the Interior’s actions regarding the project to be the litmus test for the promises National Historic Preservation Act and may sue under other federal laws.
Two Wampanoag tribes say that the proposed 400 plus foot tall turbines would disturb spiritual sun greetings and possibly ancestral artifacts on the seabed that was once exposed land. Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais says the tribe is in favor of renewable energy, but not in Nantucket Sound.
She says the lawsuit would help their tribe, but also help avoid future devastation to tribal historic sites throughout the Country.
. “We view the Interior’s actions regarding the project to be the litmus test for the promises made by President Obama to Tribes – to respect and honor the government-to-government relationship between the Federal Government and the First Nations of these lands,” Chairwoman Andrews-Maltais stated.
The statement said the tribe “has not ruled out” its option to help the federal government properly site an alternative location for the property.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Why aren't other First People (Native Americans) helping and supporting the Wampanoags in this fight?
Native Americans need to ban together and help each other in the various fights that are going on nationwide. UNITY IS STRENGTH.
Look what happened with tobacco sales in New York? Look at the legislation that Obama signed ..... . Should tribes have stood together on that issue? What about standing up on this issue?
What are the Mohegans doing about this? What do you think?
WHAT WILL PHILADELPHIA DO IF FOXWOODS DROPS OUT?
Without Foxwoods, Philadelphia may have to revise budget
Monday, April 26th, 2010 By: Shai Ben-Yaacovsben-yaacov@whyy.org
"
Foxwoods casino officials could be in hot water this week when they appear before the state Gaming Control Board. The project's chief investor, Steve Wynn, pulled out earlier this month, leaving the operators' finances in disarray
.
If Foxwoods' license is rescinded, Philadelphia may need to submit a revised five-year plan to reflect a drop in tax revenue expected from the casino. That's because the city is counting on $43 million in tax revenue from Foxwoods starting in 2012.
Philadelphia Finance Director Rob Dubow says he has met with officials from PICA, the state board that oversees the city's finances.
“Well, first we'd have to see exactly what the gaming board does and what it means in terms of the likelihood that there would be a second casino in Philadelphia,” says Dubow. “So I think we really have to see what they do before deciding whether we would want to make any changes to the plan.”
PICA chairman Jim Eisenhower says he'd advocate for a completely new five-year plan if the license were rejected.
“$43 million is not a negligible amount of money,” says Eisenhower. “It would be something that I think the city would have to address. Now, having said that, it is over a number of years, but it's not a negligible amount.”
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: It seems governments get caught up in spending all the money they receive. Philadelphia is planning on spending casino taxes before the casinos are even up and running.
Governments spend every dime they can get their hands on. Some governments are borrowing money to make up the short falls in government operating expenses.
DO YOU KNOW A GOVERNMENT THAT IS DOING THAT? What do you think?
Monday, April 26th, 2010 By: Shai Ben-Yaacovsben-yaacov@whyy.org
"
Foxwoods casino officials could be in hot water this week when they appear before the state Gaming Control Board. The project's chief investor, Steve Wynn, pulled out earlier this month, leaving the operators' finances in disarray
.
If Foxwoods' license is rescinded, Philadelphia may need to submit a revised five-year plan to reflect a drop in tax revenue expected from the casino. That's because the city is counting on $43 million in tax revenue from Foxwoods starting in 2012.
Philadelphia Finance Director Rob Dubow says he has met with officials from PICA, the state board that oversees the city's finances.
“Well, first we'd have to see exactly what the gaming board does and what it means in terms of the likelihood that there would be a second casino in Philadelphia,” says Dubow. “So I think we really have to see what they do before deciding whether we would want to make any changes to the plan.”
PICA chairman Jim Eisenhower says he'd advocate for a completely new five-year plan if the license were rejected.
“$43 million is not a negligible amount of money,” says Eisenhower. “It would be something that I think the city would have to address. Now, having said that, it is over a number of years, but it's not a negligible amount.”
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: It seems governments get caught up in spending all the money they receive. Philadelphia is planning on spending casino taxes before the casinos are even up and running.
Governments spend every dime they can get their hands on. Some governments are borrowing money to make up the short falls in government operating expenses.
DO YOU KNOW A GOVERNMENT THAT IS DOING THAT? What do you think?
Monday, April 26, 2010
SALAZAR DECISION ON WIND FARM COMING SOON
Salazar expected to make wind farm decision by Friday
Monday, April 26, 2010
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is expected to announce a decision on a controversial wind farm in Massachusetts by Friday.
The Cape Wind has generated significant controversy. Litigation is expected no matter which way Salazar goes.
The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe say 440-foot turbines that are part of the project will block their view of the sun and disrupt burial grounds and archaeological sites at Nantucket Sound. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation supported the tribes in recommending the rejection of Cape Wind.
Several state governors support the project but some members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation oppose it.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is expected to announce a decision on a controversial wind farm in Massachusetts by Friday.
The Cape Wind has generated significant controversy. Litigation is expected no matter which way Salazar goes.
The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe say 440-foot turbines that are part of the project will block their view of the sun and disrupt burial grounds and archaeological sites at Nantucket Sound. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation supported the tribes in recommending the rejection of Cape Wind.
Several state governors support the project but some members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation oppose it.
Friday, April 23, 2010
IOWA TRIBE RELEASES BALD EAGLE IN EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Iowa Tribe celebrates Earth Day with bald eagle releaseFriday, April 23, 2010Filed Under: Environment The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma celebrated Earth Day with the release of a bald eagle into the wild.
The eagle was found earlier this month with an injured wing. It was brought back to health at the tribe's eagle rehabilitation program.
"The eagle, when it flies, is closer to the creator," elder Joyce Big Soldier, a member of the eagle clan, said at the release ceremony, The Tulsa World reported. "By taking care of him, we can send our prayers with him up to the creator."
The tribe has rehabilitated and released four bald eagles. The tribe also cares for 17 nonreleasable eagles.
The eagle was found earlier this month with an injured wing. It was brought back to health at the tribe's eagle rehabilitation program.
"The eagle, when it flies, is closer to the creator," elder Joyce Big Soldier, a member of the eagle clan, said at the release ceremony, The Tulsa World reported. "By taking care of him, we can send our prayers with him up to the creator."
The tribe has rehabilitated and released four bald eagles. The tribe also cares for 17 nonreleasable eagles.
MEMBERS OF SOUTHERN UTE TRIBE GATHERING SIGNATURES TO HAVE RECALL VOTE ON CHAIRMAN
Petition seeks to oust Southern Ute chairman from officeThursday, April 22, 2010Filed Under: Politics Members of the Southern Ute Tribe of Colorado are gathering signatures for a recall petition against Chairman Matthew Box.
James Jefferson said in a statement to The Durango Herald that Box has shown "gross negligence" and a "serious lack of leadership." Jefferson said Box has given too much discretion to managers of Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund.
Jefferson ran for chairman in 2008 but didn't get enough votes to advance past a primary. Box won the general election. Box is in Washington, D.C., to testify at a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on Indian energy.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Here is an example of how important PETITIONING RIGHTS are to Native Americans.
It looks like the Mohegan Tribal Government is trying, under the new proposed Petition Rights section of the Mohegan Constitution, to curtail members of the Mohegan Tribe from petitioning.
Although it doesn't deal with recall votes, it does change the numbers needed to do petitions. Should a government be made more accountable or less? This proposal would make the Mohegan Tribal Government less accountable to its members.
According to an insider, it looks like the Council of Elders will send out their Petition Amendment soon. This is an amendment that the majority of people (the Mohegan Tribe), that I have talked to, don't seem to want.
Is the Mohegan Tribal Government doing the will of the Mohegan People? Is this one more right that the government is trying to take away from the Mohegan Tribe? If so, WHY?
IT WILL DEFINITELY MAKE IT MUCH HARDER TO DO PETITIONS.
If the Mohegan Tribal Government sends this amendment out for a vote, VOTE NO. What do you think?
READ THE FEATHER NEWS COMMENT at http://www.feathernews.blogspot.com/.
THESE ARE THE OPINIONS, IDEAS AND FACTS ACCORDING TO BROKENWING.
James Jefferson said in a statement to The Durango Herald that Box has shown "gross negligence" and a "serious lack of leadership." Jefferson said Box has given too much discretion to managers of Southern Ute Indian Tribe Growth Fund.
Jefferson ran for chairman in 2008 but didn't get enough votes to advance past a primary. Box won the general election. Box is in Washington, D.C., to testify at a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on Indian energy.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Here is an example of how important PETITIONING RIGHTS are to Native Americans.
It looks like the Mohegan Tribal Government is trying, under the new proposed Petition Rights section of the Mohegan Constitution, to curtail members of the Mohegan Tribe from petitioning.
Although it doesn't deal with recall votes, it does change the numbers needed to do petitions. Should a government be made more accountable or less? This proposal would make the Mohegan Tribal Government less accountable to its members.
According to an insider, it looks like the Council of Elders will send out their Petition Amendment soon. This is an amendment that the majority of people (the Mohegan Tribe), that I have talked to, don't seem to want.
Is the Mohegan Tribal Government doing the will of the Mohegan People? Is this one more right that the government is trying to take away from the Mohegan Tribe? If so, WHY?
IT WILL DEFINITELY MAKE IT MUCH HARDER TO DO PETITIONS.
If the Mohegan Tribal Government sends this amendment out for a vote, VOTE NO. What do you think?
READ THE FEATHER NEWS COMMENT at http://www.feathernews.blogspot.com/.
THESE ARE THE OPINIONS, IDEAS AND FACTS ACCORDING TO BROKENWING.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
IS IT ABOUT TOBACCO SALES OR SOVEREIGNTY?
Harold Monteau: Young Indian lawyers and sovereignty Thursday, April 22, 2010
"I still can’t believe that Indian Country let the PACT (Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act) slip by and I still can’t believe that the President signed it without even a mediocre scream from Indian Country.
I’m not just talking about it’s impact on the Indian Tobacco Sales but about it’s impact as “precedent” by restricting yet another facet of Indian Commerce.
What will be the next area of Indian Commerce that the Congress will decide to restrict? When will Congress stop taking away avenues of Commerce on the reservations simply because tribes choose to not tax at the level of the state?
Congress is “de facto” taxing Indian Commerce into oblivion? Do any of the next generation of Indian Attorneys care?
The day after the President signed PACT into law, I sent a message out to the Young Indian Attorneys (YIPs) on the Indian Facebook Network. The message essentially asked how this could happen ‘on their watch’. I said “ I didn’t train Indian Attorneys for the last twenty years to let stuff like this happen”. Well, I didn’t say “stuff”. The message was the same to my contemporaries.
Where were the Indian Attorneys and Indian Law Attorneys when this aberration was making its way through Congress? It seems like only the Seneca Nation of New York was the only one fighting the battle. I’m sure that there were some other tribe’s that tried to fight it and I’m sure that NCAI may have tried to derail it.
However, the attitude seemed to be that “it’s only cigarettes”. Some people also saw it as a “health issue” and therefore would be good for Indian Country because it would discourage Indians from smoking.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Native Americans need to stand up united, to protect the rights of other Native Americans. What will the United States (Federal) Government take next? Tribes should have a right to govern themselves. IT IS CALLED SOVEREIGNTY. They should be allowed to have businesses to generate income for their tribes. When will it stop? What do you think?
"I still can’t believe that Indian Country let the PACT (Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act) slip by and I still can’t believe that the President signed it without even a mediocre scream from Indian Country.
I’m not just talking about it’s impact on the Indian Tobacco Sales but about it’s impact as “precedent” by restricting yet another facet of Indian Commerce.
What will be the next area of Indian Commerce that the Congress will decide to restrict? When will Congress stop taking away avenues of Commerce on the reservations simply because tribes choose to not tax at the level of the state?
Congress is “de facto” taxing Indian Commerce into oblivion? Do any of the next generation of Indian Attorneys care?
The day after the President signed PACT into law, I sent a message out to the Young Indian Attorneys (YIPs) on the Indian Facebook Network. The message essentially asked how this could happen ‘on their watch’. I said “ I didn’t train Indian Attorneys for the last twenty years to let stuff like this happen”. Well, I didn’t say “stuff”. The message was the same to my contemporaries.
Where were the Indian Attorneys and Indian Law Attorneys when this aberration was making its way through Congress? It seems like only the Seneca Nation of New York was the only one fighting the battle. I’m sure that there were some other tribe’s that tried to fight it and I’m sure that NCAI may have tried to derail it.
However, the attitude seemed to be that “it’s only cigarettes”. Some people also saw it as a “health issue” and therefore would be good for Indian Country because it would discourage Indians from smoking.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Native Americans need to stand up united, to protect the rights of other Native Americans. What will the United States (Federal) Government take next? Tribes should have a right to govern themselves. IT IS CALLED SOVEREIGNTY. They should be allowed to have businesses to generate income for their tribes. When will it stop? What do you think?
NORWICH WOMAN ACCUSED OF CHEATING AT MGM GRAND
Norwich woman charged with stealing from Foxwoods slots
By GREG SMITH
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Apr 21, 2010 @ 01:52 PM
Mashantucket, Conn. —
State police have arrested a Norwich woman suspected of using a technician’s card to play free at MGM Grand casino slot machines.
Rosario Guzman, 47, of 99 Cedar St., Norwich, was charged with fourth-degree larceny at the outcome of an investigation by the state police casino unit and Foxwoods Office of the Inspector General, Surveillance and Gaming Services.
Police said during routine testing of slot machines it was determined Guzman had been using a duplicate MGM slot technician’s card during numerous visits between August and September.
The card allowed her to play for free, police said. Guzman is due to appear today in New London Superior Court.
Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The Accused is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
By GREG SMITH
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Apr 21, 2010 @ 01:52 PM
Mashantucket, Conn. —
State police have arrested a Norwich woman suspected of using a technician’s card to play free at MGM Grand casino slot machines.
Rosario Guzman, 47, of 99 Cedar St., Norwich, was charged with fourth-degree larceny at the outcome of an investigation by the state police casino unit and Foxwoods Office of the Inspector General, Surveillance and Gaming Services.
Police said during routine testing of slot machines it was determined Guzman had been using a duplicate MGM slot technician’s card during numerous visits between August and September.
The card allowed her to play for free, police said. Guzman is due to appear today in New London Superior Court.
Copyright 2010 Norwich Bulletin.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: The Accused is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
LA CENTER MIGHT REPEAL RESOLUTION AGAINST COWITZ PROPOSED CASINO
City might repeal resolution against Cowlitz casino plan
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The city council in La Center, Washington, might repeal a resolution against the proposed Cowlitz Tribe casino.
But Mayor Jim Irish said repealing the resolution doesn't mean the city supports the Cowlitz Casino Resort. He wants to make sure the city doesn't stand in the way of other economic development projects in the gaming site area.
“This decision was made to enhance the business atmosphere around the I-5 junction, La Center’s junction, for economic diversification and development,” Irish told The Columbian. “It wasn’t a subversive effort to give BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) some favorable decision.”
In May 2008, the Bureau of Indian Affairs published a final environmental impact statement in favor of taking land into trust for the casino. But the Bush administration never took final action on the project.
The acquisition now faces questions under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar because the tribe didn't gain formal federal recognition until 2000.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Isn't this the tribe, the Mohegan Tribe tried to help get a casino? What happened to this project? Did the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority walk away from this project? If so, why? What do you think?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The city council in La Center, Washington, might repeal a resolution against the proposed Cowlitz Tribe casino.
But Mayor Jim Irish said repealing the resolution doesn't mean the city supports the Cowlitz Casino Resort. He wants to make sure the city doesn't stand in the way of other economic development projects in the gaming site area.
“This decision was made to enhance the business atmosphere around the I-5 junction, La Center’s junction, for economic diversification and development,” Irish told The Columbian. “It wasn’t a subversive effort to give BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) some favorable decision.”
In May 2008, the Bureau of Indian Affairs published a final environmental impact statement in favor of taking land into trust for the casino. But the Bush administration never took final action on the project.
The acquisition now faces questions under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar because the tribe didn't gain formal federal recognition until 2000.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Isn't this the tribe, the Mohegan Tribe tried to help get a casino? What happened to this project? Did the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority walk away from this project? If so, why? What do you think?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
MASHPEE WAMPANOAGS TALKS IN MIDDLEBORO TO RESUME
Casino talks to resume in Middleboro
By Alice C. Elwell
Enterprise Correspondent
Posted Apr 20, 2010 @ 07:49 PM
MIDDLEBORO —
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is planning to renew discussion with the town on a proposed $1 billion resort casino.
Attorneys for both parties plan to meet today. Middleboro selectman Alfred P. Rullo said the tribe either wants to renegotiate its deal with the town or cancel it altogether – a move he said would result in litigation.
Cedric Cromwell, the tribal council’s chairman, declined comment.
In a letter to town officials sent earlier this month and made public today, Cromwell said the tribe is “in a position to speak with the town to discuss the tribe’s gaming plans.”
That letter came in response to the selectmen’s request in February for clarification on the tribe’s intentions. Middleboro officials have wondered about the tribe’s intentions since learning that its leaders had discussed similar plans with officials in Fall River.
But those talks appear to have produced few if any results, as Fall River is now considering a partnership with the Aquinnah tribe of Martha’s Vineyard.
Middleboro residents could know what is in the works as early as tomorrow during the selectmen’s meeting.
“I hope we can discuss it in open meeting,” Rullo said.
Townspeople voted overwhelmingly to host the casino in July 2007. Approximately 3,700 residents attended the historic outdoor town meeting.
Copyright 2010 The Patriot Ledger.
By Alice C. Elwell
Enterprise Correspondent
Posted Apr 20, 2010 @ 07:49 PM
MIDDLEBORO —
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is planning to renew discussion with the town on a proposed $1 billion resort casino.
Attorneys for both parties plan to meet today. Middleboro selectman Alfred P. Rullo said the tribe either wants to renegotiate its deal with the town or cancel it altogether – a move he said would result in litigation.
Cedric Cromwell, the tribal council’s chairman, declined comment.
In a letter to town officials sent earlier this month and made public today, Cromwell said the tribe is “in a position to speak with the town to discuss the tribe’s gaming plans.”
That letter came in response to the selectmen’s request in February for clarification on the tribe’s intentions. Middleboro officials have wondered about the tribe’s intentions since learning that its leaders had discussed similar plans with officials in Fall River.
But those talks appear to have produced few if any results, as Fall River is now considering a partnership with the Aquinnah tribe of Martha’s Vineyard.
Middleboro residents could know what is in the works as early as tomorrow during the selectmen’s meeting.
“I hope we can discuss it in open meeting,” Rullo said.
Townspeople voted overwhelmingly to host the casino in July 2007. Approximately 3,700 residents attended the historic outdoor town meeting.
Copyright 2010 The Patriot Ledger.
CITY COUNCIL VOTES CASINO TALKS TO COMMITTEE
City Council votes to refer casino talks to committee
By Deborah Allard
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Apr 20, 2010 @ 11:47 PM
FALL RIVER —
The City Council at its Tuesday meeting voted to refer talks with the Aquinnah Indian tribe about locating a gaming casino in the city to the Economic Development and Tourism Committee.
The Aquinnah tribe of Gayhead has expressed interest in the city, but councilors agreed that all tribes, as well as private developers, be given the chance to take part in the casino talks.The decision was also based on a letter received from the Pocasset Tribe voicing its concerns about a gaming casino.
The Pocassets moved to the North Watuppa area in 1709 and were deeded 97 acres in Fall River and 227 acres in Freetown. The Pocassets do not want to see a casino on the reservation and would like the land to remain as pristine as possible for future generations.City Council Vice President Linda Pereira and Councilor Brad.
Kilby initially proposed the talks in light of the Aquinnah tribe’s interest and the recent vote by the state House of Representatives to approve expanded gaming in the state.
“This is a major thing for our city whether you agree or disagree,” said Councilor Brian Bigelow, who also is chairman of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee.
The City Council was also set to vote on a Community Development Agency five-year plan and One-Year Annual Action Plan, but tabled that vote until the May 10 City Council meeting.Michael Dion, newly appointed executive director/CFO of the Community Development Agency, presented the plans, which came under fire.
Some council members had concerns about the amount of new low-income housing that may receive funding. Councilor Michael Lund said the city has been a “dumping ground” for this type of housing for years.
He said residents “don’t want more. They want less. There’s too much here.
“A vote supports this concept,” Lund continued. He said the 500-page book that outlines the Community Development Agency funding plans for Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block grants, Emergency Shelter Grants and Home Investment Partnership Programs, was just received by the Council on Friday.
“I’m supposed to vote this tonight?” Lund asked.All of the councilors commended Dion on his work with the Community Development Agency for the last 13 years and welcomed him to his position.
They said tabling the vote was not a reflection on his hard work.Dion said he was simply following past practices of giving the plans to the City Council the week before the meeting.
The plans have been at the public library for viewing. Public hearings about the plan were held in January and March.
The action plan details activities for the year starting July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The plan must be submitted by Mayor Will Flanagan by May 15 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Dion said if the plans are not submitted in time, funding could be lost.
By Deborah Allard
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Apr 20, 2010 @ 11:47 PM
FALL RIVER —
The City Council at its Tuesday meeting voted to refer talks with the Aquinnah Indian tribe about locating a gaming casino in the city to the Economic Development and Tourism Committee.
The Aquinnah tribe of Gayhead has expressed interest in the city, but councilors agreed that all tribes, as well as private developers, be given the chance to take part in the casino talks.The decision was also based on a letter received from the Pocasset Tribe voicing its concerns about a gaming casino.
The Pocassets moved to the North Watuppa area in 1709 and were deeded 97 acres in Fall River and 227 acres in Freetown. The Pocassets do not want to see a casino on the reservation and would like the land to remain as pristine as possible for future generations.City Council Vice President Linda Pereira and Councilor Brad.
Kilby initially proposed the talks in light of the Aquinnah tribe’s interest and the recent vote by the state House of Representatives to approve expanded gaming in the state.
“This is a major thing for our city whether you agree or disagree,” said Councilor Brian Bigelow, who also is chairman of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee.
The City Council was also set to vote on a Community Development Agency five-year plan and One-Year Annual Action Plan, but tabled that vote until the May 10 City Council meeting.Michael Dion, newly appointed executive director/CFO of the Community Development Agency, presented the plans, which came under fire.
Some council members had concerns about the amount of new low-income housing that may receive funding. Councilor Michael Lund said the city has been a “dumping ground” for this type of housing for years.
He said residents “don’t want more. They want less. There’s too much here.
“A vote supports this concept,” Lund continued. He said the 500-page book that outlines the Community Development Agency funding plans for Housing and Urban Development, Community Development Block grants, Emergency Shelter Grants and Home Investment Partnership Programs, was just received by the Council on Friday.
“I’m supposed to vote this tonight?” Lund asked.All of the councilors commended Dion on his work with the Community Development Agency for the last 13 years and welcomed him to his position.
They said tabling the vote was not a reflection on his hard work.Dion said he was simply following past practices of giving the plans to the City Council the week before the meeting.
The plans have been at the public library for viewing. Public hearings about the plan were held in January and March.
The action plan details activities for the year starting July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The plan must be submitted by Mayor Will Flanagan by May 15 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Dion said if the plans are not submitted in time, funding could be lost.
BATTLE BETWEEN ONEIDAS AND HOBART, WISCONSIN
Village battles BIA over Oneida Nation's land-into-trust
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The village of Hobart, Wisconsin, is fighting a decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place land into trust for the Oneida Nation.
The village says the BIA violated internal procedures when it approved the tribe's land-into-trust application. “We filed objections to these parcels and they were ignored,” Elaine Willman, the village's director of community development and tribal affairs, told The Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Willman said the BIA agreed to take about 133 parcels totaling 2,600 acres into trust. The village filed an appeal with the Interior Board of Indian Appeals over six of the parcels.
The village has fought the tribe on land-into-trust, taxation, sovereignty and other issues. Willman is a former leader of an anti-Indian group.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The village of Hobart, Wisconsin, is fighting a decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place land into trust for the Oneida Nation.
The village says the BIA violated internal procedures when it approved the tribe's land-into-trust application. “We filed objections to these parcels and they were ignored,” Elaine Willman, the village's director of community development and tribal affairs, told The Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Willman said the BIA agreed to take about 133 parcels totaling 2,600 acres into trust. The village filed an appeal with the Interior Board of Indian Appeals over six of the parcels.
The village has fought the tribe on land-into-trust, taxation, sovereignty and other issues. Willman is a former leader of an anti-Indian group.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
FALL RIVER WANTS TO TALK TO AQUINNAH WAMPANOAGS
City wants casino talk with Aquinnah Wampanoag TribeTuesday, April 20, 2010
The city council in Fall River, Massachusetts, wants to meet with the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe to discuss gaming.
The tribe has reportedly scouted sites in the city. The idea would be to pursue a license for a commercial casino.
“It is necessary for Fall River to be on the forefront of this issue since a casino development would benefit the overall economy of the city,” a resolution that will considered tonight states, The Fall River Herald News reported.
The tribe has a reservation on the island of Martha's Vineyard but won't build a casino there for legal and other reasons.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: With both Wampanoag tribes trying to get casinos, how are the Mohegans going to build a casino in Palmer, Massachusetts? Is building a casino in Palmer a long shot? Is the MTGA doing the wrong thing again? What do you think?
The city council in Fall River, Massachusetts, wants to meet with the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe to discuss gaming.
The tribe has reportedly scouted sites in the city. The idea would be to pursue a license for a commercial casino.
“It is necessary for Fall River to be on the forefront of this issue since a casino development would benefit the overall economy of the city,” a resolution that will considered tonight states, The Fall River Herald News reported.
The tribe has a reservation on the island of Martha's Vineyard but won't build a casino there for legal and other reasons.
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: With both Wampanoag tribes trying to get casinos, how are the Mohegans going to build a casino in Palmer, Massachusetts? Is building a casino in Palmer a long shot? Is the MTGA doing the wrong thing again? What do you think?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
WILL MASHPEE WAMPANPOAGS GET A CASINO?
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's plans to build a casino received a boost when the House overwhelmingly approved gambling legislation, but the tribe is still facing a number of federal roadblocks.AP
By George Brennan
gbrennan@capecodonline.com
April 16, 2010
Wednesday's vote by the House approving two resort casinos and up to 3,000 slot machines at state racetracks is a step toward the Mashpee Wampanoag's goal of building an Indian casino.
But if that was a step on a ladder, it would be closer to the bottom rung than the rooftop. While a change in state law is essential for the tribe, there are a host of federal steps hampering its pursuit of gambling riches.
Related Links
Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's quest for a casino
In February 2008, one month before Gov. Deval Patrick's three-casino plan went up in flames, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar called into question all land-into-trust applications for tribes recognized after 1934.
That decision stalled work on the Wampanoag application for an initial reservation that includes 539 acres in Middleboro and 140 acres in Mashpee. The Mashpee tribe was federally recognized in 2007.
While tribes predicted a quick fix to the Carcieri ruling, legislation has languished.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, a Democrat who represents Middleboro, says the Senate bill isn't likely to come to the House for a vote anytime soon.
"Should that occur, however, I will not be supportive of passage," Frank wrote in an e-mail obtained by the Times. "As a member of the U.S. Congress, I will not support House passage of a measure that would entitle the Mashpee Wampanoag to override local laws in that regard."
A spokesman for Frank said the e-mail accurately reflects his views on the issue.
Some expert observers concur. Matthew Fletcher, a Michigan State University assistant professor who studies tribe issues and is a member of the federally recognized Grand Traverse Band in Michigan, said the outlook is bleak to overturn the high-court ruling.
"My sense is that the Carcieri fix legislatively is a non-starter," he said. "That doesn't mean it can't show up in an appropriations bill, but on its own, it's going no where."
Mark Belanger, an outspoken critic of the tribe's plans in Middleboro, said even if federal officials were inclined to change the law, the state has shown zero interest in working with the tribe. The tribe's own agreement with the town, which calls for $250 million in water, sewer and road upgrades, also provides a financial hurdle.
"The odds against a tribal casino in Middleboro are still extremely long," Belanger said.
Tribe officials did not respond to requests for interviews yesterday, but have generally applauded the state's move toward expanded gambling.
As the House bill now moves to the state Senate, it faces scrutiny from Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, who opposes slots at the tracks in favor of resort-style casinos that offer more than just gambling. "As she has said in the past, we need to make sure we have proper regulations and oversight in place first, and we also need to look at the best ways to optimize revenues and create permanent jobs," a spokeswoman said.
The Senate is expected to take on the question after it debates the state budget next month, she said.
State Sen. Robert O'Leary, D-Barnstable, a casino opponent, says he expects a gambling bill to pass the Senate.
"I think it's a mistake for us to head in this direction," he added. "There's a lot of talk about how much revenue it will generate. They exaggerate what will come in and don't calculate the administrative costs and the social costs."
Gov. Deval Patrick, though he supports casinos, opposes so-called racinos. Much has been made of House Speaker Robert DeLeo getting a veto-proof vote of 120-37.
Not so fast, says Rep. Jeffrey Perry, R-Sandwich. Though he supported DeLeo's casino bill, Perry tried to introduce an amendment that would put the racino licenses out to competitive bid. Like him, other legislators were not fully satisfied with the final bill.
"There was a lot of: 'This is better than nothing,' " Perry said. "...I'd like to see it improved."
DeLeo wants his casino bill passed and Murray is pushing an economic development consolidation that recently passed the Senate.
"They're going to look at each other and say, 'I'll scratch your back and you scratch
mine,' " said Richard McGowan, an economics professor at Boston College who studies gambling issues. He said he doesn't expect the Senate will change much, but Murray may ask for fewer slots at the tracks.
Ultimately, it will be the Wampanoag on the outside looking in as Massachusetts zooms ahead while they're still climbing the ladder.
"They're the ones who are really getting it in the chin," McGowan said. "Who is going to go to Middleboro?"
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Are the Mashapee Wampanoags going to be left out? Is that fair? Is it going to end up being four (4) racinos and two (2) resort casinos?
Is the Mohegan proposal of a casino in Palmer a long shot? Do the legislators in Massachusetts have any idea of what they are doing? What do you think?
By George Brennan
gbrennan@capecodonline.com
April 16, 2010
Wednesday's vote by the House approving two resort casinos and up to 3,000 slot machines at state racetracks is a step toward the Mashpee Wampanoag's goal of building an Indian casino.
But if that was a step on a ladder, it would be closer to the bottom rung than the rooftop. While a change in state law is essential for the tribe, there are a host of federal steps hampering its pursuit of gambling riches.
Related Links
Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's quest for a casino
In February 2008, one month before Gov. Deval Patrick's three-casino plan went up in flames, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar called into question all land-into-trust applications for tribes recognized after 1934.
That decision stalled work on the Wampanoag application for an initial reservation that includes 539 acres in Middleboro and 140 acres in Mashpee. The Mashpee tribe was federally recognized in 2007.
While tribes predicted a quick fix to the Carcieri ruling, legislation has languished.
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, a Democrat who represents Middleboro, says the Senate bill isn't likely to come to the House for a vote anytime soon.
"Should that occur, however, I will not be supportive of passage," Frank wrote in an e-mail obtained by the Times. "As a member of the U.S. Congress, I will not support House passage of a measure that would entitle the Mashpee Wampanoag to override local laws in that regard."
A spokesman for Frank said the e-mail accurately reflects his views on the issue.
Some expert observers concur. Matthew Fletcher, a Michigan State University assistant professor who studies tribe issues and is a member of the federally recognized Grand Traverse Band in Michigan, said the outlook is bleak to overturn the high-court ruling.
"My sense is that the Carcieri fix legislatively is a non-starter," he said. "That doesn't mean it can't show up in an appropriations bill, but on its own, it's going no where."
Mark Belanger, an outspoken critic of the tribe's plans in Middleboro, said even if federal officials were inclined to change the law, the state has shown zero interest in working with the tribe. The tribe's own agreement with the town, which calls for $250 million in water, sewer and road upgrades, also provides a financial hurdle.
"The odds against a tribal casino in Middleboro are still extremely long," Belanger said.
Tribe officials did not respond to requests for interviews yesterday, but have generally applauded the state's move toward expanded gambling.
As the House bill now moves to the state Senate, it faces scrutiny from Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, who opposes slots at the tracks in favor of resort-style casinos that offer more than just gambling. "As she has said in the past, we need to make sure we have proper regulations and oversight in place first, and we also need to look at the best ways to optimize revenues and create permanent jobs," a spokeswoman said.
The Senate is expected to take on the question after it debates the state budget next month, she said.
State Sen. Robert O'Leary, D-Barnstable, a casino opponent, says he expects a gambling bill to pass the Senate.
"I think it's a mistake for us to head in this direction," he added. "There's a lot of talk about how much revenue it will generate. They exaggerate what will come in and don't calculate the administrative costs and the social costs."
Gov. Deval Patrick, though he supports casinos, opposes so-called racinos. Much has been made of House Speaker Robert DeLeo getting a veto-proof vote of 120-37.
Not so fast, says Rep. Jeffrey Perry, R-Sandwich. Though he supported DeLeo's casino bill, Perry tried to introduce an amendment that would put the racino licenses out to competitive bid. Like him, other legislators were not fully satisfied with the final bill.
"There was a lot of: 'This is better than nothing,' " Perry said. "...I'd like to see it improved."
DeLeo wants his casino bill passed and Murray is pushing an economic development consolidation that recently passed the Senate.
"They're going to look at each other and say, 'I'll scratch your back and you scratch
mine,' " said Richard McGowan, an economics professor at Boston College who studies gambling issues. He said he doesn't expect the Senate will change much, but Murray may ask for fewer slots at the tracks.
Ultimately, it will be the Wampanoag on the outside looking in as Massachusetts zooms ahead while they're still climbing the ladder.
"They're the ones who are really getting it in the chin," McGowan said. "Who is going to go to Middleboro?"
EDITORIAL FOOTNOTE: Are the Mashapee Wampanoags going to be left out? Is that fair? Is it going to end up being four (4) racinos and two (2) resort casinos?
Is the Mohegan proposal of a casino in Palmer a long shot? Do the legislators in Massachusetts have any idea of what they are doing? What do you think?
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