“Good faith has been breached,” said Board of Selectmen Chairman Adam M. Bond.
Ya think? By the Board of Selectmen with townspeople or the Tribe?
“We need expert legal assistance to get through this,” said Selectman Marsha L. Brunelle.
Classic, out of touch, Marsha comment! Does anyone remember Marsha wanting some 'local' attorney to handle the negotiation? Does anyone remember Marsha REFUSING to allow Amelia Bingham to comment at a public meeting? Maybe if you had listened, Marsha, you would have heard ALL of the evidence contained in the indictment because Amelia had it. Does anyone remember Marsha gravelling voters to silence when they attempted to raise questions? Does anyone remember Marsha's refusal to allow voters, the townspeople who elected her, to discuss the auction of the casino property? Something to hide Marsha?
“The town entered an agreement with the tribe and not the man,” said former selectman Wayne C. Perkins. “I think we still have an agreement.”
Just keep repeating Scotty's Mantra, Wayne "It's Inevitable! It's Inevitable!" after all, you were the one negotiating with Glenn Marshall before anyone knew and you admitted such in a public meeting.
The rest of the Board claimed ignorance (during the 9/15 meeting) because the indictment was newsworthy in the afternoon and the other members at the 7 PM meeting had not received or digested the news.
From Cape Cod Times
Tribal council spokeswoman Gayle Andrews said in a statement that the tribe is deeply saddened. "For the past year-and-a-half, the tribal leadership has worked successfully to get the government up and running and will continue to work on behalf of its 1,600 members."
This is the same Gayle Andrews Peter Kenney wrote about who seems to have difficulty with her heritage and ethnic identity unless $$$$ is involved --
Gayle Andrews: Mashpee or Aquinnah?
While Andrews lived and worked in Florida she identified herself as black -- African American -- and she traded on that racial identity exclusively even though she was also a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe. At one point -- before the Mashpee had gained federal recognition -- Andrews and her mother applied for membership in the Aquinnah (Gay Head) Wampanoag tribe and were accepted. (See 12/04/07 WampaGate link at the bottom) Andrews surrendered her Mashpee membership. Suspicions arose within the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe over the Andrews' historical material and genealogy submitted in support of their application. A year-long investigation resulted in their expulsion from the tribe.
And from Shawn Hendricks suspicious silence ---
Current tribal council Chairman Shawn Hendricks, who served as vice chairman under Marshall his entire seven-year term, ignored a request for comment yesterday outside Barnstable Town Hall.
Cat got your tongue, Shawn? Scott Fearsome not available to present the script? Or are you next? after all, you did participate.
Friend and fellow blogger, at Carl's Casino Quotes pointed out --
This was shady from the beginning and we knew it. Land deals, rammed through agreements, closed door meetings, vilifying any and all opponents, etc.
When you can't discuss the facts and statistics in a respectful manner in a public forum to arrive at a well informed decision and are forced the resort to name-calling, slanderous comments and accusations of racism to defend your position, you know you're wrong.
16 comments:
Lie down with dogs, you get fleas.
There always was something wrong with the way the bos handled this. Hands cant be clean.
Why has the fancy fact finder Brian Givanona resigned???? Whas up Brian?
I'm shocked! I'm shocked! Why would a serial liar, convicted rapist, man who comited contempt of congress, violated the stolen valor law, not be honorable and respectful in his dealings? How is that bad faith?
Sadly, MR, they don't know they're wrong. Will they ever?
Why DID they leave that elderly Mrs. Bingham standing at the microphone for 20 minutes on that sweltering evening in 2007?
Maybe because she wasn't delivering a check. Just the truth.
Working with the Tribe indeed...
Gladys,
I was at that meeting, sitting at the back of the room next to Vic Sylvia. You may recall that there was no sound amplification, no speakers, so I was telling Vic what was being said -- in violation of the Open Meeting Law, but I digress.
"They" didn't leave Amelia Bingham standing in that heat. Marsha Brunelle, chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen did.
There are other points that might be added, but it might seem that there will be other indictments forthcoming. Shawn Hendricks was Glenn Marshall's sidekick and wrote some of those campaign contribution checks. Will he be indicted as well?
And what of any local connections? Surely many of us have raised many questions that need to be answered. Will there be local indictments?
And will the fraud and corruption invalidate the Tribal Recognition?
Or will Carcieri v Kempthorne render ANY discussion meaningless?
Did Brian resign because he knows it's over? Or because he believes he has a chance to be elected Selectman?
MR that WAS a miserable night. No sound. No air. Way too much Marsha. But that shouldn't have stopped any of the 'gentlemen' at the table from saying anything. I have seen them do this before. In fact in the one time I went before the Board of Selectmen in Bridgewater, I caught the eye of one of the board first, who mentioned to the chairman that I was there. It took somewhere in the vicinity of 30 seconds for that flicker of recognition to go down. And I was seated. There is NO excuse for what happened to Mrs. Bingham that evening. The town treated her - a member of the very same tribe they genuflect to at every opportunity - and the same tribe Mrs. Brunelle proclaimed were 'coming home' at the BIA hearing ad nauseum - like a leper.
Marsha's concern is only check deep.
Excellent post M.R....you are so RIGHT ON!
What's so frustrating about all of this is that if the BOS had just listened and NOT RUSHED, this all may have been prevented.
Amelia had all of the info on Glenn. I'm sure she was working with the FBI and helped bring him down. Kudos to her, that shows you not to mess with an 80 something tribal elder.
Now she needs to be unshunned.
Gladys,
For some reason, few were paying attention to the conduct of the BOS prior to this period of time. The conduct you witnessed, as offensive as it was and as much as we criticize, was no different from the manner in which they had operated over a long period-unilaterally.
Wayne Perkins simply ignored those standing at the podium wishing to speak.
Marsha Brunelle gaveled them to silence.
In one case, when she attempted to move on after I had been standing at the podium for some time to ask a question, I simply said into the microphone 'Madame Chairman.' To which her abrupt response was a sharp "No."
The rest of the Board's failure to protest, speak out or raise issues defines their spinelessness or lack of intellectual curiosity on many issues or willingness to behave like sheep and is even more true today. It's a pretty poor Board in comparison to other towns.
But remember, the voters elected the Board and those who didn't vote cast their ballots as well. When only 5% of registered voters could be bothered to get to the polls in April, the other 95% consented.
One of the issues that Mrs. Bingham's presence should highlight is that the Tribe doesn't even know what's in the Agreement that they have with the investor.
We can pick apart the Agreement that Middleboro signed with the Tribe and criticize it, but the Tribe can't even do that.
And I've previously posted how other Tribes have been cheated by investors.
So, now you have a Tribe that was cheated by a leader who spent Tribal funds on a generous lifestyle for himself, travel, home renovations, political bribery and so on. This was the same leader who stood before public forums and got misty eyed about the poverty of his Tribe and how hard he worked to alleviate that poverty. This was the same leader who always seemed to have a different shiney, new vehicle each time I saw him.
A comment was posted elsewhere about the great love and support the Tribe (or at least many members) feels for Glenn Marshall and it made me realize how successful he has been as a Con Man, likable, but still a Con Man.
I would hope, as a consequence of the current indictment, that Tribal members would recognize that Mrs. Bingham was correct and start asking their own questions.
Where is the Agreement? What's in it? What are the terms? It would seem that this may be the appropriate time for the Tribe to re-negotiate its deal as well.
Instead of being blinded by the glimmer of gold, will they begin to ask for the information they're entitled to? Or will they continue to behave like sheep as well? The lack of transparency would seem to indicate that they didn't get what they're entitled to either.
Maybe it makes greater sense to create widgets and prosper on their own.
There's an organization that we've followed and supported for years that offers an email subscription regarding related Native American issues that I recommend -FCNL
Jacquie,
Although I never got to spend the time with Mrs. Bingham that you did, she is a truly impressive lady with astounding presence and commitment to her heritage.
She, along with the other "shunned members" of the Tribe have been proven right.
As I have said, the Tribe needs to recognize that and begin to ask questions about their Agreement.
Are they being cheated as well?
If they are being given a fair deal, then it can bear the scrutiny of a public discussion.
Happiest of No Casino Holidays to you and Terry et al.
Theres more going on than we know. Theres too much silence. Not enough protest. Shawn looks like he's next, but theres something else. Is it the quiet weighting for a shoe to drop? I think their are local things coming.
....and the same to you and your family.
Thanks for all that you do.
Jacquie and Terry
The Tribe elects their leaders, as do the people of Middleboro. And both groups got screwed.
And while I respect Ms. Bingham as much as anyone for her tenacity - don't forget - she wants a casino, too.
Gladys,
Quite right!
One might also say that both groups got screwed because they weren't paying attention or participating in the process.
People get the government/leadership they deserve.
It might appear that Carcieri v Kempthorne will render any consideration meaningless in this case and in others.
Gayle Andrews is like a Glen clone. They weren't Indians until their was money.
Their are more stupid coments you missed like the 4 selecmen who didnt know about this. Why arent they talking to the tribe? This didnt hapen sudenly it was negotieted. Didn't they tell anyone is that secret sacred ceremony?
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