Unintended Consequences

In the course of listening to assorted viewpoints in the casino/slot/gambling issues, many of us have read a great deal, some of which allowed us to more fully focus our perspective.

In 2004, Gary Bauer wrote Unintended Consequences A Damaging Casino Culture that concludes with --

In other words, monetary benefits for Native Americans have been limited to only a few. In addition, David Yeagley of the University of Oklahoma, himself a Concoche Indian, points out that the idea of "money without labor is the fundamental flaw in the whole concept of the benefits that the gaming industry brings to Indian Country."

Indian gambling is not a case of a rising tide lifting all ships. It is a case of the undertow of greed washing the dreams and hopes of the truly needy back out to sea. In the name of fairness for both Indians and non-Indians, the time has come to draw the line on tribal gambling. We must look to the U.S. Supreme Court to rethink IGRA, and in so doing, restore fairness and sanity to a system that relies heavily on race-based quotas and phony presumptions — a system that has led to an explosion in tribal gambling, headed to a neighborhood near you.

Being played for fools?

Sometimes, when you think you don't have the money to pay for an attorney, that's exactly the time to pay for an attorney well-versed in the applicable laws.

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1. Two Supreme Court decisions now appear to render Land Into Trust and Casino Shopping a non-issue. Would a discussion with an attorney well-versed in Constitutional Law, IGRA, IRA, Supreme Court decisions or comparable expertise be a wise investment?

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29 states signed on to the Hawaii decision. Somehow, 30 states supporting the case might negate any quick fix. Much the same as a Carcieri Fix.

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2. The land proposed for a Mega Casino Bingo Parlor in Middleboro is NOT owned by the "Tribe" that proposed to impose this Monster on the region. It's owned by casino investors.

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3. The Agreement the Tribe has or had with investors has an unknown expiration date at which time the Tribe must repay the investors' money. Their only asset? It seems to be land in Mashpee.

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4. The waters are rather murky about who planned to pay for the Middleboro Fiasco, but deep pocket investors Kerzner and Wolman, now divesting themselves in bankruptcy court of their Twin River money pit, seem none too credit worthy.

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Keep in mind that ANY development that includes 50,000 cars per day, mandates upgrades of "infrastructure" -- ROADS!

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SRPEDD offered information that hurt Middleboro's itty biddies.

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The Middleboro Agreement includes a provision that the "Tribe" (meaning casino investors) would pay for Route 44 upgrades. Although that's inadequate, what commercial venture would accept such terms in an economic downturn in which each of the pro-casino experts who testified at Senator Spilka's "educational forum" indicated that gambling is not as profitable as it once was? And some have said that Middleboro successfully shot itself in the foot and sacrificed a potential "shovel ready" project for some "pie in the sky" that evaporated with the SCOTUS decisions.

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Some have questioned if the "investors" pursued this location to prevent competition for the Twin River Money Pit. After all, those investors were generous in their campaign advertising to defeat a Rhode Island referendum and keep Harrah's out. And much the same was done in England.

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Some have even questioned why Middleboro never did an impact study.

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Someone say the "investors" were only paying the "planning fees" to keep competition out and pending a commercial venture.

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5. Apparently, no one has reviewed the BIA submission because rumor has it that it was grossly deficient and flawed.

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6. Someone questioned if spending $22 MILLION for water improvements to benefit the "Tribe" should be paid for by the "Tribe"

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And, yet the Middleboro Board of Selectmen, instead of gathering factual information, investing in legal expertise, continue to follow the Fool's Gold.

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True to form, Middleboro's very own Gavel Queen knows the facts:

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Selectwoman Marsha L. Brunelle said the selectmen gave the Resort Advisory Committee an extensive list of areas that needed to be addressed and a timeline.

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Marsha, could you point out where we could easily find the LIST on the PTWS (for the uninitiated, Pathetic Town Web Site that the Town Manager is supposedly working on)?

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All I've heard has convinced me It T'Ain't Comin'

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Plan all you want with other people's money, but do you think you could resolve the mess of the Zoning Regulations and Planning Regulations so that a readable copy is available for purchase and available online, just like other towns?

Mashpee Wampanoag Pipedreams

In response to my tepid comments about the potential Middleboro Mega Bingo Hall, a regular reader sent the following:

Much more important, the Hawaii decision, which everyone is forgetting!! This decision puts the nail in the coffin for investers' Reservation Shopping, especially in New England.

The March, Carcieri v Salazar ruling from SCOTUS says that tribes not "now" federally recognized and under federal jurisdiction in 1934 are not eligible for federal trust under the IRA and created a limit to Secretary of Interior authority. There are about 562 tribes currently recognized but there were only 59 IRA tribes on the list. The potential impact is staggering.

Within weeks of the 8-1 Carcieri v Salazar decision, a second strike on fee to trust was issued. This time it came from a case originating in the state of Hawaii. In the 9-0 decision on Hawaii v. the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Justice Alito wrote, "It would raise grave constitutional concerns" Congress sought to "cloud Hawaii's title to its sovereign lands" after it had joined the Union. "We have emphasized that Congress cannot, after statehood reserve or convey....lands that have already been bestowed upon a state". How many readers of this paper could be effected by issues concerning land that has been "bestowed upon a state"; as an original colony, through disestablished territory or when the territory entered into statehood?

The hat trick came from the Navajo Nation v. United States, Essentially, in this 9-0 decision SCOTUS ruled that it is necessary to have a statute or a regulation establishing trust.

Congressional hearings have been held and some of those in Congress believe that although they have tried there is no fix to the Carcieri decision. FEE TO TRUST IS IN TROUBLE.

As I suggested in Maybe it's time for an attorney? , maybe it's time for an attorney?

It's Over!

Rumor is that the Mashpee Wampanoags have been visiting all the Massachusetts Senators one by one and insisting that the SCOTUS (Carcieri v Salazar) ruling about land in trust is not going to affect them.....Oh?

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Carcieri v Salazar is NOT the only case nor is it the more important case that signed the death warrant for ANY and ALL Indian Casinos, not just in Massachusetts, but nationally.

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Hope may spring eternal, but this endeavor is: over, ended, finis.

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The Mashpee Wampanoag will not get land into trust nor get a bingo parlor. They don't even own the land.

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Instead of believing the uninformed media hype perpetuated by lazy journalists who can't risk taxing their brains or doing thoughtful research, check out the SCOTUS decision regarding Hawaii.

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It's over!

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Kerzner and Wolman of Twin River bankruptcy fame only pursued the Middleboro Bingo Parlor to gain concessions from the State of Rhode Island for what they wanted -- getting rid of dog racing, expanding hours of operation to 24/7, expanding gaming, reducing RI's percentage, and finally, a full fledged "casino."

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Kerzner and Wolman spent millions keeping Harrahs's out of RI. What's a pittance to keep the Mashpee Wampanoag out of MA?

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The link for the Hawaii case, including articles is here: Maybe it's time for an attorney?

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No investor will invest millions for a commercial casino for a Tribe. T'aint gonna happen! There are no tax advantages, escape from state regulations and laws.

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And the Middleboro Monster? Wrong location! Too many infrastructure improvements. Too much against it.

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Say "Bye! Bye!"

Maybe it's time for an attorney?

In an article found on Native American Rights Fund, it included Supreme Court Backs Hawaii in Land Dispute ---

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"As I read federal law, it extinguished all property rights in these lands," Scalia argued at the time. "If you are telling me the Hawaii Supreme Court is now finding as a matter of state law that there is a property interest on the part of the native Hawaiians -- I don't care what you call it, equitable or whatever -- it seems to me that is flat contradiction of federal law, and probably is an issue that we ought to address in this opinion."
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Attorney General of 29 other states filed a friend-of-the court brief.... certainly makes it seems as if the majority of states oppose the matter.
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My friends, Gladys and Bumpkin have raised some significant issues about the Kerzner-Wolman Bingo Parlor being a dead issue.

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Maybe it's time for the 4 Middleboro Bingo Parlor Board of Selectmen, the Town of Mashpee and the Mashpee Wampanoags to hire competent attorneys to 'xplain the SCOTUS decisions to them.

Poor Air Quality

The American Lung Association recently published their State of the Air .
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Since air quality has been an issue that has been raised both in discussions regarding the impact of the Mashpee Wampanoag Mega Casino that is no longer coming or the proposed Brockton Power Plant. You will note that air quality information for Plymouth County is not included.

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How could any project that effects air quality be discussed in any informed fashion when information isn't widely available?

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Any resident of the area is aware that on a hot summer day, you only need to step outside and view the cloud of pollution enveloping the area.

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Does anyone know where the information is available?

Feasibility, anyone?

When Cedric Cromwell spoke to the Middleboro Board of Selectmen, he addressed a range of soft ball questions from the Board and mostly provided non-answers.

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One of those questions was the Tribe's publicly announced plans to conduct a FEASIBILITY STUDY possibly reducing the size of the initial proposal, whatever the initial proposal was since no detail was ever presented to the Town.

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Tribal leaders said last month they expected to commission a study to see whether they should scale back those plans.

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If the project is scaled back, he [Cromwell] said, it would be built with the ability to expand when the economy heats up. CCT

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Some might wonder why Middleboro never conducted a FEASIBILITY STUDY. You know, the one that Rep. Tom Calter stood before the BOS and recommended how long ago? The one that any reasonable person might believe should have been conducted before Town Manager, Jack Healey plowed ahead giving away town owned land in an auction advertised in a local, weekly newspaper and set the bar too low?

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Truth to Power provided information about the reported impacts of a commercial casino in Palmer: Citizen Committee including those non-English speaking students who have severely impacted towns surrounding the Casinos in Connecticut:

4. Faculty competent in various foreign language(s) to teach in the E.L.L. program.

Should this program have to be expanded as much as some of the Ct. surrounding
towns to the casinos where as many as 29 foreign languages are utilized to teach(3.),

the estimated cost would be:

$ 58,000.00 (per teacher/year @ current compensation rate) for 29 additional
Teachers (1 language/teacher) would represent $ 1,682,000.00/year in additional
teacher salaries on an annual basis.

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Gee, do you think that if another town arrived at those cost projections, Middleboro's CRAC committee might have done the same? If Middleboro is looking at similar costs for the school, how far will $7 million go?

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Note to Cedric: Ask CarverChick to explain this to you.

Regional Casino Task Force

Reminder from the Brockton Enterprise:


Regional casino task force to meet Thursday in Halifax
HALIFAX —

The regional casino task force has scheduled a meeting for Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall at Halifax Town Hall.

As part of the meeting, an open forum will be offered for those who wish to comment, ask questions or voice concerns about the proposed casino in Middleboro, the status of state or federal approval and the status of casino gambling in Massachusetts.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has proposed building a casino complex on roughly 550 acres in Middleboro that would contain a 600,000-square-foot casino and hotel of 15 to 18 stories.

Inside, there will be 4,000 slot machines and 200 table games. Outside, there will be a gas station, 9,000 parking spots in a garage and 900 outside parking spaces, with police and fire facilities.

Middleboro: Shot In The Foot Again!

Bellicose Bumpkin posted a great podcast discussion of Carcieri v Salazar, casino gambling, local government and assorted issues with Rich Young.

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Good photo, BTW.

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As part of this Town, each of us might engage in a conversation about leadership, planning for the future and what is considered acceptable conduct by members of the Board of Selectmen.

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To me, the recent video clips of the BOS verbally assaulting a voter who merely raised a question, seems significant. Sick And Tired Of This Crap View from the cheap seats

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This is the article referred to in the podcast that refers to the poor deal the Mashpee Wampanoags signed with investors that requires money to be repaid should a casino not be constructed -- Tribe on the hook for loans from casino investors

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A discussion was included about the exclusion of the Route 44 upgrades and improvement from the state's stimulus funds, introduced on nemasket Some lamented the exclusion since it inhibits future growth and development in Middleboro.

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Middleboro seems to have shot itself in the foot yet again!
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Middleboro's Town Elections are April 7th. Voters might consider what is needed in Town Government and what we want in the future.

A Day To Celebrate!

This is truly a day for casino opponents in Middleboro and surrounding towns to celebrate the stake being driven through the heart of the casino vampire with the SCOTUS decision in Carcieri v Kempthorne!

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Friend and fellow blogger, Gladys Kravitz has kept up with the memorable articles and comments -- The Dreams That You Dare To Dream...

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To Gladys,

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We salute you for always being there with humor and ALWAYS believing.

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To Scotty,

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Inevitable, you say?

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To Glenn,

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You're going to prison for committing crimes to get a casino built that now has a snowball's chance in Hell of being built.

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I hear they teach how to build widgets in prison.

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Let the indictments begin!

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Here's what other fellow bloggers had to say about the victory --

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SCOTUS rules in favor of Carcieri
Carl's Casino Quotes
New Court Ruling: Slams Doors Shut on New Casinos

Mythbusters

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Before The Deluge And CPA

Mass Audubon made available the article from Sanctuary Magazine that considered the environmental impact of development of the land that was purchased by investors for a Mega Casino in Middleboro. It's worth the read.

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That article contained the following comments:
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...the town has some 6,000 acres of land protected by various means, according to Conservation Agent Patricia Cassady, from outright ownership to conservation restrictions. They have done this by partnering with such groups as The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Trust for Public Land (TPL), and the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts.

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Rocky Gutter, a 3,380-acre chunk of mostly scrub oak upland and red maple swamp, is managed by MassWildlife.

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In other words, Middleboro has been fortunate to save significant parcels of land because of the generosity and foresight of others.
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This just about says it all:
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...the state is full of towns that didn't make the effort and now strain to meet the demands caused by development.

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In his theatrical presentation, Lincoln Andrews stated that Middleboro had 7 Square Miles of Open Space. When I asked for specifics, the response was a hostile non-answer.

Mrs. Duphily rushed to his defense, armed with no facts and Mrs. Brunelle indicated that Middleboro contains 56 Square Miles.
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The numbers and facts remain undefined, but the following offer some conversions:

METRIC CONVERSIONS

3380 ACRES = 5.286 SQUARE MILES

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4,000 ACRES = 6.25 SQUARE MILES

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6,000 ACRES = 9.375 SQUARE MILES

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While several have criticized CPA, it needs to be clarified that there are other uses of CPA funds, in addition to Open Space. Information posted on CPA Now explains the details and the mechanism.

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CPA offers the opportunity to establish a piggy bank (to be matched with funds town residents already pay) for future use instead of borrowing.

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It enables residents to plan the Town's future.

Middleboro Chairman of BOS Resigns

From the Cape Cod Times --

Adam Bond, the selectman who spearheaded the town’s casino deal with the Mashpee Wampanoag, resigned tonight.
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Bond made a brief statement at the start of tonight's selectman's meeting, pushed his gavel aside and walked out of the room. While some people in the room looked surprised, members of the board did not react. Instead they elected a new chairman and continued the meeting.
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And from the Brockton Enterprise --
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MIDDLEBORO —
Selectman Chairman Adam M. Bond shocked his fellow board members and the town as a whole by abruptly announcing he is quitting the board and walking out of Monday night’s meeting.
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Once a champion and chief architect of the town’s agreement with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe for a casino in town, Monday night he charged his fellow board members with not showing any “gumption” in defending the interests of the town.
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“More to the point, I cannot, in good conscience, be complicit in what I believe is the co-opting of a majority of this board to favor tribal and investor interests rather than the town,” he said in his letter of resignation.
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Town Clerk Eileen S. Gates any notice of a vacancy on a board by Feb. 12 means the balance of the term will be up for grabs at the April election.

Following The Yellow Brick Road

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Prior to the TMFH (for the uninitiated: Town Meeting From Hell, where residents were forced to sit or stand in the sweltering sun when the ballot option was available), I made a few phone calls as reminders to registered voters.

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As most are aware, I have handed out voter registration forms, delivered them to the homes of unregistered voters, and encouraged participation, as have many others.

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Among the voters I called were those who had recently registered.

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On the list was an elderly couple (older than I am) who had just recently registered, even though they had lived in the town for many years.

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When I explained to the gentleman that I was calling as a reminder, his response was rather explosive.

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He explained that the reason he registered to vote was to attend the TMFH to vote for the casino so that he could get out of 'this hell hole of a town.'

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It was disappointing that in his many years, he failed to find the need to participate in the democratic process until he believed a pot of gold existed on his horizon.

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One of the troubling aspects that has enveloped supporters is their unwillingness to insist on the facts and figures before endorsing the IGA.

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Someone, somewhere heard that Native Americans get rich when they have casinos. Reminiscent of Wayne Perkins stating that towns in Connecticut with casinos don't pay taxes.

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Does the Tribe, even at this late date, know what the terms of the Agreement that Glenn Marshall signed with the investors are?

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If you are Mashpee Wampanoag, what will you receive?

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It All Sounds Familiar includes these comments --

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Critics say the poverty of non-gaming tribes makes them vulnerable to environmentally hazardous projects.

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“I think the Indians got sold a bill of goods,” she said. “You dangle money in front of people, and that carrot looks awfully good at the end of the string. And that string is a very short string.”

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I might be inclined to add that the Mashpee Wampanoags followed about to be convicted felons down that Yellow Brick Road and failed to ask for the facts before supporting their leaders. It's time for you to ask questions as well.

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We're not in Oz and the Wizard behind the curtain is a little, insignificant man about to spend a few years in a federal prison.

A New Day Has Dawned

I have received a large volume of emails and phone calls, not all fully reviewed as yet, regarding the issues unfolding and my inexplicable silence.
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If you have a comment regarding the Town, please don't hesitate to post it. I simply haven't had time to compose a blog entry and frankly, there's not much to say.
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Having gone door to door to collect signatures for the Recall, rest assured that I have heard far more than will ever be made public about the local cast of characters.

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Did we ever believe the sordid dealings of Jack Abramoff would live in Middleboro?
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Please feel free to post comments, but also consider that what we need to move forward and deal with future issues is a resolve to pay attention and encourage others to do so as well. We need to participate, ask questions, inform ourselves.
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We watched the unfolding saga of Abramoff from a distance, believing we were unaffected by the sleaze and the payoffs, disregard of the laws, money laundering for gambling, the hypocrisy of the 'anti-gambling' likes of Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed.

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The sordid episode of Glenn Marshall's indictment and the pending indictments of others as yet unnamed, has enveloped our Town because we weren't vigilant.
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Rather than participating in the current hysteria of missteps and misconduct by a Board of Selectmen that is incompetent and incapable of governance, and rather than participating in the daily soap opera, there are several observations offered.

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Although I hate to say "I told you so," the handwriting of the Abramoff connections was clearly writ.

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That the Middleboro Board of Selectmen fails to recognize the impact on the IGA defines their incompetence as a whole.

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Having no privileged information, but having watched these unfolding sagas elsewhere, what seems a consistent pattern is that when one person is indicted, others step forward with additional information.

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What I anticipate is that there will be local indictments that will instill a backbone in some to step into the light and speak out.

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There will be no quick process, as the Marshall indictment proves, but justice will be served.

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As friend and fellow blogger, Gladys Kravitz pointed out, you have the right to insist that local activities be investigated. And you have a right to complain.

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Office of Attorney General

Martha Coakley

One Ashburton Place

Boston, MA 02108

Office of the Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20530-0001

Secretary of the Department of the Interior

Department of the Interior

1849 C Street, N.W.

Washington DC 20240

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Department of the Interior

1849 C Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20240

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Massachusetts Ethics Commission

One Ashburton Place

John W. McCormack Building

Room 619 Boston, MA 02108

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Board of Bar Overseers

99 High Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02110

Campaign Contributions

Fellow blogger, Bellicose Bumpkin commented on William A. McDermott Jr's connection to the Mashpee Wamponoag Tribe.

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From Bellicose Bumpkin --

Cornerstone $126,792

Altoria $101,924

Liberty Square Group $156,565

** For 2008, the amount reported to the Secretary of State is $30,000. What gives?

Quinn & Morris $216,000

** For 2008, the amount reported to the Secretary of State is $56,000.00. What gives?

Sher & Blackwell $60,020

Sonosky, Chambers $206,512

Hobbs, Straus $208,516

NARF $281,824

Stephen Graham $181,672

Sullivan & McDermott $147,067

Hendricks Enterprises $70,220 Any relation to Shawn?

Weetompain Inc. $377,600 Headed by spokeswoman Gayle Andrews

Grosser & Mulligan $65,347

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A little searching brought up a few comments on casino related campaign contributions that were pretty interesting --

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From BMG --

Tim Flaherty on Casino Donations: Doesn't know or doesn't care?

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McDermott, Quilty & Miller

William McDermott is the lawyer for the Wampanoag Tribe (http://www.bostonher/) Contributions to Tim Flaherty:

08/08/07 Valerie Barsom 21 Custom House Street Boston, MA 02110 $200.00 Attorney Self-Employed (note: McDermott, Quilty & Miller)

08/14/07 William McDermott 21 Custom House Stret Boston, MA 02110 $200.00 Attorney Self-Employed (note: McDermott, Quilty & Miller)

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Total McDermott contributions.

McDermott, Quilty & Miller contributions

Sullivan & McDermott contributions

McDermott, Quilty & Miller LLP

McDermott, Quilty & Miller

MCDERMOTT,QUILTY & MILLER

McDermott,Quilty&Miller

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Quinn & Morris
Quinn & Morris are lobbyists for the casino (Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.) (http://www.sec.state.ma.us/lobbyist/LobbyistSearch/PublicSearchDetailResult.asp?ID=000134&Year=2007)(http://www.sec.state/)
Contributions to Tim Flaherty:

08/23/07 Peter O'Neill 141 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02111 (note: Quinn & Morris) 08/22/07 Christopher Koczela 115 Harvest Lane Bridgewater, MA 02324 $100.00 (note: Quinn & Morris)

Quinn & Morris contributions

Quinn and Morris

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This is a comment from KOS which seems curious since the connection to Abramoff was never denied by the Tribe --

The Mashpee were clients of Jack Abramoff, sort of. His name never appeared as an official lobbyist for them, but two of his protegés at Greenberg Traurig, Kevin Ring and Michael Smith, served in that capacity.

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Abramoff's rumored to have intervened on their behalf "unofficially".

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indianz included this comment, but failed to name the 6 tribal members --

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Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe donated $32K to Pombo

Tuesday, December 6, 2005 Members, leaders and lobbyists for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts have donated $32,000 to Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California) ever since he became chairman of the House Resources Committee in January 2003.

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The first Mashpee donation of $12,000 came from six tribal members on September 29, 2003, the San Joaquin News-Service reported. That same day, Jack Abramoff, the tribe's lobbyist, gave $5,000 to Pombo's political action committee. Abramoff also gave $2,000 to Pombo's re-election campaign earlier that year.

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So far this year 2005, tribal members have donated $12,000 Pombo's re-election campaign. Pombo denies the money had anything to do with a bill he introduced to speed up the tribe's federal recognition petition.

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In the McDermott search, the following cropped up --

Timothy Cahill Deposited 11/26/07

McDermott, Terence P. 21 Custom House Street, #300 Boston, MA 02110 Attorney McDermott, Quilty & Miller $200.00
McDermott, William P. 21 Custom House Street, Suite #300 Boston, MA 02110 Attorney McDermott, Quilty & Miller $200.00
Miller, Stephen McDermott, Quilty, & Miller Boston, MA 02110 Attorney McDermott, Quilty & Miller $200.00

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Coakley, Martha 5/16/08 - 5/31/08 for 13182 Coakley, Martha

5/16/2008 McDermott, William c/o McDermott Quilty and Miller, 21 Custom House Street, Suite 300 Boston, MA 02110 Attorney McDermott Quilty and Miller $200.00

5/16/2008 Miller, Stephen c/o McDermott Quilty & Miller, 21 Custom House Street, Suite 300 Boston, MA 02110 Attorney McDermott Quilty & Miller

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This is by no means a thorough search, but it raises concerns about elected officials who have received campaign contributions from gambling interests, the access that is granted and their votes. Does it raise concerns about the impartiality of the Attorney General?

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In the seat of Wampanoags' power

Lawyer a strong force in tribe's bid for casino

Maybe....

In the case of the Mashpee Wampanoags, sometimes the wheels of justice grind slowly, but the long overdue housecleaning appears to be moving forward.

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Cape Cod Today is reporting --
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No information was available Friday on whether William McDermott, the West Roxbury lawyer who plans to resign next month as counsel to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribal council, has become the subject of a federal investigation.
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In other developments, the tribal council voted in an emergency meeting Friday night to place chairman Shawn Hendricks and secretary Desire Hendricks Moreno on paid administrative leave.
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Marshall resigned his post in 2007 after it was revealed that he had lied about his military record and was a convicted rapist. [Glenn Marshall and, in alphabetical order, about 1/3 of the way down the page, Stolen Valor , CCT, Globe, cctoday]
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There is no indication of why William McDermott's name is being included at this time.

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The Cape Cod Times is reporting:
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The shunning of tribe members Amelia Bingham, her son, Stephen, Stephanie Tobey-Roderick and Michelle Fernandes was also rescinded immediately.
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You may remember that Amelia Bingham was the elderly woman that Middleboro Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Marsha Brunelle, nicknamed The Gavel Queen for her willingness to gavel people into silence, refused to allow to speak after forcing the woman to stand in the sweltering heat of the Town Hall Auditorium.

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Of Scott Ferson, Mrs. Bingham said "He (Scott Ferson) doesn't speak for me or the tribe. He's not even one of us. He's a white man from Boston."

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Peter Kenney included McDermott in his comments in February 2008 --
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We can certainly see that open government is not something Shawn Hendricks or his masters -- Ferson, McDermott, Kirzner and Wolman -- want. Instead of shunning tribe members who demand access to the records of their own affairs and instead of allowing outsiders to run their tribe's future, perhaps the Mashpee Wampanoag should fire the outsiders who have corrupted their culture and sold their future, elect a Tribal Council that responds to members and hire some real fire eaters -- lawyers of the type who can gain for the tribe and all Wampanoag descendants what is rightfully theirs.
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cct in 2006 ---
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The Wampanoag's tribal council last year paid $100,000 to lobbyists Kevin Ring and Michael Smith, who worked with Abramoff at law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP until 2004, said Scott Ferson, an outside spokesman for the council with Liberty Square Group in Boston. The council hired the lobbyists in 2003 because it was frustrated with the languishing application, Ferson said.
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Maybe the Mashpee Wampanoags will regain control of their heritage.

Maybe the Tribe will re-negotiate the terms of the casino agreement with the investors.

Maybe the Middleboro Board of Selectmen will address this as a business agreement.

Maybe casino supporters will recognize that this is what is inherently wrong with gambling.

Maybe .....

Stupid Comments I Have Known

From the Brockton Enterprise --

“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.

Glenn Marshall and The Tizzy!

The issues surrounding the corruption of Jack Abramoff and the Government For Sale period in which he operated are complex and convoluted.

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It was announced today that (link)

The former head of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe was charged today with making illegal campaign contributions to members of Congress, embezzling funds from his tribe, filing false tax returns and fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits all in connection to efforts to win official U.S. recognition of tribal status.

Glenn A. Marshall, 59, who recently pushed for a controversial casino-gambling deal for the tribe in Middleborough, was accused by the U.S. Attorney’s office with violating campaign laws, as well as engaging in alleged tax, wire and Social Security frauds.

Fellow bloggers have done a great job covering the indictment --

Marshal indictment documents

Marshall indicted

Glenn Marshall Indicted

Merry Christmas

Late to the Game: Ex-Chief Pleading Guilty

The casino plot thickens

Corruption charges cloud Middleborough casino

Need I tell you?

Lingering questions remain about the validity of Tribal recognition and the validity of the Agreement with the Town of Middleboro. Did the Town negotiate an Agreement with a legitimate Tribe that will withstand the court challenges sure to follow?

Abramoff had his sticky fingers wherever government was available at bargain prices. The indictments have taken years to reach fruition, but the Feds dedication to seeking the truth and prosecuting the offenders has been worthy of notice.

The impact of Glenn Marshall's indictment will require time to resolve the implications, but of greater importance is this trickle down level of corruption that impacts local communities.

Is this the element we, as a Town, want to get into bed with?

Below, are previous links, but a large number of articles are no longer archived. Posting will be done as time permits.

Georgia Pits and Republican Election Fraud Clarified

A Banana Republic (Abramoff Again Included)

Sitting Back and Watching .....

Abramoff, Casino Gambling, Political Corruption

Abramoff and Wampanoag Connections...Again!

Nov. 15th CFO Gala/Auction

Friend and fellow blogger, Bellicose Bumpkin reminds us ----


This year's CasinoFacts end of year Gala/Auction will be held at the

Fireside Grille on

Saturday night,

November 15th.

Our annual event will feature awards, food, friendship, and most importantly fun! We hope that you will be able to join us and please know that your contribution will help us fight the proposed casino in Middleboro. Last year we were able to raise close to $7000 with this event.

We hope that your continued participation will make this year's event an even greater success!Tickets are $25.00 and we are also seeking auction items.

What Are The Issues?

Focus on the issues rather than the source and emotions of the "Bogus Letter" the Middleboro BOS received regarding the selection process for the new Fire Chief.

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A Middleboro Selectwoman has participated and offered her opinions in all discussions regarding the Fire Department.....

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...selectman Muriel C. Duphily, whose husband, Wilfred Duphily, has been a call captain in the department for 30 years.

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Maybe Mrs. Duphily was unaware of the Ethics issues surrounding a firefighter forced to resign from the BOS, as she clearly appears to be unaware of many other town issues.

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Ironically, on the home page of The Official Website of the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission this is offered

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In House Seminar
The Massachusetts State Ethics Commission is presenting a

FREE EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR

on the Conflict of Interest law for state, county and municipal employees on

Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. and

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.

One Ashburton Place, Room 619, Boston, MA.

Call 617-371-9500 to reserve your seat.

SPACE IS LIMITED!

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Mrs. Duphily is personable and kind and extraordinarily talented. But Mrs. Duphily seems to believe that Town Government is her personal playground to do and say as she chooses, legal issues be damned! She is clearly too overbooked and distracted by personal commitments to focus on Town issues. She arrives at BOS meetings clearly unprepared and having failed to research ANY issue or reviewed the documents that are hand-delivered to each Bored [sic] member via Police Department courier. Intellectual curiosity is not her forte.

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Mimi, Dear, you need to avail yourself of the resources that have been made available to understand how government works and stop embarrassing us. And you need to find the time to ensure that you fully understand that laws, statutes, and those silly things like 'Ethics' that govern your conduct.

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Dear Mimi, that you felt the need to express your anger at the Fire Department when you said (in the Middleboro Gazette still only 50 cents)

"There's infighting in the department, there's no discipline....This has got to come to an end."

"We did it in this way so the politics would be taken out of it."

"This is hurtful."

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reveals that you fail to understand what Ethics means.
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Or in the Brockton Enterprise when you were quoted
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"Ethics felt I shouldn't be there...If that's what they're pushing for, I guess they won."

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Dear Mrs. Duphily, you either need to inform yourself, do your research, invest the time in the programs that are offered that explain town government, or you need to do us a favor and resign so that a candidate willing to take the time can conduct Town business.

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Dumbfounded #2

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Footnote: Town Counsel's Advice:

Duphily said that Town Counsel Daniel F. Murray said she wasn’t violating any ethics rules, but that when Murray questioned the state Ethics Commission, he was told the opposite, and that Duphily was liable for a $2,000 fine.

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Town Counsel wasted his taxpayer paid time traveling to Boston TWICE to fight me on an issue that he lost. The last time he lost, the judge clearly cautioned him to settle the matter and not return to court. At a future date, I may blog about the surrounding issues, but in this case, I had researched the issue and while I make absolutely no pretense of any legal expertise, Town Counsel was wrong. How many other times is Town Counsel wrong because he fails to do the research? Is Middleboro paying +$60K a year for flawed legal advice because 'that's the way it's always been done' ?

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Note to casino supporters: You supported and elected an unqualified candidate based solely on a single issue that bloggers told you would NOT come to pass. Could you give serious consideration to other issues next time around because they really matter to the rest of us?

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Note to Spataro supporters: Mr. Spataro, who told us this was the BIG LEAGUES was again ABSENT from the BOS meeting. You may recall that Mr. Spataro spent a BOS meeting text messaging, eating his supper, has been frequently unprepared and late, has no listed phone number to avoid voters.

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Is this truly what we want and need from Town Government? Is anyone watching this?