Monthly Archives: September 2011

Sssssssshhhhhhhhhh no talking Ceddie says

Cedric Cromwell issued a gag order to tribal employees.  No talking to each other or people outside the Council  about the outrageous behavior of  council members.  Primarily his wife and others who are supposed to be setting an example of good government. Reportedly the Council  has been inundated with wigs for First Lady Cheryl  Frye Cromwell who has been in hiding following her battle royal in Pequot land.  It’s become so absurd that you have to wonder what Cedric’s thinking ?  It’s not like anyone pays attention to what he says and those rediculous emails he sends out

Last week,one of the original investors who thought Cedric and Mark Harding would actually honor contracts and pay investors, finally exploded and sent a nasty email to Cedric calling him an as-hole.  Cedric immediately circulated it to everyone on the Council looking for sympathy.  All he got was hysterical laughter…..

Matter of fact no one pays him attention on Beacon Hill either.  Looks like he’s experiencing ” Investors Revenge” and  collaboration with investigators, who have thrown up all kinds of blockades designed to keep him from GTP ( Gettin That Paycheck). The gaming bill will never pass in a form where Cedric and crew get paid free and clear. Course there’s no benefit to the tribal members with the commercial gaming bill, but that’s never been the focus.  Seems the newspapers have never told that story….too much work t researching the Indian Gaming Act and drawing the comparison to commercial.

Anyway, the bill is loaded with, let’ s call them inhibitors  like ” vetting the investors” verifying “the finances” of the entities involved, land into trust, approval by the communities and the communities adjoining the communities where the casino is located and the tribe  will experience the state’s credit check basically which is tantamount to Chinese Water Torture where the tribe’s finances are concerned.  Everyone who had their hands in the till will have to explain what happened to $24 million over two years. And no one really knows how much money is involved.  Then there are the threatened lawsuits .  Who would do business with an administration like this?  So the recall continues.

Winnie oh so risky and other horror stories unfold

So,  Council member Winnie  was officially given the job of assisting Renee Pocknett in the so called education program.  The price tag….$30 an hour .  Only in the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe  under the Cromwell administration does someone make that kind of  money for being awful. Winnie’s not exactly a role model for kids. She loves to fight  too and recently tried to beat up another tribal member in front of some teenagers who joined in the fight.  Right.  She did a little jail time for reportedly beating up a pregnant woman.  She must know alot…

The Juvenile Justice program dropped $50 k in one month.  Sounds like the old ” broke as  a joke” so let’s take it from the grants. Got to pay those salaries for people who do nothing .

And tomorrow’s the grand opening of the Helms facility in New Bedford.  How about taking care of the Indians in Mashpee?

Ancestor Day at the Meetinghouse is the event of choice on Saturday.  Definitely a  time for prayer.

Mashpee Wampanoag First Lady brawls at Pequot pow wow

Cheryl and Cedric Cromwell loving a good fight

Mashpee Wampanoag First Lady Cheryl Frye Cromwell went beyond her ambassadorial duties at the Pequot pow wow this past weekend in Connecticut.  A tribal member who witnessed the episode Sunday night told the story on condition that their identity  remain anonymous.  Reportedly,  Cheryl Frye Cromwell  shoved a Pequot woman pretty hard and the woman shoved back.  It digressed to a fist fight hair pulling brawl.  Frye Cromwell, who is pushing 50, the mother of 5 and several grandchildren, reportedly is missing large clumps of hair. Her husband, Chairman Cedric Cromwell reportedly tried to separate the screaming cursing women without success as they rolled around clearing a path. We don’t know if assault charges have been filed. Such is the legacy of Cedric of Dorchester  losing the battle and the war courtesy of his lovely wife Cheryl. Such exemplary representation of the tribe.

Frye Cromwell has a long history of erratic behavior.  When elected to the Council, during meetings, she would stomp around the Council conference table,where members were seated, constantly rolling her eyes, making snide remarks and disrupting the meeting. Of course   countless other episodes have occurred….totaled out tribal cars (no police report), the misrepresentation of her title and role in the tribal health office.  The misrepresentation of her level of education and lack of professional credentials, which seems to be a husband wife thing. A legacy tribal members don’t want to be reminded of.

On to more bad business.  The administration is in default for the tenth time on the farm. Yet they’re opening a New Bedford office this weekend, to appease the Helms family.  The Helms family that  heretofore had nothing to do with the tribe, has been waiting for all Cedric’s promises to come true, so this office is some kind of appeasement? Who will run it.  They say it’ s the famous Bobby Foster ! His mom Joanne Frye has been demoted and works under Leon who is the Tribal Administrator  (purely because the Self Determination grant mandates it). And Marge is out of finance and over  there with Leon.

A little press release that appeared as a story  in the CCT about the Community center is old news .  The Cromwell administration dug it out and recycled it  because it was getting loads of bad press. Apparently the paper fell for it and failed to mention that the money was secured by the previous administration.  Mark Harding looks sooooooooo  happy because  he has cornered the market on contracts designated for Native Americans…and he grabs them despite the fact that he has been told he cannot sit on the governing board that  allocates money to his company, let alone be the treasurer.  The story of Mark Harding and that extremely expensive ramp for the health facility and his very slow itty bitty payment to the woman who actually built it, is worse than you would believe. It’s called conflict of interest and a violation of federal law. The feds don’t like that.

Oh yeah….Cedric and his administration plan to tear down the historic tribal council building that was given to us years ago.  That’s comparable to erasing an important part of our history.  But if you just made it on to the rolls in 2006 you have no idea what’s important to our people and what’s not do you ?

USDA Rural Development Financing Provides Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Government Center and Health Clinic, Creating or Saving Over 300 JobsThe Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee, Massachusetts, was awarded a $12.7 million Community Facilities Recovery Act Direct Loan from USDA Rural Development on August 23, 2010. The loan will be used to construct a 46,000 square foot Tribal Government Center and Health Clinic.
Signing the loan: Picture (L-R) USDA RD Business and Cooperative Specialist Jennifer Lerch, Tribe Chairman Cedric Cromwell and Tribe Treasurer Mark Harding.

Cedric’s casino has relocated to Miami

The Massachusetts House passed the governor’s bill to bring casino gambling  to the Bay State.  Problem for Cedric is that he was looking for an added 10 month extension  so the tribe could get  land into trust.  He didn’t get the message That  amendment failed . It will fail  in the Senate too.  You see, everyone who has a stake in this game counted their votes.  They’re the winners.They will ram this through  while Cedric and his lame “please lemme get my paycheck” falls on deaf ears. The bill is designed to give the tribe a minimal shot at a casino, because a bill in any other form will fail.

Cause for those Council member who were asking for checks …commercial casino means the state gets paid, investors and Cedric.  But according to the article below, Cedric’s Genting  has fled to greener pastures. Money will dry up.  Not only are they all over New York, they’re in Florida.

Meanwhile the backup plan for the Federal Charter  failed by an overwhelming no vote  Wednesday night . Mark Harding was the only member to vote for it.  He didn’t get the message.

Carlton Hendricks Jr.  won a major battle all by himself.  No one came forward until the coast was clear and all the work was done.  No matter how bad things got..they laid low….only coming out when the briars were gone.

Meanwhile Cedric  is all tangled in them.

 

 

Genting buys remaining Omni debt, reveals resort plans

The Genting Group unveiled its vision for a massive bayside resort and made a major move to acquire the Omni site, seeking to bolster its case for a casino gambling license.

By ELAINE WALKER

Miami Herald

The Genting Group on Wednesday doubled the footprint for Resorts World Miami as part of a calculated step to win support for a gambling license from the Florida Legislature.

Genting purchased the $161 million note on the troubled Omni Center from Miami real estate investors Jorge Perez, Jimmy Tate and Sergio Rok. The deal, whose purchase price was not disclosed, gives Genting control over the entire $206 million mortgage on the Omni, which is currently in the midst of foreclosure. Genting purchased the other $45 million note last week.

The plan: turn Omni into the first stage of Resorts World Miami with the ability to open a casino with restaurants, bars and entertainment facilities as soon as Fall 2012 — within months of receiving potential approval from state legislators for a gambling license.

“The Omni acquisition is a strategic acquisition that answers the Legislature’s concerns about where are the jobs,” said Colin Au, a Genting principal. “We are taking a calculated risk. We are responding to the concerns and trying to create jobs as fast as possible. The Omni is what’s called a decorator-ready solution.”

By combining the Omni Center with the Miami Herald property and the Checkers site Genting purchased on Biscayne Boulevard, the Malaysian conglomerate has now assembled about 30 acres. While Genting must still complete the foreclosure process on the Omni property, company officials remained optimistic Wednesday that they could reach an amiable resolution with property owner Argent Ventures and gain control of the site within a few months.

The Omni mortgage acquisition came on the same day Genting unveiled its $3 billion master plan for Resorts World Miami.

The mixed-use project is unlike anything South Florida has seen in terms of sheer magnitude and design. With plans for four hotels, two condominium towers, more than 50 restaurants and bars and a luxury retail shopping mall, it’s being billed as one of the largest projects in the state.

The design of the 10 million-square-foot development draws inspiration from the region’s coral reefs. The centerpiece is a 3.6-acre outdoor lagoon — equivalent to 12 Olympic-size swimming pools and surrounded by natural sand beaches — that would allow visitors to literally swim from Biscayne Boulevard to the edge of Biscayne Bay.

“This will put Miami on the map and make it a destination,” said Bernardo Fort-Brescia, co-founder of Arquitectonica, which is designing the project. “Miami has not seen resorts of this importance, Orlando has and maybe Las Vegas. This will make Miami more than competitive. It will have an advantage.”

By acquiring Omni, Genting is in position to speed up the development of Resorts World Miami and offer an immediate benefit of revenue generation and new jobs. The casino would go in the empty 650,000 square feet that once housed the Omni Mall, a process that Genting officials say would take minimal structural work. The Hilton Hotel, existing office tenants and parking garage would remain. An Omni casino would create 5,000 permanent jobs and $100 million per year of taxes for state and local governments, Genting said.

Miami state Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera was both skeptical and intrigued by the idea.

“It’s interesting, I would like to see how they would accomplish that,” said Lopez-Cantera, the House Republican leader. “I would want to see all the details. That’s a lot of jobs they’re talking about.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/14/2407173/genting-unveils-plan-for-miami.html#ixzz1Xz8vA8Np

Genting goes south

Everyone loves Florida.  Year round.  It is fertile for gaming and Genting is all over it with half a billion spent already on bringing commercial gaming to the sunshine state.  Brian Ballard is leading the charge for the Chinese gambling moguls.  So he’s getting paid.  Make no mistake, the state legislature is eyeballing commercial casinos because the Republicans control the legislature.

Understand the contrast.  Massachusetts has a budget of 30 billion dollars. Florida has a budget of 64 billion dollars. So Mashpee is an after thought for sure. But the 26 million dollars in debt is still there at 16.5%.  There is no tangible evidence of what that money was spent on beyond the Council salaries. It is an atrocity.

Back to Florida….Remember the Seminoles are most substantial.  After all they never surrendered to the US Government.  They know about independence and the importance of being able to function without a tin cup…..as for the Mashpee….

What’s the plan to get us out of this ditch Cedric has us in? Who has that answer? Right.  What’s the plan?

Traditionalists plan ouster of Cromwell Administration

Mashpee–The  General meeting of the Mashpee Wampanoag exploded today.  The membership, exhausted by the secrecy out of control spending, and rejected the Federal Charter of Incorporation and began openly signing petition against  the Charter.

Cedric of Dorchester

The meeting was a nightmare for Cromwell who was having trouble fielding questions from the hostile members.  The Charter also triggered a recall petition of the Cromwell administration  officers who have ruled under a cloud because of the missing voter sign in sheets.  The  voter sign in sheets have never been produced raising questions about their two and a half year reign and the legitimacy of the 2009 election.    Cromwell was accused by Tribal Elders of padding the voter list with pending voters who are illegal, in order to win election.  Videos,  photographs, the failure to require tribal ID’s and genealogists or tribal Elders to identify legitimate voters on the list made the process suspect.

Cromwell never produced the tribal voter sign in sheets and will not produce the audio tapes of the council actions  since taking office in February 2009. This is a constitutional violation.

Council Member Laura Tobey Miranda,  a cousin of Cromwell’s and Aaron Tobey’s discovered huge charge card debts  for limo services and luncheons paid for by the tribe.  The airport limo service was $1500 and the luncheon was $2500. Tobey Miranda has launched an exploratory effort to test the waters for a run for Chairman  against her cousin Cedric.  It was rumored for months that Tobey Miranda and Aaron Tobey, the tribal Vice Chairman,would run as a Tobey Ticket.

Laura has refused to sign the recall against her cousin Cedric. Nor has she discussed these charge expenditures.

Traditionalists have sent detailed documents of violations of the constitution to the BIA along with the protests against the Charter. The Recall details are also being sent because the Council ignores tribal law. The Tribal Council continues to pay a judge without authority.

Pimp My Tribe

This is the legal tribal logo that was substituted for a giant cartoon turtle and other irrelevant symbols.

Traditionalists are extremely angry with the Cromwell administration. ( The Wanabee Wamps, recently enrolled, without paperwork, added by Jessie Tobey Baird,  have long since left the building).  Not only have tribal hopes for the future been dashed by his self serving bungling and ineptness, now he’s trying to set up a separate tribe through the Federal Charter of Incorporation.  The Charter,  goes to the DOI for approval don’t you know. It  allows an evenly numbered panel of tribal members (Ahh….Cedric, Aaron Markie etal) and “non tribal members” to run the new tribe.  The Charter Tribe can buy and dispose of  “tribal land,” establish businesses,  acquire debt all in the name of the Mashpee and on and on.

So the families of Cedric and Aaron will show up and vote for the Charter tribe and to keep jobs they would never have outside of the tribe.  Who would have thought it. Our destiny is in their hands. Who would ever imagine?

They  don’t understand that just like the Narragansett Housing Director arrested for embezzlement, they’re responsible for misappropriation.   Already the BIA is asking for refunds for our mismanaged grants, the Juvenile Justice in particular. People were not in the grant specs, and were hired and getting paid. Yvonne in particular.   The government wants that money back….right away. Oh boy.

Vote to allow Cedric, Aaron and Markie to keep running us into the ground and in debt?  The Charter allows them to keep getting paid and doing more damage to an ancient culture they know nothing about.

Now…what does this look like to you? That’s because you’re exactly right

Let’s look closer at the disintegration of the Cromwell Empire where desperation reigns.  Let’s look at your Charter Tribe.  Mark Tilden the Indian lawyer for Cedric and Markie, has been cozying up to Elders and others who have documents to solidify the Charter Tribe.  Tilden went to Aunt Dart to get the coveted documents in her blue folder.  That would be deeds and valued documents for the Parsonage, the Old Indian Cemetery, 55 Acres , and the housing land on Meeting House Road…what’s left of it. Her grandson intervened and stopped that little slight of hand. Thus Cedric canceled the last Wednesday’s Council meeting.

Then there’s the old Grant Pilfering Routine that has reared it’s ugly head again because the Malaysians have disappeared with their money.  No cash so  no money to pay salaries. They wouldn’t allow the hiring of 3 tribal members on a new $167,000 grant, as was allowed….guess they have plans for that money. Clearly no part of the  economic development plan.

The silly search for casino land sent Cedric to Plymouth last week. He clearly does not know those people hate us.  And…want nothing to do with us. The Senate President does not  want a casino in Plymouth…neither does anyone in Plymouth

Cedric should have stayed in Dorchester..or where ever.

Now, as Reel Wamps said a year ago.  Middleboro will sue the tribe. You have to wonder how much more pain these people will inflict on us and how much more we can take.