Monthly Archives: April 2013

Shattered dreams

The meeting last night was the continuation of the demoralization of the Tribe.  No answers, no plan, which effectively erases our future. Many of our people held out hope against hope that there was a casino in our future.  Now we are worse off than we were 40 years ago.

A real Mashpee would have had a true economic development plan in place 3.5 years ago, it’s the back up the government requires and it would have utilized the heritage that has helped us survive for centuries…. we would have had a plan B….the living heritage, aqua farming, hunting and fishing guides, indigenous cooking and on an on….but instead you had Greg Mckiney, totally disconnected, heading up the Economic development committee full more condescending tribal members who are clueless about the Mashpee Wampanoag and how to put our people to work. They produced nothing. It’s stupid confirming that Cedric knows nothing about Mashpee.  You can’t fix what ya don’t know.

This is one big hustle for Cedric that has come to a bad end.

There are 2 ” True Mashpee” on that Council, and you know who they are.   The others are an incompetent group who are showing up to see when the members are going to melt down. There’s nothing to front for anymore.  As the Genting money evaporates and the jobs disappear you will see less and less of Yvonne, Cheryl, that crackpot Jessie, Marge who is retiring…suddenly. And Cedric will disappear leaving us to worry about the debt.  Robbie, well, he’s still playing catch up or something.  He never asked anyone for help.Instead of bringing the nightmare to an end,  he fell in with the loosers.  Disappointing.

Cedric thinks he has no worries.   You can get as mad as you want.   You are helpless against a phantom government that has been telling you

” we’ll get back to you on that.” But he knows his legacy is one worse than any thing in our history.

The White lawyers and PR people walk away with millions because Cedric signs the contracts.  They keep giving Cedric bad advice and he keeps taking it….and they keep billing.

 

Cedric should resign along with Yvonne, Marie, Cheryl, Trish and anyone else that wants to help pull us out of the ditch. The elections committee should resign. Anyone who asks Earl Mills for his ID is not worthy of monitoring an election. The economic development committee fiasco should resign, Jessie should resign. She’s been beating the hell out of us for years. Jesus, how much scamming can we take.  The pine needles and sea foam is an absolute outrage. Is she back from her vacation yet? Smart to disappear when you know you bull—-isn’t going to help us get a casino.

We get a $30 food card.  Ain’t that great ? Ain’t that just dreamy?

 

Feed the lawyers starve the Tribe

Cromwell was never credible

If you’re wondering what happens next, you’re not alone.  But the answer may never come because there has never been a legitimate strategy, end game or plan B.  Cromwell is  now  spinning the ” persecution ” angle.  Says the Tribe is being mistreated.   Yes we are. Mistreated by Cedric and the gang.

Cromwell has bungled the casino deal from the start.

  • Selects Taunton-worst location in the state(50 acres) 5 months before the deadline.  We had the best in Middleboro(530 acres)
  • Wastes  $500k on Taunton election (election outcome no relevance to the process)
  • Wastes $4-5m on legal bills for “Crappy Compact” called the worst in the nation.
  • Tribal traditionalists revolt over aboriginal rights change in compact and other well known federal mandates violated in the Compact.
  • Land in Trust application remains incomplete-lacks historic ties, environmental clearance and proof of federal recognition before 1933 invalid. Middleboro deal had it all.
  • By September  2012 Genting tells Council…” We’re not in the loan business we’re in the gaming business.” The relationship deteriorates.
  • Ramona Peters and Jessie Baird try to repair LIT saying our link is through the river and that we originated from “pine needles and sea foam”
  • Tribal governance deteriorates, the Genting money comes in smaller increments and goes to pay for past debt, mostly legal bills.
  • Audio minutes of tribal government actions are skimpy at best presenting a bigger problem of government legitimacy.
  • Nov 2012 Attempts to alter election law, set up gaming commission and federal charter government fail.
  • Nov 2012 Mass Gaming Commission gives Tribe 90 days to resolve many federal problems signaling that it has lost patience
  • Mashpee 9 file federal lawsuit asking for federal investigation and monitoring of  2013 election—still pending
  • Kimberly Frye ” SR” ( Cromwell’s sister in law) is reappointed as Elections Chair after its determined she served illegally for a year
  • No movement on the Compact redo for 4 months
  • Compact redone, it’s as bad as the last, legislature never takes it up for approval
  • At the last minute Cedric adds Galleria to Compact because the land he has is inadequate
  • Tribal lawyers indicate they plan to sue MGC when its clear Tribe can’t get issues reolved in a ” reasonable ” time period.
  • Cedric spends $2m in a week on poorly produced, over saturating media campaign attacking the MGC, in an attempt to drum  up sympathy…it backfires….it also continues to run during Marathon terror attack
  • Despite Cedric’s misinformation, MGC confirms that it will take a minimum of 6 years to get  LIT
  • MGC opens Region C for bidding

So a real government would have a fall back position and one that helps tribal members get on their feet and improve their quality of life, instead of relying solely on casinos.   No such luck.   You have Cedric playing the blame game and still collecting a check for leading us over the cliff. It’s amazing that such consistent failure is rewarded…..if Cedric really cared, he would resign…..no such luck.   Maybe when they stop sending the checks.

 

Gonzo! Region C Open For Commercial Bids.

Thursday afternoon:  The Mass Gaming Commission voted unanimously to open Region C, Southeastern Massachusetts to bids from commercial gaming companies.  It’s not like we didn’t tell you.  The very concerns that we raised were the same that brought this on.  We are not, however, here to gloat.  We as a tribe lose not only the advantage that appeared to be ours, but we have lost much in good will and reputation.

Details as they become available.

Failure

 

 

Cedric  accepted the rules of the game, but clearly doesn’t know how to play.

He has humiliated us, indebted us and is now treating us like morons by telling us that we’re going to have a casino anyway. So did he tell the BIA that or the FBI?

He has never done a damned thing that would benefit  us. He allowed Genting to disable us and the lawyers to get rich off of us. And they’re going to continue with lawsuits that feed the lawyers and starve the tribe.

We are reduced to getting a monthly $30 food card like a third world nation.

He got us  So if Tribal members want to ignore what’s happened to us under Cedric Tobey Cromwell, well that’s going to be tough with this ridiculous debt hung around our necks binding generations to come, You can’t say you weren’t told. Cedric and his Fryebal Council destroyed the simplest dignity left to us. You knew it all along.

Keep making all that noise agitating the MGC.  Keep it up.

Ignorance and deceit is a killer. Ain’t it bird?

 

 

This is how it is

This is what’s going on.  From the Massachusetts Gaming Commission website.

“The Commission is considering a plan for Region C with the broadest range of options for the most parties, including protecting the Tribe’s option of getting land in trust in timely fashion, a plan that promotes the robust competition that has so successfully served the best interests of the Commonwealth in Regions A (Eastern Mass) and B (Western Mass). Under this plan, we would open Region C to commercial bidders, while the Tribe proceeds with its quest to get a Compact approved by the Legislature and its land in trust from the Department of the Interior. After the Commission reviews any commercial proposals we receive, we will then look at all the facts as they are at that time—including whether the Tribe has its land in trust and is ready to proceed with its project, and then decide what course of action is in the best interest of the Commonwealth and Southeastern Mass. “

And Cedric spent $2 million dollars on a negative media campaign against MGC. The expense is unreal. Again, the consultants made an incredible amount of money ( about $1.75 million ) along with you know who.  Once again producing a poorly concocted message that got us nowhere.   He said it was the investors money. Sure it was but it’s still our debt and another layer of humiliation on top of the fact that we have no economic development plan to get our people back to work.

Cedric Cromwell is a Mao man committed to Genting. Let’s see where he goes from here.

 

 

 

Commercial does damage

The person doing the voice work in Cedric’s homemade spot can’t even properly pronounce Wampanoag.  That’s the caliber of consultants we have working for us.

The strategy is beyond a reach…it’s pathetic.

Cedric’s last stand

Now that the Tribal casino license has all but evaporated, Cedric’s trying to drum up sympathy with an expensive media campaign attacking the Mass Gaming Commission.  He’s on TV, he’s on radio, he’s in the newspapers saying the chair of the Gaming Commission lacks transparency. Mistreating the poor Mashpee Wampanoag.

That’s right Cedric is talking about transparency. The nerve hu?   The commission is doing it’s job. Cedric and his band of lousy lawyers are surrounded like Custer.

It’s an unmitigated waste of time and money because it’s too late and  it’s a lot of money for an impossible outcome.

Let’s talk about the transparency in the tribal government. Though the Council has not passed a budget, Genting  did send an infusion of $ 5 million the day after the election.   Most of that went to pay 4 months of debt in arrears. Most of it legal fees.   You can be sure it’s not for the many tribal members in need

The big money pit is the Tribal Gaming Commission that spends $1.5 million monthly.   There’s no transparency there.  They do whatever they want…..in secret.

 

 

Protect Cedric’s Job And Revenue

I thought that it was all wrapped up.  Cedric has assured us that the advantage is ours in the running for a casino in SE Mass.  From the tone of desperation in the ad that our public relations people have put up on YouTube, I am sensing otherwise.  If a Tribal casino in Taunton is such a sure thing, why would we have to pay Brooke Scannell big money to create a commercial that is as inaccurate as it is desperate.

First of all, we do not have a “federal right” to a casino.  We have a Massachusetts legislated advantage that is predicated on our ability to get our lands placed into trust by the BIA.  I don’t see this happening any time soon.  The same inept and feckless leadership that has led us down more than one dead end dirt road is about to lead its followers over a cliff.

Secondly, the theme of this production is “jobs and revenue.”  Jobs for whom?  Genting, or some one of its divisions will be the casino management.  They will certainly employ whomever they want to, Tribe members may be offered a few menial jobs, maybe Cedric’s pals will get something a little better, but seriously, who is going to drive the hundred or so miles round  trip to be a lavatory attendant or wash floors?  And revenue?  Revenue for Genting, revenue for the Commonwealth, revenue for Taunton; what about revenue for the Tribe?  Maybe a little bit will come our way, oh, in a decade or so.  Bah!

Thirdly, to be bluntly realistic, the State Gaming Commission is not there for the convenience and benefit of the Tribe.  They are entirely accountable to the citizens and taxpayers of the Commonwealth.  To attack them is an exercise in futility.

Had Cromwell & Co. pursued a more prudent path instead of their vindictive efforts to wipe away all traces of the previous administration, we might have already built a casino in Middleborough.  And while we’re at it, we would also have a very nice community center.  Keep following this jerk.  You will get just what you deserve.

“Takeittohigher judge!”

The Elders Judiciary committee has been complaining about Tribal Supreme Court Judge Henry Sockbeson recently and once again went to the Tribal Council to complain some more. Oh, yah…everyone but that big time Native American advocate Harold Tobey, who wants to keep Henry as the head of the phoney court.

Harold’s  devotion to Henry may have something to do with the fact that several lawsuits are pending that say Harold did not meet the criteria to be a tribal member. Being that Sockbeson is notorious for allowing cases to languish ( David Pocknett 16-18 months) and randomly dismisses cases, Henry is Harold’s kind of guy.

Well the committee says Sockbeson ignores them and won’t tell them anything ….like what he’s doing with the budget. Well of course he ignores them. He takes orders from  Cedric and that crack team of million dollar lawyers that find any excuse to bill the Tribe. They allowed it to go on for 4 years.

Mills, Tobey & Sockbeson sign contracts

The legal battles about to ensue could prove very embarrassing to the extremely pious Elders Judiciary who march along with Cedric. The record of the court speaks clearly of its role….to oppress any member seeking a resolution to an issue. Or to harass tribal members. The court is to be exposed.  We have the unique problem of having a court that has no authority to do anything or enforce any ruling.

Clearly the EJC is getting no counsel from Navajo Joe ( golf buddy of Henry ).   So they asked the Council to order King Henry to act right.  They also wanted  to pass some ordinances to get the King in line. They weren’t too sure what to do…but it’s clear he’s Cedric’s boy so getting rid of King Henry may be tough.

Now Robert Mills is front and center to be judge.   A tribal member. Too many conflicts.   The closeness might even make one think they could discourage people from filing suit…..ya think?   Conflicts all around us.

Well, if you don’t like it file suit in the Tribal Court.

 

Warning signs

Those who know the political process realized weeks ago that the fact that the Massachusetts legislature was not taking up the tribal compact was another signal of doom. Technically its languishing on the calendar.  With the Massachusetts Gaming Commission all but confirming that it would open the bidding,  it meant the legislature didn’t need to waste time on the compact that would never be fulfilled.

It doesn’t matter what the Governor says. All of his admonishments to the Gaming Commission don’t amount to a warm bucket of spit. He can’t control the legislature or the MGC. His little charade was always known.  He played with ” Bro” Cedric and lead him down the primrose path like we were his friends.  Patrick was doing the business of the Commonwealth and took full advantage of the neophyte Cromwell.

We have have had few friends since 1620. And Cedric sold us like the colonists did after the King Phillips War ( Of course he will have to google that little bit of disturbing history because he’s clueless.)

Cromwell’s ridiculous scam leaves a wicked legacy.