Reel Wamps

“Don’t lie and you never have to remember anything.”  That line has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, and God knows who else.  It’s true though, just ask Jessie Little Doe.  Her memory apparently failed her at the Sunday Tribal meeting.  Uh-oh.  But that is no real surprise, is it?  Seems she has had a previous memory lapse regarding the question of “shunning.”  (It was her idea.)

This blogger wonders if all the secrecy about the gaming deal was precisely so the leadership wouldn’t have to remember just what they said when they were lying.  Sunday’s magic show and mathematical acrobatics really didn’t work.  In fact, we have more question than ever.

Old Mashpee were not ones to be impressed by shiny trinkets and glass beads, and frankly, other than the cushy salaries of the big cheeses, that’s about all we stand to get.  There will be no LIT, unless you think that Harry Reid of Nevada wants more East Coast competition.  And even if Divine intervention were to occur, you can count on the revenue to be so low that we won’t see a cent, except the $12.5 million, just enough to run the office and pay the salaries of the big wheels.  We have a bad economy and people do not have the disposable income.  Four dead in Atlantic City.  Foxwoods on the ropes.  Kinda like building an ice cream stand in November.  It doesn’t look good.

Shovel Teady Ceddie ain't so steady.

Shovel Ready Ceddie was enraged by news reports of the many horrors his administration has heaped on us.  The outrageous $90 million debt  is actually money funneled in and out of the Gaming Commission.The idea that Shovel Ready Ceddie has to answer to the people and be accountable for all this was unacceptable to him.  Emotion got the better of the Dorcester bro who released his anger on to the tribal website by threatening us and citing the constitution as the law allowing him to silence the growing opposition. Here’s his website tirade:

Tribal Council Meetings

Wednesday 10/8/14, commencing at 5:30 PM until 9:30 PM at Community & Government Center, 483 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee Mass 02649, Tribal Council Chambers.

The Decorum of the Tribal Council meeting will be enforced by the Meetings of the Tribal Council Law and there will be no exceptions to the rule. These meetings are held to conduct the business of the Tribe and not meant for an unprofessional & unacceptable behavior or disruptive environment. The Tribal Council will conduct Tribal business per Tribal Law.

As Tribal Council Chairman, per the Mashpee Wampanoag Constitution, I preside over the Tribal Council meetings and will recognize you to speak, otherwise you do not have the floor. There will be 15 minute Public commentary only for the Tribal Citizens and not for Tribal Council Member Legislators to engage in conversation or use this time for their comments. If the meeting turns towards a disruptive and disorderly situation caused by a person (s), I will move forward with removal of the person (s) from the Tribal Council Meeting. This is non-negotiable via Tribal Law. I expect Tribal Security and Mashpee Police Law Enforcement to follow-through on my removal decision of a person (s) from the Tribal Council meeting based on disruptive, dissorderly and/or hostile behavior.

In addition to the exsisting rolling agenda, there will the following added:

1. Future scheduled Tribal Council Meeting dates
2. Loan Note 14 Draw-Down
3. Project First Light Land Option Agreements

Executive Session:

1. Newspaper article concerns with Councilman Carlton Hendricks and Councilwoman Laura Miranda

Apparently Shovel Ready didn’t understand that the First Amendment of the US Constitution applies to the Mashpee Wampanoag,especially since we have no sovereignty (without land in trust). Our own Constitution says we can speak freely. He cannot arbitrarily silence us because he doesn’t want to be criticized.  His job is to listen and do what we want…in the real world of democracy that is.

Apparently Shovel Ready Ceddie’s lawyers made him take it down, fast….but it was too late. He was already indicted by his threats, and his efforts to intimidate tribal members with removal by the Mashpee Police. The Executive Session to discuss Carlo & Laura’s participation in the newspaper story is even more outrageous.  They are Council members who represent us. Questioning the smothering debt and and other misappropriations of federal dollars is their job.Too bad no amount of challenge and complaint can stop Shovel Ready Ceddie’s regime and its hard work for Genting.

And even if we were a real Indian Nation, the US Department of Justice can investigate and prosecute all civil rights violations against any US citizens.  They do it every time a state,city or county crosses the line.  The Justice Department supersedes any and all government authorities and prosecute when people can’t get  justice.

In Ferguson Missouri, police told protestors they had to keep moving, they couldn’t stop and congregate or even rest. They were trying to wear them out so they would disperse.  A court said it was illegal.  The police were impeding their right to free speech just like Shovel Ready Ceddie. Course the Justice Department is in Ferguson to investigate the Brown killing. Violations of civil rights of all kinds constitutes action.

Tribal members have asked the government to intervene since the Tribal court has no authority and little else will stop Shovel Ready Ceddie.

The lonely dictator can no longer keep things under wraps. His tribal government staff is panicked and talking way too much.  They’re damned near brawling over who will survive the collapse.

Tribal members will probably pack the room Wednesday night.  Shovel Ready can’t take that kind of pressure which is yet another dilemma for his shell government.

Hoka

“The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

In the Thursday, October 2 article “Alarms raised on Tribal Council spending,” The Times brings to light what Tribal members have known all along, and what we here at ReelWamps have been pointing out for years.  This Cromwell administration may possibly be the most corrupt and cynical mob ever to run an Indian Tribe.  Financial information is sketchy, and frankly, suspect.  Salaries are way out of proportion for a tribe that has practically zero in actual independent revenue sources.  We would love to see the tax returns of the Council officers.  Even more, we would like to know what kind of financial sleight-of-hand is going on between Genting and the Council and the Gaming commission.  Does it trouble anyone that we borrow the money from Genting to pay the interest on the money that we borrow from them?  Huh?

There are many more questions on our minds.  Some of those were raised in the Times article, for example, the question of Land Into Trust.  Councilman Hendricks raised the issue that LIT can only happen through an act of Congress.  Good luck with that.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is from Nevada, home of the Las Vegas strip.  I’m sure he looks forward to more Indian gaming on the East Coast.

Cromwell’s assertion that Tribe members get a say in the matters through the electoral process is laughable.  Cromwell and his cronies have run at least two crooked elections since gaining control of the process, and all have some cloud or another hanging over them.

Worst of all the sins of the Cromwell administration is their continual efforts to quash dissent and silence even the softest of criticism.  It is nothing new.  It started on the very election day when Cromwell “won” and raided the Tribal information office and the padlocked others.  This very blog somehow disappeared from blogspot.com.  (One wonders whose doing that was?)  Any council member or candidate who dissents does so at his peril.  Richard Oakley was so harassed and left out of the loop that he resigned in disgust.  Carlton Hendricks Jr. was arrested two separate times on the night before an election, once for a non-arrest violation.  (One wonders whose doing that was?)  Carlton Hendricks and Laura Miranda are getting the same cold shoulder as Richard Oakley did.  Do any of you see a pattern here?

To add another Biblical reference, we have asked for bread, and they have given us a stone.  We have asked for a fish, and they have handed us a serpent.  We ask for substance, and all we get is worn out platitudes.