Credible sources have reminded Reel Wamps that FBI subpoenas issued in the spring of 2009, for the Chairman, the Vice Chairman and the Chairman’s estranged wife, are still active. That’s troublesome.
Just the people you want out front negotiating on our behalf. It’s no wonder the tribe’s downward spiral has turned into a curse. So sad that it’s painful struggle for recognition was realized only to be destroyed in a few years by people who have never been in tribal leadership and exploit the tribe.
Let’s review the history of the tribe’s slide down the slippery slope.
• When the land in trust process was thrown out in Feb 2009, the new administration failed to act quickly and single Mashpee out and protect its status. They were clueless about the LIT process in the first place. They never gave our expert lawyers any direction for a course of action. Instead they fired them because they hated Glen Marshall. And they fired other knowledgeable professionals which began a politically vengeful strategy that hurt the Mashpee Wampanoag and reversed every one of the gains made during a 30 year process.
This allowed 27 states, in the Congress, including Massachusetts to mobilize, openly oppose us and other tribes who needed to use LIT, Indian gaming ( because it takes money from the states), and basically prevents us from building a sovereignty casino that protects the tribe from predatory investors.
• The new Administration proceeded to spend up the $800 K surplus. The $300k a month provided by the original investors stopped in April 2009 because they refused to present a spending plan or sign an agreement. They ran out of money in August 2009.
• Out of money for their salaries, they sought and found the Malaysians by around October 2009. This is the same group that drove the Pequot over the cliff.
• The new administration reneged on the investors that they owe, reneged on Middleboro and the site of a 539 acre destination resort casino. Of course Middleboro has every right to sue the tribe for violating a perfectly legal agreement.
• The Chairman proceeds to negotiate a deal with Fall River on the biotech land that is already designated for that facility. The University of Mass is the administrator of the program and the state allocated over $54 million for various infrastructure associated with the project. The chairman even put a huge deposit down ( nobody knows whether it was just $250 K or $3.4 million)and the Mayor and the city economic development group took the money happily.
• The Mayor bailed on the tribe publicly when the state made clear it was going to punish Fall River for brokering an untenable deal. The Chairman claims Fall River is still looking for a location for a casino.
• Now the Malaysians are unhappy. It is the late winter 2011. They want assurances of a meeting between the governor and the chairman or they will not continue to funnel millions to the administration at 15% interest.
• The administration is out of money in March and only gets $500 K from the Malaysians.
• The Chairman talks to the owner of the decrepit Raynham dog track in late June 2011. Of course so has every other gaming interest. The owner is making demands that all of his laid off workers be rehired along with his current workers. The broken down facility is unworthy of a state license because it is so tiny and surrounded by swamps, it can’t even be expanded. It would be a slot dump generating very little money for the state or the investors forget about tribal members. Is that all we’re worth? Who would even talk to this guy? Remember a commercial casino provides no protection or guaranteed payment to tribal members. The investors don’t even have to hire tribal members.
• Following the dog track publicity stunt, the administration gets $2m in July. The Malaysians think there is some minor movement. But that money will have to last until after September when lawmakers come back, and the Massachusetts budget problems have to be addressed by Oct. 1. The administration has had its smallest draw down ever. $2.5 m over 6 months.
And besides, a commercial casino law would not take effect for 2-4 years if the bill were passed and signed today.
Knowing that the same Malaysians who drove the Pequot into the ditch are now engineering our fate, well that’s reason enough to believe that the current administration has some really awesome get rich plan in store for us. Or…….they just want to make sure they keep getting a paycheck. What do you think ?
