AB:     “Would you folks open a Class II in Middleborough?”

SH:     “Yeah… Absolutely!”

AB:     “Would a Class II actually survive?"

SH:     “If it is done right… It would be built the same way as a destination resort.  Class IIs, the Seminoles in FL, perfect example… With their Class II facilities, they bought the Hard Rock Café, the whole company."

AB:     "I’ve seen numbers like instead of 1.5 billion dollars (Class III), and its 900 million a year, something along those lines."

 

The preceding is a conversation Adam Bond had with Shawn Hendricks, leader of the Mashpee Tribe, on Bond’s weekly radio program last Thursday.  This is important to take in.  Just some quick definitions.  There are two types of gambling facilities that are relative to Massachusetts and the tribe,  Class II and Class III.  Class II is what is already allowed in MA, which includes lottery, track racing, bingo and other non-house games with an allowance for twice a year charitable “casino nights”.  Class III involves everything i a full fledged casino, one armed bandits (slot machines), roulette, craps, etc.  24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The big difference is the money taken in, most of which would come from the slots, the seniors’ and low income earner’s gamble of choice.  Preferably, the Mashpee want Class III.  That is where the big money is.  Some say it would not be worth the investor’s (Sol Kerzner & Les Wolman) time or money to go Class II, but we’ll just have to take Mr. Hendricks’ word for it.  Until the state passes Class III, it isn’t going to happen for them. Even Deval Patrick’s casino suitors will crawl back into the holes from which they came.  But Class II is important and this is why.  With Class II there is no compact with the state required and no mitigation money is allocated by the tribe to the state (except maybe, state road improvements surrounding the resort).  Therefore, there will be NO MONEY to area communities to mitigate the impacts.  ZERO.  NOTHING.  Mr. Hendricks stated that regardless of the current gambling laws in the state, if the land goes into trust, then there will still be a destination resort on the 500 acres of Middleborough, whether we like it or not.

 

Land into trust is important.  No land into trust means means no resort casino, Class II or Class III.  Is it good to fight Deval Patrick’s 3 casino plan?  YES!  Commercial casinos or tribal casinos still bring negative impacts that should not have to be mitigated.  But what is of immediate concern to Middleborough, Lakeville, Pympton, Carver, Raynham, Halifax, Taunton, Berkley, the Bridgewaters and all communities within striking distance is defeating the land into trust.  Write the Department of Interior at the addresses above.  Oppose the Mashpee’s land into trust.  It is your community that is at stake.

 

 

 

"I do not frequent the blogs and they will not post this anyways.

Look at the top section and you will see the data by tier.

Here is the data from the Region.  I broke it down and put it in the following order:

Tier 1 - Middleborough Only - 628
Tier 2 - Add Contiguous Towns - 4,390
Tier 3 - Add cities in the region - 16,339
Tier 4 - Add other towns within the region - 24,940
Whole List - Within a 45 minute drive plus the Cape - 54,650

The question is asked many times, who would drive 45 minutes to a job?  The answer is simple, someone who wants one.  People from this area travel to Boston every day.  I have an employee living in Boston commuting to the South Shore for $30K per year and no benefits.

As most may know, I am more than happy to share my data with them.  Maybe if they just ask me for my source of the data.  It would be easier than making themselves appear as they are."

Factfinder, you neglected to mention your own quote, which talked about Middleboro & New Bedford. 

"The ironic thing is when you look at the region around Middleborough or New Bedford for that matter, you are looking at 26,000 unemployed people sitting there today." 

If you meant a 45 minute drive, then say that.  Don't say "the region around Middleboro or New Bedford."  Just admit you said the wrong thing and meant to say 45 minute drive.  Don't change the meaning of region when by your definition Middleboro & New Bedford are in the same region.  Where did 26,000 come from?  You don't get that until after your fourth tier.

As far as sharing information.  Then would you be so happy to send copies of ALL the information from your current and former Casino Impact committees on your casino work to the Regional Task Force and CasinoFacts.  We would love to see it.  You say you have so much information you would love to share, but we never see it.  Now that we know you are happy to share your data.

 

You can read the entire thread here.

 

 

 

 

 

"It sucks." - Charles V. Snurkowski, lifelong Norwich CT resident and former employee of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos.

 

Read more about what this guy thinks of his casino experience.

 

"I worked in both of them. Given the choice I would blow them both up. I never worked so hard for so little."

At Foxwoods, Snurkowski was a cafeteria server, making $7.26 an hour. Then he went to Mohegan, where, as a server, he fed up to 4,000 people a night but still never made $8 an hour. That was six years ago. And, Snurkowski said, he wound up going bankrupt because he also gambled at the casinos.

"Casino gambling is like anything else. You lose more than you win. It's a fun place to go if you can control yourself," Snurkowski said.

 

Gee!  I thought it was supposed to be great working at casinos.  I thought according to Adam Bond, Middleboro Selectman and Gov. Deval Patrick, that everything can be mitigated away to nothing.  I guess not.  According to this article in The Republican, everything we say about casinos is true.  Nightmare traffic, hot bunking, higher taxes, lousy jobs with lousy pay and over stressed municipalities.  30 foreign languages in one town alone.  What a mess?

 

Here is a quote that really solidifies why gambling is so much like an illicit drug.

 

"You kind of forget everything that's bothering you."

 

Casinos are built to desensitize you from the world.  You become a mess.  The community around you becomes a mess and it only gets worse.

After hearing the report that the Middleboro Five had to call an emergency meeting to rectify problems of their own creating by not hiring a casino planner that the casino investors would pay for more than 5 months ago, I needed to attend and witness this group live. I went to the emergency Middleboro BoS meeting with my friend and fellow CFO member Mike Salomeeni (as Marsha Brunelle affectionately called him today).  It was as I thought it would be.  It was a coronation ceremony for Ruth Geoffroy to be Casino Queen and to hire someone else to do her job as town planner.  It looks like it would take months to hire someone, so for now nothing will change. It was quite a meeting, I must say.  To see the Middleboro Five up there live was quite entertaining.  With the exception of Wayne Perkins, all looked like they just rolled out of bed and in Bond, Adam Bond's case just rolled out of an all night college party. It was flying monkey heaven.  CRAC (Middleboro Resort Advisory Committee) was there.  The planning board was there and other assorted monkeys.  All were singing Ruth's praises.  Not to put down any past accomplishments or her credentials, but it was a love-fest.  Rarely did they use the word "casino".  It was mostly "resort". Ruth was first up to speak.  Basically stating, she hates consultants, she wants to be the casino queen and that is why we need someone hired to do her town planning job (with her oversight).  She says the Hekawis (Mashpee Wampanoags) want her to do it. Bond & Perkins were already sold on hiring the new person and want to vote now.  Marsha says, "No, not yet."  Patrick Rogers states that he looks at the Hekawis as a "developer".  "Good developers."  A developer he "respects".  "I support the project."  He then goes into the possibility that there should be a facilitator to work solely on the resort.  Ruth pooh poohs, I am the "only one qualified".  I want full control.  Bond retorts to Rogers that "the model is already set".  We can't change the model.  Rogers caves and says Ruth will do a great job. Iron Mike gets up and pleads the case for a separate casino planner, so Ruth can do the job she was hired to do.  The rest of the town will suffer without the proper attention.  Marsha says too bad.  We have already gone over this and have decided differently.  (They didn't even vote yet?  Makes you go, hmmm.)  Ruth states she wants the job.  Bond, Adam Bond goes into full exaltation mode.  Ruth is soooo impressive.  Ruth should be town planner forever.  We should freeze her brain, if she dies, comparing her to Alan Greenspan of town planning.  This project is a stepping stone for her and will look so good on her resume'.  Not only that, she wants the control over the resort planning.  Rogers repeats, Ruth is great. Steve Spataro asks Ruth if she will get "distracted" from her regular duties, "it is a concern."  Ruth says she will oversee the town, but will be "hands on" with the casino. A Mr. Brown got up and said there was a conspiracy going on, but was for the project.  Marsha appeared agitated.   Mr. Brown finishes with Ruth is great, but there still is a conspiracy going on. CRAC member gets up and says Ruth is great, we want Ruth. Mr. Sylvia states everyone here is great even when he doesn't agree with them.  Ruth is exceptionally great. Marsha states that this is a "time sensitive project".  We must have better communication between the planning board and the BoS.  We have workshops for the departments to assist with their planning.  Ruth says, she will communicate with the BoS.  Marsha can't waste any more time.  Let's vote.  It is unanimous to hire someone to do Ruth's job, while she goes all casino.  She is Queen, except when Marsha is. It was a dog and pony show for Ruth.  It did leave one question unanswered.  Will Ruth be back on CRAC now or will she have to wait for the new hire?  They are months behind on this.  I'm sure the investors are not pleased. Good luck with that.  I feel sorry for you guys in Middleboro.

 

 

“When we get the facts out about why this casino scheme is a very bad deal for the people of Massachusetts, we’ll win.” - Richard Young, president of Casino Free Mass.

As long as we don't let gambling interests get all the play time and get the truth out about casino gambling, then the facts will prevail.  That is why if you can get enough people together with enough money to hire "Hit Men", then we can beat this whole deal down.  The tide is turning on the PR side of this whole debate.  You will notice that the opposition to casino gambling are starting to more often get the first quotes in the print media and the proponents are last.  For the longest time it was the other way around.  We are increasing and they are deceasing in power.  It is a good sign, but it is not over yet by a long shot. 

I like Steve Bailey's artcle today about how ridiculous the MTA's endorsement for the casinos is.  They should know better from experience.  I only posted what they seem to have forgotten in my previous blog on 2/9.

Anne Wass, president of the teachers union, doesn't put a fine point on it: "We need the revenues for our schools." She calls Anzivino a personnel situation she would rather not discuss; he is inconvenient, no question about it. "If somebody has an addiction problem, they are going to find a way to do it," she told me.

That says it all to me.  Blinded by their own ambitions. 

By the way Steve, any relation to the "hit men"?