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Carl's Casino Quotes & Commentary
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Home | About Me | Favorite Links | Contact Me
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In the course of human events it becomes inevitable to stand up and take action. Some actions require
the disemination of information to inform and educate the masses. The current events that have taken place in my community
and more specifically in the neighboring town of Middleborough have brought me to this point. A proposed resort casino
by the Wampanoags of Mashpee and their South African casino investors professed as a "done deal" by the Middleborough board
of selectmen is unacceptable for my community. Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick's three casino plan (which as of 3/20/08 is dead) for our state is also unacceptable. I hope to display and comment
upon effectively quotations from various individuals their convictions and attitudes on this pressing subject. May it
educate, inform and entertain you thoroughly.
COMMENTS:
If you would like to leave a comment about a particular post,
please feel free to e-mail me at lakevilleteaparty@yahoo.com, be respectful and sign as how you want to be known and I'll publish your comment. Posting a comment is 100% my
call.
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Friday, May 23, 2008
Damage Control
"Rumors, unfounded as it turned out, had been circulating that the selectmen planned to buy the
12.2 acres owned by the Gibbs family... only to sell it to the tribe when (or if) the casino is built." - Jane
Lopes, Editor of the Middleborough Gazette - Editorial Opinion May 22, 2008
There is a difference when a newspaper reporter reports on an event and an editor editorializing
on the opinion page. A reporter will, or at least should, stick to reporting facts about an event, while an editor is
at some liberty to throw in opinion on a matter. Being an editor of a paper is like being a blogger, except us bloggers
don't get paid for our opinions.
That being said, it would be nice to base one's opinions on facts and not "rumors". I would
have thought that Ms. Lopes, being a fair reporter when she reports, would be equally as fair in her editorials or at least
factual. It seems she neglected to investigate the "rumor" that the town was after the Gibbs property only to sell it
later to the Mashpee tribe. It was hardly a "rumor" to the Gibbs. The BOS may not have come right out and said
that they intended to do what was rumored, but that is because every time they discussed the Gibbs property they went into
executive session. I am surprised that Ms. Lopes didn't put on her investigative reporter hat and ask the town planner,
Ruth Geofroy why she went to Bingo Resort Advisory Committee to get their endorsement of a warrant article about conservation.
What do resorts have to do with preserving the towns rural character? She should have looked for the witnesses who ratted
out Ruth. In the discussion at the meeting it was about buying the Gibbs property to later sell it to "the Indians".
Quite the spin on your editorial Jane, but it doesn't survive the truth test. If she did her
homework, what she claims is "unfounded" would have been found.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Power to the People
Q: When is a town meeting an actual town meeting?
A: When the actual resisdents of the town within the rules set before them actually run the town
meeting.
Town meeting has been described to the purest form of democracy within the United States.
Where less do citizens of all stripes able to govern themselves? By their votes, they dictate what the bylaws are,
approve budgets, make financial appropriations and purchases. It can be an amazing event. Most often the elected
and appointed official of the town make decisions that are placed on the town warrant for the meeting and the people decide
what should be done. The people ultimately decide. The town officials only have as much control as the people
let them. If there is little participation by the citizenry, shenanigans can occur. But a well informed and active
group of citizens can work for the common good.
This is what happened in Middleborough this past Tuesday and Thursday. Most of what some residents saw as over reaching or unwise articles were either amended, tabled
or were voted down out right. It was a major victory for the people of Middleborough. Articles 14 & 15 which would have allowed expedited permitting was defeated.
Article 30 was amended. This was to purchase the Gibbs property adjacent to the casino property.
There was a much to do about the land, since it was observed that the town would possibly sell the land in the future to the
Mashpee tribe. Because of the blogging of many individuals, many citizens caught wind of the scheme and inundated
Ruth Geofroy, the town planner, asking why they were doing this. Many citizens protested the taking. What finally
took place was that a conservation and agricultural district restriction was to be placed on the article with the purchase
keeping the land after it being purchased by the town. After pressure from the citizens, the land now could
not then be bought by developers, casino or otherwise. It was voted on unanimously to purchase. This made
everyone involved happy, except maybe the tribe and those who work for the tribe behind the scenes. Some of which
took such offense that they commented in one on-line report of the warrant article trying to spin that us bloggers lost our
bearings and didn't know what we were talking about. Commenting to the point of breaking the "pool rules" by personally
attacking us bloggers. The comments were deleted by the on-line editor of the paper not giving them a forum for
their hate.
The last article of note was Article 41. It was to purchase property for the sighting for new
town wells. The big problem with this was that the private owners of the land were not even informed that the town wanted
to take their land by eminent domain. What kind of thoughtless action was that? What was the town planner
and the BOS thinking? The article was put off indefinitely, killing it.
A victory in democracy, all of them. Good job citizens of Middleborough!
COMMENTS:
Excellent post that actually tells the true
story behind the Gibbs land. I found it downright hideous that some procasino people used the comment section on
an online newspaper article to once again attack and harrass anti casino bloggers. They call us a hate group....my goodness, all one has to do
is read their comments and see who is the real haters and internet abusers. I guess since they don't have their
pro-casino forum to harrass us anymore, they feel the need to abuse a comment section in a public newspaper.
Disgraceful. When are they going to realize that they are only hurting the Tribe's efforts to be good neighbors in
an attempt to build a casino here?
Kudos to the on-line editor who listened and removed
the offensive comments.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Casino Humor - Some can't take a Joke.
  Many on the pro-casino side of this debate are oh so thin skinned. I suppose
I understand to a degree, since they are the butt of many of the jokes made. No one likes to be made sport of as a rule.
They have taken personal offense and have called myself and others "cyberbullies". Reportedly, these joking attacks
were sent to the District Attorney as some sort of libel or slander. To them, describing attributes of a member of B.R.A.C.
(Bingo Resort Advisory Committee, f/k/a C.R.A.C., "C" was for Casino) in a manner similar to those addicted to crack cocaine
is down right mean. (I'm sure you intelligent people out there get the play on words). By doing so, they say I
am making the vicious attack of calling them "drug dealers". Given their all out attack through the media (radio, newspapers and the internet), they prove my point, they are addicted to the
casino and sell the idea to anyone who will buy it and no one should stand in their way of getting their fix. When they
compare anti-casino people with Nazis or the KKK it is okay? Heaven forbid that I call them "dolts" or "morons"
as Scott Adams does to them in general, I'm sure they can send these cartoons to the DA as well.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Article 30, Middleborough Town Meeting
"How can Ruth justify 12.8 acres for conservation when the town gave away many more acres,
the Striar land to casino backers!! So it's bad to have 5 homes as neighbors, but it's OK to have a casino as a
neighbor?? It's Ok for Darmen to "keep" going w/huge amounts of homes on Ruth's beloved rural Thompson St.? Well, in
my heart we did the right thing, we tried, the letters were delivered, we have our receipts for each one, we so wanted
to NOT let them get away with being a casino town, we know they are purchasing our land for the wrong reasons!!"
- Judy Gibbs, Middleboro home owner and CFO Board member
Back room deals, also known in Middleborough as an executive session of the board of selectman, is
why Article 30 along with others need to be voted down at their town meeting. The casino project is loaded with hard
to swallow coincidences. The Masphee tribe for 30 years fails to get federal recognition until finally through
the help of casino big money interests and associations to Jack Abramoff, finally receive recognition. Within months land
in Middleborough is auctioned off for failure to pay back taxes and is conveniently bought by casino developers. Other
land is bought and is held off the records of the registry of deeds to just before the auctioned sale. More land options
are placed to buy for the tribe. Tribe comes in to promote the casino plans, calls opponents racists and pressure
an inter-municipal agreement on the town that they say must be made or the tribe will build anyway and the town will get nothing.
Lies, all lies from the rapist and liar before Congress, Glen Marshall. An agreement is reached and one that many say
will not be enough to mitigate every trouble the casino would bring. All because a carpetbagger from NY comes to town, becomes
a selectman after an amazing couple years in town and brings in a lawyer who negotiates compacts for a living then
gives the town a lousy deal. A special town meeting is held that under state town meeting regulations would be questionably
invalid, but continues the mantra of, "Sign, they are coming anyway." People are too scared and agree to let the town
sign, but still don't want a casino with a second non-binding vote.
Months pass. The state rejects class III gaming and the BOS, the tribe and investors move forward
as if they still think a casino is inevitable. Right now all they could build is a big bingo hall. They still
push for a casino. It is what they want and are doing everything to make it look inevitable. Is it any wonder
that B.R.A.C. (The Bingo Resort Advisory Committee, formerly known as C.R.A.C. The first C was for casino.) is in favor
of Article 30 and take Ms. Gibbs land that abuts the casino land to sell it to the tribe later. Ruth Geofroy is gung-ho
and is the main pusher for all the casino related articles. She as stated previously is the tribe's main fave.
The town cannot afford any of the land takings they want to make, but it is all for the casino. It is okay for
Oak Point to expand down Thompson Street and other developers to build, but the Gibbs property is for some reason singled
out in the name of "preservation." The tribe wants it to buy from the town later on to expand. The BOS needed
to always go into executive session because they needed town counsel to iron out this eminent domain situation.
I have a challenge to Ruth Geofroy and the Middleborough BOS to prove me wrong by dropping Article
30. I would have them swear on a stack of Bibles that this land taking has nothing to do with the casino and the fact
that Ms. Gibbs is a vocal casino opponent, but they in my opinion have already broken their oath of office with their past
conduct. I now they and their minions read my blog. Go ahead, make my day.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Naaaa... What's Up Doc!
"I don't like the fact that the state is giving me a carrot of $150,000...I'd rather have more
control of the process." - Adam Bond, Chairman of the Middleborough Board of Selectmen
This is good that the selectman formally known as the "Chairman of Vice" is thinking this way about Chapter 43D which in short is meant to help economic developement by shortening the permitting process to 180
days. There are still way to many questions concerning the impact of how this would legistically work in regards
to other regulations and even with town by laws as well noted here in this article of the Middleborough Gazette. The town planner, Ruth Geoffroy thinks we should at least "experiment" with it.
It should be noted that there are concerns that the two warrant articles deal with land closely associated with the development
for the proposed Mashpee casino. It must be noted that Ms. Geoffroy is the fave of the tribe and they want her to run the show, so the implication is there as is some of the other articles
to purchase land on Thompson St. surrounding the casino site for "land preservation." Curious dealings indeed.
The town meeting should be quite an event next week.
The carrot of $150,000.00 isn't a big enough from the state, but $7 - 9 million
works just fine from the casino investors to rush through a casino with very little or no state and local control.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Train has left the Station.
“The governor could ask for additional compensation from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.”
- Brian P. Giovanoni, chairman of Middleboro’s (Bingo) Resort Advisory Committee
My, what interesting advice to the governor. All kinds of advice. A civil engineer now
financial, governmental negotiator and transportation guru departs wisdom. I hope that an appointment has been
set up to convey all this advice to the Patrick administration, because I doubt he will get a chance to read the
Enterprise article.
It would be awfully nice to give him correct advice as well. The Mashpee tribe would be negotiating
the compact between the state and the tribe, NOT the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The governor may agree on a compact,
but it will have to be approved by the legislature. As we know, the legislature already shot down commercial casinos
and it even looks that slots is going to go down in flames as well. The governor has already expressed his displeasure
of having a lone Indian casino in the state and would not give them the Class III gambling that the tribe wants.
And, it wouldn't be the tribe dishing out this billion plus for the rail extension. Bingo doesn't
bring in that much cash. Don't expect the state to cough up funds for infrastructure improvements around the Bingo hall
either. As one local state rep. stated to me, "They can go pound tar!"
I don't know what kind of money the tribe expects to make on a huge Bingo hall with Twin Rivers and
CT casinos less than two hours away. They must be trying to pull money out of the air along with all sorts of advice.
Only experts need apply. The chairman of B.R.A.C. should stick to his day job.
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