The story continues:
The tribe is now negotiating with Gates and his family for their land, said Wampanoag spokesman Scott Ferson.
“We hope to have an agreement in the next week or two,” Ferson said.
This, of course, would be the same Middleborough police department that reportedly refused to let casino opponents distribute their leaflets while at the same time allowing supporters to enter wearing orange T-shirts and white caps emblazoned with a pro-casino message.
In other casino-related news:
- Rich Young, director of the anti-casino group Casinofacts.org, makes his case on the op-ed page of the Patriot Ledger of Quincy. He writes:
The real story from Saturday’s “vote” was that while a majority at the FedEx-style town meeting supported the warrant article dealing with the agreement, they also voted against the idea of a casino coming to Middleboro in the next warrant article.
This came as a surprise to no one. During the three-week campaign, hundreds of voters we spoke with did not want a casino, but they were afraid if they did not vote for the agreement, the casino was going to come anyway and the town would receive nothing in return.
- The Globe reports that a challenge is being made to the legitimacy of the town meeting vote, alleging a number of irregularities, including the presence of those orange T-shirts and a videotaped moment of what may have been ballot-stuffing.
The truth is out there.
Perhaps not! But surely there is so much money involved in a very profitable mega casino that pays little in taxes or benefits, how could they tolerate a legitimate defeat?
Folks are documenting irregularities they observed, as well as complaints. The venue, the heat, the sun successfully discouraged the demographics that would have voted against the casino. However, not so casino supporters! People have begun commented that voters were leaving before the meeting was convened — without ballots? The Town Moderator, Jim Thomas patted himself on the back that he got 60 volunteers! They were all from the Lakeville IBEW — casino supporters! They were the out-of-town folks who were paid to wave signs at the Rotary each evening. They haven’t figured out that once the land is in federal ‘Trust,’ there is no obligation to employ union labor. And casinos are notoriously anti-union. Too much $7 an hour help!
What appears to be ‘ballot stuffing’ may be largely due to casino supporters picking up their ballots, handing them to someone else & departing. Legal? A perversion of town meeting? Perhaps why it was the venue of choice. You just can’t accomplish the same thing with a ballot election!
But volunteers have requested the opportunity to count the ballots that were not distributed and received no response.
Do you refer to the senior whining to the Globe (btw – has ANYBODY checked to see if any of them has attended town meeting before, held at regular times and venues? Those check in sheets from past town meetings should be matched up against the names quoted – or at least against the roster of registered voters – before their complaint is given any more weight)?
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If so, I invite you to Cape Cod, where all 15 senior centers has at least one bus PER MONTH IF NOT WEEK making the round trip to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods for gambling excursions. I wouldn’t count on seniors as a solid anti-casino vote.
Peter: I agree — senior citizens were a likely pro-casino vote. I think the largest group of anti-casino voters who got left out were parents of young children, who could have found the time to vote in a special election, but who couldn’t give up all of a Saturday — especially if they needed child care, since kids were banned from the meeting. (Gee, I wonder who thought of that?)
Why is that legal?
A fine howdie-doo PP and DK. Ever think that some seniors have an interest in keeping a town as a pleasant place to live? Maybe some care for their children and grandchildren. Perhaps some even aren’t waiting for the next SS check to cash at Foxwoods.
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You should be rabbit-punched to the floor by your grandmothers!
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Bigots.
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;o|
Ask any local activist about a big vote to raise taxes, override Proposition 2 1/2, whatever … they’ll always say that the first thing we need to do is get the Council on Aging to sponsor a trip to Foxwoods that day.
I’m not sure about your statement that casinos are anti-labor. SEIU and its culinary and service locals in Nevada are the dominant political force in the state…
Mohegan Sun wants a casino in Palmer and the infamous gambling developer/promoter, Mr. Adelson, formerly of Dot wants to get the OK for a casino on the 495 belt.
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Isn’t this a beautiful thing. This will certainly improve the quality of life in MA and just think of all the money and jobs. Massachusetts will be entering a utopian age.
They could even put in a casino in downtown Plymouth with the Pilgim father motif. tear down the Pilgrim monument and put in bright neon signs to be seen from miles at sea.
Think of the possibilities.
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This crap brings out the absolute worst. It’s sickening, or in the words of Dapper, ” It makes you wanna throw up.”
This whole process stinks; I’m not surprised at all that town officials are benefitting. What price to sell your town? What price? Shame on them all.
Warrant Article 2, which asked people to vote on the agreement, was pushed by town officials.
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Warrant Article 3, which simply asked people whether they support a casino’s coming to town, was added to the warrant by a petition pushed by casino opponents.
I think asking the second question first might have been more appropriate, though the town charter might prohibit that.
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It all smacks of a TV ad. How much would you expect to get from a casino? Now that you’ve heard, do you want one?
Thank you for your post on Media Nation pointing out the second vote. Has the Globe acknowledged its omission?
But I think they will when they do a follow up story. I’ve had a conversation that leads me to believe this was a simple oversight, and that people at the paper know they screwed up.