But Brian Giovanoni, who chaired the Middleborough Casino Study Committee prior to the town’s July vote on a deal with the Wampanoag, said that while Patrick’s 125-page objection included quotes from the committee’s report that noted problems, many of those problems have already been solved.
“I can pretty much answer half the questions he asks in there, but he never contacted me or anyone else,” Giovanoni said.
My goodness, where does one begin? First of all, the Casino No Impact Study Committee did write a report, I will give him that. This report was submitted as a part of the Land into Trust Application submitted by the Mashpee Wampanoag’s and while it certainly brings up many issues, the so-called answers in this report are laughable at best. All one has to do is read this report and know that it is completely lacking in substance – you know that data that Brian loves so much -- to support any of the CRAC mitigation plans. Go ahead and read the report for yourself….maybe then you will understand why it is so important to write your letters to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Maybe you will also understand why us anti’s are so thrilled….well, at least why I’m thrilled that the Governor rejected the application.
I do not support Governor Patrick’s three casino plan for Massachusetts, but I do support his decision to reject the Land into Trust Application. Yes, he may be playing the game to push his casino plan, but at the same time, his rejection of the application will now force the casino investors to answer some tough questions….questions they were hoping to avoid this summer by pushing and bullying the town of Middleboro into an agreement with the tribe and by conducting a Casino No Impact Study Report to submit with the Land into Trust application.
With respects to the Casino No Impact Study Committee, which has now morphed into CRAC, I really find myself wondering how Brian could actually think that the Governor would want to talk to him. If the Governor actually read the CRAC report, which I am sure he did, then I can completely understand why he didn’t go running to the phone to call them for answers….I mean, gosh, when an impact report’s “traffic impact” is only about one page long and doesn’t even acknowledge traffic issues on route 3 but merely states that a thorough traffic study should be conducted, or doesn’t even look at impacts outside the Town line…well…yeah, if I was the Governor, I might be asking my own questions, thank-you very much. I might also be wondering how the environmental impacts regarding endangered species only got one sentence. Oh, but I guess I shouldn’t be too worried because mitigation for wildlife got three sentences that read:
“With the reconstruction of Route 44, the movement of local species could be hindered. Proper species crossings should be designated to allow unimpeded, natural and safe passage across Route 44.
It is critical to preserve additional land around the casino-resort to be used as open space to allow natural habitats to be maintained and passage unrestricted.”
Phew! I guess the Governor should have called CRAC… they do have all the answers!
No need to worry about the bald eagle – it can fly over Route 44 and pick off any road-kill while the turtles can cross Route 44 safely with proper species crossings. I wonder if the Tribe will be hiring proper species crossing guards?…..ya know, for the Middleboro residents who have been promised sloppy seconds on casino jobs after Tribe members and their families.
Certainly Governor Patrick doesn’t need to worry at all about the 20,000 – 40,000 estimated increase in cars travelling on our roads as reported in the Casino No Impact Study Report because Route 495 from Route 24 to Route 44 will be widened, as well as major reconfigurations of Route 44 in Middleboro….and our tax dollars will pay for it because the Tribe is going to apply to get Government grants to pay for the road. Yes, I guess Brian was right when he said that we should all be thanking Middleboro….they have single-handedly solved our traffic woes….thanks….
As far as social problems? Heck, there aren’t any – well, at least not enough to warrant any real concen. Oh, and if your husband or wife, son or daughter does become addicted to gambling…well blame the State Lottery for that…but just in case there is a problem, the Tribe will up-front $40,000 to an addiction center of it’s choosing and then will make annual contributions of $20,000 to compulsive gambling. Wow….how many people will that help? As far as suicide goes, well CRAC looked at eight communities and determined that a Casino might have an impact on suicide rates. But really, there is no need to worry about crime or suicide because according to CRAC, these problems exist already and should be addressed regardless of a casino…..according to CRAC logic, supporting an industry that will most likely cause an increase in social issues and crime isn’t a problem.
Water? Not an issue according to CRAC…sure... some improvements will need to be made to actually supply the casino with up to 1.5 million gallons of water per day - a few new public wells here and there as well as some existing well upgrades -- not a problem….. no mention of impact on the surrounding communities that also rely on water from that same aquifer….and certainly no mention of the private wells that the Tribe can put on site to pump even more water on top of what is supplied by the town either. I guess Mr. Bond was right when he said…there’s plenty of water – according to CRAC, there is!
Trash….nope, apparently not a problem because it’s not even mentioned in the Casino No impact study report. I guess since the Town is under no obligation to remove trash from the site under the Intergovernmental Agreement there is no need to worry about it. Out of sight…out of mind. More like, out of sight….out of Town. I remember a nice little retort by selectman Bond to the trash question where he said…he didn’t care where the trash went, as long as it didn’t stay in Middleboro.
I could go on and on, but I will let you decide if this Casino No Impact Study answers any real questions at all….questions that now must actually be answered because Governor Patrick rejected the Tribe’s Land into Trust application. For the life of me, I cannot even believe that Brian is wondering why the Governor didn’t call him and ask for his infinite wisdom on casino impacts to a community. Did he not read his own report? A first year environmental engineering student could have done a much more in-depth and professional study – yet it is Brian who is the professional civil engineer with self proclaimed vast environmental engineering experience to back him up. Too bad it doesn’t show in his work. No offense or anything, but he was the Chairman of that committee and is now the President of CRAC. He should do his job, not play up to the Casino Investors….oh yeah, he can’t….he is obligated to support the casino project and address negative comments, not make them.
Yes…I certainly have a lot of issues with a casino being built on sovereign land in Middleboro. I also have a lot of issues with the CRAC leader who touts himself an expert fact finder on casino impacts, yet continues to fail in providing or sharing accurate and thorough information on those impacts with regional officials or the general public at large. I also have a problem with studies that lack any substance being submitted to the IGRA as mitigation plans to approve Land into Trust for the specific purpose of building a resort casino to the likes of Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
The Secretary will base his decision from information he receives regarding the Mashpee Wampanoag’s Land into Trust application….information such as the Casino No Impact Study provided by our resident “expert” committee. Letters regarding concerns, issues or outright rejection of this casino from people who live and work in this regional community will go a long way in the decision making process. If you have already taken the time to write your letter…thank-you….you have done yourself as well as all of us who live in this community a huge service…you have made a difference. For those of you who have not, I sincerely hope that you do. You have the opportunity to be heard, and you should not take it for granted because you too can make a difference in your community.
Information on how to write your letters and where to send them can be found on the CFO website.
As far as social problems? Heck, there aren’t any – well, at least not enough to warrant any real concen. Oh, and if your husband or wife, son or daughter does become addicted to gambling…well blame the State Lottery for that…but just in case there is a problem, the Tribe will up-front $40,000 to an addiction center of it’s choosing and then will make annual contributions of $20,000 to compulsive gambling. Wow….how many people will that help? As far as suicide goes, well CRAC looked at eight communities and determined that a Casino might have an impact on suicide rates. But really, there is no need to worry about crime or suicide because according to CRAC, these problems exist already and should be addressed regardless of a casino…..according to CRAC logic, supporting an industry that will most likely cause an increase in social issues and crime isn’t a problem.
Water? Not an issue according to CRAC…sure... some improvements will need to be made to actually supply the casino with up to 1.5 million gallons of water per day - a few new public wells here and there as well as some existing well upgrades -- not a problem….. no mention of impact on the surrounding communities that also rely on water from that same aquifer….and certainly no mention of the private wells that the Tribe can put on site to pump even more water on top of what is supplied by the town either. I guess Mr. Bond was right when he said…there’s plenty of water – according to CRAC, there is!
Trash….nope, apparently not a problem because it’s not even mentioned in the Casino No impact study report. I guess since the Town is under no obligation to remove trash from the site under the Intergovernmental Agreement there is no need to worry about it. Out of sight…out of mind. More like, out of sight….out of Town. I remember a nice little retort by selectman Bond to the trash question where he said…he didn’t care where the trash went, as long as it didn’t stay in Middleboro.
I could go on and on, but I will let you decide if this Casino No Impact Study answers any real questions at all….questions that now must actually be answered because Governor Patrick rejected the Tribe’s Land into Trust application. For the life of me, I cannot even believe that Brian is wondering why the Governor didn’t call him and ask for his infinite wisdom on casino impacts to a community. Did he not read his own report? A first year environmental engineering student could have done a much more in-depth and professional study – yet it is Brian who is the professional civil engineer with self proclaimed vast environmental engineering experience to back him up. Too bad it doesn’t show in his work. No offense or anything, but he was the Chairman of that committee and is now the President of CRAC. He should do his job, not play up to the Casino Investors….oh yeah, he can’t….he is obligated to support the casino project and address negative comments, not make them.
Yes…I certainly have a lot of issues with a casino being built on sovereign land in Middleboro. I also have a lot of issues with the CRAC leader who touts himself an expert fact finder on casino impacts, yet continues to fail in providing or sharing accurate and thorough information on those impacts with regional officials or the general public at large. I also have a problem with studies that lack any substance being submitted to the IGRA as mitigation plans to approve Land into Trust for the specific purpose of building a resort casino to the likes of Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
The Secretary will base his decision from information he receives regarding the Mashpee Wampanoag’s Land into Trust application….information such as the Casino No Impact Study provided by our resident “expert” committee. Letters regarding concerns, issues or outright rejection of this casino from people who live and work in this regional community will go a long way in the decision making process. If you have already taken the time to write your letter…thank-you….you have done yourself as well as all of us who live in this community a huge service…you have made a difference. For those of you who have not, I sincerely hope that you do. You have the opportunity to be heard, and you should not take it for granted because you too can make a difference in your community.
Information on how to write your letters and where to send them can be found on the CFO website.
Further information can be found on Bellicose Bumpkin and Gladys Kravitz blogspots.
- be the change you want to see in the world -
6 comments:
Their findings on social problems and crime issues relied on exactly one study - that looked to be funded by pro-casino interests and only considered small riverboat casinos in large communities. A far cry from the humongous stationary casino in a small community being proposed for Middleboro. Talk about apples and oranges, this was like comparing peas to watermelons.
During TMHF, the CSC felt compelled to announce that they voted unanimously to support the casino. What exactly did that have to do with the report they were charged with creating?
This is why the committee is criticized by everyone except the Middleboro BOS and pro-casino supporters.
Due to their shallow "there's no impact we can't mitigate" findings, one would be hard pressed to call the study anything other than a thinly disguised pro-casino manifesto.
Brian continues to claim that he's ambivalent about a casino - yet he is part of the pro-casino core group and is being called to give pro-casino spin to reporters. Not to mention his "there's no impact we can't mitigate" blog.
Ambivalent and just looking for the facts Ma'am .... yeah right
Carverchick, I wish someone would share this post with the selectmen from Kingston and Raynham, who still persist in believing that Middleboro has some sort of 'secret knowledge' they can benefit from.
It is pretty evident to anyone who has ever sat in on one of their meetings or read their report, that the only 'secret knowledge' they have is that they can still manage to snow people.
The selectmen didn't take the committee seriously during the summer because they didn't need it to hammer through an agreement. In fact, they acted like it was a waste of time. Only when Brian used his postion as chairman of CRAC to shill for a casino, did they find him of any value.
A silly sort of secret knowledge symbiosis.
One small correction, if I may. Change your letter to your letter(s). I have already written two and plan on more.
During the special Town Meeting Brian Giovanwhatever was asked what were some of the negative impacts that were included in the report. His response will go down in history: "I, I, ahh, I can't recall. If you can, ahh, adjourn the meeting for 10 minutes I'll go out to my car and, ahh, get my copy of the report."
You can tell by his response that he really looked hard and long to make an unbiased report on the positive and negative impacts.
His group backed into a conclusion they wanted to find. There is nothing in that report that is worthwhile.
What I have a problem with is the process - the thing was a sham from the being, with the study committe and the report being part of it.
Terry
For those of you in the Slam Brian crowd who don't live in Lakeville or Middleboro, you were deprived on one of Brian's most bizarre performances yet on camera during the BOS meeting last night.
We haven't yet figured out what his body language meant beyond immaturity.
There's also a math error in his calculations -- he's counting his college years as 'engineering experience' or he graduated from Northeastern at 16.
Regardless, Brian's report was labelled superficial and childish the first time we read it. Opinion unchanged.
Not one single issue of concern that we raised was included in his sham of a report. We each filled out a form and listed 4 different concerns on each form. That's a total of 8 issues from just us.
We've each composed 4 letters raising assorted questionable issues that need to be addressed.
PLEASE write those letterS.
Carverchick, Thanks for being there for Middleboro.
Insomnia struck and as I was composing a letter to the DOI, it forced me to focus on the great disservice Mr. Giovanoni imposed on the town.
You could have risen to the occassion.
How someone who pretends to be a minister could conduct himself in the fashion he has is shameful.
But then, I believe in Karma.
When the debt comes due, I'm sorry for you Brian.
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