For weeks now I have been reading about and listening to how our Governor has been whispering sweet nothings into the ears of legislators, city and town councils, and the Unions….make promises of 30,000 jobs….property tax relief….money for our schools….money for our “crumbling infastructure”….casinos are the only way! And you’d better watch out because if the State doesn’t jump on his three-casino plan, well….then we are in deep doo-doo! According to Governor Patrick, the Mashpee Wampanoags are going to build a casino-resort whether we like it or not so we had better hurry up and beat them to the punch! Does he mean kool-aid? Sure sounds like it to me….perhaps the same kool-aid served up by the Tribe and the BOS this past summer in Middleboro. There is no stopping it…there is nothing you can do…...it is inevitable. Oh No! Ohhhhh yeeeaahhhh…….
Patrick has repeatedly used that oh-so-tired arguement that a tribal casino is coming no matter what and the only way to stop it is for the state to create a legal framework for expanded gaming – meaning, his three casino plan. Good backup in case his promises of sweet nothings doesn’t work like it did with the teachers union….or if some people in our legislature have the gall to question his perfect plan. Tell everyone that the Mashpee Wampanoags’ quest to build a tribal casino means that expanded gambling is coming to the Bay State, one way or another. He was quoted as saying:
"One of the points we’ve been making to our partners in the Legislature is we can either help set the rules or we can have this done to us, but one way or another, it’s coming," Patrick told the annual Massachusetts Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism... Boston Herald.
Sigh….is he kidding?! It seems that not too long ago, our Governor who believes that “yes we can..” said on a radio interview that the Mashpee Wampanoag’s could not go ahead and build a casino-resort without his and the legislatures approval. So what exactly has changed since then? Too much kool-aid and visions of dollar signs dancing in his head is my guess.
This recent scare tactic really concerns me...and the concern goes much deeper than the thought of casinos blighting our landscape and our lives. First of all….didn’t our Governor give an oath of office? I believe he did.
"I do solemnly swear and affirm, that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on me as: according to the best of my abilities and understanding, agreeably, to the rules and regulations of the constitution, and the laws of this commonwealth -- So help me, God." – Massachusetts Governor’s Oath of Office
It seems to me that using scare tactics and making bogus and unfounded promises of enormous wealth and jobs for the state is hardly discharging and perfoming duties that uphold the rules and regulations of the constitution or the laws of the commonwealth. If he had actually done his homework (which I am sure he did) then he would know that the only way the Mashpee Wampanoag Indians are going to build a casino-resort is if he lets them! It is a lie….a scare tactic he is using to push his own agenda for his own reasons.Liar, liar…pants on fire!! That is exactly what goes through my mind when I read or hear this Governor talk about his three casino plan and how we can either do this ourselves or have it done to us. Well, he is either a liar or is woefully underinformed. Call me crazy, but I would think that as the man who is suspose to uphold the laws of our state, he had better damned well be expertly informed about this particular train wreck.….I highly urge you to do yourself a favor and read about why casinos are not inevitable in Massachusetts. If the Governor had done his homework and was being truthful to us, then he never would have made such claims. While your at it, read about his exaggerated job numbers, and what an Indian casino might mean for our region . Oh, if you want a real good laugh, check out his vision for town infastructure improvements if he gets his millions of dollars of casino money.
Yeah...I can see why the sweet nothings aren’t working. The bottom line here is if Governor Patrick has his way, he will legalize class III gambling in this state and open the door for the Mashpee Wampanoag’s to build their monstrosity…..as a sovereign nation….you know, as “a separate country so to speak, within a country…still under Federal Government to an extent”. - Tribal Leader Shawn Hendricks
What concerns me here is the fact that the Governor wants us to believe that the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Casino is coming no matter what…..it is the same line that was fed to the residents of Middleboro this past summer by their own Board of Selectmen. One statement that sent people into a panic, divided a town, pitted neighbor against neighbor, family against family, friend against friend….and in the end? The Town voted for an agreement with the tribe out of fear, and then voted against having a casino in their town. One statement….”it is inevitable”.... forever changed for the worse a wonderful and beautiful small New England town and perhaps an entire region.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any lower or worse than that….our own governor, who we elected into office to lead and protect our state's best interests says to every single one of us the same damned thing.
- be the change you want to see in the world -
2 comments:
Carverchick,
Well said. It is so sad to think that what the BOS did to us, is now being done by our own governor. This past summer was definitely an episode from the twilight zone. No one would understand what occurred unless they lived through it. Unfortunately, the threat of what the governor is saying is sort of falling on deaf ears because the exact location of the potential 3 commercial casinos has not been decided yet. (A deliberate attempt to keep reaction at bay).
If it wasn't for people like you, Gladys and Bellicose...who are trying to be our voice and speak out, I think we'd go out of our minds.
Thank you.
Great job CC.
When a person has done their homework - like you have - it is frustrating in the extreme to see the same old propaganda and threats rolled out over and over again.
You deserve credit for producing one blog after the next that is intelligent, reasoned, and most of all ..... right. Producing blogs like yours is impressive when I know firsthand that your first instinct is to scream in frustration when you see the same old scare tactics floated over and over.
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