EXTRA! EXRA! Read all about it....

Did you hear the news?! According to a press release issued today by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the National Indian Gaming Commission has approved the tribe’s gaming ordinance!!!!      






Ooohhhh…..ahhhhhh….casinoooooo……

This must absolutely, without a doubt mean that along with an approved but yet to be signed IGA, and the super duper negotiations happening behind closed doors with our “honorable” Governor Deval Patrick – the Tribe is moving full steam ahead with their goal to take land in trust to build the best casino ever on sovereign land!

Can anyone say….awesoooome.....

Well, I am sure Cedric Cromwell is thinking that it is totally awesome…that, and will use it as propaganda...errrr...proof.....that the casino is inevitable in Taunton.   Me?  .…I think it is them getting things done out of sequence of how they are normally done in order to speed up the process…but I get it – they are under a non-enforceable deadline as outlined in the State Gambling Legislation….that and the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe are really breathing down Deval's neck in their own bid to get a tribal casino in southeast Massachusetts.

So it begins again -

I swear I would love to know where the hell I left my Delorean because it honestly feels like 2007 again - only we are now at the other sign post up ahead (hands down- this is my all time favorite Gladys video).....Here we have Cedric Cromwell sharing his great news to anyone who is following this casino trainwreck - and he makes it almost sound like they have just conquered another ginormous hurdle to get land in trust and a casino, when the reality is – it’s the NIGC‘s job to determine if a tribe’s gaming ordinance meets the requirements in IGRA or not….if it does – approved! If it doesn’t – denied: please amend and resubmit for approval!

What Cedric fails to mention is that this approval – which is an approval of the amended (i.e previously denied) ordinance, is contingent on the tribe actually being able to get the land in trust. Good luck with that.

The letter clearly states:

…It is also my understanding that the Tribe has not yet acquired Indian lands as defined by IGRA. It is therefore important to note that approval is granted for gaming only on Indian lands, as defined in IGRA, over which the Tribe has jurisdiction….

yeeeahh....not quite there yet....kinda like putting the proverbial cart before the horse.

Not sure what the excitement is or why it is even newsworthy – except for maybe that the news came out a mere three days before the City of Taunton's non-binding vote for or against an Indian Casino...on sovereign land....land exempt from local, state and many federal regulations (regardless of what the uninformed, IGRA ignorant pros say – but I digress)

Long story short, the NIGC reviewed the Tribal Ordinance and confirmed that it met all the requirements of the law and is approved IF ...and that is one mother of an IF.....the land in Taunton is approved for gaming under IGRA. Too bad the article didn’t mention that part…or Cedric for that matter, but okay. Considering that the tribe is seeking gaming on the equal footing exception for an initial reservation under IGRA, this chick sees nothing newsworthy here because the land does not qualify for gaming under IGRA – nor does the tribe qualify for Land in Trust under the IRA as determined by the Supreme Court in the Carcieri decision. Now, if the Tribe actually did qualify to get the Taunton land in trust ….totally different story…but they don’t….and they won’t.

As to the tribe’s negotiations with the “ahem” honorable Governor Deval Patrick…..another non story in this chick's eyes...well, at least up until the tribe’s application is rejected for entering into a compact with the Governor before land has been placed in trust – ahhh...yes...then that will be quite the story - but I digress again. That is another requirement of IGRA altogether – oh well…nevermind those pesky details for now….just keep the voters of Taunton believing it is inevitable and the casino is the equivalent of their goose who lays golden eggs…golden eggs filled with jobs and money and jobs and police cars and jobs and firetrucks and jobs and more money and jobs and “city saving” revenue and jobs and most importantly….a magic economic engine that will revitalize downtown....aside from those jobs... 

Anyway – congrats Cedric, for finally submitting...or shall I say, re-submitting....a document that actually meets the requirements of the law regarding a tribal ordinance for gaming…well, minus the actual - having land in trust- part.

To every people the land is given on condition. Perceived or not, there is a Covenant, beyond the constitution, beyond sovereign guarantee, beyond the nation's sweetest dreams of itself - Leonard Cohen

The whole basis of the Constitution was a restriction of power, and the whole basis of the federalist system was that there was not one sovereign centralized power from which all authority flows  - Roy Moore

 - be the change you want to see in the world -