Mass. governor urges denial of Wampanoag bid
3:15 PM Wed, Feb 06, 2008 | Permalink
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Massachusetts Governor Patrick has asked the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to reject a request by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to take more than 500 acres in Middleboro, Mass., in federal trust for an Indian casino. "Because the placement of lands in trust may exempt certain activities on those lands from state and local laws, there are significant jurisdictional concerns at the state level which, unresolved, should preclude the BIA from recommending approval of the tribe's proposed acquisition," Patrick wrote in a letter to the BIA. Today is the deadline for the state to respond to the BIA. In the letter, the Patrick administration argues that the tribe failed to meet the criteria set by the BIA to take land in trust. It also argues the tribe did not build necessary safeguards in its casino plan for environmental protection, zoning, transportation, labor, public safety, public health and consumer protection. Patrick has proposed putting three state commercial casino licenses out to bid, The Providence Journal has reported. He estimates that will generate $600 million to $900 millions in one-time applications fees, $400 million a year in tax revenue, on top of money that would go toward public health and the host communities’ safety and transportation needs. That proposal remains under review by the Massachusetts legislature. Patrick has been urging the Cape Cod-based tribe to pursue a commercial bid, rather than an Indian casino. His plan, which needs legislative approval, would give special weight to the state’s two federally recognized Indian tribes. For its part, the tribe offered a diplomatic response to Patrick's letter. "The tribe continues to have productive discussions with the Patrick administration," Shawn Hendricks Sr., the Mashpee Wampanoags' tribal council chairman, said in a statement released today. "We have clearly stated our reasons for sovereign land, and the governor has clearly stated his questions and concerns for the commonwealth. "We look forward to working through the issues raised with him, and I am confident we can do so," Hendricks said. 
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