This afternoon, the Senate introduced a casino bill and it gives no preference to indian casino plans. This means Fall River will not have any advantage in the race to get a permit. This means we are now in direct competition with numerous other cities and towns vying for the 1 coveted permit for the region (the region is norfolk, bristol, plymouth, nantucket, dukes and barnstable counties). New Bedford is one of these cities. And lets be honest, they have their $hit together over there much more than Fall River does; governmentally, economically, planning wise, and in the area of economic development.
The recent decisions by Mayor Flanagan and Atty Torres to forego the BioPark and gamble on the slight chance of getting a casino are capricious and will likely have a detrimental impact on our city long after they are voted out of office.
14 comments:
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha (whew) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH (GOTTA CATCH MY BREATH...) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.......wHAT A YUCK FEST THIS cITY HAS BECOME...ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE IN ANOTHER CITY LOOKING IN....SO MUCH FOR mENARDS POWER!.
Menard wasn't even here for this today. She was on her "business trip" in Ireland.
It's true that the idea of setting a license specifically aside for an Indian casino was pulled.
It's also true that Southeastern Mass was one of 3 regions that was targeted for a casino in the bill.
Your thought is that New Bedford will somehow beat us. Your thought is wrong. Your thought is wrong because from what I have read the casino in Southeastern MA is going to cost $75 million for the licensing fee and requires another $600 million in investment up front. The New Bedford backers just don't have this kind of money. The Fall River casino backers, which is a Malaysian group, are the same people that financed Foxwoods. They have the money.
So the bill was written in Fall River's favor if you bother to analyze it instead of just rolling over and saying awwwww New Bedford is just so great they are going to get it. Screw New Bedford, they aren't getting anything. Mayor Lang is a better and smarter mayor than Flanagan but he didn't write the legislation and he isn't winning on this one.
First, I read the bill. And you are correct about the financials. However, the Wampanoags already bailed on their casino plans in Middleboro for a purportedly better deal in Fall River. What is stopping them from doing the same thing to Fall River in favor of a better deal in New Bedford, or elsewhere? And if Fiola et al. are in charge of maintaining the deal, I would put my money elsewhere.
There is one permit for our region right? It is a big region -norfolk, bristol, plymouth, nantucket, dukes and barnstable counties. If not New Bedford, I expect another corporation to come up with a competitive proposal and financing in another county in our region - we won't be the only ones and Ken Huit corp isn't the only one with 675 million.
My point is that this casino deal is still FAR from certain, and when weighing what we lost (biopark) with what we have now (300 empty acres and a whole lot of uncertainty), it seems like the city has a gambling problem because we are taking a huge risk with our financial future for something that could easily come up 'snake eyes'.
Well with the Middleboro plans abandoned, Fall River and New Bedford are the only places in Southeastern Mass that have casino proposals on the table. The New Bedford folks don't have the same kind of money and the Mashpees aren't jumping to New Bedford,New Bedford doesn't have the amount of land they want. So the only game in Southeastern Mass for a casino is Fall River.
I agree with you about Fiola but he is no longer in charge. From what I've read outside legal counsel has been brought in. (Thank God!) You know, some people with actual expertise in this field, not just Kenny Fiola.
Further we haven't lost the biopark. Or is your next blog going to be that you think New Bedford is getting the BioPark? Boston is all about relationships and Joan Menard whether I like her or not has good relationships in Boston and was the key person getting the $13 million for the BioPark. Sending a BioPark outside of her district would be a huge kick in the pants to her on her way out. I don't see that happening. The BioPark will end up in her district. I think UMass is buying their time to find a nice way to tell New Bedford to piss off.
Anonymous,
Great points, but you forgot to add that the 300 acres in Fall River have a restriction banning a casino on the property. Whoops!
Joanie Menard will take care of that little restriction too. Whoops! Sorry naysayers.
Can your almighty Joan rig the vote that the residents of Fall River will have to take to allow casino gambling here? Please explain how she can guarantee my vote in favor of the casino, and try to do it without using the word "naysayer.
Seems like if Joan had so much power than there would have been a guaranteed indian gaming permit, but there isn't. The legislature waited for her to leave town on a "business trip" to Ireland and put the bill forward without her preferences.
I prefer to think of myself as a rational realist, not a naysayer.
Fall River elected a mayor whose entire platform was "Hope" and whose theme song characterized his "hope" as "pie in the sky". We shouldn't expect any better from him.
Ha Ha Joan Menard. She is a sycophant laughing stock. She has no real power. She got the state to finally agree to build an exit for a BioPark. What a way to cap a career. To convince the state to perform a routine infrastructure upgrade. My fucking hero!
Seriously, Fall River is run by a bunch of amateurs. Do you honestly think that our bumbling leaders have any chance of winning head-to-head against New Bedford for anything? They have a history of making intelligent economic decisions.
While we have a downtown that is full of low-income scumbags, they have preserved theirs, complete with a theater, cobblestone streets, a National Historic Park designation, blah, blah, blah. We traded an airport for landfill space. They kept their airport and improved it, and have a landfill that will last longer then ours. They have fast-ferry service to Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket. What else? Better ties with Umass-Dartmouth & more of its students living in its downtown area (who spend money in the city). Oh, what else, a brand new hotel on the waterfront which actually incorporated a historic mill into its structure, preserving instead of knocking down a treasure. Their budget is not in any danger of imploding because they tax reasonably and do the best with what they have. When the economy recovers, they will be far ahead of us.
You seriously still think we have a chance? No one wants to go to a resort casino in Fall River when Foxwoods and Mohegan sun will still be 100 times better. New Bedford has the right idea with a smaller, European/Asian style casino incorporated within the downtown area. People will go there and then to the area restaurants and shops. Better idea all around. Mark my words.
yes, I agree with TheRiverisDoomed. Fall River, under Torres and Flanagan (note the order of names) is once again seen as amateurs and nincompoops. The governor as much said so with the "take a breath" comment.
Menard is on her way out. Thus has NO power anymore. This is all about jockeying for power by those who are staying in the house and senate. Lame duck goes quack quack and nobody is listening.
Torres and Flanagan played this all wrong. Too much secrecy, back room deals, and telling us instead of asking us. Sound familiar? This is exactly the behavior that got the last mayor one term. Looks like this one is likewise destined for the same future.
Seriously, where would you rather gamble? Fall River next to a landfill? Or New Bedford on the waterfront? And remember, the New Bedford backers are American, with American money. The Mashpees are backed by Malaysians. Money goes overseas. Outsourced again!
No, I rather think that New Bedford has a great head start here. Their mayor did convince the Senate not to include the set aside for indian gaming. That shows he has a lot of pull with them. More so than Menard and little Willy did.
Ah...hate to remind everyone that there was a presentation of a proposed Destination Casino recently before the Taunton City Council...a big one too.....backed by A U.S. Gamblingt group, if I'm not mistaken....they won't need road improvements because they have 495, AND THERE IS AN AIRPORT RIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHWAT IN mANSFIELD....by the way, NB has an airport too, right?...does FR? NO!
Just can't make this stuff up...if we loose this casino, call be a nattering nabob of negativism, but he's a one termer...and he should be....he's nothing but a glad handing phony, and imbecilic moron with a stupid, donkey face and a partner (Torres) that smells like one of shreks gas bombs!
Have a great summer Fall River...the end is near!
ok,
1. if state issues a casino license to anyone, mashpee and aquinnah have legal rights under gaming act to secure a license. courts have ruled that if there is no native land existing, there is no other place in mass where there is set aside native land except mashpee, gayhead and hello, 200 plus acres in watershed area which is actually Pocasset, yet legally in Mashpee territory and control, much to dismay of local family/pocassets. that is why- after court ruling- that middleboro could not happen and why fall river could.
2. land in question is sold already, to place into trust or limited sovereignty would eliminate land restrictions instantly due to native land rights laws.
3. there s work currently continuing on riggenbacher road and route 24.
Ok, but some news articles have also reported that the Wampanoags may not be able to put that land into a trust.
From what I read, the Dept. of Interior can no longer approve land-in-trust applications for tribes recognized after 1934.
“It is absurd on its face that the policy of the United States government would be to recognize the sovereignty of native tribes but not allow those sovereign nations to take land into trust,” said Cromwell.
So, while the Wampanoags may own the 300 acres, it is not sovereign land, and without being able to place that land in trust, the deed restriction remain in effect.
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