This is part one of a series of articles the Facts Blog will be doing on the rise and fall of Greektown. It seems fitting to start at the begining with the king of crooks dream.
A Proposed Diamond To A Lump Of Coal
The self professed Godfather of Gaming Bernard Bouschor had a dream. He worked secret deals behind the Boards back with only his consent to the crooked deals that followed. The below article from the Detroit News goes into precise detail, to how Bouschor single handily sold the Sault Tribe out and made the Greeks extremely wealthy. It is no doubt Bouschor became wealthy over this deal, or he was just another idiot.
This Article Is So ImportantBy Melvin Claxton and Mark Puls / The Detroit News
DETROIT — Many Sault Ste. Marie Chippewas still have no idea how Detroit businessmen Ted Gatzaros and Dimitrios Papas parlayed political connections, mortgaged properties and $24,500 into $265 million of the tribe’s money.
When Gatzaros and Papas ran into major snags last year in their attempts to obtain a Michigan gaming license, their involvement in the Greektown Casino was clearly in serious jeopardy.
A litany of past financial troubles threatened to end the longtime partners’ bid to become 40-percent owners, along with their wives, in the city’s third casino. The two Greek businessmen faced a dilemma.
If their application for a gaming license was rejected, state law would compel them to sell their shares for no more than their original investment. If they sold before the Michigan Gaming Control Board reached a decision, there was no limit on the selling price.
Because Gatzaros and Papas had brought very little cash to the table, their options appeared to dwindle as the deadline for the board’s decision neared.
With the clock ticking against the two businessmen, in stepped their longtime partner — Sault Chippewa Chairman Bernard Bouschor.
Under Bouschor’s direction, the tribe, which already owned 50 percent of the casino project, opted to buy out Gatzaros and Papas. The tribal chairman and the Detroit businessmen have a longstanding relationship, dating to 1987 when they began working together to get a Detroit casino.
Sault Chippewa tribal members who are footing the bill are not allowed to know why the tribal leadership gave the Greeks a 40-percent stake in the casino deal in the first place or why the tribe paid so much to buy them out. Bouschor reached the deal behind closed doors.
David Guralnick / The Detroit News
The Greektown Casino opened one year ago after Gatzaros and Papas reached a closed-door deal with Bouschor for the tribe to buy out their interest.
Ten percent of the Greektown Casino is owned by local black investors. The Greektown deal highlights one of the major concerns tribal members have about their government. They complain that leaders repeatedly hide or conceal details of business deals, leaving them in the dark about decisions that could affect not only their lives, but those of generations to come.
Bouschor says many details of the negotiations are proprietary and cannot be revealed. Not even, he says, to the people he represents.
Gatzaros and Papas too have refused to talk about the deal and their relationship with Bouschor.
Bouschor insists the tribe made the best deal it could. He said that when the deal was struck the tribe already had invested more than $240 million in the construction of the casino and couldn't afford any delays in its opening.
“We were building a project we wanted to open,” Bouschor said. “We had to make the choice, do we want further delays, or do we want to take some action in order to acquire that interest in that property in order to open?”
But tribal members say their leaders misspent millions of dollars of their money.
“It is ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous,” said tribal member Renegade Thomas Bruning of Rogers City( pictured below). “This absolutely came out of my pocket. There was no referendum on this money. Members had no say.”
The Greektown deal followed a long history of secretive business ventures between Bouschor, Gatzaros and Papas.
Although Bouschor and the Greeks began working on plans for a Detroit casino in 1987, Sault Chippewas — including board members — knew nothing about the negotiations until they were revealed in newspapers and on television in 1992.
At the time, the tribe and the Detroit businessmen wanted to create an Indian reservation in Greektown for a casino. Gov. John Engler eventually killed the deal in 1995.
Tribal spokesman John Hatch defended the secrecy of the deal with Gatzaros and Papas, saying the tribe’s leaders didn’t want to tip business competitors of their plans.
This wasn’t the only time that tribal leaders made sizable investments with the Greeks and kept it hidden from members of the tribe.
There also was a deal in Greenville, Miss.
In April 1996, Bouschor, Gatzaros and Papas formed Sunstar Resort Casino to operate a floating casino in Mississippi. Although the Greeks and the tribe were listed as the shareholders, it was the tribe which put up all of the funds — more than $1 million — to purchase a casino barge. Even after the money was spent, tribal members were told nothing of the venture.
The only public announcements were legal notices that appeared on April 28, May 5 and May 12, 1996 in a Mississippi newspaper, the Delta Democrat-Times. The notices, required by state gaming laws, listed Bouschor as chairman, president and chief executive officer; Gatzaros as secretary and chief operating officer; and Papas as treasurer and chief financial officer.
Mississippi Gaming Commission records show Sunstar’s application on the agenda for its May 16, 1996, meeting. But no casino license was ever granted to Sunstar because its officials failed to turn in necessary documents, according to the commission’s records.
The Mississippi deal was shelved when tribal leaders and the Greeks decided to put their efforts into a state-wide referendum to approve gambling in Detroit, spokesman Hatch said.
Although the tribe was paying thousands of dollars in security and maintenance for the boat, tribal members were still clueless about their out-of-state investment.
In August 1997, officials in Mississippi’s secretary of state office suspended Sunstar corporation for failing to file an annual report. Three months later, when it was clear that the company had no intention of doing business in Mississippi, the secretary of state dissolved it.
Still tribal members were told nothing.
A news release written in 1996 to announce the purchase of the barge was never made public, said Hatch. It was slated for release, he said, only if the tribe obtained a gaming license in Mississippi. The tribe never got a license and leaders never bothered to tell members how they spent their money.
Tribal leaders continued to keep their silence until the barge was put up for sale in 2000. It was sold earlier this year for a loss of more than $800,000.
Once again, tribal members were left in the dark as to why they had to foot the entire bill for a business venture in which their partners brought little to the table and would share in the profits.
“In the case of Mississippi,” Hatch said. “The Greeks brought the deal to us. We thought at the time it made sense and decided to go after it.”
Bouschor has always said that the Greektown Casino would be the Tribes future, our gateway to prosperity. Bouschor is the kingpin of all corruption in the Tribe. Perhaps the most corrupt leader of alltime, past or present of any Tribe. He would soon be replaced by the Village idiot Aaron Payment.
The DepartureBouschor Replaced as Greektown CEO19 January 2005
DETROIT, Michigan As reported by the Soo Evening News: "Chairman Aaron Payment of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and Marvin Beatty of the Greektown Casino Management Board have been named acting Chief Executive Officers of Greektown Casino. The duo will replace Bernard Bouschor - whose CEO contract has been terminated. Bouschor is the former chairman of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, but was defeated by Payment in his re-election bid last June; he had served as Chief Executive Officer of Greektown Casino since its inception. "Greektown Casino will begin searching for a new permanent CEO in the near future, according to the press release…"
Another Autocrat?
Will Joe McCoy follow in the footsteps of Bouschor and Payment, to become the next Tribal autocrat? He certainly is deploying Information Control into his doctrine. The same Information Control Bouschor and Payment deployed. Which is well documented in the below article from 2001.
Bouschor's iron-tight grip on information has made it difficult to examine the ... A Nov. 4, 1998, memo captures the extent of Bouschor's control. ...www.detnews.com/specialreports/2001/chippewa/sooiron/sooiron.htm - Cached
What Really Is An Autocrat?
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines it below.Main Entry: au·to·crat Pronunciation: \ˈȯ-tə-ˌkrat\Function: nounEtymology: French autocrate, from Greek autokratēs ruling by oneself, absolute, from aut- + -kratēs ruling — more at -crat-Date: 18031 : a person (as a monarch) ruling with unlimited authority2 : one who has undisputed influence or power
On the outside it appears Chairman McCoy is working hand and hand with the Board. We believe his cooperation with the Board is selective, and only beneficial to certain individuals or certain groups. On Employees
Grant it, this Administration led by McCoy made some serious layoffs. Some were essential and perhaps others were political. The retention of certain employees comes to mind. The tough decisions on the Board regarding terminations, or demotions of Key Employees is yet to be made.
On Separation Of Powers
In a youtube video below, Chairman McCoy feels that a separation is necessary. What is necessary, are efforts to separate those powers. The video right now is a lot of talk. Chairman McCoy needs to make an effort to back-up his words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G_4sImnkWU&feature=relatedThe people of the Tribe have been dictated far to long. We must seek and demand a Democratic Government, by the people and for the people. Since Bouschor and Payment each opened the rolls, the Tribe is now doubled in size. The rolls need to be closed for good.On RumorsThere are definitely a lot of rumors going around. A good way to prevent them is to communicate effectively. Many people in the Tribe want to know what the Board is doing. The non transparency of the Board is a major problem for the Membership. In the youtube video below Chairman McCoy states he likes to settle rumors. Again he is failing to do just that. The Tribal paper is only a place for the Board to spread their uncensored propaganda. It is highly doubtful that Chairman McCoy even writes his own reports to the Members.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cnFqbuF6i0&feature=relatedOn The EDCJoe McCoy states that there are plenty of opportunities for Native Businesses. He says at the same time that the Tribe should have their own Construction Company. Well, tough to do Joe when you lay them all off except Lenny Adams. Many Tribal Member Sault Tribe Construction workers had over 20 years in for the Tribe, and were laid off. A comment from one worker was "I'm moving on. Everything is all screwed-up and there's no end in sight." Sad to hear from someone who had over 20 years of dedication to the Tribe.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrJUz7Ee6N0&feature=relatedLenny Adams showed up at the time of the fire at the Sault Casino in 2004. Prior to this, Adams operated several Construction companies that failed. Adams was part of the Paquin/Bouschor package. Adams was on Bouschor's Campaign Committee and was the Chairman of Paquin's Campaign Committee. Adams was accused of taking trees from two of our Tribal entities, to put in his own yard. He is also accused of using Tribal personnel and equipment to plant the trees in his own yard. The Chairman and Board after being presented with a preponderance of evidence, seem to think that stealing is okay.
The Chairman and the Board need to take advantage of the current buyers market. There are many businesses and homes facing foreclosure nationwide. With the purchases and improvements of these dwellings, many Tribal workers could once again be employed. The economy should rebound in a short time. For once the Tribe has the chance to diversify in a buyers market.
What an opportunity. There has been no effort to diversify the Tribe. The Tribe is rich in educated and talented Members, that have yet to be tapped. Many Tribal Members are well educated to include those with MDs, PhDs, Masters Degrees, Bachelor Degrees, Associate Degrees, and Certificates. To include also highly skilled Craftsman in the following areas. Carpentry, Electrical, Mechanical, Masonry, Auto Mechanics, Dry walling, Cabinetry, Machinists, Iron Workers, and various other skilled areas. Will the McCoy Administration tap into these resources?On The Tribal PaperIt looks like those Board Members who submitted Unit Reports in the Tribal Paper, are all in lock-step. Each report states "So and so reports to the Membership" Did this Board establish their own militia? Whatever happened to Freedom Of Speech? However, this reader did observe some noteworthy statements.
Chairman McCoy says the following about communication:
Some members have voiced their concerns about lack of communication from our leadership to our membership. Since becoming elected, I’ve communicated and answered questions as much as the laws allow. By that I mean, I answer every question asked of me, with few exceptions. While some may not be satisfiedwith all the answers and explanations, I will always be honest in my actions for our tribe.
Some members request proprietary information, like those related to employment matters. We are not at liberty to discuss any employment matters with the general public; this information is protected by federal law. Some business actions are proprietary for purposes of maintaining competitiveness and improving our negotiating ability. We do understand there are some communication issues and we are working to address those deficiencies. If there are particular issues that you would like to know more about, please let us know and we will do our best to address your questions and concerns. We have a newspaper that goes to every member’s household and the paper is our best communication tool.
Mr. Chairman with all due respect, the Sault Tribe is a Sovereign Nation that formulates it's own laws. Although some may request what is viewed by the Administration as proprietary information, not all that is requested is. In no way should the records of 2% distribution be proprietary. Neither should the Employee base wage, to include many other things alluded to by the Chairman.Two peas in a pod
Bernard Bouschor reports: There was a time when we as leaders, members and staff had a common goal to build the tribe, protect and preserve our assets, expand services and provide employment opportunities in government and businesses.This, unfortunately, is not the case today. We can do it again; we did it in the late ’80s. We identified issues at the community level,
employee/staff level and the tribal council level.
What we found is three very different agendas — progress was slowed because we were working against each other. The tribe resolved the differences and established and approve done agenda with common goals. Our success in the ’90sis a direct result of having common agenda with goals and objectives.
So debunked Chairman and Director Bouschor, how do you suppose the Tribe got where it is today? Did you not lead the Tribe in the 80s, 90s, and the early 2000 years? What has changed about you Director Bouschor? Nothing!!!
The only difference now is you are a Director. You have managed to start-up where you left off. Tribe still in a mess, lawsuits still pending, and the core families still in charge. The only people fooled were in Unit 1 where Director Bouschor dispensed most of his favors during his dictatorship. How foolish of them I say!!!
On Culture
More and more the Culture of the Sault Tribe is diminishing. In the past year there have been a minimum of 5 resignations from the Cultural Committee. All related to the Cultural Directors refusal to work with the Committee. This Director Cecil "lit" Pavlat is on a serious ego trip. With more than a million dollars budget, "lit" feels he should not be accountable.
Anyone responsible for a million dollar budget needs to be held accountable. This person’s ego is exactly what the Tribe doesn't need. We have had our share of narcissistic people and we don't need anymore. The Board and Chairman are well aware of the problems with Cecil Pavlat.
http://saulttribefacts.blogspot.com/2009/01/culture.html
Unit 3 Autocrat
How Keith Massaway was Elected in Unit 3 should be the 8th wonder of the world. Up until recently Massaway could never be found in Tribal circles anywhere. However, he could often be found with his good pals at the Historical Society. The infamous Fast Freddie is his first Cousin and mentor. Many in the area believe that Fast Freddie put his cousin Keith up to running. Why? To put a stranglehold on the 2% distribution.
Fast Freddie knows how to pick them. The only criterion is to be easily persuaded. Keith Massaway certainly fits that profile. Massaway is a follower, not a leader. He had everything given to him through his Fathers family business. All the positions he held in the past were positions nobody wanted. In doing that, how could even the dullest piece of brass not shine?
Pet ProjectsAfter being elected Massaway learned quick from Fast Freddie. The first thing he did was put the City in his pocket. The City didn't care who it was, they only cared about how much it was. His good friends on the Michilimackinac Historical Society could hardly wait. Massaway was to make his first campaign promise listed below.
Raising funds and trying to save the Dr. Benson Collection and the Fort DeBaude Museum.
He raised funds alright and they came from the Sault Tribe. The Tribe committed in the neighborhood of around three quarters of a million dollars and possibly more. All 2% money for a Non-Governmental entity special interest project.
In the link below the Advocate points this out quite clearly in the article titled, Fort de Buade - The Other Story.
http://hli-wrc.com/mba/?m=200808
It's quite baffling to why the Sault Tribe would donate so much money for these items and the dilapidated building that houses them. This became a very controversial item, even up until this day. Massaway became the golden boy amongst his pals in the Michilimackinac Historical Society. Another added insult to the boondoggle by the bay quagmire.
Just this past fall Massaway gave the St. Ignace High School Football Team permission to practice at the "Free-Dome by the bay". Why? Because he can. The Board has no leash on his activities in Unit 3. That is the Tribes Dome, not Massaway's.
Also Massaway recently allocated 2% funds for the sprinkler system for a practice field football field when reading class was cut from academics. This is confirmed by Tribal Elder Tony Grondin in an email below.
Re: The Government Owned Newspaper
Sunday, February 8, 2009 9:34 PM
From: "Tony Grondin"
By the looks of all the ink on page 5 of the paper our leaders feel the I-500 is more important than the membership. While considering cuts from the elders funds, communications, etc., apparently sponsorship of the race was more important.
Also becoming more and more apparent Autocrat Bernard Bouschor is rubbing off on the McCoy Administration. Autocrat Bouschor rubbed it in our faces like this administration when they publish a quarter page picture of Goetz and Bouschor happily giving away our money.
BUT IT WAS A HARD DECISION according to their unit "REPORTS TO THE MEMBERSHIP. Kind of like Keith Massaway's reply "SO WHAT" when I told him it wasn't right to give away 2% money for a sprinkler system for a practice field football field when reading class was cut from academics.
SO WHAT!!
Massaway says So What! What planet does this guy come from? In the current world of technology, reading is essential to every single Child or Human Being. Now it's been established that Massaway has no commonsense. None! This is why the Sault Tribe has to develop some strict rules regarding 2% distribution.
Massaway Is All Talk
Director Massaway is all talk. He takes one stand and then votes the other way on it. In his December 2007 Unit Report he says one thing and then shortly after votes the other way. However, he was not alone. Every Board Member except DJ Hoffman voted to giveaway around a million dollars to the Employee Incentive Program, when the Tribe was in deep financial trouble. Below are extracts taken from Massaway's report on 12-2007.http://www.saulttribe.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=848&Itemid=300
Keith Massaway Unit III Representative
Sault Tribe Board of Directors
Do we really want to borrow on a hope?
"When is enough, enough? Can we ever give a big enough bonus? Can we ever give a large enough raise? Will we ever supply services that encompass everyone in every situation? The answer is no. I have been told by our CFO and others in accounting that the years 2007 and 2008 would be very difficult for our tribe. We almost made our fiscal 2007 year a success by balancing the budget. We emptied every cash account in order to do this. The board then voted to give an employee incentive. That puts the budgets in the red for 2007 by over one million. We cannot borrow the money from the banks in 2007 without a dollar for dollar match. We do not have the money to match the bank. I do not want to use our Land Claims Fund, so what does that leave the board to do? This is what governments call an unfunded mandate, that means the government makes a law to do something but has no funds to make it happen. There is also a referendum period of 30 days. The members of the tribe have the ability to send any decision of the board out to a vote of the people. I have been told that this process has been started and this issue of the incentives may go out to a vote. We cannot send out the check even if we could find the money because the vote of the people could overturn the decision of the board. That is where the incentive lies today, in limbo.
To compound this problem, in 2008, we will be $9 million short in our budget. The 2007 budget had a $28 million infusion of money that came from our businesses and enterprises. In 2008 that infusion will be only $17 million. With cuts and savings that we can make, we cut the $11 million difference down to $9 million. We must borrow $9 million. Onto this problem we add that this is an election year. Proposal after proposal comes to increase spending. Incentives, elder dividends, raises, program needs and several other worthy requests are arriving at an alarming pace. Do we keep adding to the debt or do we try to hold the reins tighter and slow down the run away horse? Some state that 2009 is our golden year, we will get an influx of $20 million from Greektown. That is a projection that has been presented to the board. I have been in business all my life and I know that projections are basically, a best guess. When pressed, it was later stated that Greektown has never met any of its projections to date. I am not saying that this projection will not be realized, I am just not going to count on all of this money. Do we really want to borrow on a hope? Do we really want to dig the tribe into a deeper hole hoping to be saved later?"
End of extract
My, my. What a savvy businessperson. Would he do that in his own business? He says not in his 11-2007 Unit Report.
11-2007 extract
Another issue is the incentive program (Christmas bonus) for our tribal enterprise employees. If the incentive is for only the tribal employees, then it is considered a per capita payment and our lawyers say we cannot do that. If it goes to all the employees, then the expense becomes enormous. I have owned businesses and have had many employees. I know how important the incentive is. I personally believe if there is any money over and above in the budget we should give everyone an incentive.
Recently our chief financial officer gave us a long presentation on the facts of the budget. He stated, “If we give out any bonuses we would have to borrow the money from the bank.” That puts the board in a predicament. If we don’t borrow, we may squeak by with a balanced budget in 2007. If we do borrow, then we will be putting the continued burden on the next year’s budget and compounding the poor financial outlook of 2008.
End of extract
This is hardly what the Sault Tribe needs in a Leader. This hardly what Unit 3 needs in a leader. Aaron Payment used to say that certain people talk out of both sides of their mouths. I believe he was referring to Massaway and Fast Freddie, and anyone else who didn't fit his political ideology.
The Deal On 2% Distribution
It seems all along that Unit 3 reps. may have been mis-allocating 2% money. In an inquiry by Tribal Elder Tony Grondin below, that question is asked.
January 26, 2007
Honorable Judge, Gordon J. Quist
U.S. District Court of the Western District of Michigan
110 Michigan NW
399 Federal Bldg.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
RE: Civil No. 1:90 CV 611
Dear Honorable Judge Quist,
I am respectfully requesting clarification of a portion of Part 8 of Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians; Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; Keweenaw Bay Indian Community; Hannahville Indian Community; and Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Plaintiffs, v. John Engler, Governor of the State of Michigan, Defendants.
Part 8, page 6, “Each tribe shall determine which local unit or units of governments shall receive payments and the amounts thereof; provided however, the guidelines governing the tribes in making said determinations shall be based upon compensating said local units of government for governmental services provided to the tribes and for impacts associated with the existence and location of the tribal casino in it’s vicinity; and provided further, however, that out of said aggregate payment, each local unit of government shall receive no less than an amount equivalent to its share of ad valorem property taxes that would otherwise be attributed to the class III gaming facility if that site were subject to such taxation.”
Am I to understand that, “ad valorem” means the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, owners of Kewadin Shores Casino, located in St. Ignace Township, County of Mackinac, State of Michigan is to make payment from 2% monies to St. Ignace Township in the amount equal to the Taxable Value of Kewadin Shoes Casino to include all buildings and contents?
Further, am I to understand that the taxable value of this class III facility is to be determined by the St. Ignace Township taxing authority using the Michigan taxable formula applied to all other class III properties in St. Ignace Township?
As for any violation of Civil No: 1:90 CV 611, could you please tell me the enforcing venue of any alleged violation? Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Elliott A. Grondin
251 Pine Trail
St. Ignace, MI. 49781
Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa Tribal Elder
St. Ignace Township Resident
You Go Tony!!!
Perhaps in due time Tribal Elder Tony Grondin will share the response he received.
If the claims are true that the 2% allocation should go to St. Ignace Township, then Massaway and those before him have some explaining to do. This was questioned before many times in the past. St. Ignace Township didn't get jack from the 2% autocrats in Unit 3. This all should be done within the legal parameters of the 2% Compact. Chairman McCoy claims he has Tribal Attorney and St. Ignace homeboy, Aaron Schlehuber on it. Another loyalty that is in question.
The Advocate on 2% http://hli-wrc.com/mba/?p=138
When the day is done, Massaway can say he kept only one of his campaign promises. All the rest are lies. Just look at his Mentor Fast Freddie and you will see how Massaway works the ropes.
It appears that Massaway may be trying to influence freshman Director Rickley. Will director Rickley become his own man and do the right thing?
Below are Massaways watered down promises.
Always available to Constituents
1. I WILL NOT BE FULL TIME ANYWHERE ELSE. THIS BOARD SEAT WILL BE MY FULL TIME JOB.
2. I WILL SET UP AN OFFICE SO YOU CAN MEET WITH ME IN PRIVATE. I WILL HOLD OFFICE
HOURS TWICE A WEEK, THREE HOURS AT A TIME SO YOU WILL ALWAYS KNOW WHERE TO
REACH ME.
3. I WILL CALL BACK, I WILL RESPOND, I WILL CARE.
Higher Education
Increased funding for vocational and technical job training for our youth and our tribe at large.
Increased job assistance, training and procurement of jobs for our tribal community first.
Work to have a merit based tuition waiver for all aspiring youth.
Social Services
Our tribal youth programs are on the chopping block at the federal level and we must make sure that we retain them because our youth are our future and we must help them all we can.
Listen and support our elders. The elder group in St.Ignace area are
doing great things and they are working well together putting on their
programs. We as a board must encourage and participate with them.
Health Care
To make the new hospital and Tribal Health Center dream a reality so
we will have increased access to health care locally.
To tirelessly work on budgets so we can best utilize the money we have
in the best places and to direct a fair share of tribal revenues toward
health care. I believe that health care for elders and children should be
one of our highest priorities. I’m committed to improving and extending
all types of medical services to all tribal members.
Elder Commitment
To be involved, to go to elder meetings, go to elder events, to listen, to help,to bring their spirit to the Board of Directors. To make sure the Elder dividend never goes down and will always increase. To record our past so others may understand who we were and who we are, so we can remain true to
our heritage and culture. To help elders establish local goals that will
improve tribal awareness and communication with all facets of our
community.
In just over a year there will be another Tribal Election and Massaway is expected to run again. "Look not at what he has done for you, but look at what he has done for himself"
Vote No To The Autocratic Director
Could There Be A Common Thread?
Is this a coincidence or a group of money hungry individuals all working another one of their crooked deals? This could very well be. Bouschor has been fleecing the Tribe for 20 years and isn't done. Abramoff's doings speak for itself. The facilitator of the master plan to fleece all Tribes. But what is Rove's role besides being Bush's number one crook? The below article may be worth examination.
Mar 07, 2006
Indian Gaming Money, Don Young PAC, the U.S Coast Guard and the Boston Ferry
Long-time connection between Alliance lobbyist Guy Martin and the Alaskan Congressman Don Young who is trying to kill Cape Wind
Special to Cape Cod today by Timothy Gillespie
Gene Hartigan shown above with Karl Rove at The White House. His gaming-ship partner is Hingham-based Guy Conrad, for seven years a highly-paid lobbyist for the tiny Nipmuc Nation in their attempt to build a large casino on the Mass-Conn border. The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound's spokesperson, Ernie Corrigan, was also the Nipmuc spokesperson last year.
The effort to sabotage the Cape Wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound took on sinister direction when an Alaskan congressman named Don Young inserted an amendment in the Coast Guard re-authorization bill last month which would kill the project.
Mr. Young did this in the dead of night after all discussion of the bill was complete. Since the bill's primary purpose is authorizing the funding of the U.S. Coast Guard, voting it down would be impossible. So why would an elected member of congress from a state over three thousand miles away do such a thing?
The answer to Young's opposition to the Cape Wind project is found in his thirty-year relationship with Guy Martin, a well-connected lobbyist, who has been pushing hard for the Cape Wind opposition group Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound down in Washington.
The US Senate Office of Public Records (see report here ), which keeps tabs on how much money is spent on lobbyists, shows the Alliance has paid $440,000 to Perkins Coie since 2002. Mr. Young is now linked to another sinister shenanigan in a little seaport in Nova Scotia.
Politics makes strange bedfellowsWho says that politics and big business don't make for strange bedfellows? Certainly not anyone who looked at the proposed Boston-to-Nova Scotia gambling ferry scheme.
Gene Hartigan and Guy Conrad, two Massachusetts political lobbyists working hand-in-hand with Shelburne Nova Scotia Mayor P.G. Comeau to bring a gambling and ferry ship operation to this small town, have important friends in high places, including Alaska Congressman Don Young, who is chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which just happens to oversee the budget of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Hartigan listed as one of Young's biggest "soft money" contributors
In reports filed with U.S. authorities, Hartigan is listed as one of the largest contributors to Young's Alaska-based "soft-money" Midnight Sun Political Action Committee (PAC). Young, through the PAC has also benefited from the largess of at least six Indian tribes and other clients of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, to the extent of at least $20,000. Abramoff was recently indicted and pled guilty in one of the largest lobbying scandals in U.S. history.
Hartigan's gaming ship partner is Hingham-based Guy Conrad, for seven years a highly-paid lobbyist for the tiny Nipmuc Nation in their attempt to build a large casino on the MA-CT border. Conrad arranged $6.4 million in funding to the Nipmucs from Lakes Entertainment of Minnesota, Indian casino specialists.
The Sacramento Bee on Don Young'sMidnight Sun PAC: Known as a leadership PAC, Midnight Sun is controlled by Young, and its treasurer is a registered lobbyist with a client list that includes transportation interests. In southeast Arkansas, more than a dozen men and women connected to road paving and auto sales in and near Pine Bluff gave about $28,000 last March to Midnight Sun, on top of about $20,000 to Young's re-election committee. When the highway bill passed a few months later, it had more than $200 million for their region over the next five years, including a $72 million interstate construction project extending to Pine Bluff. Young's office and several Arkansas donors declined to comment for this story. One donor, Clydine Davis, said of Young in a telephone interview: "We just all banded together to support him as he supports Arkansas."Source Abramoff--Young link:Jack Abramoff never gave Young money directly, but his clients donated $20,000 to Young's Mightnight Sun PAC.
Abramoff's millions, arranged loan to Nipmucs
Lakes seems to specialize in arranging Indian casinos in areas with strong community resistance and their Indian casino clients have benefited from Abramoff's contributions of millions of tribal monies to politicians and parties. Indian gaming contributions to politicians grew by 1,300% from 1992 to 1996.
Conrad also arranged a "loan" from the Sault St. Marie Chippewa tribe to the Nipmucs to allow them to pay fees reported to be $14,000 per month to lobbyists Conrad and a now-disbarred Boston lawyer Edward E O'Sullivan. The Chippewa are also contributors to Don Young's Midnight Sun PAC.The Nipmuc-Cape Cod connevtion
The money behind the lobbying move to stop Cape Wind came from the Alliance to protect Nantucket Sound whose spokesperson, Ernie Corrigan, was named PR flack for the Nipmuc Indians in 2004.
In addition to the Lakes Entertainment / Abramoff connection, CEO Lyle Berman was a former business partner of Bureau of Indian Affairs director, David Anderson, who oversaw the departmental process of granting tribes federal recognition.
No Coast Guard approval here, either.Despite announcements of sailing dates for 2005 and May, 2006, Hartigan and Conrad's Shores Atlantic LLC have yet to obtain a ship or any Coast Guard approval for the service. They have not said where the investment money for the project - estimated to be in the millions - is coming from.
Shelburne NS Mayor Comeau has been an unquestioning backer of this speculative project for years, despite Hartigan having failed in several previous attempts. Recently, Comeau engineered a secret Town Council vote to give the pair an extension on their berthing rights.
Rep. Don Young is currently attempting to introduce legislation which would scuttle the renewable energy Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, see story here.
Timothy Gillespie is the Editor of the Shelburne Nova Scotia NewsFor years Bouschor bankrolled the Nipmucs to a tune of at least $14,000.00 a month. He did this through lobbyists Conrad and a now-disbarred Boston lawyer Edward E O'Sullivan. All tied in with Ambramoff and Rove. These birds all follow the money. There's a good possibility Steve Morello could be tied into this group. Rove Bush's right hand crook, Morello appointed by Bush, and Morello referenced by Bouschor.
Folks the corruption could go deep here. If the FBI were to catch a cold, right now might be the time. So far they have managed to get a sniffle out of Fast Freddie.
