June 23, 2010: Tribal casinos

>> Rooney: INDIAN TRIBES HAVE FEDERAL RIGHTS TO OPERATE CASINOS AS A SOURCE OF REVENUE.

MASSACHUSETTS OFFICIALS SAY THEY NEED THREE RESORT CASINOS TO RECHARGE THE STATE'S ECONOMY.

NOW, THOUGH, THE LATEST CASINO LEGISLATION ON BEACON HILL IS FORCING A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES, AND RAISING THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE STATE COULD END UP WITH MORE GAMBLING THAN IT BARGAINED FOR.

GAMBLING OPPONENTS IN THE STATE SENATE SAY THE CURRENT BILL TO LICENSE THREE RESORT CASINOS IN MASSACHUSETTS IS A BAD BET.

>> NO MATTER HOW YOU CUT THE CARDS, THIS BILL IS A BAD DEAL FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.

>> Rooney: NOW THOSE OPPONENTS HAVE AN UNLIKELY ALLIE, THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRYP.

THE TRIBE IS NOW THREATENING TO BUILD A CASINO IN FALL RIVER, NO MATTER WHAT BEACON HILL DOES.

BUT THE BILL'S SPONSOR, STANLEY ROSENBURG, SAYS THERE SHOULD BE NO SPECIAL DEALS.

>> WE PUT A NUMBER OF THINGS INTO THE BILL, AND THERE ARE OTHER AMENDMENTS PENDING TO ADDRESS SOCIAL IMPACTS AND COMMUNITY IMPACTS.

>> Rooney: UNDER ROSENBURG'S PROPOSAL, INDIAN TRIBES WOULD HAVE TO OPERATE LIKE OTHER CASINOS, WITHOUT SOVEREIGNTY OF THE LAND.

BUT, IF THEY DO, THE TRIBE SAYS IT WON'T PAY EVEN A SINGLE NICKEL TO THE STATE.

MEANING MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYERS WOULD BE THE BIG LOSERS.

JOINING ME NOW IS THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRIBAL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN CEDERICK CHROMWELL.

WELCOME TO YOU.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Rooney: THE SENATE NOW ARE DEBATING ALL DAY TODAY.

THEY'RE PROPOSING THREE RESORT DESTINATION CASINOS IN MASSACHUSETTS.

NO SLOTS.

YOU'RE SAYING WE THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO BUILD YET ANOTHER ONE, EVEN IF, LET'S SAY, THESE THREE GO AHEAD AND BIDS GO OUT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN YOU THE RIGHTS.

HOWEVER, YOUR TRIBE WAS ONLY RECOGNIZED IN 2007.

AND THE RIGHT TO SOVEREIGN LAND DOESN'T APPLY, OR SO THE RULE SAYS, TO ANY TRIBE RECOGNIZED AFTER 1934.

HOW WOULD YOU ACQUIRE SOVEREIGN LAND TO BUILD THIS CASINO IN THE FIRST PLACE?

>> A COUPLE OF THINGS.

WE, THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG DESCRIBE HAVE AN APPLICATION OUT FOR LAND IN TRUST.

WE HAVE UPDATED THAT APPLICATION, AND IN THE PROCESS, AS I SPEAK, TO ADD THE FALL RIVER LOCATION.

WHERE WE'RE HAVING OUR SERIOUS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CASINO.

WE WERE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED IN 2007 AFTER 35 YEARS OF FIGHTING IN COURT FOR OUR SOVEREIGN RIGHTS.

>> Rooney: EVEN THAT DOESN'T END UP TO 1934.

>> THE TRIBE HAS BEEN HERE FOR OVER 12,000 YEARS.

>> Rooney: YOU SAY IT IS GRANDFATHERED BACK?

>> YEAH.

IT FEDERAL RECOGNITION PRE-DATES 1934.

SO WE DIDN'T THINK THAT APPLIES TO US.

YESTERDAY THE ASSISTANT INTERIOR SECRETARY ANNOUNCED THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION WILL BE TAKING LAND INTO TRUST.

>> Rooney: WHY NOT GO AHEAD AND BUILD THIS CASINO NOW?

WHY DON'T YOU EVEN CARE WHAT THE LEGISLATURE SAYS?

>> YOU ASK A GREAT QUESTION.

ONE, WE WANT TO DO IT ON TRIBAL SOVEREIGN LAND.

SO WE HAVE THAT APPLICATION IN THE PROCESS.

WHAT WE FELT, WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO OFFICE, MYSELF ALONG WITH THE VICE CHAIRMAN, WE VISITED MANY LEGISLATORS AT THE HILL AND THE STATE HOUSE.

WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY OF US WORKING TOGETHER AS A HYBRID MODEL.

BASED ON INDIAN GAMING REGULATORY ACT RIGHTS, FEDERAL RIGHTS THAT THE TRIBE HAS TO A SOVEREIGN NATION.

AND LET'S FOCUS ON THAT WHERE WE CAN CREATE REVENUE GENERATION FOR THE COMMONWEALTH, AS WELL AS FOR THE TRIBE, TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.

TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR SOCIETY.

SPELLED OUT IN THE REGULATORY ACT.

IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE CITY OF FALL RIVER AS WELL.

ONCE THAT LAND GOES INTO TRUST, THE EXCITING THING IS BASED ON THE ESTABLISHED CONTRACT, UNDER LAW, THE REVENUE SHARE WOULD STILL CONTINUE TO THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SO IT IS A WIN/WIN.

>> Rooney: IF YOU HAD A DEAL STRUCK, YOU WOULD LET A REVENUE STREAM COME INTO MASSACHUSETTS.

YOU'RE SAYING IF THEY DON'T PLAY ALONG WITH YOU, YOU'LL BUILD YOUR OWN CASINO AND NOT A NICKEL WILL GO TO MASSACHUSETTS.

>> IT'S NOT A THREAT.

IT IS OUR RIGHTS AS A SOVEREIGN NATION ONCE THE LAND GOES INTO TRUST, TO BUILD A GAMING FACILITY.

IF EXPANDED GAMING IS PASSED, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.

IF WE HAD LAND INTO TRUST TODAY, WE COULD DO CLASS TWO-GAMEING, WHICH IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT BETWEEN CLASS TWO AND CLASS THREE.

AND UNDER THAT LAW, WE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE ANY REVENUE SHARING TO THE COMMONWEALTH.

>> Rooney: WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT COMMUNITY CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT INCREASED VIOLENCE OR GAMBLING?

THAT WON'T BE YOUR PROBLEM, EITHER?

>> THAT'S A CONCERN.

WITHIN AN I.G.A., IF YOU WILL --

>> Rooney: I.G.A.?

>> INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, THAT WILL BE BETWEEN FALL RIVER AND THE TRIBE.

I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS AROUND SERVICE, POLICE SERVICES, AND FIRE DEPARTMENT --

>> Rooney: SO YOU WOULD HELP OUT WITH THAT?

>> DEFINITELY.

BECAUSE IT WOULD BE OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS A SAFE CITY, AND THE CONSTITUENTS IN THAT CITY ARE SAFE.

>> Rooney: WHY DO YOU NEED THIS?

>> IT IS AN AMAZING SITUATION WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A SOVEREIGN NATION AND OUR PEOPLE HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF DIABETES, HEART PROBLEMS, VERY POVERTY STRICKEN --

>> Rooney: WHERE DO THEY ALL LIVE?

>> THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS.

OVER 750, ROUGHLY IN THE CAPE PROPER, MASHPEE AREA.

SO INDIAN GAMING WAS PUT IN PLACE FOR SOVEREIGN NATIONS THAT HAD ILLEGALLY TAKEN FROM THEM, LIKE MASHPEE, AND STRIPPED OF ALL OF OUR ECONOMY AND TRADE AND COMMERCE, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION.

WE'RE A NATION, AND AS A SOVEREIGN NATION, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BUILD IT BACK UP.

GET OUR PEOPLE EDUCATED, DOCTORS, LAWYERS.

FIX OUR HEALTH PROBLEMS.

WE'RE TAXED OUT OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.

WE LIVE NEAR TROPHY HOUSES, AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET LAND BACK THAT WAS ILLEGALLY TAKEN SO WE CAN PURCHASE HOUSES AND BUILD OUR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SO OUR ELDERLY PEOPLE HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.

>> Rooney: DON'T MOST OF THE TRIBE MEMBERS HAVE JOBS?

>> AS YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY IS PRETTY BAD.

OUR TRIBE WAS A SHELLFISHING, FISHERY, HANDS ON BRICK-LAYER COMMUNITY.

AS WE KNOW, THE ENVIRONMENT IS POLLUTED, AND THEY'RE IGNORED IN THE COMMONWEALTH, SO WE CANNOT DO THE FISHERIES --

>> Rooney: ARE YOU FEARFUL AT ALL OF WHAT THIS TYPE OF COMMERCE COULD DO TO THE TRIBE?

>> NOT FEARFUL BECAUSE OF A COUPLE OF THINGS.

AS A LEADER OF THE NATION, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE BETTERMENT OF THE PEOPLE, AND SERVICES TO BETTER OUR PEOPLE.

SO IT IS ABOUT EDUCATION.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THIS?

WELL, YOU GET THE SERVICES IN PLACE, AND YOU ASSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ACCOUNTED FOR, AND THEY'RE ACCOUNTABLE AROUND THE SERVICES THEY GET.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROD TIFLT -- PRODUCTIVITY, JOBS AND COMPETITION AND PEOPLE COMPETING FOR A BETTER LIFE WHEN WE HAVE THAT SERVICE DELIVERY AVAILABLE, THAT BEING THE PROCEEDS FROM A CASINO.

WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO RAISE CASINO KIDS, IF YOU WILL, OR CRIPPLE PEOPLE.

WE'RE LOOKING TO ENHANCE PEOPLE BASED ON THE SOVEREIGN RIGHT WE HAVE AS A NATION.

>> Rooney: HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK?

ARE YOU GOING TO GO AHEAD WITH THE SENATE?

>> I KNOW THE SENATE IS DOING A VERY HIGH-EFFORT YOMAN'S JOB OF TRYING TO GET THE CASINO GAMING PASSED IN THE HOUSE.

THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF CRITICAL CARE WORK TO EN EN -- ENSURE IT COMES OUT RIGHT.

WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO BANKS.

WE CAN GET A SHOVEL ON THE GROUND AND EMPLOY 1,000 TO 1200 UNION-BASED CONSTRUCTION DRUGS.

>> Rooney: RIGHT DOWN IN FALL RIVER, AND TAKE ALL OF THE BUSINESS AWAY FROM CONNECTICUT, TOO.

>> IT'S TOUGH, BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT FALL RIVER, WE HAVE A LOT OF COMPETITION.

AND WE HAVE TWIN RIVERS IN RHODE ISLAND.

AND THEY'RE THREATENING TO GO 24 HOURS IN EXTENDED GAMBLING.

AND 45 MINUTES AWAY, WE HAVE FOXWOOD, WHICH HAS $2 BILLION IN THE GROUND, AND MOHEGAN, WITH $2 BILLION IN THE GROUND.

PENNSYLVANIA JUST CAME ON LINE WITH THE EXPANDED GAMBLING --

>> Rooney: THERE IS NO END TO THIS.

>> SO SOUTHEASTERN MASS IS VERY EXPECT TIFF.

WE HAVE A SOLUTION TO FIX THE UNEMPLOYMENT.

UNEMPLOYMENT.

>> Rooney: GOOD LUCK TO YOU.

WHEN WE CONTINUE, ARE YOU READY FOR 3D TELEVISION IN YOUR HOME.