After first attempt fails, Governor Deval Patrick set to negotiate directly with tribes over new licenses.
Wednesday 18th June 2008
In America, the Governor for Massachusetts has announced his willingness to negotiate directly with individual Indian tribes in order to open new casinos.
In March, a plan from Deval Patrick to open three resort-style casinos in the eastern American state while also outlawing online gambling failed to gain approval from the Massachusetts House of Representatives. However, his administration is now set to negotiate directly with the Mashpee Wampanoag band over plans to bring casino gambling to Massachusetts.
'At a time of economic uncertainty, we must be proactive about proposing ideas and reforms that boost economic activity and create jobs,” Patrick told the Associated Press.
“Attacking ideas without proposing sound alternatives is not good economic policy nor what the public expects or deserves.'
Patrick had proposed licensing three casinos across Massachusetts; a plan he said would generate $600 million in one-time licensing fees along with $400 million in annual tax revenues and 20,000 permanent jobs. The tribe had expressed interest in applying for one of these licenses at the time but is now involved in seeking Federal recognition in order build a casino on a 540-acre site it has secured near Middleborough.
'We definitely want to work with the State,' said Shawn Hendricks, Chairman for the Mashpee Wampanoag.
'Our tribe members, we live here, we have friends here. It's commonsense that we would, you know, build a relationship. We don't want to come out in a negative light and come out in a controversy with anyone.'
In America, the Governor for Massachusetts has announced his willingness to negotiate directly with individual Indian tribes in order to open new casinos.