Forthright discussion of the pro and cons of having a
Middleboro Mashpee Wampanoag Resort Casino
 

Amelia Bingham surprise guest at Middleboro Selectman's meeting

Article and photos by Hal Brown

Click photos to enlarge

June 5, 2005 -- According to the Cape Cod Times, Amelia Bingham is a tribal elder who is among several Mashpee Wampanoag who filed a lawsuit against the tribal council in December seeking access to financial records and who wants council members held in contempt for not providing that access. (Reference)

Ms. Bingham (pictured on left) was at the meeting of the Middleboro Selectman this evening accompanied by Jacqueline Tolosky (right), who is the president of the anti-casino group that publishes the website CasinoFacts.

Bingham introduced herself only as a Wampanoag, not by name, and went on to criticize the leadership of the tribe saying they didn't speak for the entire tribe. She didn't mention her suing the tribe or being shunned by them, (see her letter to South Coast Today on May 24, 2007, Amelia Bingham on Wampanoag suit), but did caution the selectman about not trusting the current leadership of the tribe.

When she was finishing up her remarks I called a point of order and asked her, as is the custom of these meetings, for her to identify herself, which she did.

Other action related to the casino involved a discussion of hiring more legal experts, with selectmen noting that going into negotiations themselves with the Mashpee Wampanoag and their attorneys would be akin to going into a gunfight only armed with knives. I think it was Adam Bond who said he wants to "bring a howitzer".

The meeting was held in the ballroom, upstairs at Middleboro Town Hall with chairs for about 200, although only 40-50 attended. Several held signs from this website or had pro-casino stickers on, and one woman at a large homemade sign for the anti-casino and support the recall group.

It appears that there is considerable overlap between the anti-casino and the pro-recall groups. A number of people had the recall petition, which needs 800 signatures, and were asking people to sign it. Many whom they asked said they'd already signed.

(Left: Former selectmen a member of the CasinoFacts board, Steve Morris addressing selectmen.) Board Chair Marsha Brunelle hadn't intended this meeting to be a hearing or public forum on the casino and tried to limit audience comments. At one point when she tried to cut off comments, several audience members protested including former selectman Steve Morris, sitting right behind me, who shouted his complaints.  

The selectman will meet on June 13th at 7:00PM to discuss which legal terms would be best suited to help represent them in negotiations. Local Comcast cable channel 9 will broadcast the tape of the meeting on Thursday and 7PM and several times over the next week.

Right, Ms. Bingham being interviewed by  reporter Alice Elwell of The Enterprise.

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