Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Dear Editor and Tribal Members,

I was very disappointed in the way the past Referendum was handled and dismayed at the negative results. The pursuit of a Catskill casino has been taking place for the past 14 years. Two questions come to my mind, first, why have a referendum on a question that has been determined for 14 years?

And, two, why did this referendum not receive the attention all other referendums had in the past?

There were no radio talk shows about this referendum, there were no newspaper articles about this referendum and there were no printed interviews or educational articles about this referendum. Making this referendum the most uninformed decision ever made by an uninformed voting public in Tribal history?

The tribe exerted more energy in educating the community about the upcoming Federal government “Census” then they did about this issue. Too bad, too bad for our kids future, and too bad for this generation. Consider the following:

• The SRMT has been working to secure all necessary approvals for an off-reservation gaming project since 1995. There have been various gaming partners throughout the years and more importantly, various tribal councils.

• The present Council, have agreed to continue pursuing this project on behalf of the tribal membership because they have consistently believed such effort to be in the “best interests” of the tribe.

• More specifically, why this question (when we are on the brink of a reversal of our denial and receipt of our final and last approval from Interior) why now? Why did our Council choose to hand over what everyone believes will be one of the most successful, if not the most successful casino in the world, to our competitors – the SENECAS? Was it simply to appease the criticisms of a few dissenters at a tribal meeting?? If so, something really smells at tribal headquarters and our “leadership” may have seriously betrayed their oaths of office to act in the best interests of all of the tribal membership.

• The Tribe has worked extremely hard and diligently throughout the years to obtain the necessary approvals for this project. We do not owe one cent in any pre-development costs to anyone for these approvals. We have no outstanding debts for this project – it has cost us nothing. So, why throw it all away now?

• Why didn’t Council require the dissenters to submit a petition demanding this particular question go to the voters pursuant to the election/referendum procedures? Why did the Council offer to do this after all of these years and after they have all come out publicly supporting the pursuit of the Sullivan County casino?

In light of the above, the decision to bring this issue to a vote appears on its surface to be completely senseless and illogical and our elected bobbleheads need to answer the questions WHY and WHY NOW? The lack of an education component to this referendum makes this the most uneducated decision this Tribal community has ever made and requires that an appeal be made as to its effectiveness.

Ray Cook.