Fall River taxpayer group sues mayor, city over casino land deal
FALL RIVER – A group of taxpayers fighting a proposed casino has sued the mayor and city.
The group previously filed a lawsuit against the Fall River Redevelopment Agency, which last year agreed to sell land to the to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which wants to build a casino. The authority has argued the taxpayers have no right to sue over the sale.
While the group of taxpayers remain “confident that it has standing” the group sought Tuesday to add Mayor William A. Flanagan and the city to the existing lawsuit.
The move, which needs approval of a judge, “bolsters the case,” said Lesley Rich, a lawyer for the taxpayers. Rich said if a judge rejects the motion to amend the case he planned to file a separate lawsuit specifically against the mayor and city.
The legal fight comes against a backdrop of mixed messages from the city. The state and city once envisioned the land as the site of a biotechnology park. The city moved away from that plan with the pursuit of a casino, but a court blocked the land sale because of the taxpayer lawsuit.
A few weeks ago, Flanagan said the city would drop appeals of the decision and return to discussing the site as a location for a University of Massachusetts biopark.
“That’s the contradictory issue. They can’t really do both,” Rich told Providence Business News Wednesday. “They should stop wasting the taxpayers’ money with legal fees and just move on with the biopark.”
Any casino would also need the approval of the state legislature, which has yet to approve legislation allowing casino gambling in the Massachusetts.
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Joe Soto and the Chicago Casino
5 years ago
5 comments:
http://www.reelwamps.com
Old news....cause we told ya so
January 12, 2011
About 10 days, ago the Department of interior rejected Cedric Cromwell's attempt to include Fall River in the land in trust application. Wow. Bet the Malaysians are smarting over that one . Middleboro shouldn't get too excited though. More on that later.
Middleboro Review,
How would one go about getting in touch with you via email in regards to the Fall River Herald News lack of reporting on the casino and subsequent deletion of comments ?
Anon,
Please feel free to send your name, email address or phone number.
Honestly, if Cedric Cromwell said the sky was falling, half of Massachusetts would pee it's pants.
For four years I've been listening to assorted Mashpee Wampanoag tribal leaders make various assertive proclamations.
And guess what - they don't come true.
A long time ago someone told me that, according to regulations, the Tribe could not just add another property to their application.
So why do so many people continue to trust these assorted tribal leaders to tell the truth? Why is it true when Cedric Cromwell says it? For that matter, why is it true when Stan Rosenberg or Clyde Barrow says it?
Beats me.
Because the truth isn't even a part of it.
They make these proclamations because they create the immediate desired result that a lot people believe them.
And a lot of people, including them, want to believe.
But scratch the surface of that belief, and you'll quickly come upon a self-centered reason that has little to do with reality, sensibility or the greater good.
True enough, Gladys!
The 850 pages 'application' that the BIA is having difficulty providing would lead a person to believe that a 'new application' was submitted, not merely an inclusion of Fall River.
We have witnessed other matters that indicate that the Tribe doesn't fully comprehend the legalities of sovereignty, nor the implications of their ignorance.
Although I posted the comment, my intent was to submit via FAX and email a FOIA request for the 'letter' this evening.
Only facts and information are worthy of comment.
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