Palmer, MA: Food Fight Over Insolvent Tribe

Pull up a seat, get out the popcorn and prepare to watch a food fight over a losing proposition!

Some folks made up their minds, facts be damned! (And a "Casino Study Report" that told them the Mohegan Sun Folly would financially destroy the Town.)

And many of those same folks still ignore the simple facts of life as they profit from the Folly, as Lamothe has.


Palmer Town Councilor Blake Lamothe calling for resignation of Councilor Barbara Barry
By Lori Stabile, The Republican The Republican


PALMER - Town Councilor Blake E. Lamothe is calling on fellow Town Councilor Barbara A. Barry to resign, saying she has a conflict of interest because her husband works for a company whose chief executive wants to bring a resort casino to Brimfield.

Lamothe expressed concern that Barry "could slow down the process" of bringing a casino to Palmer, and said "there has got to be some influence there" regarding her husband's job at Palmer Paving.

David J. Callahan, Palmer Paving's chief executive officer, has signed a contract with Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International through his Rolling Hills Estates Realty Trust on the Brimfield project.

"I just think it's not the best fit to be honest with you . . . I got nothing against Barbara, she's just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Lamothe said.

Lamothe said he has not approached Barry about this issue. Lamothe, who is a supporter of
Mohegan Sun's proposal to build a resort casino across from the turnpike exit, said there will be no economic benefit if MGM builds a casino in Brimfield, which he referred to as a "fenced-in jail."

MGM representatives say there will no local access to the resort, save for emergency vehicles, and the only way in and out will be through a special turnpike exit yet to be built.
Barry said Lamothe has not given her the courtesy of sharing his concerns. She said the decision regarding where a Western Massachusetts casino will be sited will be made by the state Gaming Commission, not her.

Barry, who has served on the council since its inception in 2005, said she was elected "to represent this community, not to represent Mohegan Sun or any other interest."
"The people that have elected me are my first priority," Barry said. "I will not be resigning my position."

Barry said her husband has worked for Palmer Paving for 15 years and is a quality control manager.

"I really don't see what it has to do with anything, but Blake is entitled to his own opinion,"
Barry said.

She said she will likely remain neutral on the casino issue, saying she felt that stance was
important, as a casino will be the townspeople's decision. She said she is interested in making sure the host community agreement with Mohegan protects the town for years to come.

Town Council President Paul E. Burns said he doesn't see any conflict, but said if there were an issue, Barry could recuse herself from voting.

"It's a dangerous precedent for councilors to begin to determine on their own who should and shouldn't resign," Burns said.

"Voters elected that individual to the Town Council," Burns said about Barry. "It's up to the voters, not up to individual councilors."

District 4 Councilor Donald Blais Jr. said he understood Lamothe's concerns, but doesn't feel Barry should step down.

"I think we need to be united. I don't think there's an issue yet," Blais said.

Council Vice President Philip J. Hebert said he felt this is the "pot calling the kettle black" and feels Lamothe's suggestion that Barry resign is "totally out of line." Hebert called Barry "honest" and said the councilors are all supposed to be working together.

"Before you go blaming someone, why don't you go look in the mirror?" Hebert said about Lamothe.

Hebert said Lamothe is promoting a rail stop at his business, the Steaming Tender restaurant, which is the former railroad station.

"I feel that's a conflict," Hebert said.

Lamothe said he doesn't feel that's a conflict, as it would promote economic development in town. Lamothe said it would go "hand-in-hand" with a casino.

"I'm frustrated when someone wants to slow stuff down," said Lamothe, adding he is just concerned about the town's future growth.

He wants the town to hire a consultant to examine casino impacts.

The council and town manager have discussed hiring professor Clyde W. Barrow and the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth to conduct a casino impact study, but no contract has been signed. [An INDEPENDENT Casino Study Committee composed of town residents determined the annual cost of a Slot Barn in Palmer would be $18 million to ?. The Town Fathers, unwilling to accept or consider what they didn't want to hear instead chose to shelve the report.]

At a meeting last month, Barry expressed concerns about Barrow, specifically his past work for Mohegan Sun and Northeast Realty, which owns the land Mohegan wants to build on.