Dance of the Slot Barn Shills!

Thursday, April 26th, the Boston Globe hosted the Dance of the Slot Barn Shills!

It was an adventurous evening, sorry you missed it! 
  
First, we need to step back in history to enlighten.

Once upon a time in Middleboro, the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen was Wayne Perkins who made the statement during a 2007 BOS meeting:

Chairman Perkins noted that towns in Connecticut that have casinos don't pay taxes.

NOTE: TOWNS - plural

Wow! That potential was so impressive, scads of us began researching this MIRACLE! What's not to love about that prospect?

We spoke to town officials, reviewed information online, reviewed the agreement the Tribe has with the Town of Montville that provides for annual payments of $500,000, with no escalation and no share of revenue.

We found no evidence of that statement.

FAST FORWARD to April 26th, 2012:

During the Dance of the Slot Barn Shills, Father McGowan stated that there was a community in Connecticut that paid no real estate taxes! Huh?

So, in 2007, this was Wayne Perkins source of misinformation!

After the event that blessed the death knell of many communities if it moves to fruition, I attempted to determine to what community Father McGowan's comment referred. Although there were numerous other inaccuracies in McGowan's statements, that was my focus.

As I waited to ask McGowan to name the community, he concluded his conversation with Jo Fernandes, Town Whatever from Plainville [God help Plainville if this is the source of their information because they're too blind or lazy to inform themselves!].

When I asked which community, McGowan simply said Mohegan Sun without naming the community. (It is Montville. The Agreement mandates annual payments of $500,000 with no escalation, no participation in revenues, negotiated by Town Counsel, noted in the SEC filing by Mohegan Sun.) He volunteered that there was another unnamed community north of Chicago.

I was so stunned by the revelation, I said that they only receive $500,000 per year.

At that, McGowan's demeanor changed and he lashed out at me with unwarranted attack, as well as an attack on the ONLY Opponent on the evening's panel.

During his Vampire Routine, McGowan blurted that the town didn't pay taxes the first few years. I don't know what it is now.

THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID ON CAMERA!

When I pointed out that that was NOT what he said, the Bully got really hostile, told me he wasn't going to talk to me any more and turned his back!

Folks, this is the problem with Slot Barn Cheerleaders who have consumed too much KoolAid.

Gambling is a Predatory Industry that creates NEW Gambling and creates NEW Gambling Addicts. Even Massachusetts Secretary Bialecki was forced to acknowledge that the 'Administration' calculated that 50% of the profits would originate from  GAMBLING ADDICTS. [Harrah's, now known as Caesars, determined that 90% of their profits came from 10% of their patrons.]


This is not a talisman that wards off arrogance and dishonesty --

Please provide information indicating what TOWNS do NOT pay real estate taxes.

I'm waiting!

Background:
Perkins said the Mashpee tribe offered an economic engine for the region, giving Middleboro 2 percent of the net gaming revenue, annually.
[It never happened!]

From: To Talia: Casino Corruption #4
http://middlebororecall.blogspot.com/2008/01/to-talia-casino-corruption-4.html

SELECTMEN'S MEETING

MARCH 5, 2007

Casino

Chairman Perkins said he was in favor of forming an exploratory committee in response to a news release by the Wampanoag of Mashpee who are looking for about 200 acres in Southeastern Massachusetts for a casino.  He said he had been approached by a number of residents.

Selectman Bond agreed.  He asked if the economic impact of having a casino was known.

Mr. Healey said he didn't know, but noted it would significantly change the character of the town.

Selectwoman Brunelle said the economic impact would be whatever was negotiated with the group.[Huh?]

Chairman Perkins noted that towns in Connecticut that have casinos don't pay taxes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncasville,_Connecticut
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montville,_Connecticut
budget - 1st bond payment in Rand Whitney settlement - page 2 http://www.townofmontville.org/FormRepository/processDownload.asp?ID=4443
Line 49080 page 11 Mohegan contributions $500,000

N.E. Patriots' Parent Denied Paper Mill Power Request

Doesn't this sound eerily familiar to the PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TO NOWHERE application? Seeking state funds? Why should Bob Kraft pay for anything when the taxpayers/ratepayers can pay the bill?


N.E. Patriots' Parent Denied Paper Mill Power Request
Tue, 10/16/2007

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A paper shipping box manufacturer owned by the Massachusetts parent company of the New England Patriots is running into opposition over its request for state grant money to generate electricity at its mill.

The Office of Consumer Counsel on Monday filed an objection with state utility regulators over a proposal by Rand Whitney Containerboard for a multimillion-dollar grant to increase power generation at Montville.

Rand Whitney is owned by The Kraft Group, which also owns the Patriots.

The General Assembly revised state law allowing companies to seek grants that would help finance electricity generation. The legislation intended to reduce the load on the regional power grid and improve energy efficiency.

More than 200 applications from schools, hospitals, companies and other organizations have been submitted to the state Department of Public Utility.

''We're talking little guys who operate machine shops, restaurants up to mega corporations,'' said Beryl Lyons, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Utility Control.

But the Office of Consumer Counsel told the DPUC that the company has no right to seek a $6.4 million grant based on 14.2 megawatts at its power plant because its upgrade is by 1.9 megawatts to a 12.3-megawatt plant already online.

The consumer advocate says Rand Whitney is instead entitled to seek funding of, at most, $855,000.

''OCC is outraged by Rand Whitney's effort to obtain a grant from ratepayers reflecting the 12.3 megawatts that they had already decided to install in 2005 in their own economic interest,'' the state agency said.

James Cobery, general counsel for Rand-Whitney, said in a statement that the Office of Consumer Counsel misunderstands ''both the letter of the law as well as the intent of the law.''

The General Assembly intended that financial incentives should be available not just for electricity created now but also for future power generation, he said.

''Prior to this plant coming online, Rand Whitney purchased its power directly from the electric grid,'' Cobery said. ''That it no longer is drawing that amount of power from an over-stressed infrastructure and that Rand Whitney is willing to invest in more generating capacity to further reduce this burden are precisely the reasons behind these incentive programs.''

Montville council OKs deal with Rand-Whitney

Montville council OKs deal with Rand-Whitney
By Jeffrey A. Johnson
Publication: The Day

Agreement ends legal spat for 2 years

Montville - The Town Council approved a two-part agreement Wednesday night aimed at ending a long legal struggle between the town and Rand-Whitney Containerboard over sewer usage fees.

Despite several councilors voicing skepticism about parts of the agreement, the council voted 5-2 to enter into a two-year plan with the Foxboro, Mass.-based paper manufacturer, whose chairman and chief executive officer is Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots' owner. Councilors Howard "Russ" Beetham and Ellen Hillman were opposed.

Since Rand-Whitney opened a facility on Route 163 in 1995, the town and the paper company have clashed in court on several occasions, with one court-ordered settlement costing taxpayers $11.7 million plus interest in a breach-of-contract lawsuit.

"This war stops now," Councilor Dana McFee said, jokingly quoting a line from the classic mafia movie "The Godfather."

Under the first part of the agreement, the Water Pollution and Control Authority will charge Rand-Whitney the same monthly commercial rate for its sewer usage fees as it charges other commercial users, such as Mohegan Sun casino.

The second part of the agreement calls for the town, the WPCA and Rand-Whitney to explore upgrades and infrastructure improvements to a wastewater treatment facility on the paper manufacturer's grounds.

This part of the agreement prompted the most hesitation from councilors. If the WPCA and Rand-Whitney proceed with new treatment options, the WPCA is expected to use a $5 million grant authorized by the state Bond Commission for upgrades to the treatment facility.

Councilors and Bruce Chudwick, the town attorney, also questioned what would happen if the treatment facility upgrades cost more than $5 million.

Matt Auger, attorney for the WPCA, argued that upgrades to the facility would be beneficial because the WPCA would greatly improve its wastewater treatment process - easing the burden of rate payers - and the town would save approximately $700,000 annually by using the upgraded facility for sludge disposal.

In two hours of discussion, Auger also said several times that the agreement required good faith from both sides.

"Like it or not, the town and Rand-Whitney are a married couple that cannot be separated until the year 2054," Auger said of the 43-year wastewater treatment agreement between the two parties.

Jim Cobery, the attorney for Rand-Whitney, said moving to a commercial rate would cost the paper manufacturer between $200,000 and $300,000 more per year in sewer usage fees, but the company stands to save substantially in legal fees. Rand-Whitney would pay the WPCA about $1.75 million annually under the new agreement.

Rand-Whitney: It's a new day in relationship with town of Montville

Rand-Whitney: It's a new day in relationship with town of Montville
By Jeffrey A. Johnson
Publication: The Day

Montville company looking forward to better relations with town; Blumenthal visits facility

Montville - The general manager of Rand-Whitney Containerboard said Tuesday that the paper manufacturer has moved past a long-standing period of acrimony that it shared with the town.

Officials from Rand-Whitney spent the better part of Tuesday afternoon showing U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the ins and outs of the facility on Route 163.

Richard Hartman, the plant general manager, said afterward that the company wants to better educate the community on its practices and business. With Mayor Ronald K. McDaniel Jr. present, the tour with Blumenthal also was designed as the latest step toward a better relationship with the town.

"We've settled a lot of those disputes, and we're on a better track," Hartman said of the legal proceedings between Rand-Whitney and the town. "We're not the bad guys that maybe we were made out to be in the past."

Blumenthal is traveling the state and visiting technical schools, community colleges and manufacturing plants to get a better sense of trade-intensive training and jobs.

He is a co-sponsor of a bill that aims to modernize and improve community colleges and introduced another bill that would offer training for low-income, unemployed adults. Hartman led Blumenthal through the plant and also gave the senator a presentation on Rand-Whitney's products and history.

After the town and the company argued in court for years over how much Rand-Whitney should pay in sewage fees, the town was ordered to pay a court-ordered settlement of $11.7 million plus interest.

In June, the two sides came to a two-part agreement that aimed to put an end to all the legal battles. Part of the agreement calls for the town to charge Rand-Whitney the same sewer usage fees as it charges other commercial businesses.

The town is scheduled in the next fiscal year to make its first payment of approximately $1.35 million to the company.

The paper manufacturer employs about 110 people, and 20 percent of its employees are town residents, Jim Wood, the company's chief administrative officer, said.

In a meeting with some of Rand-Whitney's employees, Blumenthal commended the company for hiring veterans - it reports that veterans comprise 18 percent of its work force. Blumenthal also said his tour would help him when he returns to the Senate.

"Economic growth has to be a priority in Washington," he said. "The pictures that I can take back are important to convince my colleagues to invest in skill training."

A paper mill has operated on Rand-Whitney's current property since 1868. Led by the Kraft family, Rand-Whitney Packaging Co. bought the site in 1986. Robert Kraft, the chief executive officer, is also owner of the New England Patriots.

Rand-Whitney annually produces about 250,000 tons of recycled kraft linerboard. The plant's energy comes from a neighboring cogeneration plant, which produces 16 megawatts of electricity and also heats the mill.

Montville, Rand-Whitney (Bob Kraft) on the verge of ending long dispute over sewer fees

Montville, Rand-Whitney on the verge of ending long dispute over sewer fees
By Jeffrey A. Johnson
Publication: The Day

WPCA approves memo outlining billing method that's 'less contentious'

Montville - The town on Monday night moved a step closer to ending years of contentious legal disputes with Rand-Whitney Containerboard that have cost the town millions of dollars in legal fees and a breach-of-contract lawsuit.

The Water Pollution Control Authority approved a memorandum of understanding that will temporarily bill the paper manufacturer as a commercial user for its sewer usage fees based on existing rates.

That would leave the Foxboro, Mass.-based company to pay the same monthly sewer usage fees as other town commercial businesses, such as Mohegan Sun casino, WPCA Administrator Brian Lynch said.

Since Rand-Whitney opened its $100 million factory on Route 163 in 1995, the town and the paper company have been in court on various occasions. At issue is a complex, percentage-based formula to determine the company's sewer usage fees. In 2008, a New York federal court compelled the town to pay a settlement of $11.7 million to Rand-Whitney in a breach-of-contract lawsuit.

Robert Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots, is also chairman and chief executive officer of Rand-Whitney.

Monday's memorandum of understanding must go before the Town Council for a vote next week. If passed, it would create a system that would be "less contentious," according to WPCA Commissioner Timothy May, and would conceivably keep both sides out of court.

Lynch, who started talks with Rand-Whitney representatives on the commercial rate plan in October, said the agreement would be in effect for at least two years.

"I think there was apprehension on both sides - especially when you're trying to overcome some long history," Lynch said. "What's important is that both sides had to give on some things to try and come to an agreement that we hope will become long-standing."

WPCA commissioners and representatives from Rand-Whitney met in an hourlong executive session at the beginning of Monday's WPCA meeting.

Lynch said prior to the meeting that the dialogue between the two sides has improved of late, which could help the WPCA iron out a future plan with Rand-Whitney that will follow the two-year memorandum of understanding.

Lynch said at that point the town could continue to bill Rand-Whitney at the same rate as other commercial users. Seven months prior to the end of the two-year term, the two parties will have 30 days to decide if they wish to continue the memorandum of understanding.

May said he eventually supported the agreement between the two sides because concessions were made by both parties.

"At first I wasn't really sold on it, to be honest with you," May said. "But the more I looked at it, the better I thought it would be for the town. We've been through so much in the past several years."

Town residents in 2008 approved $12 million in bonding to be paid over 15 years to cover the settlement with Rand-Whitney.

The town will pay $320,000 in the 2011-12 fiscal year and will make payments of about $1 million annually starting in 2012-13 to cover the bonding and interest, according to Finance Director Terry Hart. The bonding will be paid off in 2023-24, Hart said.

On Monday night, WPCA commissioner Robert Thorn called the agreement with Rand-Whitney a "milestone achievement." Ellen Hillman, also a town councilor, was the only WPCA commissioner opposed in a 4-1 vote to send the memorandum of understanding to the Town Council.