Tribal leaders to share development agnda with Baldacci

PLEASANT POINT – Passamaquoddy leaders gambled last month that Maine voters would back a tribally owned casino that would provide jobs.

They lost that bet, yet watched the state’s voters approve slot machines for Bangor’s harness racing park.

“For the past month, tribal leaders have been interpreting the message sent by the people of the state,” tribal state Rep. Fred Moore said in an interview Monday.

“To hear that the people of Maine would authorize casino-style gaming to preserve a racing industry on the one hand and deny it to preserve a culture on the other is incomprehensible. Was the vote against Indians or was it against a southern Maine casino? That is the question being asked on the reservation.”

Tribal leaders plan to meet with the governor today to talk about economic development opportunities, but they also want the governor and others to know that building a casino is still on the table, Moore said.

“We’ve gone to the table many times and it has been business as usual,” Moore said. “We are no longer satisfied with gestures, proclamations, handshakes and photo ops like that.”

While officially the idea of a casino will not be discussed today, any plans for a casino likely would include presenting it to voters in the form of a referendum question in 2006.

“The casino we are thinking of building most likely would be in Washington County,” Moore said. “Specifically Calais, Maine.”

He said that the tribe has entered into numerous partnerships with Calais and the city’s constant support of tribal efforts to bring economic development to Washington County has been appreciated. “It makes sense to put the casino in Calais because the tribe and Washington County would receive maximum benefit,” he said.

Calais is between two Passamaquoddy reservations, Indian Township near Princeton and Pleasant Point near Eastport.

Lee Umphrey, spokesman for Baldacci, said the meeting is to follow up on the governor’s commitment to come up with some kind of economic development strategy.

He said the governor was interested in what the Passamaquoddy leaders had to say about economic development opportunities. He said Baldacci has invited key state officials, including the economic and community development commissioner.

The governor is not the only one who will be listening, Moore said.

Moore said previous state leaders offered empty promises. “When we fought for an issue, we were forced to settle for scraps off the floor. That is degrading to us as Passamaquoddy people. Now we want and need substantive change, ” he said.