"I read the guest editorial from the chiefs in this past week's Indian Time. The argument was for the Sullivan County casino referendum on Saturday.

For those of us who did not keep up, the Malaysian investors are to front the cost of this casino; I think it is important to know that the Malaysian investors are getting greedier.

They realize the near-begging state of the Native Americans with having casinos, and the Malaysians are applying higher interest rates to be the profiteers in all these Indian casinos. Is this legacy what we want for our next generations? The chiefs did not mention that the interest rate for the Seneca Buffalo casino is 29.9 percent for their loan agreement. The Foxwoods interest rate is 9.9 percent for their loan agreement and as you know the Foxwoods casino was the earlier casino that the Malaysians invested with.

Both of these aforementioned casinos are in a crisis with their loans affecting the per-capita payments to their members. This letter sounded most convincing but these small (oops. big) details were left out. The economy of today was another ignored aspect for this off-reservation casino for the sake of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. We must appreciate the opportunity the Tribal Council is allowing us with this referendum, and we should just vote no. We cannot ignore this important vote."

Get the Story:
Agnes Terrance: Sullivan County casino bad deal for Mohawks (The Watertown Daily Times 1/28)

Earlier Story:
St. Regis Mohawk Tribe to vote on off-reservation bid (1/26)