Flier Handed out at Minnesota Governors Forum (Native American Indian Issue Specific) Held 01-14-2010

The Minnesota Indian Gaming Association is destroying our sovereignty using our own money generated by what are supposed to be our casinos.



Our casinos have taken in billions of dollars in profits since gaming began.



How much in profits, we don’t even know because hiding behind sovereignty there has been no accountability from these casino managements or our tribal governments.



In spite of billions in profits generated by what are supposed to be our casinos, poverty amongst our people is at an all time high. The higher the profits of the casino industry the higher poverty climbs. MIGA wants us for cheap labor working in casinos, not the enforcement of affirmative action policies pushing wages along with our standard of living up.



With all the millions upon millions of dollars--- our dollars--- the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association has supposedly spent in campaign contributions doled out to white politicians defending our sovereignty we don’t have one single Indian in the Minnesota State Legislature defending our sovereignty, our rights or our livelihoods, or affirmative action--- is anyone really satisfied these white politicians elected with our money are defending our sovereignty or our livelihoods?



The Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, like all the politicians our casino dollars go to support, is white. What does John McCarthy know about sovereignty?



All we own as a result of all the investments we have made in casinos is debt.



Debt destroys the sovereignty of any people.



Debt creates poverty.



Increased poverty is what we have derived from an Indian Gaming Industry that pays our people poverty wages. Pay people poverty wages you get poverty.



John McCarthy, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association who we had no say in placing in this position; somehow, while defending our sovereignty got himself rich as we have been pushed out of the decision making process and into poverty.



Something isn’t right with this picture.



John McCarthy has perverted what sovereignty is supposed to be and used our own money to destroy the very organizations like the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council which were intended to give us a voice in the decision-making process.



John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association have even sabotaged the intent of this forum here today which was originally promoted as a chance for Native Americans to have a voice in the political process and they turned it into nothing but a lobbying effort on behalf the Indian Gaming Industry. Not a mention about affirmative action.

Where is there any discussion about affirmative action in hiring?



Just down the road is the Bemidji Regional Event Center now under construction, and the very politicians paid off to allow the casino industry to flourish and turn a blind eye to workers being employed in these smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws have turned away in indifference as a racist City Planner told Kraus-Anderson they did not have to abide by the City of Bemidji’s own affirmative action policies; a racist decision costing us jobs we are entitled to.



What about affirmative action? Affirmative action is our best defense of our sovereignty--- most Indians are working people. Working people without good jobs paying good wages are forced to live in poverty. Are we supposed to accept poverty in return for sovereignty?



Here we have politicians who made a big hullabaloo about eradicating poverty. They even spent hundreds of thousands of dollars establishing a committee to eliminate poverty.



I asked State Senator Mary Olson to help me get the City of Bemidji to enforce its own affirmative action policy because we Indian people are entitled to those jobs just like everyone else. Mary Olson refused to help us.



I called each and every one of these candidates for governor in the room here today asking for their help in getting Native Americans jobs constructing the Bemidji Regional Event Center. I even met with Dan McElroy the head of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development; McElroy refused to help get affirmative action enforced on the BREC just like these politicians running for governor. We are a little less than a year away from the Bemidji Regional Event Center going into operation; and, guess what? No affirmative action program is in place regarding hiring the staff and those who will be maintaining the BREC.



Where is the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council? Where is the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party? Where are the politicians in this room today? All are out to lunch being wined and dined by John McCarthy and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association with their hands out to grab our money--- they are using our money to undermine our best defense of sovereignty: affirmative action.



Who is going to work with me to enforce affirmative action at the BREC to get our people the jobs they are entitled to? That is what I came here today to find out.



Gregory W. Paquin

Candidate for Minnesota State Senate District: 4

1511 Roosevelt Road SE.
Bemidji, Minnesota , 56601
Home phone: 218-209-3157
Cell phone: 651-503-9493
Please check out my blog: http://nativeamericanindianlaborunion12.blogspot.com/