Letter to the Editor, Bemidji Pioneer Press

Minnesota is fortunate to have the most liberal governor in the Nation with Mark Dayton who narrowly won election--- no thanks to John McCarthy and his Minnesota Indian Gaming Association; however, Dayton has to contend with Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate because the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party is controlled and manipulated by the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association which has caused a complete loss of credibility for the MNDFL with Minnesota voters. Also costing the MNDFL loss of credibility is its continued support for Barack Obama and his wars which are robbing the states of needed revenues.

I found it interesting John McCarthy of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association would extol the virtues of former MNDFL State Senator Mary Olson on the basis of her support for environmental issues, seniors and worker rights when Mary Olson, working in opposition to Minnesota workers worked for Minnesota Indian Gaming Association's position of denying rights extended to all other workers to Minnesota's 41,000 casino workers; "represented" a district with the worst poverty among seniors in the state on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation; refused to oppose peat mining in the Big Bog as well as her support for the environmentally destructive Enbridge Pipeline which most Minnesotans opposed along with her support for health-threatening power lines.

But, in the end it was Mary Olson's refusal to back Affirmative Action regarding the planning, construction and staffing of the Bemidji Regional Event Center that did her in which should be seen as a warning to the MNDFL that anti-labor racism doesn't win elections especially when everyone knows Mary Olson opposed Affirmative Action because she was working for the agenda of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association led by her campaign manager, John McCarthy, who supports a casino industry requiring a huge pool of cheap labor to depress wages.

The Minnesota DFL could quickly regain its credibility and its majorities in the House and Senate by placing toll booths on all roads in and out of the casinos which are getting off tax-free and thereby solving Minnesota's budget woes.

Does the Minnesota DFL want the campaign contributions from the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association or the votes of Minnesotans? The DFL will not get both.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council