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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2002)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor: I received my casino check (thank you), and thought about how lucky we are to have this happening to all of us. I spent the money before it actually came, but receiving it warmed my heart and made me feel special, excited, and very grateful. To think that what was started way back in 1977 when our mothers, those wonderful Simmons sisters, had all of us kids filling out the forms to verify our tribal status has grown into such a wealth of jobs for so many of us, education dollars, housing, home improvements, medical and dental coverage, to name just a few of the blessings. To the editor: The decision to purchase 11.73 acres for additional casino parking was extremely poor business judgement. For example, six months ago at General Council in Siletz, I asked Tribal Council why we hadn’t built a parking garage on the 20+ acres located east of Logan Road. This property is 300 yards from the casino. Jessie Davis told me that an adequate parking structure was estimated at $7,000 per space. Let’s briefly look at the cost of the new parking: A. $8,000,(XX) Principal of 11.73 acres B. ? Interest C. ? Taxes, until put in trust D. ? Construction of parking lot E. ? Lot 57, return to natural state Speaking to Jim Kikumoto, casino GM, he stated these costs were confidential, further stating that this information couldn’t be released without Tribal Council consent. For the sake of argument, let’s estimate the total costs at $13,(XX),000. This total equates to $16,250 per parking space! This is 153 percent above the cost of the “prohibitive” parking structure. This huge expenditure will have adverse effects on all other economic endeavors and tribal member dividends, for you are now shareholders. Remember that all costs of doing business are deducted first, then “excess” is delivered upon tribal members! O I am an especially grateful tribal member many times over and have not taken the time for a proper thank you. I was given tribal food supplements when my husband left my two children and I penniless back in 1995. Thank you. I was saved from illness with the help of tribal medical coverage in 1997. Thank you. I finally have healthy teeth with regular checkups and cleanings because of tribal dental coverage. Thank you. I was able to go back to school and complete my education, receiving three bachelor’s degrees from Portland State University with education dollars from the tribe, graduating just this past June 2001. Thank you so much. The size and responsibility of Tribal Council must change. This Tribal Council must reduce its number to three members and direct more leadership responsibility to the offices of GM and assistant GM. These positions must reflect education of a business degree. General Council must meet 12 to 24 times annually. This would allow timely direction to Tribal Council. All process of the tribal attorney and all consultants must be documented and made available to tribal membership. Our Gaming Commission must become more efficient and it must be reduced in size and annual budget. If Tribal Council’s not willing to protect our tribal membership, then the responsibility falls on General Council ... we must have a TERO office. This office would dictate all hiring, wages and benefits, work conditions, drug testing, and terminations. Lastly, the dividends must cease ... until all lands and real property are unencumbered. And options for dividends should reflect shares in our timber, casino, or other economic endeavors. “Minor” dividends should be in U.S. saving bonds. If these financial obligations were addressed first, our dividends would be larger much faster. If you have any questions, call me at 541-994-2092 or write: Monte W. Kentta 1825 NW 37th St. Lincoln City, OR 97367 Siletz News • □ 'January 2002 To complete my story, I was even offered full-time employment by the Portland area office. Thank you. So I can honestly say the Siletz Tribe has been my savior. I don’t think my story is unique, but I needed to share it because my life is good. I am working for Portland Public Schools in the Indian Education Project department and I love it. I can honestly say with great gratitude that because of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, I am a happy, healthy, educated, fully employed tribal member, with a big full grin of a smile on my face. It took a lot of hard work, but I wanted the tribe to be proud of me since they were there helping me survive. Thank you, each and every one of you. Your grants and benefits have saved my life on many levels and I love you all for it. Our mothers and fathers would be so proud of how the tribe has grown so strong to help so many over the years. Thanks again for all your hard work and dedication. Happy Holidays to you. May peace and harmony abound within your lives. Truly, - Verdene M. Anderegg To the editor: Tribal Council members are bound by their oath of office to treat everyone fairly. I have asked many questions this past year regarding Tribal Council activities and actions, but certain Tribal Council members’ comments were both non- responsive and/or personal attacks. If decisions are based on the belief that it is in the best interest of the membership, there should be no hesitation in answering truthfully and directly. Additionally, the membership should have been given the information prior to any tribal member having to ask. Rather than giving full reports of Tribal Council actions and activities (individually and collectively) on an ongoing basis, council members wait until they are up for re-election before trying to communicate with the membership. How did they vote on the comps issue? How did they vote on the budgets? How did they vote on the constitutional amendments that the membership had voted down? If the majority of the Tribal Council denies the General Council members the right to vote on issues that significantly impact our tribe, then, at the very least, we should know how “our representatives” are voting on our behalf. Again, I propose that resolutions detailing how individual council members voted be» published on a regular basis. I also propose, again, that full financial and activity reports are distributed at each General Council meeting. When a quarterly meeting of the full General C ouncil lasts less than an hour (August meeting), there is something wrong. When tribal members repeatedly bring up the same issue over and over again with no resolution, there is something wrong. When I served previously as the Tribal Council vice-chairman, legitimate concerns were raised by a number of tribal members on the same issue. I made the motion at the next Tribal Council meeting twice before it passed. As the Tribal ( ouncil chairman, I made sure that the Tribal Council responded to concerns in a timely manner, so the membership knew that Tribal Council was listening. Despite what others say, I resigned primarily to initiate a special election after the infamous recall. Even though circumstances occurred that prevented the membership from electing their leadership, I feel my motivation was right — my concern for the rights of the membership as a whole. I am seeking your support in the upcoming Tribal Council elections so that I can provide accountability and professionalism in our tribal government. I believe in an open, honest, and professionally responsive government. You know my record. I have proven that I have always put the membership’s needs above all else, and I have never, nor will I, use my position to disrespect or degrade any tribal member for voicing his/her opinion. Sincerely, Pat Duncan
