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