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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2006)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor: Congratulations to our 2006 elected leaders - Reggie, Frank, and Jessie! Thank you to persons who sup ported my candidacy this year. Some of the comments I received: “You are passing on valuable informa tion that a lot of us do not have access to ...” “Calling a spade a spade, while honest, makes some people nervous ...” “Bureaucracy that is strangling the tribe and creates division between those who ‘rule’ and those who get ‘services,’” “1 appreciate your honesty and your integrity. Keep on going, you are doing fine.” I was saddened by the low number of ballots returned (only 46 percent of voters’ opinions represented, 54 per cent of ballots uncounted or not returned - this doesn’t count the number of persons who were “not reg istered” or didn’t even receive a bal lot!). (This can change by printing list in December). I hope we’ll see “term limits” for council members - see minutes Grand Ronde General Council (they acknowl edge what every tribal members says (listing roll #). (www.grandronde.org/ cou nci l/meeti ngs/ge neral /1 0-09- 2005.pdf) Posting Tribal Council and commit tee meeting minutes on the Internet would allow members to ask questions about what was voted on, help us get from where we are to a more open honest governmental body, listening to, advocating, and sharing info with the membership. I believe proposed changes to or dinances should appear in our tribal news 60 days prior to these changes being approved (In 1997, this occurred. thanks to efforts of Ray Blacketer. Why did it stop?) I look to Jessie Davis as the person who could make a motion to allow tribal members and tribal casino em ployees to attend Chinook Winds Board of Directors meetings, implement procedures that support our tribal Con stitution in the treatment of our tribal member casino employees, and seri ously look at our “Employee Conduct Policy,” which violates our civil rights. We have a right to speak about what we feel is injustice or no access to de tails involving our revenue from our casino, or how the revenue is being used to operate programs that provide ser vices to our members. Our tribal mem bers fear retribution, we have limited and at times no access to health care. We must be proactive and in order to do that in the most efficient manner, we need access to information. Not censorship. Contact me 541-444-1290, 541-351-0003 (cell), or nadosh2@ yahoo.com. Don’t allow tribal government of ficials or administrative staff to support censorship. Request admittance at meetings where decisions occur/deter- mine outcome of tribal member finan cial resources and program services. Make certain your voice and concerns appear in the written minutes - others want to know what you think! Omission of your perspective is censorship and is used as a method to control votes! I made a commit ment and I’ll continue to share with those persons and anyone who contacts me in the future. Respectfully, Lisa Brown 2006 Charitable Contributions Advisory Board The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians has established a Siletz. Tribal Charitable Contributions Fund Advisory Board to distribute profits from Chi nook Winds Casino Resort. The advisory board will consist of one Siletz Tribal Council member, three Siletz Tribal members, two non-tribal mem bers from Lincoln County, and one member of the general public from the tribe’s service area. Term of office is three years. Siletz Tribal members interested in serving on this committee must fill out the following form and return it to the address below by April 28, 2006. Please send your application to Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Attn: Kelley Ellis, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380-0549; fax 541-444-2307. Roll Number:_______ Name: Address:__________________________________________________________ City: State: _________ZIP:_________ Telephone: (Day)____________________ (Evening)______________________ E-mail:_____________________________________________________________ Tribal Council will review applications and approve appointments at its Regular Tribal Council meeting in May. If you have any questions, please call Kelley Ellis at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1227, or 541-444-8227. 4 • Siletz News • April 2006 To the editor: On 2/14/06 just shortly after 8 p.m., the heat at Chinook Winds quit work ing. There was no heat all night on graveyard and into the day shift. At 10 a.m., the temperature was 58 degrees. The cage was using space heaters from the box office until they opened and took them back. The finance director would not al low the cashiers to wear long-sleeve sweaters, only short-sleeve. The cash iers pay for those sweaters out of pocket for a reason, when it’s cold. The cashiers were given little heaters to use, but when they were plugged in they shorted the breakers, shutting down equipment needed to run the windows. This of course forced the customers to leave. Why was all that money spent on a new system and no backup? Why would management not allow employ ees to wear sweaters that the employee paid for to stay warm? There were cash iers working who were very sick. I guess this is just another way for management to save money. I did not realize the employees could be treated any worse. I can’t say this enough - manage ment needs to be changed, starting at the top! I wish that someday the general manager and everybody else would To the editor: This letter is for Jimmy Kikumoto, Jessie Davis, and Dee Pigsley. Jimmy, the lights on our casino are a disgrace and an embarrassment to the entire tribe. It makes my pride hurt. You already know how 1 feel about standing in line. Change people used to cash tickets, a brilliant customer con venience. What happened? You wrote me a letter and said that you had an aggressive action plan going in place. When? I still have the letter. Jessie Davis, I’m so glad to see you back on Tribal Council. Jimmy has everyone programmed not to look up. Bull dog and roughhouse the key away from him, jam it in his back, and wind him up good and tight. Poor job performance, poor work habits, refusal to work are grounds for immediate termination. Explain that to him. Phil Rilatos? Please help Jessie and pay attention. It’s lesson time! Dee, I'm so disappointed in you. One personal letter, two letters to the edi tor. Ten, 11 months and not a single word. On Feb. 4 at the General Tribal Council meeting and elections, you leaned over the table and called me and Bennie Brown the Peanut Gallery. I heard peanut real clear. Remember? Ask Bennie. Better yet, check the video. I’m known for my smile and good manners, so as nice as I can, I want you realize that it is the employees who keep that casino running. So why treat the front-line employ ees like dirt? I see employees away from the casino and all they can say is that Chinook Winds is the worst place to work, but the pay is good. The pay should not be the only reason people work at Chinook Winds! Besides pay, people want management that stands behind them and works with the employee, better benefits that don't get worse all the time and change with no notice. Most of all, the unwritten policies, such as the cage manager’s unwritten policy that does not allow cage super visors to associate with cashiers away from work, yet the manager has super visors and cashiers at her house all the time! Since when do the managers have control over the employees away from work? It’s not hard to see that if we keep certain members of management, the casino will be run into the ground. If only we can go back to the days when Chris Steinbach and Jim Lorson were both acting as general manager. But they were too knowledgeable and were let go. George Blacketer to know that I no longer support or back anything about you. No mail either, please, I don’t like chain letters, Dee. My name is Woody Muschamp and my local family history comes from a place called Lower Farm. Have you ever heard of Lower Farm or did you forget? It’s down river from Siletz. My mother. Gladys Muschamp, said that in the old days it went clear to the ocean. She also said that if anyone ever talked to you and they put er on farm, don’t use (listen) your ears any more. They’re not from Lower Farm. Please apologize to Bennie Brown. 1 don't want one nor will I accept one. Frank Simmons? Tell my elder friends that I’ll visit and eat with them in 2013 when I turn 65. I ll miss the bus rides the most. Tell your elder friends “one down” - then give each other a handshake, big, big hug. include a smile ... it won't cost a thing. Get my drift? Frank, I have a brand new over hauled heart, three months of re-hab. In 30 days, we pick up the pace. True and Truer, Woody Muschamp Via Lower Farm P.S. Please tell me, someone, what’s wrong with a lowly janitor wanting the very best for our tribal casino and CTSI ... anyone?
