LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR
To the editor:
Thank you, Lisa Brown (letter May
2007). I could not agree more. 1 don't
understand why so much is being spent
on an outside agency that has a city of
its own to protect. This is a big burden
on both communities.
If Toledo is committed to a situa
tion and county is too far away, who is
going to respond to Siletz? 1 have not
seen any ads in papers or online for
either officers or a chief. Why? Is the
tribe even trying to establish a police
department again or are they just go
ing to pay another agency?
On the subject of the casino, where
did the Marketing Department go? I see
they have three events booked on one
weekend, and nothing for two or three
weeks.
Chinook Winds needs to start bud
geting better and have functions
booked every weekend, and not three
on the same weekend and nothing the
rest of the month. The only thing I can
see is a general manager blind-siding
Tribal Council and getting a big bonus
each year for doing so.
I have said this in the past and will
continue to say it until a new general
manager is brought in, we need new
To the editor:
I am hoping more tribal members
submit letters and e-mails to our elected
officials and tribal paper. In regards to
the info received by reading our Siletz
paper, 1 have concerns.
Our tribal chairman writes a column
that is at times biased and would better
serve the membership if resources were
provided for the public to determine their
own opinion.
In my research. I utilize info from
many publications. One such article is
of particular interest because of our
Tribal Council's focus on eliminating
transparency and omitting access or
scrutiny of their actions pertaining to
our gaming enterprise.
(http://www.nativebiz.com/
community/News,file = article,
nid= I 5426.html. Original source:
www.signonsandiego.com. Web site of
the San Diego Union Tribune, pub
lished May 15, 2007):
The chairman of the National
Indian Gaming Commission yesterday
warned that the absence of federal
standards in Indian casinos could
attract crime and cost tribes untold
millions of dollars. The future without
the internal operating rules, which
were invalidated by federal courts, will
be a time of some uncertainty and
doubt. ” (Chairman Philip Hogen).
“Operations without effective
internal controls and oversight will,
once again, become obvious targets for
the unscrupulous, Hogen predicted.
“Those tribes ... will lose millions of
dollars and often not realize that it has
happened until years later. Federal
courts invalidated what are known as
“minimum internal control standards.
management in certain areas and it
needs to start from the top.
And what happened to a member
of the U.S. military who just returned
from defending our freedom being es
corted out by Security?
He called before making the trip
down from Washington and was told
that there would be $3 blackjack tables.
When he arrived the following morn
ing, there were only $5 tables.
He brought his wife and mother-in-
law, and asked if they could make a $3
table. The pit said no. The tables were
not busy at all. This gentleman asked
several supervisors and managers and
explained his story and was eventually
escorted out.
Is this how we treat the very people
who give us the freedom that we have?
It’s bad enough that they are being mis
led by our president, but to come home
and be treated this way. Something is
wrong here.
Again, thank you Lisa Brown. It's
nice to know there are others who see
a problem
Thank you,
George Blacketer
To the editor:
I am deeply concerned about how
difficult it has been for tribal members
to get information about the recent
problems with the River Reclamation
Group.
Apparently the RRG was shut
down on April 6, 2007. but tribal mem
bers were not informed of this until
Monte Kentta brought up the matter at
the General Council meeting on May
5, 2007. I don't think tribal members
should have been kept in the dark for
a month before a meeting where they
could have gotten a much more com
plete accounting.
It has been difficult to get an ex
planation from the Tribal Council via
e-mail. I received some information
from council members Robert Kentta
and Dee Pigsley, as well as Henry
Cagey, which 1 appreciate. I'm also
aware of a response from Phil Rilatos.
But overall, the information has
been hard to extract and some of the
reports have been contradictory.
There are many other important
questions: Why was Ross Bennett
fired? Does he remain a business part
ner with the tribe?
When Lisa Brown informed the
Tribal Council at the General Council
meeting last November that RRG
lacked the necessary permits to oper
ate. did the council look into the mat
ter? Why were tribal members kept in
the dark for a whole month before the
General Council meeting?
It’s disturbing that the Tribal Council
remains silent on these questions. And
I'm not the only tribal member having
trouble getting information. At siletz.net.
other tribal members have been report
ing how difficult it is to get straight answers.
Tribal members deserve a full ac
counting of what went wrong with RRG.
Thank you.
Lynette Warren
The guidelines set standards for the
security at casinos, including cash
handling, cage and credit operations,
internal audits, surveillance and the games
from technical requirements to how
often decks of cards should be changed.
In light of the recent allocation of
millions of our Chinook Winds gaming
dollars for questionable or failed/ing
“economic development" ventures,
this concerns me.
The fact that the general members
are restricted from accessing records
of how much the tribal attorney makes
(for what?), nor who/what is paid to
“consultants” (for what?), nor the
invoices for the numerous business
ventures (golf course/hotel ) which
show no positive cash flow (for years
- like 20+?) are of great concern!
For this reason, it is my opinion that
we should “vote no” on any consti
tutional amendments proposed by our
Tribal Council. Until they begin to
show efforts to be more inclusive of
the general members in making
decisions, changing laws, etc., no such
transparency exists, and I am fearful.
In closing, I ask you to contact me
with your opinions and ideas for
solutions. I can assure you. I will do
my best to be your voice, to assist you
in having your concerns heard and
your needs addressed.
Or visit www.siletz.net to ask
questions and view a more compre
hensive picture of what is being said
and done by our elected representatives
and tribal enterprises.
Yours truly,
Lisa Brown, CPS
541 -444-1290. nadosh2@yahoo.com
At Station #3: “Let 's Reflect. ” Rachelle Endres (left) and Delina John (second
from left) pass out helmet decorations and proper reflectors to SVS students
(front to back) Skylar Larsen, Treigh Garcia. Anita Knott. Daniel Regan, and
(with bike) Matthew Bliss during the Bicycle Safety Rodeo, a Siletz Youth
Prevention Team activity held May 16 in Siletz. Below: Toledo Police Chief
Mark Fandrey helps Coral Dawn prepare for a ride between the orange cones.
June 2007
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Siletz News
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