Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1978)
PAGE 4 NOVEMBER 3, 1978 Editorial E COOSH EEWA (The way it is) LETTER TO THE EDITOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT” To the Editor: It was an honor to serve my community as a Dispatcher- Jailer and getting to know what a great job you do to protect and serve our people on a twenty-four hour basis, answering all calls no m atter how small. You taught me patience, honesty, courage, and a certain degree of empathy along with a trusting knowledge in knowing that someone out there does care. Yes, each of you represent what we all should be proud of, believing in, and being a part of. You as concerned members of our community should take a closer look at what you do with a more positive attitude to become more aware, what your duties are, and how we can help. What can we do to assist or volunteer as citizens? What courses are available? What is detox? How can we learn about police work as a career? What is a dis patcher? What’s the difference between a jailor and a dis patcher? EMT courses a need? Please answer our questions in a column to enrich our community and enlighten us on our Tribal Police Department. What can I, as a recovering alcoholic, do for my fellow suffering alcoholic to help him or her to recovery by making myself available to assist our A.C.O. and alcohol program. What services are available for our teenagers and our pre-teen abusers which are our future leaders? Thank You. A very concerned tribal member Charlotte Pitt “Kim-sah!” Profit, Service or Bummer? A Local Public Service, Editor's Note: A Waste of Time? Spilyay Tymoo is here to serve the local community with items of interest and with coverage of timely events. Recently there has been some controversy on the subj- ject of Job Listings. It is true that employment is a must here on the reservation to alleviate the problem of un employment, and it is also true that special programs have been created to aid the situation. At the present time Spil yay Tymoo has been accused of doing an injustice and has been critisized for its action on the m atter. Spilyay Tymoo is more than delighted to serve the community, but there are problems that have to be worked out in order to satisfy all that are concerned. No. 1 - By the time, the job listings are received, which is near the deadline of the paper, The Tribes own eight enterprises, from wood products manufacture to vehicle maintenance. Only three of the eight are expected to make a profit in 1979 — and yet they will all stay in operation. To the people of Warm Springs: The explanation for this unique business phenomenon goes beyond Recently my Department the Tribes’ ability to absorb losses. At the root of the reservation’s has been receiving a great deal enterprise system lies a commitment to “service” often to the of attention in open public meet detriment of profit. ings and through the news Naturally a business cannot exist without providing a service, media. This attention has been whether it be in the form of manufactured products or marketable both pro and con. It is a common skills. But the manager would no sooner give the service away than he thing to have the Police receive would cut off the supply of food to his family’s dinner table. attention in the eyes of the And yét the Tribes persist in their give-away policy, offering public, and more times than not housing, electronic circuits and tourist services without demanding a this attention has been unfav profit: Whether by default or directive, or many enterprises are orable. I feel this is something doomed to drift in a never-never-land of service vs. profit. that occurs with any police Profit, of course, need not vie with service. But one must be agency, because the uniformed favored or both components will suffer from chronic mediocrity. patrolman is always “in view” of The ultimate service, the sacred cow for which tribal enterprises the public. have starved, is employment. What in private industry is an indirect In our case, my officers are benefit has become a paramount concern of tribal businesses — the not only patrolmen, but we also employment and training of community members. operate the jail and ambulance It is in deference to job opportunity that a business is kept “alive” service. All officers are required when it might actually thrive with cut labor costs, or die and make way for a potentially more profitable enterprise. Is this doing the Tribes or its members a favor? Now that the reservation has surpassed the goal of a job for every member, isn’t it time to look at the quality of those jobs? No one likes a loser and if a business isn’t successful, its jobs are not very attractive What kind of model is offered to potential independent businessmen when they observe an enterprise that, despite poor management, wasteful labor practices, or ledgers full of red figures, goes on and on? And conversely what better incentive is there for an employee than to know that his effort is helping to make a business successful ? Opting for profit over employment may mean short-term sacrifices to efficiency — such as removing dead wood or excesses from the payroll. But ultimately a profitable business generates more (and more rewarding) jobs. Council and management need to decide whether they want their enterprises to set sail or drift endlessly. If it’s profit that is wanted, let’s separate the enterprises from the Tribes’ service bureaucracy and give them new life and direction. Warm Springs Forest Products Industries has always existed apart with its own profit-oriented board of directors and it has been the Tribes’ economic mainstay. Kah-Nee-Tah is finally going the same route and while employment is a high concern (as at the mill), profit is now number many or all job closing dates have expired and this will never do the applicant any useful assistance. ' No. 2 - It is believed that because of the early closing dates, many are discouraged to fill an application for a suitable job. But then two weeks later another listing appears, and, would you be lieve, most of the same jobs appear and the closing date again is too soon for anyone interested to fill out an appli cation. The editor’s policy is to see that the readers get the most timely coverage of events and has to make the decision. Should the badly- needed space be used for dead news or news of interest to the readers? It is probably a fact that many readers view all the jobs available but feel that it is a waste of time to apply. Also we have members that had to leave the reservation to seek employment and would like to return home if there was a suitable job awaiting them here. The decision has been made that if things are not timely they will be omitted and the valuable space used for more current issues. If there is any response to the editor’s decision, one can write Spilyay Tymoo, PO Box 735, Warm Springs, Oregon 97761. This would greatly be appreciated. This was not meant to offend anyone, but to try and explain why some submitted articles have been overlooked. To better understand our sit uation, skim through the job openings on page 12. Is it enough time for you to re spond? received, and the person will give me facts to substantiate the are competent and are able to charges, I guarantee that an respond to emergency calls investigation will be made and whenever an ambulance is the person making the complaint will be notified by me or the needed. Assistant Chief of Police, as to ' Another point of discussion what the investigation disclosed. concerns allegations members of I can honestly promise that there the public have brought against will be no cover-up on any some of my officers. I have never legitimate complaint against any been directly approached by of our personnel. We, as a Department, are anyone who is willing to put these complaints on paper so that I can attempting to improve and up investigate these allegations. If grade our service to the resi anyone has a legitimate com dents of Warm Springs. We hope plaint against an officer or the public will give us the member of this department, I support and opportunity to pro will always have an open door vide the service the public policy to receive these com deserves. Sincerely yours, plaints. Jeffery E. Sanders, Sr. Any time a complaint is Chief of Police to receive E m ergency Medical TO THE EDITOR Technician training so that they 011 If it’s service that is wanted, let’s quit pretending that we have business enterprises and begin to operate them as another of the VILLAGE VISTA-The uncompleted directional signs for traffic entering the new Kah-Nee-Ta Village Day comprehensive community services provided by the Tribes. But if it’s combined service and profit that is wanted; let’s think Use Area have prompted emotions ranging from curiosity to horror as locals wonder what the architects about what is of best service to tribal members: the pride and have in mind. Spilyay fantasized the above vista, while in reality the all-cedar signs will bear tasteful inspiration of a successful enterprise or the “bummer” of another symbols providing information and direction to visitors, according to enterprise manager Ed Manion. CDS Photo and Alteration half-hearted g iv e a w a y .. .... . . . . . »■« ... » - ■-
