8 JULY 1, 2002
Smoke Signals
2002 CA
TATE
Todd Shandy
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It is an honor to be nominated for
Tribal Council. Some of you may be
wondering: who is this person named
Todd Shandy? You might recognize me
if you were to see me, because I have
faithfully been attending Tribal Coun
cil meetings the past four years. I am
the son of Louise Coulson, whose father,
my grandfather, was Lewis L. Riggs Jr.
Growing up I attended school in Grand Ronde, Willamina and
Philomath. I graduated from Philomath High School. During high
school, I worked for my father at his lumber mill, Shandy Hard
wood. After I graduated, my father moved to Alaska, however, I
stayed in Philomath. I was employed for 14 years for a lumber
business called WTD. During those years, I held important posi
tions with this company. I was a SupervisorManager for two years
then a Quality Control Manager for seven years. Unfortunately,
economics in the lumber business started to decline. WTD was forced
to lay off employees and put the business up for sale. I felt this was
an excellent opportunity to go back to school and study accounting,
which has been an interest of my mine for some time. At this time,
I have completed 6 terms in accounting and am one class shy of
receiving my Accounting Certificate. I have been married for 18
years and have 3 children.
I believe that we need to continue to take care of our Elders by
providing the necessary assistance and programs. We need to rec
ognize their contributions to the Tribe and thank them for their
guidance. We must always remember that with out the Elders' ac
complishments our Tribe would not be where it is today. We also
need to look out for our children and their children for the future
wealth and health of our future leaders. I think the per capita at
25 percent is a good percentage. Our Tribe needs to first secure all
the programs that are currently being funded and make sure we
can sustain them. I think we need to look at opportunities for im
proving those programs andor adding new programs that will ben
efit our members and expand opportunities in addition to looking
out for the best interest of the Tribe as a whole. I believe education
is extremely important and every Tribal member deserves the op
portunity to continue his or her education.
I wish to thank the current Tribal Council. They have done a
great job for our Tribe. I wish to bring my leadership and experi
ence to help the Tribe to continue to grow. I have strong work
ethics. I am a dedicated, hard working, quick-learner, and use in
dependent decision-making skills. The Tribe has given me assis
tance with my education and I believe it is important to give back to
the Tribe.
Patsy PuIIin
Hello Tribal members:
TV IT Tl-i. TV-ll" 1 T 1 J
y- w my name is i aisy ruinn ana i wouia
f U like t0 say THANK YOU to those who
li It voted for me last year. Your support
f and encouragement helped me decide
to run for Tribal Council again this
year. Together, we can make a differ
ence. I currently reside in Willamina, have
four grown children and nine grandchildren. My husband and I
worked years in the entertainment field as musicians, but I feel my
first career was as a mother. I hold a degree from the University of
Alaska and have business experience as co-owner of three busi
nesses. Kathryn Harrison is my mother and her good work for the
Tribe is an inspiration to me. Presently, I am an Employment &
Training Specialist with the Tribal Social Services department. What
I like best about my job is it allows me to help my people. At this
time I serve on several national and local boards and committees.
Work is important to me and I enjoy being active. Working for the
Tribe has allowed me to learn about some of the programs, pro
cesses and policies governing us.
Last year I said better communication was needed within the Tribal
offices and with Tribal members. The need still exists. Sharing my
feelings I said the Tribe has much to gain with a Tribal Employ
ment Rights Office as a means of securing jobs for members. This
year jobs have gone to people outside the Tribe to build the Educa
tion campus and now the low-income housing. We need T.E.R.O.
more than ever to make a permanent change in this policy. A per
centage of Tribal hire could be a requirement written into each con
tract. With a new T.E.R.O. Specialist position, someone would be
on site not only to ensure Tribal hire but fair treatment as well.
I support the Members Benefit dividend program and Elder Pen
sion. Numerous lives have been improved by these two programs. I
also support healthcare for all members, economic development, res
toration and preservation of our culture and protection for our lands.
I am in favor of an active Mentoring program to help Tribal mem
bers currently working for the Tribe or the casino with upward mo
bility. The present Mentor Program is a means of employment dur
ing the program training but offers no employment upon comple
tion. Many Tribal members were affected by the enrollment vote cast in
1999. We need an amendment to right the wrong that has divided
families and excluded members.
Currently, our Tribe is at odds and many members now feel un
sure of our future. The money lost by Strategic Wealth Manage
ment investments is appalling. A loss of this magnitude makes one
wonder who is keeping watch or holding people accountable in our
behalf. Clearly strong leadership is called for. Again I say, our
future council members should be educated, business savvy indi
viduals to assure our members a solid future. They should also be
capable of making informed, objective decisions in behalf of the en
tire Tribe.
I pray this information will help you with your decision. I ask for
your vote in the fall election and promise to work hard as your rep
resentative if elected. Thank you.
Patsy Pullin
Roll 238
P.O. Box 148
Grand Ronde, OR 97347
503-876-6444
ppullinonlinemac
Christopher Mercier
np
"It is much easier to ride a horse in
the direction he is going."
Makah saying
Some attribute that statement to the
Makahs, some to others. I focus less on
it's origins, and more the meaning, and
how that applies to the Tribe presently.
We've one horse, named Grand Ronde,
and he is being painfully whipped in
too many directions at once. No good can come of this.
Sadly I've one word to describe the Tribe these days: turmoil. Those
in the Grand Ronde area will know of what I write, and others, well
read on. In 1995 Spirit Mountain Casino opened. The Tribe was poised
for greatness, the next step in a colorful legacy. I'm not quite sure
what happened, but my instincts hint that the present situation is
definitely not it.
The Tribe has regressed recently into a system of closed-door meet
ings, unwarranted confidentiality, cover-ups and council meetings
where the General Manager, Chief Financial Officer, and Tribal
Attorney answer the questions. The openness and candidness that
were normal only a few years ago vanished. That must change.
Therein lies my candidacy. Change in philosophy, direction, lead
ership. I represent openness, if only because honesty never hurt anyone.
I want a free press, a free flow of information. I want a system that
not only encourages responsible, ethical leadership from the top down,
but discourages abuse and dishonesty. During my days as a reporter
for the Smoke Signals, where a dangerous contrast existed between
what we published and what actually occured in the Tribe, I learned
that such a system isn't here.
Many know me as a traveler. Yes I've seen a share of the world.
I've seen countries mired by communism, regions scarred by dicta
torships. Trust me when I say the surest sign of a corrupt govern
ment is that it seeks to influence the flow of information and taint
what is already out there.
But I make no accusations. No, I only communicate how strongly I
support and strive to create an unrestricted press and free flowing
system of information. They are issues that upon closer scrutiny
relate to many other points of concern for Tribal members, regard
less of age, living location, or family.
Do you want to know why fewer services exist for out-of-state mem
bers? I do. Do you want to know the complete background of every
council member, including criminal records and lawsuits? I sure do.
It affects my vote. What about enrollment? Why can somebody be
denied membership while another in their family be allowed to en
roll? There is an issue needing addressing. What about the millions
of dollars at stake in Strategic Wealth and Kalispel lawsuits? I think
we need a comprehensive explanation, don't you? The list contin-
Chris Mercier continued on page 9