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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2003)
Smoke Signals 7 JULY 1,2003 Bob Merger Ed Pearsall l , i .-.. . f V .jv - . --. My name is Bob Mercier and I'm ask ing you to vote for me in this year's Tribal Council elections. I feel my past experience on Tribal Council, Spirit Mountain Development Board of Directors, and Spirit Mountain Gaming Incorporated Board of Directors give me added ability to perform the du ties of a Tribal Council member. During the time I spent in these positions, I be lieve the most important quality I learned was to be a team player. I think all Tribal Council members need to remember it's okay to disagree. It is very important to me that deci sions we make are the best for our entire membership. I have also served on the Timber Committee for the past 15 years. This has been a very valuable learning experience. I have been self-employed and running my trucking business since 1985. This hands-on experience has been important too. It taught me how to listen to the people doing the work, and how to deal with the problems that occur in the daily routine of doing business I feel I am professional in the way I conduct myself, in my per sonal life and business. Honesty and integrity are important parts of my philosophy. I know some things take time and I need to show patience when it is necessary. If I were elected to Tribal Council, I would perform the duties of the position with commitment. I believe there will be many changes and challenges in the future for our Tribe. We need to keep doing the things we feel our neces sary and important, but we must always be looking at the things we can do better too. Two of the areas we must continue to direct our attention to, are Elders and children. We must thank our Elders for all of their sacrifices and help them to have a quality of life. We must look to our children for our future. If we don't help our people, who is going to? In the near future, there will be many important decisions to be made. I feel I am qualified to help make those deci sions. I will not make any promises of what I will do if I am elected. One Tribal Council member cannot make things happen by them selves. I appreciate this opportunity to tell everyone a little about myself and about soue of the things I feel are important. If I were to be elected to Tribal Council, it would be an honor and privilege to serve you. Thank You. Todd Shandy -. f 4 i f5js&V It is a great honor to be nominated for m 1 l -i t il 1 r yTf TM iriDai council, i am me granason oi 1 r",-r,U m Lewis Riges Jr. and son of Louise Riggs Coulson. I know with my employment history and education that I would be an asset to the Tribal Council. My work experience in cludes: three years as SupervisorMan ager, seven years as Quality Control Man ager, and I possess a Certification of Ac counting degree. I would bring my excel lent leadership skills and experience to this important position to help the Tribe to continue to grow in a positive nature. I believe we need to continue to take care of our Elders by provid ing necessary assistance and programs. We need to recognize their contributions to the Tribe and thank them for their guidance. We must always remember that without the Elders' accomplishments our Tribe would not be where it is today. Our Tribe needs to financially secure all the programs that will benefit all our members and expand opportunities in addition to looking out for the best interest of the Tribe as a whole. We also need to look out for our children and their children for the future wealth and health of our leaders of tomorrow. When elected you will find me to be an honest, up-front, hard work ing, dedicated, and caring individual. I am also an independent thinker who weighs all the facts carefully before making decisions. I wish to thank the current Tribal Council for all the work they have accomplished. Please take the time to vote because your opin ion does count. Thank you in advance for your vote. Todd Shandy Roll 1174 Email: shandy09attbi.com Home Phone: 541-928-6635 Cell Phone: 541-990-9467 Dear Friend, I find it fitting that on the 20th anni versary of our Restoration we face the most important election in Tribal history. If you've followed Tribal events the past year, you know why. The majority of council has taken away the membership's right to be heard (Tribal Council Forum Newsletter). The Tribal Ethics Standard Ordinance was rescinded without input from the membership. Many members and staff are afraid to speak up on issues because they are afraid of retaliation. It is our Constitutional right to be able express ourselves without fear of revenge. I hope you will again support me this year in the coming election. The retirement, insurance, and dividend (per capita) check we re ceive from casino revenues are benefits I presented to the Council. These programs still remain. The Education Department and Committee are in my opinion the shining stars of the Grand Ronde Tribe. As the Council Com mittee liaison for the past eight years, I have watched our Educa tion programs grow to what they are today with great pride. The Tribe is known throughout Indian Country as a model on how to support its membership with educational support (i.e. scholarship, grants, and program funding). These are some of the programs that reach all Tribal members regardless of where they reside. I feel we must continue to reach out to all members for although we may not be able to see or hear them, they are by right Tribal mem bers. The Constitutional amendment to change the requirements for becoming a member of the Tribe has become very controversial. I will support sending out a survey to eligible voting members, ask ing one question. Should we open the Tribal membership rolls to what it was prior to the Constitutional amendments? If two-thirds of the membership agrees, I would support an election to overturn the Constitutional amendment. This should put this issue to rest once and for all. I know Tribal members have heard a lot of information about the ethics charges filed against me by Jan Michael Reibach, son of coun cilman Jan D. Reibach. This is my opportunity to explain why I filed suits in Tribal Court. I would not have been subjected to an ethics suspension on January 30, 2002, had not Reibach, Sr. cast the deciding vote on his son's ethics case. I learned a few days afterward that his son was demanding a secret $475,000 settle ment request which his lawyer asked to be handled "in-house" based on the Tribal Council resolution. The resolution passed only be cause Reibach, Sr. cast the deciding vote a few days earlier. (A copy of the letter from Jan M. Reibach's lawyer requesting a $475,000 settlement from the Tribe is available). Any person with some sense of professionalism would not be involved in legal mat ters pertaining to his son, especially when that same person is in a position to determine the outcome. It has been mailed out to the members that I have cost the Tribe $200,000 to $300,000. All judi cial and court systems cost money, whether Tribal, State or Fed eral. I have paid all my attorney fees with my own funds. The council in the past has used "in house" attorneys, of which we have five. Why were expensive attorneys hired from a Portland firm? The bottom line is if councilman Jan Reibach had not voted on my suspension none of this would have happened. It's time that the General Membership vote to elect the Tribal Court judges and remove any perception of politics being involved in legal matters. I stand by my record and reputation as a council member. I am proud of what we as a Tribe have accomplished, and hate to see that undone by a wave of greed and self-interest. Let's put the fate of the Tribe back into the hands of Tribal members. Sincerely, Ed Pearsall
