What are your expectations of our Tribal Government? TRANSPARENCY?
HONESTY? ACCOUNTABILITY? SOUND JUDGEMENT? FAIRNESS? ADHERENCE
to the CONSTITUTION? ADHERENCE TO POLICY AND PROCEDURE? RESPECT?
COMMON SENSE?
Let's look at what we currently have....
There is no TRANSPARENCY! Elected officials fail to adhere to the constitution in
regard to meetings. Meetings are to be posted for 3 days. Meetings are supposed
to be open to the members as we are the auditors of the tribe. The last posting of
Council meeting minutes was September of 2008. Frequently, the Council
conducts business in executive session that should be dealt with in front of the
people they effect, in open session. Only personnel & medical issues are actually
the only sensitive items that should be reserved for executive session. Informal
meetings are held and there is no reporting of what happened. Are the Council
members paid stipends for these sessions? It's been awhile since we've had an
accounting of the stipends each council member was paid. The last time we had
stipend information, it was revealed that some Council members received
multiple stipends in a single day! Since the elected officials all have full time jobs
within our tribe, How are they able to meet the demands of their positions?
Maybe it doesn't matter, but it should. Meetings are held during the day, at a time
that is the most inconvenient for members wishing to attend. Maybe the Council
will consider granting time off to attend these daytime meetings for members
employed by our Tribe, after all isn't that what they're doing for themselves?
Without transparency, we can't say that our government is open and honest. What
are they doing and what are they hiding?
HONOR.
PRESERVE.
PROTECT.
PRESERVE.
PROTECT.