Issues, concerns for tribal council
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Editor,
The Tribal Council has new members beginning a four-year term. New members and the ones already in office have very difficult tasks ahead of them in the upcoming months.
In many of the forums, people submitted questions to the candidates. The following are some of the concerns:
Are tribal employees going to get a cost of living adjustment, or is it going to be the “same ol’, same-ol’?”
Is the unfair treatment of tribal employees, harassment, low wage, hiring of non-tribal employees going to be addressed?
Are tribal members going to have to pay the bill for the purchase of the Kerr Dam with their Salazar settlement monies? Was this money sequestered without approval from Tribal members?
What happened to the free electricity tribal members were to get when Kerr Dam was first built?
Regarding building an Elder Care Center: One candidate stated that it should be left to the family members to take of their elders. The statement leaves out tribal members who do not have anyone to care for them and live out of the boundaries of the reservation.
This candidate also stated the he did sign the petition because he needed money at that time but does not need the money now. There are many other tribal members who still need of the Salazar monies now.
Alcohol and drug centers will always be an issue unless the reservation totally becomes a controlled-substance-free reservation.
What happens when a tribal council member leaves an important quarterly meeting? A tribal council member left the meeting with harsh words for the tribal members in attendance.
Should there be term limits be set for Tribal Council?
Why aren’t tribal members getting any revenues from the casinos?
What of the $200 dollars promised for the elders? Is this going to be a reality?
These are only a few of the issues and concerns the tribal council has to face.
Sometimes issues and concerns are like when someone whispers a word going from person to person and the outcome is totally different from when it started.
Phyllis Benoist
Pablo
