Every time I hear on the news that some want to end term limits for elected offices I wonder if they have really given it a lot of thought, but likely it is those closest to elected officials reaching term limits who are bellying up to the bar to state their case. Experience and knowledge certainly are admirable qualities to have in an elected representative but in the case of the Sault Tribe, those two attributes have been useful only to those seeking ways to fatten their own wallets.
Such is the case of Fred Paquin whose lengthy career as Sault tribe police chief and director has given him plenty of opportunity to use his considerable knowledge of thievery and experience in assault to posture himself as the all powerful and most feared policeman-about-town.
Other directors have shown their loyalty with promises of firing anyone they can in order to secure that dream job for 'special' constituents in return for votes. Thousands of concert tickets confiscated by one board member, for his personal use, were handed out like cheap candy canes at Christmas in exchange for loyalty. Cost to the board member...priceless....because he didn't pay for them but did use them for personal gain. The cost to members...far too much since we only need to look what we have had to give up because of such abuses of power.
Another board member optimized her presence as an incumbent by insisting that she be the one to hand out the free Sugar Island ferry tickets while misleading recipients into believing that the cost was out of her pocket.
Experience to operate a successful business operation like a tribe? There might be a couple able-minded on the board but for the most part, the experience is all about how to screw over the tribal members while getting rich and not getting caught.
Lynne Weaver
Join Tom Biron and others in discussion with the upcoming election. See what respected tribal member Tom Biron has to say. Sign up by registering with http://lynneweaver.findtalk.net/portal.htm
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