Last year the board raised the budget by $150,000.00 to pay for their salaries, after tribal auditors questioned their use of a tax exemption for doing treaty related work.
In other words, not enough of them had the time to go to a conservation committee meeting for the 17 to 20 % tax exemption to pass approval by the solicitor general's office, so they increased the tribal support budget (money directly out of casino profits) to pay themselves.
How many doctor visits would a $150,000.00 pay for...?
How many Christmas parties for your children...?
Having needlessly spent $150,000.00 of your money this way, were there any meaningful consequences for the individual board members...? Let's not kid ourselves...
The board members had a choice: they could have done a time study and shown the solicitor general's office how they did enough treaty related work, and thus qualified for the$150,000.00. Or,they could have increased their tribal support budget so they wouldn't be audited, and
wouldn't be caught by the IRS.
Of course they chose the latter, costing you $150.000.00. Had they went to enough conservation committee meetings, or taken an active interest in the tribe's other treaty relations with the country, the time study would have been done and the tax exemption would have paid their salaries.
You have to wonder, were they committing tax fraud...
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
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