Sault Ste. Marie, Mi...

Federal and state governments routinely post the income of their civil service workers. As a matter of fact, it is a part of the job posting. In the Sault Tribe, this is far from case.

As a matter of fact, it's a big secret. Tribal members don't know what they pay their dentists or their medical doctors, or their other healthcare professionals.

So now we have a proposals to raise the tribe's top individuals pay...without any idea of from where to where we're going to raise it. The number being bandied about will cost us $700,000.00. Why all the big secrecy about it? If the federal state governments can routinely post this kind of information, why can't the tribe. Is there something about the tribal membership, that their leaders feel they have to keep this information secret?

Isn't this part of this whole communications problem with this tribe?

It's politically correct to assume right away that healthcare providers have a raise coming. Members understand it's always been a problem to attract doctors up to the U.P. and then to keep them here. On the other hand, there was nothing in the tribal paper outlining the severity of the problem, or even simply describing it. Members have no idea whether we have doctors leaving our employ because they felt underpaid, or whatnot.

If they haven't left for that reason, then there's not a big money problem. As president Reagan would have said, let them vote with their feet. Or in other words, have they been leaving because of the low pay, or haven't they? And just how big of a problem is it? Can we afford to compete with other clinics, let's say the Petoskey Clinic for example?

Tribal members have no idea. They're left to blindly trust their unit leaders, who just happen to be politicians. Now just how undependable is that, it's not dependable?

So let's backup. Do something about the secrecy surrounding the income of tribal civil servants...doctors, division heads, directors, administrative assistants, whomever. Define the problem..will the free market straighten it out, or won't it? Are doctors voting with their feet, because of the low pay, or aren't they? Quit being secretive about it?

All of this secrecy nonsense is an integral part of the overall healthcare problem...

Thank you, Charles Forgrave