This article pertains to Charles Forgrave's article that follows this one in which he states that Sault Tribe members blindly follow their leaders.
The Reality...we had a sitting chairman who was at the root of ALL the business failures...his ideas, his business plan....ALL FAILURES.
It was Bernard Bouschor who was at the forefront of the biggest failure ever...Greektown. His history of Greektown was to immediately, from day one, place it in huge jeopardy and financial doom with his sneaky backroom deals. Was it Greektown that failed? No. Greektown was a success, but profits were minimal under Sault Tribe management. Hidden agendas and micro-managing by an unqualified and fragmented Sault Tribe Board of Directors left the future of Greektown in question.
With the help of the watchful eyes from mysterious strangers using electronics equipment, Bouschor was faced with the fact that he was no longer wanted by the Tribe. Along with his departure, he pilfered the tribe of computer hard drives,documents & records, valuable artwork that did not belong to him and then he fired his favorite key people and paid them 2.7 million to conspire with him in the act. The law and the recipients can call it what they want but I call it bribery.
But the King of Failure wanted desperately to get his power back so he threw his name in the hat to run for a board seat. The tribal citizens thought they put a stop to that when they voted overwhelmingly "NO WAY" in a secretarial election that could not be disputed.....except by our very own, packed-with-friends-&-relatives tribal court who said 'we don't give a crap what the Tribe or the Secretary of Interior election results say--we're letting him run anyway." Mysteriously, he won a seat. Now how did that happen when so many had voted not to let him near any of our investments or assets...another mystery?
The most mystifying reality is that during the effort to force this former chairman to pay back a small portion of what he took from all of us, the crooks and the crazies effectively got rid of those who had the most to offer our tribe. They cried their 'warrior' cry and pretended they were doing the right thing by slandering and stalking those who would have honestly represented our tribe and our assets when they were really standing by those they hoped would reward them for their service and loyalty.
Recently to top it all off, those in charge had a chance to save Greektown--to retain it in the possession of the tribe. For some strange reason, they did the opposite. They fought all legal and upfront efforts to prevent it from going to 'creditors'. They simply turned their heads and said "Oops...we forgot to have an exit plan for the bankruptcy." Word is, a couple of those 'creditors' were all part of the initial plan set in place by Bouschor who now sits on the tribal board making decisions, once again, that are doomed for failure...at least for the tribe.
Now look where we are...in worse shape than ever before with lawsuits coming out of our ears while the happy spenders are still spending on business deals...like a wind farm in Mexico. Who will benefit from those jobs? To me, it's just another method to hide revenue from us....just another business that will fail--partly because the same people that were at the helm of all the previous failures are still there to do it again.
Lynne Weaver
2008 Greektown revenues
2009 Greektown revenues
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Members / More Than Slightly Jaded
Sault Ste. Marie, Mi...Members of the Sault Tribe want to feel good about their government. They would like to support them and brag about them a little and hold them up as an example to other tribe's across the nation.
This is hard however given the kinds of facts that they have to deal with. The tribe after all has lost thirty some businesses. The only businesses it retains are those wherein they have a complete monopoly as in the casinos, or in those wherein they have tax or other advantages as in the Midjims and the janitorial service company, Chippewa Cleaning and Supply.
Not a very inspiring picture...
Add to that picture the personnel and political problems which the tribe has been beset with. Wherein one of our former board members, a man who distinguished himself in college and subsequently in law school, and, who later qualified himself to practice before U.S. Supreme Court, a Mr. Todd Gravelle, stated clearly and unequivocally how Sault Tribe's government is broken...and there is lots of reason for tribal citizens to be disenchanted with their government.
And now, the tribe can't seem to stay out of court. With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in lawsuits against it, with its former chairman and police chief in court up against serious charges, and its current chairman and vice chairman allegedly rumping about the country gratuitously on the members dime, how are members to feel...
...except for those who blindly follow their leaders, the answer is simple, sometime more than slightly jaded.
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
This is hard however given the kinds of facts that they have to deal with. The tribe after all has lost thirty some businesses. The only businesses it retains are those wherein they have a complete monopoly as in the casinos, or in those wherein they have tax or other advantages as in the Midjims and the janitorial service company, Chippewa Cleaning and Supply.
Not a very inspiring picture...
Add to that picture the personnel and political problems which the tribe has been beset with. Wherein one of our former board members, a man who distinguished himself in college and subsequently in law school, and, who later qualified himself to practice before U.S. Supreme Court, a Mr. Todd Gravelle, stated clearly and unequivocally how Sault Tribe's government is broken...and there is lots of reason for tribal citizens to be disenchanted with their government.
And now, the tribe can't seem to stay out of court. With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in lawsuits against it, with its former chairman and police chief in court up against serious charges, and its current chairman and vice chairman allegedly rumping about the country gratuitously on the members dime, how are members to feel...
...except for those who blindly follow their leaders, the answer is simple, sometime more than slightly jaded.
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
Friday, September 24, 2010
RESOLUTION TO RELEASE SAULT TRIBE NAMES
A corrected resolution has been issued to the Sault Tribe Board of Directors that clarifies why they must consider releasing identifying information of all citizens and employees of the Sault Tribe so that they can be eliminated from being chosen as members of the jury in the trial against Bernard Bouschor.
If the names of tribal members and employees of the Sault Tribe are not released to the Chippewa County Court, the lawsuit against Bernard Bouschor could be dismissed. I would hope that questions asked of potential jurors would reveal whether they or their organization benefited in any way from any of Bouschor's actions.
Many thanks to Unit One Director, DJ Malloy who provided the copy of the resolution.
Resolution link here
If the names of tribal members and employees of the Sault Tribe are not released to the Chippewa County Court, the lawsuit against Bernard Bouschor could be dismissed. I would hope that questions asked of potential jurors would reveal whether they or their organization benefited in any way from any of Bouschor's actions.
Many thanks to Unit One Director, DJ Malloy who provided the copy of the resolution.
Resolution link here
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
SAULT TRIBE CITIZENS....YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED
Please read the comments in response to the resolution to eliminate Sault Tribe members from serving as jurors in the case against Bernard Bouschor.
By not allowing a member of the Sault Tribe to be judged by a jury of his peers do you feel that we are once again being discriminated against?
Are we being given the message that we are not responsible, that we are not fair, that we are not capable of recognizing justice and that we are not able to apply justice to one of our own?
Please respond. Your opinion is extremely important in this matter.
By not allowing a member of the Sault Tribe to be judged by a jury of his peers do you feel that we are once again being discriminated against?
Are we being given the message that we are not responsible, that we are not fair, that we are not capable of recognizing justice and that we are not able to apply justice to one of our own?
Please respond. Your opinion is extremely important in this matter.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Compliance Resolution
The Sault Tribe was asked to comply with a request to provide the court with a
complete list of tribal members so that they could be eliminated from the process of choosing a jury for the case against Bernard Bouschor and the 7 + 2 lawsuit.
Download Resolution PDF here
complete list of tribal members so that they could be eliminated from the process of choosing a jury for the case against Bernard Bouschor and the 7 + 2 lawsuit.
Download Resolution PDF here
Sunday, September 19, 2010
COMPLIANCE RESOLUTION REQUESTED
To clarify the content of the 'COMPLIANCE RESOLUTION', I have just requested a copy of such from Director Malloy to be published here so that every person who has questions can come to their own conclusions, as each of us has a right to.
Every person in the Sault Tribe should be informed, IN ADVANCE, of any and all actions that affect our tribe. Sitting back while waiting to be told what has been done, rather than be a part of it initially, contributed to the mess we are in. If you are relying on the Sault Tribe paper or the website for information, than you are wasting your time.
There is a small handful of us who are the true representatives of the people and who are willing to carry your message to the board and administration of the tribe and none of us are getting paid to do it, so help us out by becoming a part of our efforts. We understand that if you work for the tribe you fear for the loss of your job, as has been proven in the past, is a valid concern.
Again, any other directors who may be keeping up by reading my blog (as I know you are) feel free to honor the requests of the membership by providing a copy of the resolution. I will gladly give credit to those who are willing to reach out to the membership by providing information we are entitled to, IN ADVANCE, or you can continue to seperate yourselves from the citizens of the Sault Tribe and face the consequences at the next election.
Every person in the Sault Tribe should be informed, IN ADVANCE, of any and all actions that affect our tribe. Sitting back while waiting to be told what has been done, rather than be a part of it initially, contributed to the mess we are in. If you are relying on the Sault Tribe paper or the website for information, than you are wasting your time.
There is a small handful of us who are the true representatives of the people and who are willing to carry your message to the board and administration of the tribe and none of us are getting paid to do it, so help us out by becoming a part of our efforts. We understand that if you work for the tribe you fear for the loss of your job, as has been proven in the past, is a valid concern.
Again, any other directors who may be keeping up by reading my blog (as I know you are) feel free to honor the requests of the membership by providing a copy of the resolution. I will gladly give credit to those who are willing to reach out to the membership by providing information we are entitled to, IN ADVANCE, or you can continue to seperate yourselves from the citizens of the Sault Tribe and face the consequences at the next election.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
RESPONSE ON RESOLUTION FROM DIRECTOR MALLOY
As predicted, DJ Malloy responded to my question about the 'Compliance Resolution'.
The trial for Bernard Bouschor regarding the 7+2 lawsuit and the resolution is related to the decision by the judge who recused all Sault Tribe members from serving on the jury.
Because the trial will be held in Chippewa County where the majority of Bouschor's votes came from, the chance that the jury would be packed with his supporters was of great concern, but that decision prompts yet another concern; Bouschor always ensured he had the non-native support as well. Remember all those photo ops with smiling Bouschor handing over large donations to Sault organizations? Who got the credit...Bouschor or the Sault Tribe?
As the trial date approaches I will remind concerned tribal citizens to show your support not for Bouschor, who has damaged the reputation of the tribe as well as nearly destroying it financially, but for the Sault tribe people who suffered losses we will never recoup.
The trial for Bernard Bouschor regarding the 7+2 lawsuit and the resolution is related to the decision by the judge who recused all Sault Tribe members from serving on the jury.
Because the trial will be held in Chippewa County where the majority of Bouschor's votes came from, the chance that the jury would be packed with his supporters was of great concern, but that decision prompts yet another concern; Bouschor always ensured he had the non-native support as well. Remember all those photo ops with smiling Bouschor handing over large donations to Sault organizations? Who got the credit...Bouschor or the Sault Tribe?
As the trial date approaches I will remind concerned tribal citizens to show your support not for Bouschor, who has damaged the reputation of the tribe as well as nearly destroying it financially, but for the Sault tribe people who suffered losses we will never recoup.
COMPLIANCE WITH COURT ORDER?
Sault Tribe Board of Directors Sept. 21 special meeting moves to Sept. 22 2010
Written by Communications Department Friday, 17 September 2010
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The special meeting of the Sault Tribe Board of Directors scheduled for Sept. 21 has been changed to Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 10 am. The meeting will be held at the Kewadin Casino and Convention Center, Sault.
The board will consider the resolution - Compliance with Court Orders Sault Tribe v. Ex.-Key Employees and Bouschor.
This special meeting announcement begs the question/'s:
Is someone not in compliance with a court order and if not...WHO & WHY?
The question was posed to one of my Unit One directors...actually the only representative that I can expect an answer from...DJ Malloy.
Another question that I have is, why isn't the Sault Tribe's newspaper, the member's paper, not providing us with the news we are entitled to? Why do we continually hear what is going on in our tribe via the Detroit newspapers rather than our own?
We have already learned that the Sault Tribe board failed to make timely business decisions or provide an exit strategy for the Greektown bankruptcy causing a tremendous loss to the Sault Tribe.
We have also learned that there may be a connection between that failure and an allegation of huge gambling debts incurred by one of Greektown's original investors, Dimitrios "Jim" Papas to which collection was postponed for reasons that are currently under investigation. I posted the article to which an anonymous poster suggested that I was lucky my bones weren't found. Not quite sure how to take that other than as a threat or warning of sorts.
The answers to these questions should be available to any Sault Tribe member who asks and just as soon as I hear from DJ Malloy I will post her answer here. If any other director would like to offer an answer or explanation please don't hesitate to jump right in.
Remember who got us into this mess... Bernard Bouschor and now someone is not in compliance with a court order regarding the lawsuit against him and worse yet, we are actually paying this guy to represent us!
Written by Communications Department Friday, 17 September 2010SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The special meeting of the Sault Tribe Board of Directors scheduled for Sept. 21 has been changed to Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 10 am. The meeting will be held at the Kewadin Casino and Convention Center, Sault.
The board will consider the resolution - Compliance with Court Orders Sault Tribe v. Ex.-Key Employees and Bouschor.
This special meeting announcement begs the question/'s:
Is someone not in compliance with a court order and if not...WHO & WHY?
The question was posed to one of my Unit One directors...actually the only representative that I can expect an answer from...DJ Malloy.
Another question that I have is, why isn't the Sault Tribe's newspaper, the member's paper, not providing us with the news we are entitled to? Why do we continually hear what is going on in our tribe via the Detroit newspapers rather than our own?
We have already learned that the Sault Tribe board failed to make timely business decisions or provide an exit strategy for the Greektown bankruptcy causing a tremendous loss to the Sault Tribe.
We have also learned that there may be a connection between that failure and an allegation of huge gambling debts incurred by one of Greektown's original investors, Dimitrios "Jim" Papas to which collection was postponed for reasons that are currently under investigation. I posted the article to which an anonymous poster suggested that I was lucky my bones weren't found. Not quite sure how to take that other than as a threat or warning of sorts.
The answers to these questions should be available to any Sault Tribe member who asks and just as soon as I hear from DJ Malloy I will post her answer here. If any other director would like to offer an answer or explanation please don't hesitate to jump right in.
Remember who got us into this mess... Bernard Bouschor and now someone is not in compliance with a court order regarding the lawsuit against him and worse yet, we are actually paying this guy to represent us!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
GREEKTOWN CASINO SUES PAPAS for OVER $1.5 MILLION in GAMBLING DEBTS
"Brennan said the lawsuit doesn't "pass the smell test," because the casino waited 20 months to try to collect on the gambling debts. He said that proves there was an agreement with previous owners to delay settling debts with Papas."
Copied from an article by: Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News
Detroit --Greektown Casino is suing one of its original investors, Dimitrios "Jim" Papas, for $7 million, including at least $1.5 million in unpaid gambling debts.
The gaming hall, which recently exited bankruptcy, claimed in a suit filed Friday that Papas owes $4 million and has refused to pay.
The casino claims it tried to collect gambling debts from his checking account in December but failed because of "insufficient funds," according to the Wayne County Circuit Court suit.
The casino seeks another $3 million in damages, but Papas says he's the one owed money.
"They can file lawsuits for $150 million but they aren't going to get anything," said Papas, who owns the restaurant Pegasus and is the landlord of Mosaic, which is owned by his daughter. "It's absolutely baseless."
Papas said the old and new Greektown owners owe him about $10 million to $12 million that he can't recover because of the bankruptcy, his attorney Henry Brennan said.
Some of the debt stems from his sale of his share of the casino in 2000, and the old owners "misled" him by persuading him not to settle before the bankruptcy, Brennan said.
Many of the original local investors lost their investment in Greektown when it went into bankruptcy in May 2008.
Douglas Minke, a Greektown attorney, had no comment Monday.
Michigan prohibits investors from gambling at casinos, but Pappas' line of credit for wagering was established in December 2000 after he sold his stake in the facility.
He did so after state gambling regulators didn't grant him and partner Ted Gatzaros a license. The lawsuit alleges Papas owes:
• $2 million from a promissory note he signed in 2005 to cover unspecified debts. He agreed to repay the money in March 2009 plus 6 percent interest, another $551,000, according to the suit.
• $1.5 million the casino loaned Papas for gambling in March and April 2008. The casino claims it tried to recoup the money from Papas' checking account in December, but funds weren't there to cover the debt.
Brennan said the lawsuit doesn't "pass the smell test," because the casino waited 20 months to try to collect on the gambling debts. He said that proves there was an agreement with previous owners to delay settling debts with Papas.
The casino is now jointly owned by a public company called Greektown Superholdings Inc. and its private counterpart Greektown Newco Sub Inc. They have raised $200 million in equity by selling shares of preferred stock at $100 per share.
From The Detroit News
Copied from an article by: Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News
Detroit --Greektown Casino is suing one of its original investors, Dimitrios "Jim" Papas, for $7 million, including at least $1.5 million in unpaid gambling debts.
The gaming hall, which recently exited bankruptcy, claimed in a suit filed Friday that Papas owes $4 million and has refused to pay.
The casino claims it tried to collect gambling debts from his checking account in December but failed because of "insufficient funds," according to the Wayne County Circuit Court suit.
The casino seeks another $3 million in damages, but Papas says he's the one owed money.
"They can file lawsuits for $150 million but they aren't going to get anything," said Papas, who owns the restaurant Pegasus and is the landlord of Mosaic, which is owned by his daughter. "It's absolutely baseless."
Papas said the old and new Greektown owners owe him about $10 million to $12 million that he can't recover because of the bankruptcy, his attorney Henry Brennan said.
Some of the debt stems from his sale of his share of the casino in 2000, and the old owners "misled" him by persuading him not to settle before the bankruptcy, Brennan said.
Many of the original local investors lost their investment in Greektown when it went into bankruptcy in May 2008.
Douglas Minke, a Greektown attorney, had no comment Monday.
Michigan prohibits investors from gambling at casinos, but Pappas' line of credit for wagering was established in December 2000 after he sold his stake in the facility.
He did so after state gambling regulators didn't grant him and partner Ted Gatzaros a license. The lawsuit alleges Papas owes:
• $2 million from a promissory note he signed in 2005 to cover unspecified debts. He agreed to repay the money in March 2009 plus 6 percent interest, another $551,000, according to the suit.
• $1.5 million the casino loaned Papas for gambling in March and April 2008. The casino claims it tried to recoup the money from Papas' checking account in December, but funds weren't there to cover the debt.
Brennan said the lawsuit doesn't "pass the smell test," because the casino waited 20 months to try to collect on the gambling debts. He said that proves there was an agreement with previous owners to delay settling debts with Papas.
The casino is now jointly owned by a public company called Greektown Superholdings Inc. and its private counterpart Greektown Newco Sub Inc. They have raised $200 million in equity by selling shares of preferred stock at $100 per share.
From The Detroit News
Thursday, September 9, 2010
NEW DATE SET FOR PAQUIN SENTENCING
Fred Paquin, former Sault Tribe Police Chief who was charged with numerous counts of embezzlement, will be sentenced on December 14, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. in United States District Court, 235 Federal Building, Marquette, Mi.
Download file here.
Download file here.
Director Hollowell / Walking a Fine Line
Sault Ste. Marie, Mi...You have to read director Hollowell's unit report with some trepidation. She lauds what the previously elected term did for balancing the budget. While it's nice to see others praised, in this case we really have to question whether they warrant it.
The previously elected term which Ms. Hollowell refers to, balanced the budget with the help of a $5,000,000.00 loan from a local bank. They used the elders fund as collateral, after the board refused to accept tribal land. They did both of these things without so much as reporting them to the membership.
Moreover, director Bouschor went so far as to boast in his unit report about their success in balancing the budget. He even went so far as to mention it twice...not once...that the board was looking ahead to a possible $5,000,000.00 surplus.
What is very disturbing about this, where our previously elected term is concerned, is that not one of them stepped forward to correct the picture that Mr. Bouschor was putting forth. In good old fashion terms, this is referred to as complicity.
So where is director Hollowell coming from...is she attempting to shore up the board's claims to fiscal responsibility? Perhaps the director needs to review the position that she has taken on this matter? The members need directors who are more interested in the truth about events rather than the politics that surround them.
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
The previously elected term which Ms. Hollowell refers to, balanced the budget with the help of a $5,000,000.00 loan from a local bank. They used the elders fund as collateral, after the board refused to accept tribal land. They did both of these things without so much as reporting them to the membership.
Moreover, director Bouschor went so far as to boast in his unit report about their success in balancing the budget. He even went so far as to mention it twice...not once...that the board was looking ahead to a possible $5,000,000.00 surplus.
What is very disturbing about this, where our previously elected term is concerned, is that not one of them stepped forward to correct the picture that Mr. Bouschor was putting forth. In good old fashion terms, this is referred to as complicity.
So where is director Hollowell coming from...is she attempting to shore up the board's claims to fiscal responsibility? Perhaps the director needs to review the position that she has taken on this matter? The members need directors who are more interested in the truth about events rather than the politics that surround them.
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
Saturday, September 4, 2010
KEEPING QUIET...WRONG FOR THE SAULT TRIBE
I thought this comment was worthy of front page placement....
"Joe McCoy did not broker this deal-DJ Hoffman did (assuming the poster is referring to the 7 acre purchase). The whole story is not being told about this deal, don't know if it's because they don't want to give credit to DJ Hoffman should it turn out to be good economic development, or because Bernard Bouschor and Joe McCoy are meeting with Ted Gatzaparos trying to set up their own deal and undercut this deal. All in our name of course. Such honest upstanding caring men these two are, cut from the same cloth. (It's just to bad it's the cloak of deception to line their pockets instead of the tribes). It will be interesting to watch how it all transpires, which will be soon considering that the Board of Director's will be meeting this Monday to discuss the deal Bernard and Joe would like support on from the Board to go with Ted. Bouschor is building up his support on the Board, with the help of Joe McCoy, Deb Pine, and Lana Causley."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The biggest complaint from Sault Tribe members is the lack of transparency on the part of the tribal Chairman and the Board of Directors. Recently, new information has come my way that suggests that at least two members of the board tried to broker a deal to save Greektown. Although one source only mentions DJ Hoffman, another source claims that both Hoffman and Tom Miller worked to cut the best deal to save Greektown and keep it in the ownership of the Sault Tribe.
Hoffman, who was once tight with Bernard Bouschor, lost favor with the 'Bouschor Group' prior to the election. Also prior to the election, Hoffman's unit reports suggested that there were some disagreements, but he never outlined the details and that inaction may have been the underlying factor that cost him his seat on the board.
If Hoffman had spoken out and set the wheel in motion to save Greektown would we still be damned with the Bouschor peddling, Debra Pine? Bouschor is pulling Pine's strings to save himself and she has every reason to do so. After all, Pine's mother was one of the 7+2 who was wrongfully paid close to half a million dollars to quit her job with the Sault Tribe.
DJ Hoffman...it's not too late to speak up. Show your loyalty....is it with the members or Bouschor? You help us, we help you.
"Joe McCoy did not broker this deal-DJ Hoffman did (assuming the poster is referring to the 7 acre purchase). The whole story is not being told about this deal, don't know if it's because they don't want to give credit to DJ Hoffman should it turn out to be good economic development, or because Bernard Bouschor and Joe McCoy are meeting with Ted Gatzaparos trying to set up their own deal and undercut this deal. All in our name of course. Such honest upstanding caring men these two are, cut from the same cloth. (It's just to bad it's the cloak of deception to line their pockets instead of the tribes). It will be interesting to watch how it all transpires, which will be soon considering that the Board of Director's will be meeting this Monday to discuss the deal Bernard and Joe would like support on from the Board to go with Ted. Bouschor is building up his support on the Board, with the help of Joe McCoy, Deb Pine, and Lana Causley."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The biggest complaint from Sault Tribe members is the lack of transparency on the part of the tribal Chairman and the Board of Directors. Recently, new information has come my way that suggests that at least two members of the board tried to broker a deal to save Greektown. Although one source only mentions DJ Hoffman, another source claims that both Hoffman and Tom Miller worked to cut the best deal to save Greektown and keep it in the ownership of the Sault Tribe.
Hoffman, who was once tight with Bernard Bouschor, lost favor with the 'Bouschor Group' prior to the election. Also prior to the election, Hoffman's unit reports suggested that there were some disagreements, but he never outlined the details and that inaction may have been the underlying factor that cost him his seat on the board.
If Hoffman had spoken out and set the wheel in motion to save Greektown would we still be damned with the Bouschor peddling, Debra Pine? Bouschor is pulling Pine's strings to save himself and she has every reason to do so. After all, Pine's mother was one of the 7+2 who was wrongfully paid close to half a million dollars to quit her job with the Sault Tribe.
DJ Hoffman...it's not too late to speak up. Show your loyalty....is it with the members or Bouschor? You help us, we help you.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Little Belief, or Faith In...
Sault Ste. Marie, Mi...Members missed the debate on the recent purchase of land in Detroit. That's because there wasn't any debate. By the time they heard about the deal it was done.
Their right of referendum on whether or not the acquisition should go forward had been trampled by the board.
Now the price paid for the land is questioned...was it $180,000.00 or $400,000.00? Does anybody know for sure...is there a tribal official out there who has the courage to say something about it publicly? And, if not, why not?
Is the Sault Tribe ever going to get beyond this cloak and dagger style of government...where the major decisions, financial and otherwise, are made in its back rooms. What is it with board members...that they will go so far as to trample the tribe's constitution to keep these kinds of decisions secret?
Yes, nowadays the smoke is gone from the back rooms...Michigan law has seen to that. But the seemliness of them making the tribe's major financial decisions there...which are not theirs alone to make...is still there.
It brings the word rogue to mind. Their behavior is best described by it, because they refuse to respect the constitution. They just go ahead and do as they very well please...knowing they can get away with it...behaving like a bunch of rogue politicians.
After all, the financial decisions that have come out of those back rooms over the years...have left little reason for the membership to believe that any good decisions will ever come out of them. There have been thirty-some business failures and $80,000,000.00 plus lost because of them.
Instead of reasons to have faith in them, there are all kinds of expensive reasons for the members to have no faith at all.
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
Their right of referendum on whether or not the acquisition should go forward had been trampled by the board.
Now the price paid for the land is questioned...was it $180,000.00 or $400,000.00? Does anybody know for sure...is there a tribal official out there who has the courage to say something about it publicly? And, if not, why not?
Is the Sault Tribe ever going to get beyond this cloak and dagger style of government...where the major decisions, financial and otherwise, are made in its back rooms. What is it with board members...that they will go so far as to trample the tribe's constitution to keep these kinds of decisions secret?
Yes, nowadays the smoke is gone from the back rooms...Michigan law has seen to that. But the seemliness of them making the tribe's major financial decisions there...which are not theirs alone to make...is still there.
It brings the word rogue to mind. Their behavior is best described by it, because they refuse to respect the constitution. They just go ahead and do as they very well please...knowing they can get away with it...behaving like a bunch of rogue politicians.
After all, the financial decisions that have come out of those back rooms over the years...have left little reason for the membership to believe that any good decisions will ever come out of them. There have been thirty-some business failures and $80,000,000.00 plus lost because of them.
Instead of reasons to have faith in them, there are all kinds of expensive reasons for the members to have no faith at all.
Thank you, Charles Forgrave
MAKE THAT $57,143 AN ACRE!
A recent news article reported that the Sault Tribe paid $179,000 for seven acres of property next to a racetrack near Detroit. The amount reported was far from the truth. The price paid for the seven acres by the Sault Tribe was actually $400,000 bringing the price per acre up to $57,143.
What does McCoy plan to do with such a valuable piece of land...build a casino, perhaps? That would be the obvious answer with the exception of one very important fact; it is unknown if gaming will even be allowed on this land. Is this just another blind, uneducated business decision made by a hotshot wannabee? Is the land dispute of whether Greektown was ever placed in trust still unresolved and is this new acquisition part of a trade-off agreement?
The one point that is clear is that the Sault Tribe citizens have been left out of all phases of the sinking of Greektown as well as the details of this new venture. Isn't it our money, our health care and our education that is being placed at risk? $57,143 an acre for property that we may never see a return on!
What does McCoy plan to do with such a valuable piece of land...build a casino, perhaps? That would be the obvious answer with the exception of one very important fact; it is unknown if gaming will even be allowed on this land. Is this just another blind, uneducated business decision made by a hotshot wannabee? Is the land dispute of whether Greektown was ever placed in trust still unresolved and is this new acquisition part of a trade-off agreement?
The one point that is clear is that the Sault Tribe citizens have been left out of all phases of the sinking of Greektown as well as the details of this new venture. Isn't it our money, our health care and our education that is being placed at risk? $57,143 an acre for property that we may never see a return on!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
US Attorney's Press Release on Paquin
FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew G. Arena commented, “As I have said before, this case was about corrupt government officials who abused their positions for personal gain.”U.S. Attorney Davis added: “This office will aggressively pursue and prosecute public officials who, like Mr. Paquin, violate their solemn oath and duties. The trust, respect and confidence all citizens place in their governmental institutions is dependant upon the honest and faithful service of governmental employees, including in particular those at high levels of authority such as a chief of police.”
Paquin's Press Release
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