Monthly Archives: January 2013

Turmoil

THE MISSING VOTER LIST

The Monday night Council meeting was crazy. Candidates and Council members were asking  Cedric Cromwell for the voter list that was supposed to be posted 8 days ago.  Tribal members and candidates are supposed to have access to the list to see who’s on it and challenge questionable new members before the election.  Candidates also use it for voter contact.

Supposedly there was an ordinance passed  ending this practice citing  confidentiality or some such nonsense.  No one can find the ordinance nor can they find the minutes confirming passage of the ordinance. Of course there are no audio tapes of  the meetings, so you can’t validate anything.

"BBA" & Cheryl in better days before his health deteriorated

It got heated when the candidates said they wanted the same access the incumbents like Cedric had.  Of course this  access is all courtesy of Cedric’s sister-in-law Kimmie Frye, “SR”,  Chair of the Election Committee.   Right… the chairman’s sister-in-law is CHAIR of the Election Committee.  Anyway,  Kimmie and her sister, Council woman Cheryl  Frye Cromwell (wife to “Big Brother Almighty”), were just recently busted while trying to commandeer the voter list from a mail house.   When pressed, Cedric shouted…”You have to buy the list just like I did.”  Buy it from whom? Is there no end to the blatant disregard for Tribal law?  Now the voter list is being sold ? Apparently.

Nine tribal members have already filed in US Federal District Court warning of this kind of behavior, potential voter fraud and countless other violations of the Constitution.  They asked for government oversight because of this kind of  lawlessness.

Recent  memos have been sent to the Assistant Secretary of DOI and  the Nashville BIA documenting  the pattern of disenfranchisement that continues to persist. The Council officers are leaving quite a paper trail.

SCAMMIN’

Another effort to keep getting a pay check is now being proposed under the guise of  ” protecting the health and welfare of the tribe” through the Tribal Gaming Commission. Funneling Genting money into he tribal gaming commission to pay  Cedric, Mark Harding and Yvonne Frye Avant will not resolve the fact that the Tribe is broke. But they’re  trying to disguise it that way. They are calling an emergency meeting Friday to  pass funding for the gaming commission, pretending they’re going to keep people on the payroll.

We support keeping tribal members employed, but we don’t want Cedric,  Markie and Yvonne permanently ensconced in the Tribal Gaming Commission.  They set it up to be totally separate and  untouchable so they can keep getting a pay check.  Genting runs it….and funds it….and has been funneling money through the GC for a while. More transparency eh ?

 

Political Hacks campaign with no shame

 

The closer we get to the election, the more entertaining the Cromwell administration becomes.  More fascinating is how the overpaid legal team is dredging up old historical arguments that have been soundly REJECTED by the Department of Interior.

Each one of the historical points detailed In the Cape Cod Times as the Gospel of Cromwell and the way to a special exemption for us, was presented to DOI during the Recognition process. These points were thrown out by DOI and never attributed to the validation of our existence as a tribe.

Why bring them up again? You know why…. Re-election. They keep trying to give Casino Stalkers hope of a casino.

It’s more millions of dollars in legal fees for recycled stuff that’s no good.

Why would the DOI suddenly do an about face?  The experts who said no 6 years ago are still on the job there.

As usual…you can’t believe everything you read in the paper can you?  Especially when the reporter does not do his homework. Maybe he should ask the people who would give the other side of the story.

Here are the recycled arguments that we’re paying for a second time;

The 1763 King George Edict: During the 1977 land suit, we used a decree by King of England that gave us clear title to our land.  We thought it would prove that it was stolen. This argument was rejected in the recognition process.

Forced Removal: The government actually tried to relocate us in Oklahoma. This argument was rejected.

1933 Indian Reorganization Act: Sachem Leroy Perry held a meeting at the Old Indian Meeting House to organize the Mashpee and the Herring Pond Wampanoag but action was never finalized and the documents never found. It was rejected.

The 1933 IRA meeting is particularly important because in order to get around the 2009 Carcieri    Supreme Court ruling we must prove that we were recognized by the US government before 1934.

The simple fact remains that the entire casino process was launched 4 months before the state deadline with an incomplete LIT application, terrible tiny location and no historical ties.  The abominable compact sealed the fate of the Taunton Itty Bitty casino.

For Interior to accept this old discarded information now would smell pretty stinky.

Cedric Cromwell is such an outsider; he has no idea of what is contained in the Recognition documentation.  The lawyers know that and bill for stuff we’ve already paid for.  It’s clear that this administration can’t come up with an original idea to save their political hides. But we all know that.

The firing has begun, Kimmie Frye, ” Sr ” won’t quit, and the nightmare goes on

Department heads were  told to lay people off.  They were also told not to let them work another minute. The only cash flowing into the general revenue fund to pay all  the Fryes, comes from Genting.  It’s gone.  Poof! Very few people who work for the tribe are paid by grants.   Most are paid out of general revenue including certain council members. Broke as a joke they are. Those in line to be fired are already scheming  to take the others job, especially in finance.

Francie in white laughs it up with "BBA"

Word is that Francie  (Frye) who is some sort of executive secretary,  has established her own retirement fund totaling about $20,000. She sits in the council executive sessions that go on for hours.Where she gets the money from is anyone’s guess. But the Frybal Council is imploding.

The turmoil spilled over to the dueling chairman and secretary.  Tah Tah was questioning “Big Brother Almighty’s” use of tribal resources

Big Brother Almighty shrinks, and TFL looks robust !

for his faltering campaign.  Thousands of dollars in postage, socials , Dino’ s, robo calls, and texting .  He also has access to confidential information and phone numbers.  “Big Brother Almighty “was texting tribal members asking for their votes and pleading with them to return the text to confirm their support for him.  He also begged them to get family members to vote for him. He can’t campaign so he’s using the President’s very expensive  tools to corral votes.  He went to Edna Peters house with Mark Harding no less, and they were promptly shown the door. Harding was so beet red he looked like a walking tomato.

Some people say BBA has been so ill it’s clouding his reasoning.  The diabetes, high blood pressure and the heart condition…it all shows.  He looks bad and  and he still trying to save a disastrous reign.

His sister-in-law Kimmie Frye “Sr”, Chair of the Election Committee,  and her sister Cheryl Frye Cromwell  AKA “The First Lady”, were busy with the other part of the election protection  scheme. They were trying to commandeer the mailing list from people who mail the newsletter.

The mail house contacted Joanne Frye to see if the release of the list was authorized.  Joanne said no. Cheryl went into a rage and said it was authorized because she was the chairman’s wife. That may have brought pity but not the list.

This is the chair of the election committee who is the sister-in-law of the chairman and the sister to the council woman married to the chairman, and is once again demanding that they get preferential treatment. The  chair of the election committee should not be the chair of the election committee because it is just wrong.  But clearly she doesn’t know any better. She’s protecting Mark Tilden who is the master of lousy  advice, bad ordinances and over billing.

They have done so much damage to this tribe, they are holding on at any cost.

So they refuse to post the voter list for candidates and tribal members to view. Thumbing their noses at the tribal members demanding a fair election….and daring the Feds to do something about it. So now they claim to have passed a resolution so they don’t have to post it. But how do we know what they did? Where are the minutes? How do you know if it were done properly? They tried to bamboozle us recently with  Mark Tilden- Kimmie Frye “Sr” election ordinance that was not passed properly. Now the list is confidential? Who knows…they keep changing the rules.

The only way Cedric, Jessie,Mark and Selena  win is  with the votes of Jessie’s illegal Casino Stalkers…..just like they did last time. But if the Stalkers show up they still face some real embarrassment.

Aho Bro .

 

Sending out an SOS

 

Last week Cedric Cromwell revealed a two paragraph form letter from  Department of Interior Secretary Kevin Washburn  saying the department would begin reviewing our land in trust  application for exception status. The second paragraph was the clincher because it stated that even if that extraordinary criteria were met, the Department’s authority to take the land in trust was still in question.

Translation: Back to square one. Not very assuring to anyone, let alone the Gaming Commission.

So Cedric is trying to appease the Massachusetts Gaming Commission with a form letter  to appear as though the ” Tribe is back on track. ”  This is with a letter he was sitting on for two weeks.

 

All the time in the world may not help Locklear help us

The bigger problem is compiling the documentation to justify exception status.  Clearly Cedric’s people don’t have it because they’re sending up SOS flares for help.  Lumbee attorney Arlinda Locklear  was hired about 5 months ago to take the lead on the exception status effort. Well she hasn’t had much luck and was forced to have an intermediary call Patty Oakley for documents and maps. Maps that she needed by last Friday and apparently couldn’t find.  Patty did not have the maps to give her. Earlier,  Locklear asked Ramona Peters for the paper work but she didn’t know what Locklear was talking about.  About 8 months ago Ramona and Jessie Baird were the designated experts on this critical task . Jessie was telling everyone  we were linked to Taunton because we traveled back and forth on the Taunton River……like every tribe in New England I suppose. Not good.  People like Jessie are problematic because they’re Chameleons who change and disguise themselves to assume different identities. Red lights flash PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Amelia Bingham reportedly ran Jessie and Paula Peters out of her yard when they were trolling for ” documents.”

This points to a bigger problem with this administration … poor leadership, bad planning and well, you know the rest.

Locklear looked like she might be able to help. She worked for over a decade for her own tribe, the Lumbee.  But she was never able to satisfy the Congress to get them recognized.  Now she’s working for the most documented tribe in the nation, and she can’t find what she needs.

Then again she’s working against tough odds.  Remember, Cedric selected the worst site in the state 5 months before the deadline and submitted an incomplete LIT application.  How can we forget the many millions spent on a disastrous Compact negotiated  by Aaron Tobey. It was dubbed the worst ever in Indian Country.

Cedric Cromwell is trying to do what the Big Ballers in Indian Country have taken a decade to achieve.  He’s been reckless with our reputation and irresponsible with  our future.

Most of us want a casino, but clearly this administration has made the the path to that goal pretty rough.

Good luck Arlinda.

 

 

 

 

Tribal members sue for a fair 2013 election

The chances of the Cromwell administration conducting a fair election seem  slim.  And with the jurisdictional cloud engulfing the tribal court, and it’s impossible to look there for resolution.  On January 19, 2012 Nellie Hicks Ramos asked the tribal court  to produce the 2009 tribal sign in sheets, which was denied by Judge Sockbasen 9 months later. In 2009,   Nellie actually filed a timely complaint  with Elections Chair Patrica Keliinui according to tribal law.  Keliinui and Mark Tilden threw it out instead of giving it to the Elders to decide.

Tilden's a busy lawyer

By the way,  someone needs to tell Sockbasen, all those multi-millionaire tribal lawyers, and  Cedric,  that there was no tribal court in 2009, so it  couldn’t be filed there.  Just Patrica K’s foolishness and Tilden’s slight of hand.  Thus the trek back and forth to DC to get the Bureau to investigate.  Course despite the glaring internal report done by Carlton Hendricks, Jr., in March of 2009, Cedric engaged in a cover up so  Nellie and 8 other tribal members decided to try their luck in Federal Court last week.

If the Feds can get their hands on that 2009 voter sign in sheet, then they can also bring Abe Lincoln back to life. After the lawsuit was filed, a tribal staffer said  the voter sign in sheets were burned.  So good luck on that.  But why not settle for the next best thing…a fair election. Can ” Running Bear” and crew at least pretend ?

Konflicted Kimmie Frye “Sr

So how bad is it? Let’s start with Kimmie Frye, “Sr.”  She is the Elections Committee Chair.  She is Cedric Cromwell’s sister-in-law.  She should not be the Elections Committee Chair because she is Cedric’s sister-in-law. It’s basic ethical principle. About a month ago Mark Tilden and Kimmie Frye ” Sr” tried unsuccessfully to illegally change the election ordinance to make it easier for the new Casino Stalkers to vote.

Our tribal government is just not credible.  It’s the “Running Bear”  sitcom staring Cedric Cromwell, Aaron Tobey, Mark Harding, Marie “Tah Tah” Stone, produced and directed by Yvonne Frye Avant, Screen Play; Mark Tilden, props, phoney  education credentials, bogus awards and a never ending stream of embarrassing inappropriate displays of  drunken debauchery and brawling….by You Know Who. Sitcom has received very pour reviews.

Anyway here are excepts from some of the stories that give you the gist of the suit.

Excerpts from THE TAUNTON GAZETTE:

Complaint claims fraud in 2009 Wampanoag tribal vote

By Alice C. Elwell
posted Jan 11, 2013
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal administration is under fire in a nine-person legal complaint seeking a court injunction to force the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs to investigate allegations of voter fraud in the 2009 tribal election.

On Friday, tribe members Paul Mills, Nellie Ramos, Curtis Hendricks, George Bingham, Nathaniel J. Tobey, Lawrence Tobey, Jr., Patricia Oakley, Francis Fermino and Leigh Potter petitioned the U.S. District Court in Boston to require the BIA to investigate their complaints.

The group says for almost four years, it has been asking the BIA to step in and investigate claims of voter fraud in the 2009 tribal election. In 2011, they said they appealed to the Department of Interior to oust Cromwell and appoint a provisional government.

“They’ve pretty much been ignoring our complaints,” said Mills, one of the nine who signed onto the complaint, and former chairman of the judiciary committee that set up the Mashpee’s court system.

 Excerpts from SOUTHCOAST TODAY

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe sues for election oversight

By By GEORGE BRENNAN
January 12, 2013 12:00 AM

Nine members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe want a federal judge to order the Bureau of Indian Affairs to investigate allegations of fraud in the 2009 tribal election that swept Cedric Cromwell into office.

In court documents filed Friday, the tribe members allege that a tribal judge allowed four tribe members who had been shunned back on to the rolls without having the jurisdiction to take that action. They also allege voting improprieties during the election that include members failing to produce tribal IDs.

Tribe members are hoping the bureau will step in to oversee next month’s election in which Cromwell will seek re-election, Pollini said. The slate of candidates for the Feb. 10 will be finalized at a tribal meeting Sunday.

“It’s an action to compel the BIA to fulfill its responsibilities,” he said.

Nedra Darling, a spokeswoman for the bureau, did not return calls seeking comment.

Ramos did file suit in tribal court, but was not satisfied with the outcome, Pollini said.

In a statement, Pollini said tribal elders have traveled to Washington, D.C., on three occasions seeking intervention by the bureau. The tribe members involved in the suit also “alleged constitutional violations by the current administration, including failure to present a budget for tribal approval for three consecutive years,” according to the statement.

They also allege that Cromwell’s administration has gotten the tribe into $47 million debt with “no tangible benefit to the estimated 2,000 legitimate tribe members.”

Cromwell, who is leading the tribe’s effort to build a $500 million Indian casino in Taunton, could not be reached for comment.

 

 

Six Years After: Jogging Your Memory

Just in case the it has slipped your mind, the new building project, the Community Center, has its roots in an earlier administration.  A committee, headed up by Councilman Richard Oakley, along with Martin “Bruzzy” Hendricks, and Carlton Hendricks Jr, working with Callahan, Inc, came up with an efficient and  .attractive design for the building.

The process began in 2007, and the committee put in a lot of time trying to find a design that would fit our needs for the present and the future.  You can see the floor plans on this page (click on the picture to enlarge).

Richard and his committee made sure to present the plan to the Tribal employees for their input and approval, then to the Tribal Elders.  The plans were then presented to the Tribe at a regular Sunday meeting to roars of approval and a general feeling of great progress.  The committee went so far as to go before the Town of Mashpee with the plan, and work with Callahan to obtain funding.

Unfortunately, in 2009 Cromwell and company took over the Tribe and, as with other things, that was the end of that project.  The Community Center became the Government Center.  I hope that that subtlety of that difference is not wasted on the casual reader.  It is a question of who the building belongs to, does it not?

For reasons not to hard to figure out, the Cromwell administration changed the design of the building, and reduced its size.  Mr. Oakley was emphatic in expressing his opinion that the building is much too small for future and even present needs.

When Mr. Cromwell goes about tooting his horn about how he was singularly responsible for the new building, if it is ever completed, remember what you heard here.

 

 

 

 

 

More Cromwell Card Tricks

Don't Be Fooled!

Thank Heaven for Google, otherwise we may never have seen this letter from the BIA, purportedly assuring Cedric Cromwell that everything will be hunky-dory with the Tribe’s application for Land Into Trust by the end of January.  The stamp on the letter indicates that the letter was received on the 31st of December (was anybody actually working that day?), yet we only hear about it on the 13th.  Sounds to me like another bit of theatrics in the face of burgeoning opposition from the more circumspect among our members and those who just have plain old common sense.

We can break this letter down into its two main paragraphs, the first, where it says “The Office of Indian Gaming will complete its final analysis of the applicability of the initial reservation exception in January 2013.”

Clearly this says that in the month of January, they will decide whether or not the land in Taunton actually is within our territory, and can therefore even be included in the application.  Failing that test, the application is dead in the water.  Back to the end of the line for us.

The second paragraph is even less comforting, “…we continue to  review the record to develop our determination of the Secretary’s authority to acquire land for the Tribe…  We intend to finalize our analysis in early 2013.”

Even if the application clears that first hurdle, there is still that thousand pound bear in the wetu that Cedric keeps running from.  Does the BIA have the authority, in the face of Carcieri v. Salazar, to grant the Tribe LIT?  Can the BIA ignore the SCOTUS?  Does Cedric really have that “double secret” evidence that will win the day?

Ask yourselves those questions, then ask yourself, “is this just more campaign theater, with Cedric magically pulling …rabbits out of his…hat?”  Then resolve to join the ranks of those who will vote Cromwell and his cronies out of office.  Even if all this goes through, we will be much better off with a new chairman, one who will bring “transparency” (remember that word?) to Tribal operations.

Come on now……

Campaigns bring out the worst in people. You can always tell the ones on shaky ground.  They start spreading rumors, lying and exaggerating their life experiences and education. They start calling people and telling them not to support this one and that one.  In a small tribe like ours, every word gets back…and everyone knows who called who and who said what and ” who’s scraping the bottom of the barrel,” or  ” who’s too old” or ” whos’ a drunk ”  or “who’s got a nerve” and ” who did this” and ” who did that.”  In a small tribe there are no secrets.  But for the guy or gal running behind, it’s the only way they can get ahead of the lead candidate.  They have to attack .

So when you hear all that bad mouthing by certain candidates calling others “stupid, lazy and uneducated ,” you got to wonder if this is someone of leadership quality.  They’re busy tearing down their opponent instead of talking about what they plan to do. Its a distraction because they don’t have a plan or anyone to help us get back on track.

Then again some people think they’re anointed.  They think they don’t have to work for your vote. As one tribal member said..”They think they have birds flying outta their a–.”

Mashpee’s a tough crowd to win over…and pretty disgusted right now But they never pass up a good freebee.  And Big Brother Almighty ( Cedric ” Running Bear” Cromwell) had his shindig at Dino’s…free drinks and food all on the tribal credit card. Oh ya,  he phone banked the entire Tribe inviting them to come to his event….from 2-7.Well…it was attended by tribal staff and a very few actual members according to our reconnaissance.

We promise never to use this picture again if he promises never to wear it again.

But you would never know it to look on Facebook . BBA said  200 people attended his event. And he quoted the bible scripture in appreciation. During the 5 hour marathon, there weren’t 200 people passing through Dino’s period..so how could all of them attend his event?

Let’s be honest….Cedric is not into negative campaigning but he’s an incredible liar. Award winning.

 

 

Read It For Yourselves

here is the complaint filed in Federal Court.

Complaint

http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Repairing The Damage

Sometimes disaster happens.  A window is broken, a dam bursts, you have a fender bender.  In each case, you call the one who will repair the damage, a glazier, an engineer, an auto body specialist.  Pretty simple, something breaks, call the man.  What happens when an Indian Tribe is broken?  Who do you call?

Wait a minute, what do I mean by broken?  Well, glad you asked.

  • The Cromwell administration has destroyed the integrity of our membership and the democratic process by packing the Tribal rolls with people not qualified for membership to insure that he has a dependable pool of friendly voters.
  • The Cromwell administration has, in their haste to install their own team, stiffed vendors and investors to the tune of millions.
  • The Cromwell administration has saddled our Tribe with an overwhelming debt, without any hope of a return for the Tribe.
  • The Cromwell administration has alienated Tribal elders and any members with dissenting opinions, and attempted to disenfranchise and silence them.
  • The Cromwell administration has arrogantly ignored the material and spiritual needs of Tribe members.
  • I could go on, but you get the picture.

Given the magnitude of this disaster, who on Earth can we call to repair the damage?  May I suggest the man with the smile and handshake for all, but beholden to none; the man with the skill to set us back on the road to success, the man who will make us once again proud to proclaim  Mashpee as our name?