Politics trumps the tribe

Clearly incompetence is the only consistent  element in the governing mechanism of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.  The Chairman Cedric (Tobey) Cromwell,  has so many domestic problems  he’s abandoned even appearing like he cares about the future of the tribe and the survival of the grants that assist our people. Because, it’s obvious that the casino mirage is just that…a mirage.

And the people and certain  Council members who were part of  the Marshall Administration,  are blaming and  now badmouthing  Glenn Marshall for what has happened to the tribe under this administration. They  are the same ones who remained totally silent and passive over the last  two and a half  years as these outsiders took over and destroyed everything we cherished. Casino or not…The “Marshall Bashers”  never stood up for the tribe. And still are trying to justify their failure to act and blame it on Marshall.

On to the current nightmare. The chairman’s cousin, the Vice Chairman Aaron Tobey, who says he’s not running for Chairman now.  Just Vice Chairman.  That’s a good one.  But he has Rhonda and another family to support. He  is actually in charge of  tribal government administration. Therefor he is just as responsible for the decrepit state of tribal affairs  as Cedric and Harding.

Look at the latest.

  • Ramona Peters has apparently spent close to$150,000 in repatriation  grants established by Patricia Oakley.  She needs “help”  according to Leon, the new tribal administrator.  Apparently the quarterly reports have not been done for years.  Nothing to report, but  sources say,the money has been spent.  The remains? Where are they? The last report made about ancient remains was made by Oakley in March 2009. Obviously Cedric, Aaron and Mark care nothing about remains or heritage.
  • Wanda Lord, the so called grant writer consultant, and close friend of the chairman, who does not bring in grants but makes a huge, huge fee, lost 2 more grants recently for the tribe that has no income.  Thus her nick name is  “OFA”   O for Nothing .
  • Council member Winnie Graham is answering phones on the education grant for $30 an hour.  Three tribal members could be generating income for there families for that hourly rate.  And she reportedly does not even have a GED.
  • Stephanie Tobey who was calling for an investigation of the missing $50 k on the Juvenile Justice Grant would actually have put herself in jeopardy,  because she’s not authorized to be working under that grant.  Anyway…she didn’t say anything when they hired her illegally…and she received a  strong official tribal letter from her cousin telling her to shut up. She’s supposed to be let go at the end of the month any way.  They get so comfortable.
  • Laura asks questions that are never answered.

  • Council member Laura Tobey Miranda, Stephanie’s sister,  did her investigation of  all those credit card expenditures that were out of line…she has yet to officially tell the tribal members what she found. Maybe she’s stockpiling information for the DA.  They so love emergency meetings, petitions and such….and they always ask questions and never get answers.  It makes them feel really smart.  But it makes them look stupid.  Least that’s what everyone snickers about. ” Help me out Trish,” that’s what Laura said about the credit card disclosures. She wanted someone else to verify the bad business.  Of course Trish remained silent and as spineless as ever.