Monthly Archives: September 2012

Daily combo meals of Tums & Pepto Bismol

Sources  close  to the BIA regional office say the Tribe’s application for land into trust is just as incomplete today as it was  when Cedric submitted  it in April.  No Environmental Impact Statement, no ancient ties  or any of the detailed information for the Taunton casino. Of course we all know that the signing of the compact was a PR stunt designed to make the Administration appear to be making significant progress when in fact Cedric Cromwell had botched the effort from the start: late to the game, bad property choice, no link to the tribe, property liens, everything was wrong. We have been saying this for a long long time.

Of course we were reminded of the Crappy Compact by Native columnist Harold Manteau.  Manteau’s column was scathing and  loaded with detail concerning the Crappy Compact and its impact on us and the rest of Indian Country. Clearly Aaron Tobey did not think about either as he pontificated and accepted conditions that set us back a century or more….Here’s the link if you want to read it.  It’s so long,  and so throughout,  you have to read it several times to absorb it all.

Where's my Tums & Pepto Bismol?

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/ict_sbc/regarding-gaming-compacts-and-their-illusory-exclusivity

Cedric had one of those expensive lawyers write a response on behave of the tribe ….Ahem.  It was lame.  It essentially said we were a “landless tribe” ( no kidding ) and so the state was doing us a big favor by giving us this special set aside ( that’s about to be declared illegal by the court).  Well if the state were doing us such a favor, why do we have to have “LIT”  to get the casino?  It’s all impossible followed by absurd criteria.  Also, why can’t Cedric get us in compliance?  Right…ain’t happening.

But the most outrageous excuse for the CC was his claim that the casino was our only way to become self sufficient.  Really? I mean really, when tribal members don’t make a dime?  Now Cedric and the rest of them made a bundle.

Read it for yourself

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/ict_sbc/mashpee-wampanoag-tribe-responds-to-harold-monteaus-column-on-gaming-compacts

And the door is closing ….sources say Cedric’s already searching for new land elsewhere…in a place with a great  big rock. We know.  It’s too much.

BBO baby.

Incompetence is a dangerous thing.

The Story of the Waiver Scandal

All the talk about the tribal members submitting their  construction resumes to work on the so called community building is funny but  read further and you’ll see how bad things really are.

The so called general contractor Bobby Our will have one Council officer (guess who), and the spouses of Council members as sub contractors. No word on tribal member participation on the $12 m project.

Waiver me on

They are: Mark Harding, Treasurer , Laura Tobey Miranda’s husband is a sub, and of course the insatiable Yvonne Frye Avant made sure her husband Elliot is at  the head on the line at the tribal ATM.

They gave themselves waivers.  Waivers.  It’s idiotic to think that the USDA is going to ignore the blatant violation of the law because they are justifying their greedy, illegal behavior with a waiver.Numbskulls.

I can't help myself

This building has been on hold for almost a year while Cedric continues his jibber jabber about ” draw downs” from what account, by whom? Markie ? How are you paying USDA back?  Oh still no check?

David Weeden keeps telling people to bring him their “resumes.”  You don’t think they’re going to really employ real tribal members do you.  Heaven forbid. No wonder the BIA shows up unannounced.

Anyone for a waiver?

Oh David, the permits are about to expire……again.  Ain’t you had enough boy?

 

BIA wants the Background Checks. Sockbason blasted,

Gimme the Background Checks !

A college education does not guarantee intelligence.  How do we know? When the BIA folks were doing their evaluation of the tribal government last week, one of the first things they did was to ask for the background checks on tribal employees. They were particularly interested in ICWA and Housing.  Guess who immediately started lying to the woman asking for the background checks? Yvonne Frye Avant.  That was after her sister Joanne Frye, Office Manager engaged in a lot of mumbling, so  Yvonne said the background checks were confidential and they  could not give them to her.  Now this is an authorized  employee of the Department of Interior  sent to investigate our messy, horror story of a government.

Well the BIA lady said, ” You will give them to me.” How about Joanne had to admit, she never did them at all.  On anyone.Wow 31/2 years of violations.

You can bet that triggered an immediate call to Frank Keel in Nashville.   You can imagine what that will turn up.  If they had done background checks, they would not have hired Ronda Hughes, Aaron’s love.  Hughes headed ICWA,  with a drug conviction. Certification, and license does not allow you to work around kids when you have a drug conviction.  The Feds don’t allow that. The failure to do  background checks is  extremely serious.

Order in the Court !

On to more suspicious activity.  It seems the Judiciary Committee has suddenly fallen out with their chief (and only judge) Henry Sockbason. Seems Henry spends whatever he wants from judicial coffers, whenever he wants with no oversight.  He has an affinity for the Peacemaker Court money.  The Peacemaker Court would be much more helpful to tribal members as opposed to the Court of No Resort or the Phoney Tribal Court.. All of a sudden, after the BIA was observing the court, the committee took their complaint  to the Tribal Council about the Sockbason overreach and his refusal to let the committee know what’s going on.  After 31/2 years, the committee decided to demand oversight. Well….Aaron put a stop to that.  He said he would handle it.

Course Aaron needs a civics course and should read the Constitution. Then he would understand that he is not supposed to interfere or try to influence the the tribal court, irrelevant as it is.  It violates separation of powers.  Who follows the rules? It’s a little late to cry fowl now that everyone knows the court is without any authority. The brochures about the court are absurd.  Not only are they poorly made, they perpetuate they misinformation about what the court can do.  Handle Civil cases? Are you kidding? It can’t compel anyone to do anything.  Again the Peacemaker court would be more effective, with tribal members resolving their own problems.  Of course with the judge drawing down on the funds….who knows…

Let’s go back to the pressing question….Where’s Aaron’s background check?

Sigh…

Madness on steroids

Let’s get this straight.  We have a tribal court without legal authority that has mislead tribal members concerning that authority for 3 years.  You have Tribal officers that use the court to harass tribal members, threatening and engaging in legal action and procedures that amount to absolutely nothing.

A Peace Maker Court would better serve the tribe

Two things are constant. The tribal judge gets a big check and the attorneys checks quadruple the judge’s.  The most outrageous abuse is that the judge tells tribal members they have access to ” pro bono ” attorneys to defend them against the big White firms working for the Council.  Sort of like public defenders don’t you know. Great.

As you know…..all the briefs and letters from Sockbasen and the attorneys ( that we have paid millions to) are proof that they are violating their oaths as ” officers of the court” because they are engaging in the worst kind of fraud. ….at the direction of the Council officers. They know it.  And all the letters of explanation about why they did this and that, does not erase the fact that they have violated that oath.

The Constitution set up a Peace Maker Court that would allow our own people to work out problems. Mediation if you will. All that money wasted on the phoney legal system would be put to better use if given to tribal members instead of  law firms milking us dry.

Our people are hurting.  And look at this madness.

Hopefully the BIA is paying attention to this gross exploitation.  Maybe they can find the damned 2009 election sign-in sheets that is if they still exist.

Gut Blow

 

That Federal status hearing  today ain’t gonna be pretty.  Watch and see.

Yo Henry…You’re a little late aren’t ya?

Here’s the letter Nellie sent to the tribal court about three weeks ago.  Like everyone else….she’s figured it out.

 

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Court

Marita Scott, Clerk

483 Great Neck Road South

P.O. Box 480

Mashpee, Ma. 02649

 

August 14, 2012

Dear Ms. Scott,

 

I will not  attend the upcoming hearing scheduled in the Tribal Court regarding my Election Complaint. Tribal Court Judge Robert Mills confirmed that he “could not compel the Tribal Council or the 2009 Election Chair Patricia Keliinui to produce the documents” requested in the complaint.  So It does not make much sense to seek resolution in a court that cannot help me get to the bottom of this mess.

Also in light of the recent ruling of the US District Court in Alaska; Koniag, Inc again Alaskan Corporation & Michael P. O’Connenel, Plaintiff, V Kurt Karian individually as tribal attorney for the Native of Karluk Tribal Court Judge for Karluk Tribal Court….etc , is identical to our situation because the Alaskan tribe does not have land in trust either.  Of course the Federal Court ruled against the tribe saying the tribal court did not have the authority to do anything.

I have requested materials that should be a matter of public record to all tribal members and have been denied. I therefore have no alternative but to seek relief in the Federal court on the matter.

Sincerely

 

Nellie Hicks Ramos

P.O. Box 118

Mashpee, Ma. 02649

So Nellie gets this long letter from Judge Henry Sockbasen basically calling her a liar. He  threw the case out…and you want to say ” Where’d he throw it ?”  He keeps ” holding court” and nobody shows up, but the tribal attorneys who get paid enough to feed a tribal family for years.

He said Nellie never wrote the letter to Patricia Keliinui on February 9, 2009 challenging the election.  Well Patricia Keliinui knows what happened and so does Mark Tillden and about 5 other witnesses…because they verbally denied Nellie’s request. That’s the problem.

Nellie and Patty Oakley heard Robert Mills say he can’t make the Council do anything ( no land in trust ).  And why would Mills walk away from the case beyond the fact that the issue can’t be resolved and the court has no authority to resolve it.

And lastly, the voter sign in sheets seem to be missing and just can’t be produced.

No matter. There is video of  people who were not on the roll standing in line to vote…..and lots of affidavits  and testimony  for a real court.

Besides if  the court were legit why aren’t Indian Child Welfare cases resolved in our Tribal Court?That’s how other tribes handle it.

Why isn’t anything resolved in our court ? And why do the lawyers keep billing knowing full well the court has no legal authority. That is problematic also.for the lawyers.

Okay…

Tah Tah on the war path sending up Smoke Signals

The payment of a $1,097 invoice from Smoke Signals  (an alleged media consulting firm owned by Paula Peters)  caught the attention of Marie Tah Tah Stone.  Why?  Two reasons.  First, it was for services rendered to Cedric’s attorney  Howard Cooper who bills the tribe for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.  And second, Paula’s man, that would be Treasurer Mark Harding, instructed Marge to make the check out to his company Wamp Worx instead.

Marie ain't happy with the Treasurer's creative book keeping

Well Marie being Marie did her Tah Tah dance and raised hell with Howard Cooper who refused to answer her questions about conflict of interest when invoices are funneled through his law firm that come from the family members of the council. Worst of all Harding wanted to have the check made out to his company.

Marie was last seen in her new office at the corner table in Dino’s…sun glasses on, laptop open, drink in hand working out her next challenge.  Who knows how many times they’ve billed and for how much ? How’s that legal?

And isn’t that a violation of the council rules that set up to prevent conflict and the abuse of power by the council?

Stop laughing.

 

” We are not in the loan business. We’re in the gaming business” It’s called BBO

In a letter, Governor Deval Patrick pleaded with the Secretary of the Department of  Interior to approve his controversial  casino compact  forged with Aaron Tobey  who represented the tribe.  The compact is dubbed one of the worst ever in Indian Country and we all know why. In the letter, Patrick calls the compact “delicate ” and warns the Secretary,  that to reject it could cause a huge problem. In other words, the  Massachusetts legislature would be free to say, “Oh well we tried too bad.” And Patrick could say that too. So they give the license to someone else.  Many contend say that was the plan all along and the state walks away with clean hands.  Others say ya, but tribal leaders were so incompetent,  and desperate to serve themselves, there is no other explanation.

Millions of $$$$ out the window

No one in their right mind would actually think the compact was the right thing to do for us, and that the US Government would approve such an ” onerous ” document that actually violates the law. Besides, the government is supposed to protect us, in this case from our own tribal government.  Who would pity us with our own selling us out for a pay check….

But wait a minute….the Compact approval or rejection is irrelevant if….. ( let’s all say it together ) 

WE DON’T HAVE LAND IN TRUST.

All of this media madness designed to demonstrate some level of progress, is entertaining but doesn’t eliminate  the big turds on the table that  keep rolling around.

  • The tribe cannot prove any historic ancient ties to Taunton, because we don’t have any! (Unlike Middleboro right?)
  • The LIT application is incomplete because of this and numerous other blanks in the document. They were left blank because to fill them in meant immediate rejection. It’s called buying time.
  • The State Gaming Commission is not interested in holding up everything waiting for Cedric, Markie  and Aaron to finish the application and getting approval…………………..aaaaaaaaah that takes years and the state waits? Years and years ?

None of this is lost on the investors who are obviously tired of the clown show. For the “Boobalas ” (Cedric Aaron and Markie) it brought on a combo meal of Tums and Pepto Bismol.

Genting told them that  ”  We are not in the loan business. We’re in the gaming business.” And they gave the Boobalas a date to get LIT done.  It’s a short window people, or rather a closed window.

Ouch.  It’s whatcha call BBO.

Backers Backing Out.