Soni, Natalie and Vicki sport their shirts that say it all. In true Mashpee fashion, humor is the best medicine.
The headline should make you laugh when you think about the Tribal Court. The latest was the boondoggle or boondoggle x 2 with the case against Natalie’s granddaughter. It was so unnecessary. But to compound the first overreach they clap a $200 bond on the young woman. We all know a bond is set to guarantee a court appearance. Well she showed up, the court settled on what appears to be 2 years of probation. With all that, Vicki should have gotten the $200 back. That’s pretty standard. but not in the Tribal Court…..somekinda way they conjured up this stupid condition that she would not get her money back for the two years. The controversy has started a movement because of the absurdity of the disappearing $200 and the Romper Room Court. Herrin and Roe said they’d take up a collection but decided to just tell people to contribute to Natalie.
But, there’s more. It’s not as if the court has a real docket or anything. And since when does real work or rulings matter? Amazingly Nancy Frye Rose showed up at the last Council meeting talking about how the court deserved $180 K raise. Someone in the audience almost gaged. Right. The Tribes’ in financial straits and she’s talking about raises for people nobody ever sees and renders absurd rulings that hurt Elders.
Meanwhile Councilwoman Roxanne was endorsing the raise too. The ethics of
According to sources, CK chats with Roxanne before every Council meeting. A surprising alliance for many reasons.
her role as the Council Laison to the Tribal Court comes into question in that her brother is the chief judge of the Supreme Court. Roxanne is also the chair of the Elders Judiciary which should no longer exist. It was established to substitute as mediators of sorts until the true court was up and running. Not a good look at all.
The parents of college bound students complain bitterly about the lack resources coming from the Roanne’s education department. The Rhode Island Indian Council has filled the void for years because our grants and other funding resources have not grown. Here we are at the start of another school year, and parents that can do it are forced to take out loans because our education department is outta gas. There’s more on where RIC resources designated for scholarships are going. That’s not a good look either.
Accountability or the lack thereof is the ultimate deal breaker for elected officials. There’s no way to survive politically because there’s always someone watching ready to rat you out.
