Sometimes it is just as well not to point out a politician’s dishonesty in your words, but to let his own words and deeds denounce him. In the months and days leading up to the 2009 election, Cedric Cromwell and others disseminated brochures and flyers touting their accomplishments and laying out their programs to rescue the Tribe from the dreaded previous administration. I have here dug up two of Cromwell’s propaganda pieces. You can see them at the bottom of the page.
The first brochure, “Footprints,” is a smarmy collection of slogans and enumerated platitudes that may send you reaching for the bourbon just to erase the images from your mind. Take the time, however, to peruse the bullet list at the very bottom of page two. Be honest with yourself. Do you really believe him on any of these points? I near sprayed a mouthful of hot tea on my computer monitor when I read this.
His fifth bullet point claims “Lifetime Mashpee Wampanoag roots having been raised within the tribal community and culture.” Oh really? When? Where? I’m pretty sure that his only close relative in Mashpee was his great grandmother “Miss Etta” Tobey, and how old was he when she died? Can Cedric even show a snapshot or two at the old Tobey house on Main St., or at the pond, or buying candy at Theresa Johnson’s store just down the street?
Next I will direct you to the second brochure, called “Reflections.” This is four pages of “more of the same,” yet we can harvest some good stuff from this. Look on the third of four pages, at the bottom you will see two green rectangles containing some questions, which I suppose that Cedric wanted the reader to answer for himself. Okay, do that. Pay particular attention to “Process & Procedures.” Freedom of Information Act? How’s that doing? Next look at the “Financial Management” section. Tell me, where are the 2009, 2010, and 2011 budgets?
How soon they forget, or at least hope that you forget. These people ran on a platform of “transparency.” Can you see through them?
Remember what you see here when at the next meeting.
[Click on the links below to read. You must have a PDF reader to open these files.]
