Reel Wamps

The shear magnitude of the housing mismanagement and misappropriation of HUD funds is absolutely astounding. We say that because Reel Wamps did an independent review of the internal  audit documents with the help of  a housing expert who has dealt with  HUD regulations for over 20 years. We assumed that these documents are the response to HUD’s demand for answers to numerous irregularities back in mid August.

It’s an automatic indictment.

The sticky tabs reflect the violations of HUD regulations and misappropriation of funds……each page is riddled with them. We stopped after about page 8. We didn’t want to waste anymore sticky notes. But it just went on and on.  The woman asked, ” Do they know the tribe will have to pay this back and people will go to prison ? ”  “Apparently not,” we said, totally disgraced.

Seeing it in black and white confirmed what we already knew

And all the Elders begging for weatherization.  Nellie Hicks Ramos waited over two years for them to fix her windows and storm doors.  The workers they sent were totally unqualified, not licensed, insured or bonded….they got paid for shoddy work, when they did anything, because they were relatives of a certain housing employee. The repairs are still incomplete.

This only reflects a year of evaluation of Housing books.There are $304,411 worth of expenditures during that time, for things like “rental down payment” “eviction prevention”  “rental subsidy” and $97,526.50 for 26 “weatherization and rehab” jobs.  We’ll do the math for you….that averages out to $3,751 each. You could get a new bathroom for that never mind rehab….and we’re sure many people with the right last name added on to their homes with the help of  their relative. It is outrageous ! And illegal.

Rest assured, HUD is aware. And just because you got fired does not mean you are not going to be prosecuted.

Here’s the thing, they have the amount of money drawn down on the Housing account, but there is no justification for the expenditure. The auditor says that outright. There is no adherence to the guidelines for disbursement…..No validation of income, number of people occupying the home, what the total household income is, Social Security numbers are missing…people lied about the amount of rent they were paying ( doubling it in many cases ),  and still got huge checks.

The 184’s are worse.

HUD knows about this too. That’s why it is ” in a moratorium.” The new director is there part time and babbles about not being responsible for the previous wrong doing. Why are we paying her? To answer the phone? Sure, but you’re not qualified to be there even part time and Shovel Ready Ceddie hired you too.  Yah, so stop running your mouth, just stop talking.

It was just a free for all. The people who needed the help most were discriminated against.

A huge civil rights violation.

Blatant discrimination by people running the tribe and those they hired to spend federal money, were totally unqualified to run this very important program. None of them had a college education, certification or training to do any aspect of the jobs they were hired to do. The job requirements exist to prevent this kind of travesty and theft.  That’s also a serious problem in other tribal programs where people are lying about their qualification for positions where people’s lives are at stake.

Yet another federal violation.

The chair of the Housing Commission shares much of the blame for this disaster in that she has been the head of the body that has oversight of the department for the last 5 years. She never did a thing about the gross mismanagement, or the hiring practices.  She protected the White people she worked for on her day job, but she has allowed a very important staple in our efforts to improve our lifestyles to be ruined.  Now that everything is falling apart..she’s acting like she didn’t know and she was so concerned. A disgrace.

The Housing Commission is not the only problem in this deal.  It goes all the way to the top.

The Council leadership never established mandatory guidelines for anything.  That is a glaring  failure.  In fact Shovel Ready Ceddie sanctioned every hire and was signing off on extensions for Joann and Nancy on the 184’s.  More on “His HokaNess” later.

The Finance Director, Housing employees and all those people signing checks ( Shovel Ready Ceddie, Messy Jessie, Robbie, Tah Tah,Yvonne & The Deaconess) are also responsible for the wrong doing.The bank records are in tact.   Get the Whistle Blower paperwork.  Write the letter before it’s too late.

Just great people, just great.

We have more so stay tuned..

Herrin’: ” They say Cedric called the Governor and asked him to send the National Guard down here for the Sunday meeting.”

Roe: ” Go on.”

Herrin’: ‘I’m just tellin’ you what they told me.The Deaconess told Cedric he needed real protection….more protection.”

Roe: ” Wasn’t Mashpee PD enough?”

Herrin’: “I Guess they didn’t scare enough people. Maybe they’re not effective intimidators .But Jez….there was 7or 8  cops there wasn’t there….and the Chief?”

Roe: ” Yah. Bet the Mashpee taxpayers are tired of paying for Shovel Ready’s personal security squad every Tribal Council meeting. All cause the boy won’t explain this $90 million dollar laundry he’s got goin’.

Herrin: ” Has the Board of Selectmen ever had cops greeting Mashpee citizens when they come to their meetings?”

Roe: ” Well of course not. They don’t need to intimidate their citizens because the selectman actually serve the people of Mashpee. They have no fear.”

Herrin’: “I gut my rights too as a citizen of Mashpee, the United States and the Tribe. And the police should not be paid to   intimidate me or violate my rights.”

Roe:”There aren’t any rules anymore with them birds,they’re just interested in keeping that money washed….money in money out.”

Herrin’: “They work for Genting. All they care about is passing that  budget so they can wash that money boy! Nice and clean for Genting.”

Roe: “Man if we had that $90 million we could have all kinda tribal businesses, fisheries, restaurants, guided tours, tutors for our kids, a real substance abuse program, proper funding for our Elders program and probably about $5,000 a month per family. Maybe we could get some better gear to fish with.”

Herrin’: “Damned  right boy. We got nothin’ but a bunch of crooks acting like we did something wrong. ”

Roe: ” Well Messy Jessie and Shovel ready Ceddie are pretty scared ain’t they?

Herrin’ : Ya. Jessie has really gone around the bend now.  Probably cause the government wouldn’t pay for her charter school scam.  ”

Herrin’: ” Ya well if he’s God, why did he tell all those damned lies in the Mashpee Enterprise, and have Messy Jessie also known as Jessie Lies A Lot talkin’ like anyone believes her? Why doesn’t he tell all those lies to the Cape Cod Times?”

Roe: ”  Well Uncle Sam knows all about it and he’ll be right down.”

Herrin’: ” Is he bringing the National Guard? ”

Roe: ” No foolish, the US Marshals.”

Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the chart below.  It lists the compensation (as far as we know) of the members of the Tribal Council.  Please make note of the fact that this is only for a six month period, so to get an idea of the actual numbers, they are at least double these.  Understand that this not intended to inspire envy or resentment, but given the lack of actual independent revenue, i.e., excluding grants and backer revenue, you may consider them way out of proportion, and this is just what we know about.  We cannot account for the possibility of “under the table” perks and what the Gaming people get.  You may want to consider the qualifications of the people receiving such compensation.  I leave it to you.

Click to enlarge.

You may want to consider the fact that all the $90 million we have so far borrowed has to be paid back, is spite of any lie you have heard.  If anyone tells you differently, demand that they show you proof to the contrary.  I don’t think that the non-existent revenue from the powwows will cut it any more.  We are so screwed.  Thanks Cedric.

Signs sent Shovel Ready Ceddie a message he couldn't take.

Whoever put the signs up had Shovel Ready Ceddie really goin’.  He was all worked up, runnin’ all around.  Shovel Ready spins the BS but even that hasn’t played well with his fan club which had been reduced to Francie and the First Lady (and word is the latter could be in doubt). They call Francie the Deaconess she’s so so righteous ya know.

Shovel Ready was so upset he called all the tribal staff  to a meeting, stood before them,  clutching all the signs he had confiscated shouting that ” They want to know where the $90 million went. It went into land in trust.”  This is where Shovel Ready Ceddie’s sanity comes into  question.The Land in trust trilogy will never end because there is no process for us to complete it legally. Everyone understands this, and so does Shovel Ready Ceddie.   Matter of fact  during the last Sunday meeting,he started that crap about LIT in 60 – 90 days.   Normally his trained seals applaud wildly.  There was silence.

Look at it this way. Who would spend $90 million on a project that can’t be completed  under

Not very representative of the Mashpee

current circumstances ? Well Shovel Ready Ceddie and crew is being paid hefty salaries to allow millions of dollars to be circulated through our tribe and on to other destinations. We know what that is.   Yeah….the lawyers over billed and consultants gouged and over paid staff does nothing.   but it doesn’t add up to $90 million.

Ever notice how Shovel Ready says very little these days?  You don’t hear him talking about keeping documents from the feds…no you don’t. He’ll pretend he knows nothing. Bet they’ll believe that.

Only the numbskulls like the Deaconess and Robbie are silly enough to  deny the federal government information. There’s still time you two, Whistle-bower or witness protection.  Pretty good options.

Reel Wamps has been gathering information about the Tribal Housing misappropriations and discrimination for several years. There are many things that have contributed to the complete disintegration of a program that is designed to help fledgling tribes like ours improve the quality of life of their people.  God knows we deserve a break.

Let’s be clear…..the Mashpee are masters of survival and have a nearly 400 year  record to prove it. The benefits of recognition were anticipated as the ultimate reward for years of punishing insult, encroachment and disdain from Cape Codders who resented our right to exist.

But that battle is nothing compared to sustained abuse of the 1001 by the Cromwell Administration that began in 2009 and is ongoing right now today.We’re not going to talk about the $90,000,000 debt that is clearly a money laundering mechanism for the investor Genting.

THE MELTDOWN BEGINS

Let’s just look at Housing. After Alice died,  for almost 5 years, there was never  a permanent  director or honest broker in Housing.  No one to keep the wolves away. No one to stop the pilfering of designated money for tribal members who need help. Leon the Lumbee consultant and countless others were running the office off and on. It is an office staffed by tribal members who have no education nor the experience to run a federally funded housing program. They were  in everyone’s business, blatantly discriminating against all the primary families and partying down.

THE HARDING CHRONICLES

Mark Harding’s  ( former Treasurer ) reign of terror is on the record with letters from the BIA  telling him and the Council that as a tribal council member,  and the treasurer no less, he could not be awarded  contracts paid for with federal money. That would be HUD. Harding continued to openly accept contract rehab work that should have gone to tribal contractors who were struggling during the depression that was crushing us. He was a sub contractor to White companies grabbing up everything, again shutting out certified  tribal members who would have done the jobs right the first time. And to top it off, Leon was telling tribal members that they had to use Harding for the work on their homes.  It was disgusting and illegal.  Those are just a few of his  violations of federal law.

THE MOST AWESOME AUDIT

The internal audit  recently showed what everyone knew.  The Housing program, like the Tribe was the victim of years of gross mismanagement and misappropriation.  The trouble for all those mishandlers is that they were tinkering with federal dollars, and the federal government don’t look too kindly on that sort of thing.  Just ask the Narragansett and the Pequot.

So the audit was only a year of bad news and it showed that Valerie, primarily, was handing out thousands of dollars in HUD money to people who did not qualify, she had no record of anything, (applications etc) to justify doling out really huge amounts of money.  Relatives and friends got rehab contracts without insurance or licenses and of course the work was shoddy at best. Nelly has waited for years to get her storm door fixed properly.  Elders can’t get a break from these awful people.

THE 184 DEBACLE

The 184 program was the poster child for discriminatory practices that were the only consistent thing that occurred around there. A few Tobes slipped in but for the other 80%, you know the saying ” If you’re not a Frye you need not apply. “ HUD has form 903 for housing discrimination. It has NO tolerance for discrimination when its money is being spent.   Leon with his ” worst practices” busied himself in getting his friends paid and concocting strange deals.  He covered up long as he could, but when it really got hot he was fired ( he worked for the Tribe at least 4 different times, screwing things up).

Valerie was officially fired after the Costume Circus, (formally know as the Mashpee Wampanoag Pow Wow). Well she emptied the hard copy files….brilliant.  We all know you can’t erase a hard drive.  Or better yet.   Marge and Robbie have to have a record of the draw downs.  So the trail will be tracked easily. In July the 184 was shut down by HUD.  Course it didn’t show up on the website until last week.. In a letter HUD Demanded that the Tribe answer a bunch of questions.

“DON’T GIVE ‘EM NOTHING“

According to our sources, Francie (Frye) and Robbie Hendricks said ” don’t give ’em nothing.”  Even if we had sovereignty,the federal government could come in and take everything out of that basement and serve everyone one with warrants etc. They can’t hide anything from them.

Anyway Robbie won’t do whats right for the Tribal members but  he wants to take on the real government?

STUNNEDED  ain’t ya boy? You should have gotten in witness protection when you could.

It gets worse.The so called Housing Commission is just as guilty of wrong doing because they are supposed to monitor the department, who was hired  and basically keep them in check. The Commission itself was corrupt with the mother and daughter team of Carole Lopez and Tah Tah whose erratic behavior and mental health issues are known Cape wide.  As the tribal secretary, she should have nothing to do with that entity.  Se has reportedly taken HUD money allocated for tribal members in need while making over $80K. More troubling is what tribal members witnessed Tah Tah doing.  Very very troubling. She needs help not a cover up. She should not be on the council.

The Chair of the Commission has been the chair for over 5 years and never did a damned thing.  She whispered and whined but she did not lift a finger to stop the misappropriation to council members, their kids and other family members or tribal members who did not need the help and would not qualify.

What happens next should not be a surprise, but we guarantee Francie or Robbie won’t be denying the federal government  anything they ask for.