The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe will hold a general election on Saturday for three open positions on the tribal council. Two incumbents, Rusty Barber and Norma Ross, lost their bids for re-election in the primary held on May 20. Chairman Mic Isham is among the six finalists who are competing for the three seats.
The other five candidates include Louis Taylor, Don Carley, Tweed Shuman, Gary “Little Guy” Clause and Deanna Baker.
The Lac Courte Oreilles Today Facebook group, consisting of 1,100 tribal members, held an online forum for the candidates on Wednesday night. The social media forum held a first of its kind forum for LCO on May 17 for the primary election. Three candidates did participate in the forum. They were Taylor, Carley and Clause.
The following is the transcript of the questions, answers from the candidates and the dialogue that followed between group members and the candidates.
There were 8 questions asked, one every 15 minutes and for the first 7 minutes after the question was posted, only candidates were allowed to respond with their answers. Following that period, members were allowed to interact with the candidates as long as they stuck to the topic of each thread.
Question 1: what can you do to improve tribal member employment on the Rez and how will you address so many non-members holding director positions?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: We need to invest in new businesses on a bigger scale. We need to invest in our Tribal member's businesses, help them build their own businesses such as Don Gokey and Dan Cross and others who have done it all on their own. Tribal preference should be given to candidates with equal or comparable qualifications. If we have a qualified Tribal member applying for the position they should be given preference over a non-member with same qualifications.
Don Carley: Tribal members first policy shall be adhered to, with constant training. Experience should carry equal weight as education. Tribal members shall be trained under the non-member director to take over his or her position within their contracted timeframe.
Gary Clause: Always tribal members first, we have to promote, encourage and educate our people to take these positions! I think we should try and raise our minimum wage at the casino to at least $10 an hour, that would help a lot of our people with their bills!
FROM THE MEMBERS
Deb Baker: Don, what if the job is grant funded and the grant requires a master or bachelor degree?
Don Carley: That is the exception to the rule, but when it does not require that type of formal education, experience should apply.
Deb Baker: Give the employees tools to succeed...thanks Don Carley
Question 2: LCO Tribal Court is taking people to court more often and band members can’t afford legal representation. Do you support LCO Tribal Court appointing an affordable attorney for band members, similar to a public defender in state court?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: Yes, and the last time I ran I stated that very concern. I also think we should have an advocate at the Health Center for the members.
Don Carley: Absolutely yes, with that public defender in having a genuine interest in provide justice for that band member.
Gary Clause: I think, just like council members, our judge should be elected by the people, then there's no pressure from outside sources to influence the judge to make a judgement for one side or the other, and council members certainly won't have leverage on that position! I do support having legal representation for our people if they can't afford it!
FROM THE MEMBERS
Deb Baker: With the attorneys that the tribe has now, and being told by the chairman that they are there to prosecute us, would it be feasible to have prosecuting and defense attorneys working in the same legal department?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: Great question Deb. I think the Public Defender's office should be separate than the Tribal Court and the prosecutor's office.
Elaine Smith: Mille Lacs has a public defenders office and MN State Bar legal ethic considerations require that they are separate. WI State Bar would be the same.
Don Carley: No, the defense attornies should be a totally separate department from the legal department so as not to be influenced by the tribal attorny or legal department head.
Shondel Barber: Will you appoint new Tribal Judge and Attorneys? Preferably, Tribal Members?
Question 3: Once you take office, what steps will you take to address LCO Financial Services?
Don Carley: After hearing both sides, I would insist on a complete review of the whole project as well as a review of all the financials for the past 2 years. Which include all contracts that were drawn up at the time or since if it has been modified.
Louis D. Taylor Sr: I would call for an immediate investigation. An outside audit should be performed and go from there once you find out all the facts. I would recommend replacing all current Lac Courte Oreilles Financial Services Board Members.
FROM THE MEMBERS
Joe Morey: Follow up question. Just 3 hours ago, I released 26 supporting documents, including minutes, invoices, contracts and more evidence, Don Carley do you support the removal of board members as Louis does. and for both of you, are you willing to open up the books and show the membership just what activities the board members have conducted?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: YES! I would show the members everything that has happened with LCOFS.
Don Carley: I would be in favor of an evaluation and assessment of all the board members before making a decision for removal of board members, and yes all documentation will be open for the tribal members to view.
Louis D. Taylor Sr: I don't think that a Judge, Magistrate or any attorney should sit on any board.
Gary Clause: We need to put everything on the table for our membership, our people need to know how much money it's making, who gets paid what! I definitely believe we need to get to bottom of this, our people deserve answers! I would like to meet with that board and hear where they stand, theirs some good people on that board, but I would like to restructure it so it's more open and accessible to our membership!
Question 4 is a two-part question involving concerns of off-Rez members. First, are you for or against absentee ballots for off-reservation members and why? Secondly, concerning off-reservation members who wish to lease land and move back home, there is currently a moratorium on leasing tribal lands. Would you be willing to lift this moratorium or are you in favor of this moratorium and if so why?
Don Carley: I would favor absentee ballots if there is a strict accounting of the ballots, however in previous years there were many allegations that they were not accountable, where tribal members were receiving absentee ballots and they were never requested by those members. I was always in favor of lifting this moratorium for all tribal members whether they lived on or off rez.
Louis D. Taylor Sr: Good question, I believe this should be brought to the membership. It is not for one person to decide. I also believe the moratorium should be lifted. We have more people wanting to come home. We’ve purchased land so they should be allowed to lease land. Likewise, we own commercial land and they should be allowed to lease commercial properties because I support members starting their own businesses.
Gary Clause: I believe our members should have the right to have their voices heard, and to participate in our elections, they have family here, they have a vested interest in seeing our people succeed! I support opening our land for leases again, but in certain areas, because we do have a lot of our members that hunt and fish!
FROM THE MEMBERS
George Mac Taylor Jr: Would be an interesting number to know ? How many off rez members n ballots that would actually be?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: You can't separate off reservation ballots from on reservation ballots. If you offer absentee ballots it has to be offered to both on and off reservation members.
Geraldine Bruscher: If their tribal number is used to acquire funding loans or anything else here, they should in the very least be allowed to vote.
Elaine Smith: I would like to see the tribe go to electronic ballots and end paper ballots. I reviewed the contract for ML and it's not that expensive. One company does it for MN Chippewa Tribe and brings the equipment in.
Question 5: Many recent concerns have been raised about the laying off of LCO Development employees just before the summer construction season (down to 5 workers from 15) and the hiring of a non-Native director. LCO Development has been an issue for many years, what will you do to address tribal member concerns?
Don Carley: I would immediately assess LCO Development and the projects that they have, and ask why all the lay-offs were done when there supposedly projects to be done, especially with the mold remediation. Begin immediate search for qualified tribal members to fill these positions. And as in previous years, the LCO Development Corporation were always number one in work quality.
FROM THE MEMBERS
George Mac Taylor Jr: Why are these positions just be appointed? Why was there no job posting for tribal members to apply for the job?? Not only here at development but other places as well ....Just appointed them the job.
Michelle Beaudin: What about the spur 2? That business was renovated and increased stock, then closed the business right before the tourist season starts. What would you do with that business?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: I totally agree with you. In the first forum I questioned why Spur 2 would be closed before opening fishing day. The summer time is our most busy months and we could've provided employment through all those months.
Don Carley: That one baffles me too, as well as Bingo, just before tourist season. That was money to be made and also jobs for our tribal members.
Louis D. Taylor Sr: This is why we should continue to prosper in building new businesses so we can utilize LCO Development in taking part in building our projects. I really can’t say more because I don’t know more about the LCO Development situation and the financials other than it being unfortunate to the ones who were laid off. With all the houses that are boarded up, I would shift that work to the Development workers that were laid off.
Mitch Sharlow: Devlopment was all set to go on the next phase when the new guy in charge put the stop to it. Something needs to be done in a hurry, personal moral has hit an all-time low.
Barber Robert: So, if the new guy put a stop to it, you mean the council that appointed and run this director put a stop to it?
Geraldine Bruscher: Are outside sources used to fix the mold problems, annual repairs, remodeling, building etc or is the LCO Development considered for what's needed on the Rez?
Mark Edward Turner: There is alot of opportunity off the Rez to create income with LCO Development. If you would be willing, with my 30 + years in construction, I would be honored to assist you.
Gary Clause: We need to have projects set up in succession, so we don't have our people laid off like this, we need to go after them federal and state jobs so our workers can make a decent living! We have that 3rd phase project ready to go, we should be working on it now, if there's work to be done around here there's no reason our workers should be looking for work elsewhere! The director position of development should have been posted, I know we have qualified tribal members who can do that job!
Question 6: A new thing within the past couple of administrations is to have LCO Legal sit in every meeting, including board of director’s meetings, and sign off on any discussion. Will you continue this policy or seek to change it?
Don Carley: I think legal should only be there when requested by council to handle any legal questions or situations that come up.
Louis D. Taylor Sr: My view has always been that you don’t need them unless you have a legal question. Once the question is answered they are asked to leave. I’ve never felt the need to have them sit in on a council meeting. Attorneys don't run our Tribe, your elected officials run the Tribe. Our members should never have to face an attorney while going to see their Council.
Gary Clause: Legal should only be in there when something on the agenda that calls for it or the council has questions about a legal matter, otherwise I don't support the attorneys being in every meeting of the council or directors!
FROM THE MEMBERS
Geraldine Bruscher: Hasn't that been the problem? The council has run the tribe with no input from its members allowed.
Louis D. Taylor Sr: Yeah that has been the problem. The Tribe should be informed on every major decision.
Michelle Beaudin: Would you give the legal department full right to claim sovereign immunity in court against it's tribal members?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: No way!
Don Carley: I don't think it's fair for a certain department to claim sovereign immunity against its members
Question 7: This was asked in the last forum, but is important enough to be asked again. If elected, would you invite government agencies to perform a full federal forensic audit of the tribe as Congressman Sean Duffy has requested and if not, why so?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: I've supported it before and with what I found out in the last few weeks, most definitely!
Don Carley: I support a full forensic audit of all of our programs.
Gary Clause: Yes, I do support it 100%. If we don't have anything to hide, why not?! We all need to know where our tribe sits financially!
Michelle Beaudin: Including the school?
Gary Clause: Yes, definitely the school too!
Louis D. Taylor Sr: All programs under the Tribe's umbrella should be audited. We want to know if they are running good and what kind of improvements we can make.
Question 8: With all the current issues facing the new TGB, what will you do on your first day in office?
Louis D. Taylor Sr: I would request an audit done so all new council members aren't held responsible for previous actions. I would want to see all the budgets for all our businesses, especially the Casino. I want to see where all businesses stand so I can report back to the people.
Don Carley: If elected, I would go back and review all the tribal minutes for the last 2 years and check the tribal resolutions that were passed for the past 2 years. I would want to review the bond documents along with the Financial Service contracts.
Gary Clause: If I luck out and my people want me to be their eyes and ears on council, I would get this forensic audit moving! I would meet with the remaining council and see where they stand on getting this audit done, I know it's not going to be easy and I'm willing to work with whoever is on council, we need to get our tribe moving in the right direction again. We need to be there for our people and to help our membership in any way we can!
FROM THE MEMBERS
Barber Robert: What would you do about the new policy regarding members that are running for council??
Don Carley: I didn't agree with it to begin with, but to be on the balLot, I had to agree to those stipulations, and the next time, I would like it to be modified that if those stipulation are to remain, the $200 and the drug testing be limited to the ones who win the General Election. Otherwise, I feel that all those stipulations should be removed.
Louis D. Taylor Sr: I oppose the new Election ordinance. The $200 cost to run separates people into classes and I'm strongly against it. If the seated Council don't drug test then why should anyone else have to and they should also have to pay the $200 fee.
Last Update: Jun 17, 2017 6:55 pm CDT
