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Friday, March 9, 2012
Meeting
Last nights meeting on are finances does,nt surprise me any. If they don,t get the YOUR treaty money. I don't no what would happen With a budget of Forty some million a year ,and we have less then that in cash and investments. There sure will not be a big trust pay out in July. What a waste of money millions over the past 14 years, Like me and others have been saying it won,t stop till the pots run dry. Sad just makes me mad to think of what we could have done for our community, our future . our children future .With over 20 million on wages every i new this could go on but it has and no job shadowing for are people, maybe a few here and there Look its time this happens before it cant. Are people need full time jobs . But is there any money for job creation now? We have had years to do this.
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I was glad to see a few more (new) people at the finance mtg than there has been in a long time. I took this as a sign that a renewed interest in our community was emerging :)
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed to hear the CEO report that the Casino deal would be worth between $25-28 M . So its not the $30 M annually we told when the casino deal was signed :(
Then, we were told that the training centre would not happen. I guess it doesnt really matter since it was meant for the casino staff, not Chippewas of Rama band members :(
The next finance mtg is to be in June 2012. It will be an anaudited finance mtg.
I have asked for a one page summary on the health centre of excellence project. I have asked for this as l am concerned about monies spent on projects which bear no fruit. I need to see what we bought and how much we spent as part of this project.
If you live on the rez, you already know that there hasnt been any economic development here since the casino was built in 1995/96. Outside of our regular funding sources (such as INAC, province), we have no other revenues (that l know of) to support the community. There are certain things we must take care of and lm concerned that our reserve will be broke and unable to sustain itself.
I speculate that this is why the C&C wants some of the Coldwater Narrows claim monies...
I was there when Cheryle keep asking rick how much the new deal brings in he finally answered her and said ten million. You have to remember that the band gets money from the casino for fire, police and waste treatment plant but that goes to pay for those things we dont keep it and thats about all we got her for jobs what i cant beleive is over $500.000 for culture dept for what.
ReplyDeleteWell it was a great deal of learning at the meeting to find out the MRI unit was a bust. After all the hype and cost to Rama ,over a 1/4 million in funds basicaly for a survey. Who was paid ??? We have now partners with a company in the USA that are useing our name to get contracts .Because we are a special item of interest group We have no monies involved but OUR nation is being used .In another light the dealings with BC are just wild , we have a third party interest in which again has no money invested, but is used to remove the threat of being suide and yes we have a band rep for that so called 3 party in which he is paid separte from rama yet collects his own wages for us .Sounds crooked and double dipping as he does not return any monies to Rama .
ReplyDeleteOk this will cause me some grief im sure. With the new trust being set up there is a background check for which i totaly believe in .As the funds are great, what bothers me there is no set rules for anyone on C&C .As many are aware there is ppl on C&C with criminal records. Two that tried to asume funds from the bank and only the banker was fired .Yet they are still on C&C another member of the C&C has had rumours of being a pedifile .When i approached Gino about this i was told that ppl must have forgiven such out raggous conduct. This send s shivers down may back as to the ppl that keep these ppl in power .Another rumur a person in the higher up was accused of sexual harrassment.but for what ever reason they where dropped and the accuser left rama. these are things i have learned and been told about in the very short time i have lived here i have to say there are rumors i have no proof of but then we are not a nation of liers .
ReplyDeleteWhy can't C$C be audited?
ReplyDeleteC $ C can be audited but only on Indian Affairs money. They miss spend that money that is alloted to us and they can be audited and could resulut in third party management. Their safety is the money that the trust brings in and they can allot money from it to cover their tracks of miss management of Inac money with top up from our trust money. 16 years ago I said vote yes yes no, NO being that C & C not get the interest money that was generated by the trust account. We had our chance to control our future expendatures but due to the fact that we were also voting on a yearly annuity for our selves, the fact that the interest money was going to C & C no one looked at the big picture of our future and how this money might have been better spent was thrown out the door. Now its the same situation again and C & C will once again reeps the benefits because the community thought, is again, how much we are going to get,while at the same time we are being told if we dont vote as the question has been put to us we will not get anything. Like I said previous why are we giving 10 mil back to C & C for land purchased on our behalf, and how is that 10 mil going to be uililized this time. Why are we having to pay twice for land bought on our behalf. I say the 10 mil we have to pay again should go towards developments to the lands that were purchase on our behalf and we the community should decide how this money is spent on developing these lands, not just a 10 mil gift to c & c to spend on nothing, as the rest of our money ( and I meen OUR MONEY)is being spent on nothing but nothing.
DeleteLike i have heard some members say if you break the law you got a job and if your white your right.
ReplyDeleteand if you speak out your fired.
ReplyDeleteOh so right about that. Being the victim of sexual harrassement will get u fired too. They just pay u out so it goes away.
DeleteI met with Rick a few months back as every band member has the right to ask questions and see the financial statements. Here you have to make an appointment to do so . I no that that will change when a new bill is passed that the members can have copies of all financial statements , along with Chief and Council will have to tell there members about all monies. What i heard at the meeting was not what i was told when i met with him one on one about the new deal it work out to about 17 million a year. Yes there,s a lot of people making too much money and it wont stop till its, gone that,s going to be soon. as we saw at the meeting. With only 6oo some people here and were are spending over 40 million a year that,s insane for such a small community. But then again over half of that budget is wages and that,s just wrong. so much for the needs of the people A.
ReplyDeleteLike I'v said before what has really changed sine the casino was developed. Jobs were created but for what purpose, just to spend the money on what, over lapping job discriptions. The money would have been better spent toward economic development initaitives that would have created business, that inturn would have created jobs, that would inturn give band members a specific avenue to look at training or education goals to ensure the business would turn a profit and enhance the over all goal of the Band being self sufficent, not relient on a buy out from the trust. Now look at the consequences of not looking at the goal of the Band being self sufficient. There will be no economic future for our children if we allow money, that is the communities, to be spent hap hazzardly, with nothing to show for it. We need to invest in the future not on the now. 16 yrs of wasted money with nothing to show for it in terms of job sreation , training and a patgh toward self sufficiency. We cannot live and spend like we have for the past 16 yrs with out some sort of return on our investments, which have basically been nil. Strong leadership is needed, not individules that listen to finance dept and the scare tactics that that would ensure a motion to support their financial pictures without the thought of how the money should be spent to better the goals of the community and ensure self sufficiency.
DeleteJust want to add that the Chief and Council want to be viewed in the same lense as other government people, provincially and federally, in terms of wages, bensfits, perks, and all the good material things. The one part that the C&C dont adhere to is the criminal reference check. And that will never pass in Rama as a requirement to hold office as long as we have persons with criminal backgrounds leading the community.
ReplyDeleteAnd, l am not saying that people dont deserve a 2nd chance, cuz they do. But it also depends on the crime. However, in Rama, those 2nd chances are not offered to everyone, only those in the "clique".
Re our ventures with outside groups, l dont understand why we cant start a small vegetable and flower farm (as someone put forward when Council acted like they wanted out input) to employ and feed and beautify the community. We have the land and the people and the market. Sure it wouldnt make millions, but its something for the people and lets face it, the Council hasnt given the people any ec dev since casino. Maybe its an attempt to hold the people down? Or maybe its their lack of faith in their own people? Or a combination of both....
Oh yeah, and for those who attended, the Chief sure looked worn out by the end of the mtg, which she ended abruptly, hehe, if you ask me. I guess that s another way to shut people down.
What i would like to no is since there is nothing happening in the way of dev. what is there 400 employs doing? Why is there a full time lawyer? and such a big amount of people in the finance dept? Why is the culture dept costing that kind of money what for this is crazy.
ReplyDeleteI've said it before and I'll say it again, what has really changed since the casino was built?
DeleteRemember, the audit presented was for the fiscal period of April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. At the meeting, in terms of the Culture Dept, someone clarified they did have a Manager position back then but that position is now vacant. And this budget includes Pow Wow funds. We're now in the April 2011 - March 31, 2012 fiscal year, and there are only two staff there so l imagine the budget reflects this.
ReplyDeleteIts still a large amount for that dept. i no the pow wow being moved to Black River and getting that site ready likley cost alot now thats a waste as its going to be moved again i found a lot of people realy like the pow wow there.
ReplyDeleteI still remember the first pow wow we had in the ball field. To hear the drums and singing for the first time in my life in our community made me proud to be from Rama. It was so emotional to me to see and hear the singing and dancing, all the crafts and food, the other First Nation peoples. With the fact that it was in the heart of our community made it more so special. I would love to see it back in the heart of the community where it is easily accesssible and within walking distance to the youth elders and able bodied band menbers. The drum is the heart beat of the pow wow and I fell it should be in the heart of the community
DeleteI agree with you Joseph to a point. I too felt the same emotions when I heard the singing/drumming and all the dancers ~ IN THE BASEBALL FIELD. I loved the Black River grounds. C$C spent allot of money to fix it up and it was a hit with everyone. Sure people complained about the transportation. It wasn't Rama's fault that the Switch Road was under reconstruction. Now this year's Pow Wow is going to be right in front of the Senior's and the Band Office. ~ WHY???????? If they want it back in the Heart of the Community put it back in the basefield where there has always been heart. No in front of C$C band Office. That place doesn't have a heart. Sorry yes they do for themselves.
DeleteThey just won't let us have it there anymore. We just need to pick a permanent location in the community.
ReplyDeleteThey meaning Chief and Council , that,s my point we the members are not having a say and we should . Guess next move is to call for a open council meeting seeing that we don,t have community meeting.
ReplyDelete