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Tribal Council Members Violate and Waive the Tribal Laws to Benefit Each Other Dear Tribal Members, 2006 My name is Chester Earl, Puyallup Tribal Member Are you ready for new Tribal Council members? I know I am and so are many other tribal members I have talked to. I chose not to run for tribal council, because I wanted to share this information and not be accused of trying to get votes. Being a Council Member is more then helping yourself or helping just your own family, a Council Member’s loyalty is with the entire tribe and that means every tribal member! The present seven council members have been on council for a long time 6yrs, 12yrs, 15yrs, 20 plus years. Yet no elders home, no community center, no more houses, just promises, promises and more promises. I feel that the tribal council, very rarely tells us the truth; they just lie and tell us what they think we want to hear and try to buy our votes with our own money. Not one council member is beyond this behavior, they continue to violate and waive the tribal laws to benefit each other. All seven council members gave themselves a 20% salary increase and went back 9 months and each council member received about a $20,000.00 check. Estimates are that council members gross pay is $160,000 to $200,000 per year! Even then, council members waive the rules to give themselves payroll advances, some up to 15 paychecks ahead. They pick and choose who they hire and who they fire. Many tribal members lost their jobs last year some were tribal elders. “So much for tribal employment.” Employees are afraid to speak out against what is going on because they are threatened with their jobs on a daily basis. Everything mentioned below was under the full and complete knowledge of every Tribal Council Member! When something goes wrong, they blame it on each other. “It takes four council members to make a decision.” We should hold all of them responsible. Tribal council merely just help themselves and if re-elected they will continue to do the same. When I went to the tribal offices to ask tribal council why they cut the kid’s percapita both Silvia Miller and Maggie Edwards attacked me instead of answering my question. They were more concerned that the fed’s may come in and Once they were caught, they tried to cover it up. They meet behind closed doors and decide your future with out even consulting you. They try to keep us in the dark with misinformation and straight-out lies. Silvia Miller: In her first term, she got the tribe to pay almost $20,000.00 in back income taxes, her second term she got $25,000.00 for a down payment for a new house, HUD said this was theft of federal dollars and recommended legal action but the tribe now says, this was a tribal program, WE DON’T HAVE A DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAM again the tribal council covers it up. She put our housing funds at risk and after an investigation by HUD, the tribe had to re-pay over a Million dollars. She continues to use her position for personal gain and violate her oath of office. The last time I checked, she was more then 15 pay checks ahead, that means she has received about $80,000.00 in payroll advances. She continues to show a lack of respect for our tribal laws. She used her position to get her kids high paying jobs, which is another violation. How many of you got your income taxes paid or received a $25,000.00 check for a house, NONE. Seattle Times Article: More accusations fly within the Puyallup Tribe Indian Country Today: Scandals continue at Puyallup The Detroit News: Members sue over tax payment Margaret (Maggie) Edwards: Her latest attempt to gain support by signing the letter that went with the $2,000.00 checks, to members 55 and older, was low and shameful and I feel illegal. She continues to promise every time she runs for re-election, “this is the year we will build an elder’s facility,” and we will build houses. Ether the rest of council does not care or she is just trying to be elected. She supported all the benefits for Silvia including the $25,000.00 deemed illegal by HUD. Her Husband Conrad Edwards, runs our Tribal Construction company, at a high salary, she also got her kids high paying jobs, with no advertisement for these positions they just gave it to them, She also voted to cut the kids percapita. Maggie Edwards Unfulfilled Campaign Promises - April 2000 Lawrence (Larry) LaPointe: He has continually violated tribal polices by also having about 15 payroll advances all the way up to June 06’ again about $80,000.00 he also voted to cut the kids percapita. He also supported the benefits Silvia received. He always says he not going to run for re-election but here he is again, more of the same. How can any of them call themselves leaders ether they approve the things that are happening or they sit back and do nothing to stop it? Let us just call it what it is “corruption at its best.” Please join me and request a full and complete investigation into the business, property, and construction related transactions to make sure everything is on the up and up, so we can protect the future of our tribe. I, Chester Earl, have documentation to support the above, and I am willing to share. Please do not vote for Larry LaPointe, Margaret Edwards, and Silvia Miller. Chester Earl
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