Current Sault Tribe Director Hoffman Responds to Guide to Sault Tribe

Already, with our first edition of Guide to the Sault Tribe, we are making an impact. I want to thank all of you who have e-mailed me and voiced your opinions. Our goal is to advocate for a fair and honest board. Director Hoffman has taken issue with Sault Tribe Guide Vol. 1. Unfortunately, Board Members like Hoffman are unable to distinguish a critique from an attack. Years of membership observations and personal experience speak louder than the defensive stance taken by Hoffman. I can understand his concern about the information I’ve shared with members in my previous emails. After all I am advocating for you to avoid voting for incumbents currently up for election. What should be more apparent, and of more concern to Hoffman and board members, is that I’m sharing the collective voice of frustration from our tribal members.

Information from the Sault Tribe is Vague or Not Reported At All

The members have been denied access to real information. We’ve made attempts to contact our board members without much success. We just want to know what’s going on with our tribe, our jobs, our rights, and our money. The Sault Tribe leaders have stopped airing board meetings on local television because they reported it costs too much. Yet the give raises to Dr.’s during the worst recession. They don’t publish the minutes of the meetings, or an explanation of the resolutions on our website or in our newspaper. The newspaper won’t publish any unfavorable communication from the membership. Information on Greektown, one of the tribe’s most valuable income properties was vague or not reported at all. That’s not a newspaper, it’s a newsletter. So there is no exact record of what does or doesn’t go on. Is it any wonder why we have taken to the internet and email to have our voices heard? I’ll say one thing, it worked! We have their attention now!

Hoffman Responds via Web Blog

Hoffman responded to my Vol 1. E-mail. In his blog, Director Hoffman defends himself against claims of no board communication with the members by stating “I have, since taking office, reported on a monthly basis to the Membership within my Unit report, as well as via e-mail, telephone, and in person. Over the course of the last year I have implemented this Blog, twitter account, a FB page for Tribal Information, and developed an E-Newsletter.” And “The Tribe, as a whole, has not communicated well with the Membership for some time now. I have repeatedly stated this within my unit reports, and to the Membership. To assert that all individual Board Members are not attempting to provide information to the Membership is simply untrue.”

Quantity Doesn’t Always Equate To Quality

When I was in the Marine Corps we were always told it’s about quality not quantity. My complaint, and the complaint of the membership, is that quantity doesn’t always equate to quality. The fact remains that the membership has been kept in the dark about matters that have affected the progress and future of the tribe as well as our access to services and programs. The attitude seems to be that what we don’t know can’t hurt them. Director Hoffman has shed no more light on these events than those who have failed to report at all.
Director Hoffman contends that what I have offered is politically driven, yet I am not running for a board seat. The truth is Director Hoffman’s sudden urge to communicate is politically driven. He’s looking to make another $268,000 as your director. And, it’s up to you to decide if he did a good enough job to write him another check. This is the same Director Hoffman who blogged, while justifying the separation of Chairman and CEO, that a tribal election was just a “popularity contest”. Maybe he’s not feeling so popular right now.
Out of the 11 reasons I gave for not voting for any incumbents, Hoffman only chose to respond to 7 of them. He did not talk about cutting jobs and services without cutting board pay, voting to raise the pay scale of the Dr.’s, allowing someone in a lawsuit to remain on the board, or failing to represent us and expecting settle for it.

With regards to the Chief of Police Hoffman writes; “First and foremost, the Tribal Board was advised by legal counsel, as well as representatives from the FBI and BIA to leave the suspended employee’s status unchanged, and in essence let the Federal Government and the Courts handle the matter.

This status was changed by an action of the employee by voluntarily tendering their resignation. THE TRIBAL BOARD DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE AN ACTION TO ACCEPT A RESIGNATION. AN ACTION IS ONLY NECESSARY TO HIRE OR FIRE A KEY POSITION (BY 7 VOTES), THIS IS NEITHER.

… At the meeting I made a motion to “Post” the Chief of Police Position (30 day posting is required per policy) which was not seconded and failed for lack of support. I requested that the item be place upon the agenda again for the April 20, 2010 meeting.
… the Hospital Board is not the Tribal Board.
The Tribe has no control over the selection of this Board.”

Well first and foremost, if the Sault Tribe Board of Directors including Hoffman had not voted to reinstate the suspended Fred Paquin, after the previous administration suspended him, perhaps he would not be a representative on that board. Perhaps the hospital board would have seen fit to remove him based on the investigation. We’ll never know. Why did Hoffman and the rest of the board not listen to the previous administration and Chairman when they knew that the FBI investigation was ongoing and that the object of the investigation was given opportunity to destroy and or tamper with evidence? Was Hoffman and a majority of the then seated board more driven out of political motivation and cronyism than actual concern for the well-being of our tribe? My answer is yes.

I am glad to hear DJ is attempting to at least fill the Chief of Police position. But, why is he doing this now in the midst of a tribal election that includes his seat? Now there is some transparency for you.

The Chief of Police Was Enabled By Hoffman and Other Board Members to Continue His Corruption

The point is I believe Mr. Hoffman and the rest of the board used very poor judgment about Paquin. Rather than stop his illegal activity, they allowed it to continue. There really is not too much they can say now to save themselves from this obvious error. It was wrong for the board to overturn what was obviously the right thing to do. Paquin should have been dealt with by the Sault Tribe before the Feds. Is this what it’s going to take to rid our tribe of corruption? The Feds stepping in? It’s sad that we cannot keep fair law and order within our own tribe. This is another reason I support a new constitution.

Hoffman Throws a Bone To The Membership 

Director Hoffman did not like my comment about him throwing a bone to the tribal membership with the separation of Chairman and CEO positions. He stated he introduced the resolution on May 15th, 2007 and the resolution was tabled. He stated he introduced the resolution 4 more times, on the fourth time May 19th, 2009 it passed and was sent to the BIA requesting Secretarial Election. Hoffman also states he never claimed to be the originator of the "Concept" of separating the Chairman and CEO positions. Hoffman quotes my comment “This was in the new constitution” and provides a link to the constitution click here.

Hoffman Uses Semantics to Defend His Position

Hoffman is playing semantics. I stated “This was” past tense in the new constitution. I did not say “this is” in the new constitution.” I was merely stating he got the idea from the people who worked on the new constitution as this was mentioned to me when they were working on the new constitution by certain members.

Mr. Hoffman we can play semantics, or get down to the nitty gritty. Let’s get down to the real question at hand. Why won’t he put the new constitution out to the people for a referendum? He appears to place so much stock in referendums but won’t back that up and place any stock in the voice of the people to choose their own form of government?

Hoffman fails to explain why he won't pass the new constitution or bring it to the forefront and let the members decided as he did with the separation of the Chairman and CEO position. If Hoffman's true intentions were to take the politics out of the Sault Tribe then some of the new constitution like Separation of Powers (Branches of Government. There shall be one Legislative branch, one Executive Branch and one Judicial branch) would have been the honest choice. This is why I said he threw a bone to the membership. He only offered you a small part of what we need. If Hoffman would like to respond to why we won’t be voting on the new constitution, we the membership have our ears wide open. If he chooses not to respond, then we’ll know who is really playing politics.

Greektown

On Greektown failure being the responsibility of the board, Hoffman says, “This statement is 100% correct. “

Elder Fund

Director Hoffman did address the Elder fund by saying, “The statements within the e-mail regarding the Elder Fund are simply false.” The following is the exact quotation derived from the e-mail: “While this makes great political fuel during an election cycle, it is based upon rumor and allegation as are the vast majority of the statements made within the e-mail.”
So, were the funds borrowed from the Elder fund sent to Greektown secured or not Director Hoffman? If so please elaborate and tell us when the Bankruptcy Court will be returning the money to the fund! We would all rest easier knowing that this was a rumor because we don’t want to believe that the board could be so foolish.

Mackinac Bands = Reported 51% of The Sault Tribe Membership

In reference to the Mackinac Band, Director Hoffman says the Sault Tribe has adopted an non-interference resolution regarding the Mackinac Band.

“In essence, the Tribe is not to interfere in any efforts of the Mackinac Band. Unless this resolution is amended or revoked it is the law regarding this topic.”

That is not what I was talking about. I said the Mackinac Bands are not recognized in our constitution and they should be. More than a reported 51% of our tribal membership is Mackinac Band members. Mackinac Bands could be easily ousted with a board vote. Does this sound like a secure future for more than half our membership? Meanwhile you have the history of people like the board secretary and another board member, who is also up for election, who have in challenged the right of Mackinac Bands to vote in Sault Tribe elections. That is what I was referring to. The fact is the non interference resolution was adopted solely to take a stand of neutrality in the Mackinac Bands seeking recognition on their own.

Charlotte Beach & Communications

The Charlotte Beach issue was addressed and Hoffman’s response was “The Tribe has not given up on resolving this land claim or on the clouded titles surrounding the properties to date.”
Again, communication from the board would go a long way in educating the members of the status. The members would like to hear an update from them in one of Hoffman’s reports in the tribal newspaper, email, telephone conversations, or face to face. As this will become a big issue with the loss of Greektown.

We Advocate For A Fair And Honest Board

Finally Hoffman states, “the mass e-mail was driven out of political motivation rather than actual concern.” Well I maintain that instead, is his urgent response was what was politically motivated as I again remind the members, I am not running for board, he is. I have nothing to gain by writing this e-mail other than advocating for the election of a fair and honest board. He has an quarter million dollar personal interest in this election. I don’t.

It sounds like Director Hoffman has just offered you more of the same for the next four years.

He isn’t offering to cut board pay, or give full disclosure to the membership on the state of the tribe’s finances. He isn’t addressing the fact that 51% of our tribal members are underrepresented and ignored in the existing constitution. He isn’t admitting any failure on his part or the part of the board for anything but Greektown. As far as I’m concerned, that’s enough to support electing a new board. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’re going to get what we’ve always had.

Please do not vote for Hoffman