TRANSPARENCY: Moving the Tribe into the Digital Age and Out of the Geyapi Age!

TRANSPARENCY:

The people need to know what is going on with the Tribe at every opportunity.  We should not wait weeks or months for council meeting minutes to be published or a report from our Tribal Council member at our District meetings.

We MUST move towards LIVE internet streaming of all Tribal Council meetings, all Tribal members should be able to log-in and watch Council in action. 

All meetings should be available for viewing as well as all Council minutes published on the Tribal website, available for all Tribal members to see.

We MUST limit Executive Sessions.  We need to conduct all Council meetings in the “light-of-day”!

We MUST publish all budgets and where we stand versus budget, each month with updates.  Then make them readable to all of the Tribal members!

We MUST have open doors to ALL Tribal Members and OPEN BOOKS!

We MUST give District input on the budgeting process, including District APPROVAL over budgets.

I believe that all un-budgeted items that exceed $5,000.00, should be taken back to the Districts for approval.  If the item is not budgeted for, then it needs to go back to the Districts.  We need analysis and projections for any expenditure that exceeds $5,000.00 and they must provide proof that the expenditure is needed.

IF we are going to cut budgets for the good of the Oyate, we need to cut ALL budgets, for all enterprises, not just at the Tribe. 

If one Oyate needs to tighten their belt, we all do. 

If one Oyate is hungry and in need of help, we must take care of them, we cannot turn our heads and pretend that we do not see it.

If one succeeds, we all succeed! 

The Tribe needs to move towards total TRANSPARENCY.  We are all shareholders and we are all entitled to know where are money is going or whether we should go into debt to build a new office building or buy new slot machines or expand any casino!  ALL Oyate need to be part of the decision making process and it has to be open book to all of the People and we ALL need to know whether the investment will be returned and how long until it is repaid?

Elect me to be the next Vice Chairperson for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and I will move towards Transparency and my office door will be open to ALL Tribal members and their families.

I would appreciate your Vote and your support on Tuesday, October 2nd, for the Primary Election.

Pidamiya,

Beverly Thompson

Elect Bev Thompson SWO VICE CHAIR

Experience *  Integrity  *  Honesty