Sault Tribe $2.66 Million 7 +1 Case in Front of MI Supreme Court

SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS
A full copy of the MI Supreme Court Proceedings can be downloaded:
Click here







Summary of the Case

Of the $2.9 million,Who Got What? (click to see how much each got)

Overview

The Facts: The 2004 Tribe Election

The Scheme to Steal the Tribe's Money

Checks Cut in Secret during Employee Picnic

Admission of Guilt: In Their Own Words (click to see their admissions in their own words)

Defendants Take the Money and Run

Bouschor Knew He Did Not have the Authority...(click to see Bouschor Quote admitting he did not have the authority)

Bouschor Pays His Greektown Girlfriend > $200,000! (click to see her name)

Mitchell Research Produces Salacious Michael Jackson Mailers

Bouschor's Daughter on Tape Stealing Tribal Property

Click to see current attorney Aaron Schlehuber's Advice to Bouschor

Click to Share your Opinion on the Case

Grand Traverse Band cuts salaries & programs.

Council says reductions are needed to balance spending.

BY LINDSAY VANHULLE lvanhulle@record-eagle.com
Published: September 25, 2009 07:35 am

PESHAWBESTOWN -- Leaders of a local American Indian tribe authorized "extensive budget cuts" to balance spending for the upcoming fiscal year, but would not discuss reduction specifics.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians' Tribal Council members accepted salary cuts and some government programs have been rolled back to accommodate a budget shortfall, tribal Chairman Derek Bailey said.

The council sent a letter to all tribal members, dated Sept. 18, and said cuts were needed "to control deficit spending and to safeguard assets for our present membership and future membership."

The 2010 fiscal year begins Oct. 1. The band operated with a roughly $3.9 million deficit this year, according to the letter. The shortfall amount for next year is unclear.
Even though the band is sovereign, "we're not immune to the state and federal government woes," Bailey said, citing a decline in gaming revenues as the motivation for cuts. "If you look at the United States, all the other leisure and consumer-based enterprises (have struggled)."
Tribal law required council members to take 10 percent and 20 percent pay cuts, the letter states, but it is unclear which members took which cuts and when.

Bailey was in Lansing on Thursday and could not be reached for additional comment.
He deferred comment on council salary cuts and gaming revenues to two other tribal members, neither of whom responded to calls from the Record-Eagle.

The Tribal Government Reduction and Reorganization Act, as the upcoming cutbacks are known, was approved in late August after a recommendation from a committee comprised of the tribe's manager, human resources director and chief financial officer.

Eligibility criteria for some government services has been made more stringent, particularly for human services, education and health services, tribal manager Jane Rohl said.
She did not elaborate on how that will contribute to reducing a deficit and said the full Tribal Council would need to approve the release of budget figures.

"We still provide the same services we did before," Rohl said. "We're anticipating it's not going to affect people in need of the services, but we're not going to have any verification of that until we get into the next fiscal year."

About $1 million was cut from the roughly $11 million budget this fiscal year, according to a band newsletter from March 2009 posted online.

The council this year voted to suspend its practice of matching employees' 401(k) contributions, saving $65,158, the newsletter stated.

Story here

TRIBAL UPDATE & REQUEST FOR SUPPORT FOR 2009 TRIBAL VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE

Let me begin by thanking you for your support during the 2008 Tribal elections and our personal support over the years.. Along with the use of my own funds of over $35,000, we ran a good clean campaign of ideas and not attacks.

Members continued to be surprised by the outcome due to the fact that during the primary we had:

• Amassed a phenomenal 1,000 nominating petition signatures (only 100 are required).

• Received over 322 individual contributions amounting to $11,294.

• Won a primary vote of 49.8% with my nearest competitor trailing by over 1,028 votes!

If we are to believe the outcome, in just three weeks between the primary and general elections, a swing of 1,706 votes supposedly occurred; that’s 23%! Hundreds of Tribal voters from outside of the UP complained that they received primary but not general election ballots. Countless Tribal members across the country now question the integrity of the manner in which Sault Tribe elections are held.

Nonetheless, I am humbled by the experience but it is a time to look forward with optimism. One continuing situation is the disparity in voter registration between those who live inside versus outside of the service area. Though the Sault Tribe Constitutional requirement for voter registration is virtually the same for all Members, virtually 100% of those who live inside the service area are registered while over 12,000 who live outside of the UP are still not registered.
Those who live in the service area have never had to register but you had to!

This is an unfair and discriminatory ‘equal protections’ violation of your U.S. Constitutional rights. To correct this disparity, I need your help and financial assistance.

A lot has happened in just over a year.

• Reports reveal that Chairman McCoy was criminally convicted on July 16, 2008 of ‘malicious destruction of property’ putting our MI gaming license in jeopardy and providing clear cause for his removal from office.

• During the McCoy administration, Greektown casino has lost $140 million in revenue and our Tribe’s stake in Greektown is coming to a sad end with the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in equity. Recall the $268 million debt Bouschor singularly negotiated to benefit the Greeks.

• The elder dividend was cut by nearly $1,000 and the principal of the fund almost completely depleted suggesting no dividend in January!

• Previously, 800 college students received financial support from our Tribe to attend college. This year, over 600 students were denied – a 75% cut.

• Tribal children’s Christmas parties were eliminated. While Chairperson, I privately raised nearly $25,000 yearly toward the total cost of about $40,000.

• Where I raised $150,000 annually from businesses for tribal scholarships, this year, it has dropped to less than ½ of what it once was at $69,000 – a 54% drop.

• Members now have to pay for everything, membership cards, application fees, hunting licenses, etc.

• The Board of Directors has not shared in the drastic cuts; their $67,000 salary remains untouched;

• With Bouschor’s ‘Back to ‘Business’ slogan, he got the Board to fund an alcoholic bar in our youth sports and recreation center located in the middle of our Sault reservation site.

• Our Youth program was evicted and relocated to a rundown old building. To get to the building, Tribal kids have to cross a busy street leading to our casino. This is an accident waiting to happen.

• The case against Bernard Bouschor to recover nearly $3 million he stole on election night in 2004 is moving forward. We are awaiting a decision from the MI Supreme court any day now.

• None of the above is reported in our Tribal newspaper by staff or Members of the Tribal Board of Directors as Chairperson McCoy has ordered that this information be censored.

MEMBERS LIVING OUTSIDE OF SERVICE AREA ABANDONED!
Probably the worse outcome is the elimination of any discernible plan or leadership on our Board for the 64% of you who live outside of the Upper Peninsula to ever receive any quantifiable benefit from your Membership. I understand our financial circumstances, but to:

• Cut you off from all communication.

• Completely abandon two years and $350,000 of Constitution work and any hope of ‘at large’ representation.

• Eliminate Tribal member meetings in areas throughout Lower Michigan.

• Keep the status of Greektown a secret is unacceptable.

McCoy promised to meet with Members to restructure the Tribe? Have you been invited to attend any meetings near where you live in the last 14 months?
Are you better off now that you were 14 months ago?

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW, WITH VOTER REGISTRATION
If we are ever to make a change that meets your needs, we need to ensure that those who are most ill-affected by these changes, are empowered to participate in our Tribal election process. There continues to be NEARLY 12,000 Members living outside of the service area who are not registered to vote. I realize, given the appearance of corruption in Tribal elections, it will be difficult to get them to register. My hope is that we will overwhelm the ballot box with votes cast by new voters and overcome any ballot stuffing that may occur.

I need your help in three ways:

• A contribution to help with the costs of the mailings to get Tribal members to register to vote.

• With encouraging others (especially family members/ relatives) who support our cause to contribute as well.

• I need your help to encourage fellow Tribal members to register.

Targeting 5,000 Members not currently registered to vote, the total cost for this effort is between $5,612 and $9,012. The variance in the total estimated cost is based on including return postage to make it more likely that folks register. The totals include mail-out and return envelopes and postage, a cover letter to urge voter registration, labels, and a return post card so I can track our success and share this information with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in those situations where Members attempt to register but do not receive a ballot. The unfortunate reality is this happens far too often with no real due process.

For accountability purposes, I will post all receipts on my blog at: http://saulttribeupdates.blogspot.com/

Please keep faith that ‘WE WILL’ make a difference. The path is more indirect, but if we work together, we will eventually become a tribal government of integrity, accountability, and one for which we can all say we are proud to be voting Tribal citizens!

Respectfully Submitted,

Aaron A. Payment

TO CONTRIBUTE
TO OUR 2009 TRIBAL VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN:

• Please reply to this Email with the amount pledged ($20, $50, $100, or more*)
• Mail your contribution in the form of a check or money order to:

2009 Tribal Voter Registration Drive
c/o Aaron A. Payment, MPA
1716 Shunk Road,
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

* Note: All funds will be used to support cost for the voter registration drive and will be accounted for by posting receipts at http://saulttribeupdates.blogspot.com/

These are not regulated funds pursuant to the Sault Tribe Election Code as they are not intended and will NOT be used to support any individual candidate, but strictly for voter registration purposes.

THE ELDER FUND IS DEPLETED...ELDER CHECKS COME TO AN END

After the election last year, under the McCoy administration, the Tribal CFO and Greektown Representative Victor Matson, Jr. spent the majority (if not all) of the Elder Fund to shore up budget cost overruns for the permanent casino in Greektown. This was done on a wink and a nod. This violates the 1997 law that released the Indian Land Claims money of $19.6 million. According to the law, only 1/2 of the funds could be used on non-speculative secured investments or economic development and any expenditures of the Elder Fund are required to be appoved by the Tribal Board of Directors at a duly called meeting with five days notice. No such meeting occurred. How do we know, ask any Board member for a copy of the minutes; there are none. Also, the Tribal Treasurer is required to give a periodic update on the status of the fund. Since Cathy Abramson took this role, she has never provided even one update to the Members. Why? Because, she and others like her have been complicit in allowing Victor to spend this money without authority. Sources report that this was DJ Hoffman's idea. An unauthorized expenditure of this magnitude (likely the entire $19.6 million) is certainly cause for termination. To have directed the money to be spend behind close doors without a duly called meeting, violates the Tribal Open Meeting Act for which the consequence is removal from office per the Tribal Constitution and Removal statue.

So, if Cathy can figure out the current fiscal status of the Tribe (that is a big if), shouldn't she give a report? Not just a written report that someone else will write but a public presentation to see if she knows what she is talking about. And what about her cousin Joe McCoy, why hasn't he updated you that the creditors are about to take complete ownership and the Tribe will have lost all of their equity to date? Does he think the Members won't be able to understand or is it that he believes you do not have a right to know? Doesn't he have a responsibility to communicate to the Members? So much for his little campaign graphic to involve the Members in decision making. No meetings, no communication, no responsibility.

Read Detroit Freepress news

Here's a good essay from Chuck Forgrave.

Don't forget the $268,000,000 deal orchestrated by Bernard Bouschor for the benefit of the Greeks at our expense. When he reports that in 2004, we had a $70 million surplus, he neglects to talk about the $268 million we owed the Greeks for which we were in default the day he lost the election in 2004. He hadn't paid them a penny even though we had financed to do so.

Do the math. Subtract the supposed surplus from the Greeks debt and you are still $198 million in the hole. During my Administration, we paid down $208 million of this debt and balanced our Tribal budget every year. It is sickening that we had to pay the Greeks at all, but remember Bouschor insisting that we didn't need a partnership agreement prior to Proposal E passing, then the Greeks demanding 50% ownership with only $24,000 down.


--- On Thu, 6/4/09, Charles Forgrave <cforgraveus@yahoo.com> wrote:

Sault Ste. Marie, Mi...Tight-lipped tribal officials aren't saying anything about it, but an out-of-area news source has confirmed what many tribal members have suspected..Greektown is as good as gone.

While the tribe retains the option of selling it, commercial real estate values have plummeted and bids on the casino have fallen far short of the $ 777,000,000.00 owed on it...leaving it, likely, in the hands of pre-bankruptcy creditors.

Now the blame game will swing into full-gear. For months nothing has been reported to the membership, on the status of the casino. The likelihood here, is, there was nothing good to report. Reporting positive things only, politicians have nothing to say, unless it's something good about things, or themselves.

While Greektown held the future of the tribe in its hands, at one time...looking back, the casino never made it out of the woods.

Right away, it was in debt over its ears. Then, the Watersmeet tribe took it for $ 40,000,000.00. Finally, tribal officials got on the wrong side of Detroit, opting to build a casino in Romulus, despite promises not to. The final punch..which put it down for the full-count..was the country's economic meltdown.

Out-leveraged, out-maneuvered, out-witted from the very beginning, local politicians simply weren't up to the task of owning and operating a casino out in the real world, where they didn't enjoy a total monopoly in the business.

And, so goes the history of the Sault Tribe..hundreds of millions lost in failed businesses; tribal services curtailed, and, members shaken-down for every dollar, in fees; while tribal politicians, themselves, walk away without so much as a reduction in wages.

Thank you, Charles Forgrave

Donna Marble / May 21, 2009

On or about August 15-17, 2008 I informed my manager that I was not going to be in to work that Thursday and Sunday, which would have been August 21st and 24th 2008. I did this through my manager’s (Russ M.) GroupWise. GroupWise is the official electronic mail system for the Sault Tribe and Kewadin Casino.

On August 26, 2008 I walked into the Entertainment Office at Kewadin Casino and was told by my manager’s secretary (Karen V.) I was going to have paperwork in the mail do not bother coming in on Thursday.

On August 27, 2008 I received termination papers from Kewadin Casino for a three day no call no show. The dates were for August 21, 23, and 24, 2008. I did not grieve the termination because I had another job at the time. In October of 2008 I filed for Unemployment Compensation. I received Unemployment Compensation Up until March 2009 when Far Management and Kewadin Casino put in an Appeal for Re-determination on February 25, 2009.

Download full letter here

***BREAKING NEWS***

JOE McCOY AND WIFE SEEN LEAVING VICTIM'S WORK: REPORTEDLY THEY TRY TO GET VICTIM TO DROP THE CHARGES OFFERING HIM MONEY!

At about 12:45pm today (5-7-09) eyewitnesses report that Joe McCoy and his wife Sharon were seen exiting the victim's place of business. A source who talked with the victim - reports that Joe's purpose was to get the victim to drop the entire situation and recant his statements to the MI State Police. This is very troubling given the State Police acknowledged to the victim that McCoy admits to assaulting him. Joe and his wife reportedly again offered money but the victim refused saying, "You said you didn't break my tail lights, so why would you offer money?"

At this point, it appears an additional count may be added to the charges of tampering with a witness. How long the young man will be able to stick to his account as the threats, and pressure mount, is unknown.

SAULT TRIBE CHAIRPERSON JOE McCOY GOES BERSERK: ASSAULTS MINOR SON'S FRIEND!

On Sunday night (5-30-09) Chairperson Darwin "Joe" McCoy was involved in an assault and battery and malicious destruction of property situation. The MI State Police (Sault Branch) were called and investigated the scene (Joe McCoy’s home address at 3090 S. Seymour St., Sault Ste. Marie, MI).

In the evening, Joe McCoy's son was visited by a few of his friends. One of these individuals was the victim in question. Joe's son is a minor. Reportedly, a few weeks ago, McCoy's son was involved in a high speed police chase to his home just outside of the city limits of Sault Ste. Marie. State, City and Tribal officers were involved in the chase. McCoy's son was arrested for fleeing police. Later Joe McCoy threatened to have the Tribal Officer - Dan Frechette fired for being involved in the chase. This is problematic as Sault Tribe Law Enforcement Officers are State certified and follow a mutual law enforcement agreement that supports the local police as backup. Frechette had no choice but to join in the chase.

When the victim went to McCoy's son's home around 10pm on Sunday, he and his friends parked the victim's car at Joe McCoy's house and McCoy's son took his father's truck for a ride. Four passengers - including the victim - went along. When they returned, around 10:30pm, McCoy's son went into the house while the others waited in the drive way. According to a witness, Joe McCoy and his wife were yelling very loudly at their son so the others decided to leave. The youth were fearful for McCoy's son's safety.

Then things got crazy. Joe McCoy came out of the house by the passenger's side of the victim's truck. He locked eyes with the victim and began yelling profanities. He then made his way to the driver's side and opened the door and punched the victim in the face. At that point, Joe McCoy's wife Sharon pulled him back to stop him. Then the victim and his friends took off. The victim then dropped each of the minor kids off at their homes and went to the MI State Police Post in the Sault to report this. After giving the names of the witnesses, he drove back to pick them up to have them give statements to the MI State Police. Three of the four confirmed the victim ’s statement while one didn’t see the punch.

The State Police went to McCoy's house but his lights were off. They did not knock on the door. They did, however, recover fragments of broken tails lights from the victim's truck from Joe McCoy's driveway. the victim reports and the other witnesses confirm that his tail lights were functional when he first went to the McCoy's that night.

According to a witness, MI State Police confirmed that McCoy admitted to striking the victim but denied having anything to do with his tail lights. Again, the MI State Police reported to the victim that they found fragments of broken tail lights at Joe McCoy's.

Reports indicate that Joe McCoy's wife offered the victim money to pay for the damages to his truck. It’s not clear if this done specifically to drop the situation in exchange for the money, but clearly that’s the impression. If McCoy didn’t create the damage to the tail lights, why is he offering to fix them?

Chairman McCoy Lives-It-Up / On Our Dime

In 2006, when Joe McCoy ran for the Tribal Board. He asked to speak to me during a break in the Tribal Board meeting. He wanted privacy, so we stepped aside in the back of the house convention area. Then he 'let 'er rip', yelling at me like a mad man for a survey I did and published in the Tribal paper asking all board candidates,

'If elected, will you support or throw out the lawsuit against Bouschor to recover the $3 million she stole from the Elders and all member?"

McCoy responded, "You don't know me, you have no right to judge me!"

I asked what he was talking about. He referenced that I was spreading the rumor of his drunk driving conviction. Truth is, he was convicted of this - during an election cycle. Now, I realize other Members may have the same conviction. To lie about it, however, is to compound the denial. If he is now living the high life on our dime, it is just a matter of time and this will catch up to him. Playing big shot means his fall will be especially hard.


On Sun, 5/3/09, Charles Forgrave <cforgraveus@yahoo.com> wrote:

Sault Ste. Marie, Mi...Reportedly, tribal chairman and local businessman, Joe McCoy, was having himself a high ole time in Detroit today, living it up and enjoying the fruits and luxuries of the wealth generated by the Greektown Casino, sitting in the Greektown suite and taking in the Red Wing game at the Joe Louis Arena, in the company of his son and another young man. Observers report the chairman appeared to be inebriated; or, to use the less dignified word, drunk. Well, how could that be? Well, it could be. Tribal chairman McCoy does have a driving under-the-influence conviction from 2006.Do we have a right to expect more from those who represent us? Many tribal members think so. The individuals who reported on Chairman McCoy, certainly think so. As they eagerly pointed out, when tribal officials are out there in public and enjoying themselves on our dime, they are, after all, representing us.A final note: let's hope the chairman took the Greektown limo back to his hotel room. We certainly wouldn't want him or anyone else to get hurt in a car accident.

Thank you, Charles Forgrave

RECOMMENDED APPOINTMENT OF BOUSHCOR'S FIRST COUSIN SHOCKING!

Download pdf

The recommended appointments of Tony Nertoli and Lori Jump to the appellate court are shocking.

First, with regard to Tony Nertoli (Bernard Bouschor's first cousin). In 2002, as a seated judge Tony Nertoli (no law degree or college level education) ordered a foster parent to violate the terms of her appointment by directing her to deliver a young male child to his home in the middle of the night. ACFS and the Prosecutor had agreed on an order placing the child in foster care with restrictive covenants limiting access to the child given suspected (later proven) sexual abuse. When the foster mother got the call from Tony ordering her to violate the court order, she was besides herself.

When she noted to Tony that she would not be delivering the child to him as it violated her foster care appointment and court order of no contact, Tony responded by threatening to jail her. She then called her ACFS social worker who in turn contacted James Bias as Prosecutor who then got an emergency hearing with Kandra Robbins' as judge. Kandra in turn called Fred Paquin as Chief of Police to order his officers not to arrest the foster mom if she didn't deliver the child to Tony in the middle of the night. Sure enough, when the foster mom didn't deliver the child, Tony called the police to order them to arrest the foster mom. Luckily the police knew not to follow Tony's order due to his judicial misconduct by trying to influence a case dealing with his own relative.

James Bias as Tribal Prosecutor, Kandra Robbins as Associate Judge, and Fred Paquin as Chief of Police all signed letters to attest to their role and that they believed Tony Nertoli's actions constituted judicial misconduct. I have these letters in my possession and will post them if the Board appoints Nertoli. Those who were on the Board at the time (Abramson, McKelvie, LaPoint, Chase) are all aware of this situation as the Board then opted not to reappoint Tony based on this issue.

With regard to Lori Jump. Lori's issue is a little more straightforward. Lori's program is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. Her job is to coordinate our various Victims' Services throughout the Tribe. Her job is as an advocate and as such she cannot be considered objective when it comes to hearing cases. She has a serious conflict of interest as she is involved in cases by providing services to victims in these cases. This would not be allowed in any other court system and warrants a written legal opinion of whether or not her employment role would constitute a conflict of interest. If she were an attorney, this would not be allowed as she would need a waiver on both sides to hear a case. Also, given the funds originate from the U.S. D.O.J., I believe a letter from them as the grantor is also necessary to to avoid any funding conflicts which may jeopardize funding.

Joe McCoy - Bouschors Candidate

I am forwarding you the following article link from Crain’s Business Weekly, as it seriously calls into question Chair McCoy’s knowledge or his integrity (Click here) . As you all know, I second guessed the very close affiliation between Bernard Bouschor and Joe McCoy during the 2008 election. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The attached photo was taken during the election cycle.









JOE McCOY EMBARRASSES HIMSELF AT MGCB MEETING
In the attached article from Crain’s, the Michigan Gaming Control Board was asked to authorize a management company (The Fine Group) and individual to supervise as CEO for the time being during the tail end of the bankruptcy proceedings. In an earlier announcement, Chair McCoy was appointed along with two other individuals on the Greektown Management Board of Directors. However, with the exodus of former CEO Craig Gelphi, either the MGCB or the bankruptcy judge was apparently not satisfied with his replacement - Cliff Vallier’s qualifications or management ability so they asked for a replacement. The action to appoint Ralph Fine (someone who I do not know so I have no stake in this decision personally) was a mistrial action of the MGCB. For McCoy to instruct the Greektown attorney’s to object at that point is simply embarrassing. For him to have done so, to try to have a Bernard Bouschor Crony appointed is very telling. Below is some background information about the guy Joe McCoy wanted appointed.
Clifford Vallier: Cliff is from Calument. Prior to working for Kewadin Casinos as an accountant, he worked for a very small accounting firm in Kincheloe, MI. Cliff entire career with gaming prior to working for Greektown was as Bernard Boushcor’s subordinate. He was transferred to Greektown by Bernard Bouschor when Bouschor became CEO.
When the Greektown Management Board suspended Bernard Bouschor because he paid out his girlfriend a $210,000 severance following his loss in the 2004 Tribal Chair election, they spent the next several months preparing to defend against a threatened lawsuit by Bouschors’ girlfriend because we stopped payment on the second $105,000 of her $210,000 severance. Additionally, as the Greektown Management Board contemplated how to separate from Bouschor, they met in several closed session to discuss strategy.

VALLIER BREECHING CONFIDENTIALITY – TIPPING OFF BOUSCHOR
For some time it seemed like both Bouschor and his high priced girlfriend knew details about our closed proprietary discussions. At first, I suspected fellow Board members, but then realized that Cliff Vallier was spoon feeding both Bouschor and his $100 an hour girlfriend ($210,000/2080 hours) our strategy. How do I know? I checked Cliff Vallier’s cell records and found that he was in regular contact with both after every Greektown Management Board meeting. Strangely enough, he was also in regular contact with Lana Causley and her father John Causley, Jr.

GREEKTOWN GIRLFRIEND THREATENS SEXUAL HARRASSMENT LAWSUIT: GREEKTOWN SETTLES
In the end, the Greektown Management Board agreed to allow Bouschor’s girlfriend to keep the $105,000 she already cashed and paid her another $50,000 to go away quietly as she then began to threaten a sexual harassment suit against Greektown for allowing Bouschor to carry on a sexual relationship with her, the Vice President of Development. At that point, even I felt a little sorry for the gal.
Also, Bouschor was fired for incompetence as measured by an outside gaming consulting company.

HOW CAN I SAY THESE THINGS? AREN’T I AFRAID TO BE SUED?
The best defense is the truth. Attached is a report from the Spectrum Gaming Company that shows Bouschor’s incompetence.


As far as the claim that Boushcor paid out his ‘girlfriend’? Besides everyone else apparently knowing it was true, Bouschor admitted it under oath during a deposition in the 7+1 case (the lawsuit to recover the nearly $3 million Boushcor and others stole on election night 2004).

4-21-09 SAULT TRIBE BOARD MEETING AGENDA AND SUMMARY OF RESOLUTIONS

Download Here

FY 2008 Year End Reconciliation - This modification has the Board budgeting for the over expenditures made in 2008 without prior Board approval. The amount? $3,166,464.93! Pretty far off the mark. Not since Bernard Bouschor was Chairperson has the budget estimation been this far off. During the Payment Administration, the budget was balanced every year. Remember, when the administration overspends, they are spending into the next fiscal cycle as the funds have to be appropriated to reconcile the budget. So, where is this $3 million going to be cut? The Elder Fund is already gone (spent on Greektown).

Mutual of Omaha Benefits – This resolution deals with extending a contract for life and disability insurance for a two year period for Tribal and Casino Team members but it only refers to an attachment for the rates and grants discretionary authority to the Chairperson to modify the plan. The entire plan should be posted for employees to review to see what the rate changes are and to see what changes may occur to the benefits team members receive. The McCoy Administration snuck the changes to the employee 401K (eliminated employer contribution) without consulting with team members. What surprises are in store for the life and disability insurance?

FY 2009 Minimum Wage – This is great for our lowers wage earners. This will bring them to match the MI minimum wage at $7.40 per hour. However, with several key administrators making at or over $100,000…

…why is the McCoy Administration ignoring those who are just above minimum wage - otherwise classified as the working poor? Anyone who makes more than say $75,000 in the Eastern UP is in the top 5% of income earners and consider wealthy. Why not re-factor these folks and others to share the wealth with those at the lower end? Refactoring the top individual to $75,000 and every other individual listed above by the same percentage decrease would save a total of over $600,000 which could then be used to increase the wages of the working poor.

The other problem with this resolution is that it purports to have the minimum wage increase come from existing budgets. If we are to believe that the budgets were set at actual expenses, the only place these increases could come from is from vacant position created by laying off more team members.

Approving Service Agreement: Ogitchiida Qwe, Inc. – In 2008, this contract, for one person, was budgeted to receive over $120,000. The person does an excellent job, but $120,000 when we are already paying Mike McCoy $120,000?! The work performed by Ogitchiida Qwe is far superior to than Mike McCoy’s work product with is absolutely nothing. Why not lay off McCoy, and retain Ogitchiida Qwe at the savings? Oh, that’s right, his name is McCoy.

FY 2009 Recreation - Youth Program Budget Mod – This is a move in the right direction, but under the Payment Administration, all tribal youth who were willing to work and applied for a summer job, got one. This program does not cost a great deal. Certainly, keeping our kids working and out of trouble to earn money for school clothes should be a higher priority.

FY 2009 HR – Admin/Employment Budget Mod- This resolution is stated in such a convoluted way, it’s difficult to tell who is getting a raise, and who is being brought back from layoff. Insiders report that Lauri (McCoy) Henry is getting a raise and promotion as the Assistant HR Director. In 2005, when she initially did not qualify for the position, DJ Hoffman and Cathy Abramson (Henry’s son and sister) got Fred Paquin and Lana Causley to lower the qualifications for the HR Labor position so Lauri would qualify. Was this the reason Cheryl Bernier was moved out?

FY 2009/FY 2010 Legal Assistance Budget Mod – This resolution refers to an increase in a position but does not designate which position and what the justification is for increasing that position? This process should be open and transparent. In fact, all wages should be published like all other public entities. How else would you know whether or not the Chairperson and/or Tribal Board is not lining the pockets of key officials to buy their loyalty or increasing their family member’s salaries?

FY 2009 Lakefront Inn Budget/ FY 2009 Lakefront Inn Cap Ex – For years, the Lake Front Inn has not even kept pace with its debt package. Why then did we hold on to such a loser? The property is managed by none other than Fred Paquin’s ex-wife Wanda Paquin. The Board has seen the budget projections that show that the Lake Front will never post a profit. Bob LaPoint was proactive in 2005 in reporting several hotels in St. Ignace were closing down due to the economic downturn. If the market is constricting further, and the projections do not show a profit, it’s it time to sell the property? At least closing the doors, will eliminate labor costs. Fred’s gone so why cater to his ex-wife?

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Dear Tribal Member:

For the last 9 months, a lot has happened in our Tribe. Greektown in peril and on the brink of a multi-million dollar loss to the Tribe. Long standing employee protection policies were abandoned. The Elder fund has been all but decimated. Tribal Member services and holiday events have been eliminated. The Elder check this year was cut from $1,600 to $600; for Tribal couples, they received a $2,000 cut. All while the Board secured their retirement and eliminated a tax liability for themselves through a convoluted referendum. The only budget that hasn’t taken a cut was the Board salaries. When I became Chair, I accepted a salary cut from $245,000 to $100,000. Maybe it is time you choose the salary of those who represent you via referendum. What's your opinion?

This Sault Tribe Updates Member blog is under development and is intended to be a news and information forum driven by you the Membership. We have suffered a void of information (the Black hole) from our tribal government as a result of the current administration. We saw the Communications Director fired for allowing the publishing of a letter to the editor that was critical of the Board salaries while they laid off about 150 people (for which 80% were our own people). A tribal member woman with a graduate degree who brought in $3million in new funding to the Tribe was fired after she broke her back coming to work at the Tribal headquarters. Then, a Board member's niece was promoted to her spot. Nathan Wright, candidate for Unit 1 Tribal Board, who supposedly lost this election by 3 votes, was terminated out of retribution. Who claimed his seat? None other than Bernard Bouschor. Who announced the termination throughout the local media? Michelle Bouschor (Bernard Bouschor’s daughter-in-law) who continues to draw a $70,000 salary.

Greektown Casino has lost $142,000,000 just since the current administration took office! So much for a business background. In the meantime, he has missed about half of all Tribal Board meetings and instead spends most his time securing ‘minority preference’ contracts for his private company on Tribal time. He also eliminated member meetings where you reside; cut out the Board meeting broadcasts locally and on-line, and silenced his critics by firing them. It is no wonder, those who may have a different agenda and support for the people, sit in silence on the Tribal Board.

In the next several weeks, we will try to compel updates on what is happening in Greektown. During our most serious crisis, you should be receiving more information, not less. The latest was an offer to buy Greektown that will likely mean a $300,000,000 loss to the Membership. Let’s not forget the original debt was incurred through a sweetheart deal offered up on a silver platter to the Greeks by Bernard Bouschor. $268,000,000 on a $24,000 investment! ‘Back to Business’ was his campaign slogan after all. Bruce Green, attorney out of Colorado reported to me that Bouschor signed the deal with no legal representation present. What did he get out of the deal? Does anyone really believe he didn’t get a kickback?

Stay tuned. During my administration, I saved a number of documents to share with the Membership when the time was right. These will enlighten you to some members of the Tribal Board. You be the judge, but look at least look at the documents and ask questions. A healthy democracy is one in which the citizens ask questions.


Thank you and have a Happy Easter.