Editorial

Posted March 7, 2009 - Marble, NC

Rep. Toineeta Attempts to Correct a Wrong

Tribal Council Wolfetown Rep. Susan Toineeta certainly has taken her lumps from the public. She often appears indecisive though abstentions, even at times when it has behooved her to make a decision one way or the other. She's also been accused of being a Michell Hicks puppet.
Where she deserves some credit is the fact that she, unlike too many of her colleagues who've mocked her, takes the time to educate herself on what is coming before Tribal Council. Cherokee County/Snowbird Rep. Abe Wachacha, even admitted on one particular issue that he had no idea what he was voting on when he cast his vote in favor of a horrible proposal from Chief Hicks to remove tribal levy funding for higher education. So in that aspect, Rep. Toineeta's approach is refreshing, even if on occasion she's wrong.
She's submitted a proposal to rescind recent retirement enhancements for the chief and vice chief introduced by the Attorney General's office, and passed by a majority of Tribal Council members without question. It turns out that the plan passed by Tribal Council would allow Chief Hicks, after two terms, to actually earn more in retirement than he has as principal chief.
Of course the issue of the chief making more retired than while in office is a good objection. The other is that this proposal was wrong to begin with. Tribal members are feeling the pinch of the economy (despite the tribe's propaganda machine claiming there is no depression). Individual tribal members are having to sacrifice. Shouldn't the tribe's leadership set an example by sacrificing themselves? When the economy totally went to hell last fall, the first salary to be cut at Martin Publishing, who owns Cherokee Times, was the CEO's. Yet here stands the majority of our elected officials boosting their own benefits. There's even talk of another salary increase.
What the chief did in this instance was shameful and embarrassing. It's good that at least one elected official is trying to do something about it, even though it probably stands no chance of passing.
Toineeta should understand that it's better to stand alone on the righteous path to go along with a mob mentality, especially one led by the Draconian fist pumping of Michell Hicks. This proposal, is reasonable and much more fiscally sound than the ridiculous plan drafted by the Attorney General's office, passed by Council and ratified by Chief Hicks, who stands to benefit greatly from the plan. Hopefully the majority of Tribal Council will have a change of heart because Toineeta's plan deserves their support.