The following Candidates have filed to run for Minerals Council in the upcoming election:
1) Paul Revard 2) Joe Cheshewalla 3) Cynthia Boone 4) Kathryn Redcorn 5) Margo Gray 6) Stephanie Erwin 7.) Marsha Harlan 8.) Susan Forman 9) Myron Red Eagle 10) Andrew Yates 11) Linda Heskett 12) Robert E. Yarbrough 13) Talee Redcorn 14) Everett Waller
Brandy Lemon announces her candidacy for Osage Nation Congress http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/03/29/brandy-lemon-announces-her-candidacy-osage-nation-congress/
This one is a DOOZY! 1% of the Annual budget for merit pay recognition -->> now set by law at $600,000 plus a year? And $350,000 set aside for this year? Is this insane or what? This bill is trying to change the above requirement in the current law: Consideration of ONCA 17-121, An Act to amend 19 ONC § 3-106 of the Osage Nation Workforce Pay for Performance Act, to clarify Merit Performance Recognition and Merit Compensation structure and funding and to establish an alternate effective date. (Edwards)
Since when does a government legislate how much in monetary pay raises the employees get, year in and year out, when you are working with a fixed budget amount like ours that cannot go above the projected revenue. How totally corrupt is this? Pretty soon the only thing being paid for will be the government that serves only itself with no benefits for the Osage people and all of it political just to keep votes "in pocket" for future elections. WOW all over again.
The CEO of the Tallgrass/Osage LLC resigned today. They can't pay their bills ad are close to defaulting on government contracts they are administrating. This is the same bunch that gave away $18 million. If they default on the contracts the Nation will be black balled from receiving any future contracts. Does Congress prop them up to avoid the black eye? If they do then that LLC needs to be disolved. They can't manage anything.Remember your Chief put his buddies in charge of this enterprise. The new ONES LLC is lobbying Congress for over a million dollars to start their new plan. The new plan is to get government contracts. Good luck if Tallgrass/Osage PLC goes down in flames.
I am so damn sick of hearing about these crap-crazy useless worthless LLCs that only came into being with the Harvard Way imported to us from that Lance Morgan and Jonathan Taylor; that Osage, LLC. Board member who writes all those papers for the Harvard Project who helped, probably in large part, $18,000,000 of our money invested in OLLC go poof! And who together with that Carol Leese had the audacity to ask outright for another cash infusion of $20,000,000 in one lump sum that the Osage Nation elected officials had, by that time, gotten smart enough not to give them. This model or metric or whatever buzz word you want to apply, DOES NOT WORK FOR US so have the guts and the smarts to give these LLC's the boot and start over. Get rid of these "managing" Boards, they do nothing but eat our Osage Nation Treasury alive and lose million and millions of our Casino and other revenue. Do the right thing, for once, and make all of these LLCs go away!
I am so damn sick of hearing about these crap-crazy useless worthless LLCs that only came into being with the Harvard Way imported to us from that Lance Morgan and Jonathan Taylor; that Osage, LLC. Board member who writes all those papers for the Harvard Project who helped, probably in large part, $18,000,000 of our money invested in OLLC go poof! And who together with that Carol Leese had the audacity to ask outright for another cash infusion of $20,000,000 in one lump sum that the Osage Nation elected officials had, by that time, gotten smart enough not to give them. This model or metric or whatever buzz word you want to apply, DOES NOT WORK FOR US so have the guts and the smarts to give these LLC's the boot and start over. Get rid of these "managing" Boards, they do nothing but eat our Osage Nation Treasury alive and lose million and millions of our Casino and other revenue. Do the right thing, for once, and make all of these LLCs go away!
6 years these bstrds have been plowing through our money. Get rid of ONES, LLC and throw that rubbish out just like Osage LLC and Tallgrass too. When is enough enough? None of these contacts are being managed properly anyway without costing us more money than they're worth in the long run so bite the bullet, pull the plug and finally, once and for all, get it done.
The casino revenue does not belong to the Osage people. The revenue belongs to the Osage Nation. The Osage Nation is a government entity that owns the casinos. The Osage people and the Osage Nation are two separate entities. The people who run the Osage Nation control the purse strings and they will spend the casino revenue on themselves. Yes, it is a corrupt system and it was designed this way from the very beginning. The Osage people and shareholders were duped by a few larceny ridden people who seek to ruin the shareholders and use the Osage people for federal dollars. The Osage people have no say on how the casino revenue is spent. Only those on the hill get to truly benefit from the casinos.
Even the SCOTON got that much right. The Osage people own the gaming enterprise and the revenue it generates:
“Ultimately we are the owners of the Gaming Enterprise – the Chief’s office, the Osage Congress,” said Gill, which prompted an interjection from Drent.
“There are actually three branches of government and all three branches are stewards of the Nation and stewards of the Nation’s resources,” Drent said. “I want to make it very clear when we talk about ownership … it is the Osage people that own that enterprise.”
See http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/03/04/supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-standing-bear-v-whitehorn-case/
As such, we, the People of the Osage Nation, have every right to a fair share of that income!
I am for standing up for the Osage people, putting them first and the government second. I'm for listening to what the Osage people want by way of government spending, not what the government wants to spend on the government. We have suffered for years under the rule of politicians who will tell you what they think you want to hear and then do exactly what they want to do. Politicians, by the way, who, I am told, are using the Osage Nation Treasury as a way paying off those who work for the Osage Nation government in a ploy to get the employees to continue to vote for them with the veiled threat that they will lose their big job with their huge salary if another politician is elected in their place. Those Osage Nation members who don't work for the government deserve better from the Osage Nation government and the elected officials than this and I intend to see that they get what they deserve if I'm elected. This is not what we were promised this government was going to be for all Osages twelve years ago.
Who in the hell told the above pister the income derived from the Casino's is not ours lol. B.S. Another thing,I can bri g this Gov't to a halt too. Don't think I cannot.The Natiom is not Sovereign the people are. Ignorance must be bliss. This Government tge Nation owns nothing we do. Tina is right
And Tina I hope you get to the bottom of ONES Llc. Bluestem Ranch and go thru with fine pick and nail our,Constitution, if need be take it to a constitutionalist Lawyer. There is do much that needs to be rolled back,ammended. Get the cronyism out and nepotism. Those that hold more than one position out. Smh. This list can go on for miles it seems. Ckean the sawmp and a per-cap. Still waiting for a turkey voucher
I will be grateful for your vote. I tell you now; the very first bill I will sponsor on the floor of the Congress will include a Turkey Voucher. YOU have waited long enough! ONES, LLC., OLLC and Tallgrass will be my top priority, I guarantee you that.
My comment was made with Indignant sarcasm. The Casino revenue is supposed to help the Osage people but those thieves on the hill garner everything for themselves. They play with the casino revenue as if it were their own funds. Outrageous salaries, unwarranted merit pay, bi-annual raises for relatives of congress, and more perks than ever.
Casino employees are not paid very well and the turnover rate is getting worse. They are treated like slaves and hardly ever get a pay raise. In fact, the casinos actually LOWERED the pay scale at the casinos. Employee morale and dedication is non-existent. The employees work hard with little reward, little pay, and little chance of advancement. The Osage casinos are the Walmart of the Indian gaming industry.
In Health Committee today, a reference to the Health Hearing on Thursday was made by Congresswoman Edwards. Though the Agenda does not state that a Hearing will take place, I have printed the Agenda for the Health Committee below:
Thursday, April 5, 2018 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm Health and Social Services Committee Meeting Osage Nation Capitol Building 100 W. Main, Pawhuska April 5, 2018 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Agenda
Call to Order Roll Call Prayer Approval of Minutes Review and Possible Action on Assigned Legislation Meeting with Executive Branch / Health / Clinic Officials RE: Official Business OFPR Reports on Health Entities Review Financials Old Business New Business Adjournment
OK...here we go. The Osage News Editorial Board met with the AG today, April 4 at 1:30 p.m., in a Special Meeting (public meeting) to discuss the matter (that the Osage News may have to cancel the remaining Osage News Candidate Debates for the Congressional candidates and the Minerals Council candidates) in executive session. We should know something about this meeting and what was decided soon, so stay tuned...
The Osage News Editorial Board has canceled the Congressional and Minerals Council candidate debates on April 14 and April 28. However, I have been in touch with a new local grassroots political organization called Osage Impact, organized by Celena White and Jennifer Tiger. Hopefully, they will be able to provide debates for candidates in the near future.
To read the Osage News story about the cancellation, click on this link: http://osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/04/osage-news-editorial-board-cancels-future-candidate-debates/
Again that credit swap is coming back on the scene and will be discussed today. See the Agenda:
Commerce, Gaming and Land Meeting Osage Nation Capitol Building 100 W. Main, Pawhuska April 5, 2018 2:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. CDT Revised Agenda
Call to Order Roll Call Prayer Approval of Minutes Presentation by the firm Derivative Logic on behalf of the Osage Gaming Enterprise Board (Credit Swap Presentation) Discussion with the Gaming Enterprise Board on revenue projection for Fiscal year 2018 and 2019 Executive Session to discuss confidential proprietary matters Consideration of Legislation Adjournment
Listen in live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
Gamble? A lot of fun. OK. Here we go... If we can't find the money to pay the stipends of the Board/s, where are we going to get the million/s for a credit (default?) swap?
Make whole payments? Based on the market. Lock and float for 90 days? Buy up all of these? So we have to buy more than one of these swaps over time 25 to 50 of them? Wait a minute... $24,000,000 for the casino has been taken out so far (of the total amount of the loan planned for the casino) and the ranch loan is $50,000,00. Timing and term of the swap agreement? One or more? June of 2021 is the maturity of the loan? A synthetic fixed rate lone. Loan is prepaid and then can break the the swap agreement. Will we have to buy out of the swap agreement then? Tear it up? What? Where is the damn presentation with an explanation as to what this even is? Spouting language we have no idea of what it even means?
Walk away from this. I have no idea what is on the graph. Pay off the loan as fast as possible and get out. Why pay a million or more when at maturity we will have paid $800,000 in interest. What is the cap on the loan we have right now?
We've lost a half a million in three months? How is that? By paying interest? I don't believe one word of this. They need a waiver of sovereignty to do this? Do not give it to them. This sounds like smoke and mirrors. Keep losing money? NO! NO! NO!
Walk away? I don't like the CFO's tone of voice. You do need permission or you wouldn't be there in the meeting with the Congress. Do not do this!!!!!!!!
This man is a professional and his explanation made no sense at all to me. This man is not a professional from my point of view. Again here comes Mark Simms...
I want to see the bill for loan where we owe half million more on the loan in the last three months. How much are these fees? If you don't know how much the fees are then you are abdicating your job as a member of Congress.
Do not give this a positive recommendation in Committee on this legislation. I know no more from this presentation than I did before the meeting started.
Chief... I hope you're listening to this so called presentation and then the guy from Derivative Logic makes the statement that he has to leave to get back to Tulsa? For what? So he can be home by 5:00 p.m.? This was no logic I've ever heard of in my life. Thanks for nothing!
This isn't good with me. I heard a bunch of gobbledegook financial terms bandied about on the air that were not properly explained. If this serves as an explanation, I don't guess the Congress really feels it needs one but this isn't any kind of due diligence I've ever heard of...this man was called in to give a presentation not make comments on the presentation given by Mr. Stienke, the CFO of gaming! This is why we need new people in Congress who will ask more questions and demand at least a price on the cost of these financial instrument/s going forward. Derivatives, my eye!
I bet it's bogus. When its to good to be true then it probably is. How can we forget Carol Leese and how he got away with the Millions, because there was no stewardship. Poorly written contract if any. And no diligence,only opens doors to corruption. And by no accident. Its a win fall to the tunes on millions costing the constituency and end must come to a end. Lock that money ip today and lets start filing FOIA. Get a private company to investigate everyones accounts. Our Government, Congress newds to clean the swamp alright or all be subpoenaed for not honoring the oath of office of a took. Smh.
Rex (Evans) is the name of the man giving the "professional presentation" at http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/5c_ce_2018-4-5_pt-1/ See https://derivativelogic.com/company
If we pre-pay the loan we may have to buy out of the swap depending on market conditions? So we save money, if we don't have a prepayment penalty, on prepaying the loan but may get stuck paying it back to the swap company to get out of the swap contract? That's a negative, niner.
Tallgrass / Osage has reported "success" in that the operating subsidiaries have a number of contracts they've "turned around" but the combined companies have $700,000 in debt and cannot pay their bills as they come due. Any true measure of success would include not only operating at breakeven but also turning a profit. The Osage Nation has $1.5 million allocated for business development this year and you can bet that Tallgrass / Osage will be asking for a large part of it, if not all.
Lets see they turned the contracts around. Hmm Lets see them, Lets look at the real numbers. and yet they need another infusion of cash. How much have we lost to turn these contracts around?
This is a dead issue that the elected officials refuse to say die. They are way out beyond their duty of prudence as stewards of the public funds of the Osage Nation. The Board has blown up again with another resignation last week of Kay Bills as well as the CEO of the Osage, LLC quitting a few days before that. Jim Parris now appears to be the real problem now that the dust is beginning to settle and wants control over the women within his sphere as he doesn't play well with them. He's been there since the very beginning and I heard at one point that there was some sort of ethics problem with him somewhere along the line. This is irresponsible to give this loser any more money at any time ever. 8-A Contracts or not. They would only mismanage them anyway from what is being heard whispered behind closed doors. At some point it becomes unethical to continue to feed money to an organization with people who have no idea what they are doing in a managing role. It IS the Osage alien on board our Ship of State and so is that ONES, LLC by any other name that should be added to the banned list for any future Congressional appropriations.
There is more than one who has ethical problems that was associated with the Osage/Tall grass board. Ms. Jones who works for the ONES board now, resigned from Tall grass for ethical problems and potential destruction of records. She resigned rather than be fired. She's running the ONES group? Don't fool yourselves, these jerks move from one entity to the next looking for an Osage paycheck
Parris was not re-confirmed by the Osage Nation Congress yesterday. Many thanks to the members of the Osage Nation Congress who voted against him. We ARE making progress.
The Constitutional amendment taking away the right of the Osage people to vote on Justices and Judges died a quick death in Session today when it was resoundingly voted down by the members of the Osage Nation Congress.
No bloods honoring the Full Bloods. Trippindicular. How much is this going to cost? Eddy Red Eagle again. Of course. He's supposed to be related to some member of the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark Expedition) so he for sure can't be a real Full Blood. For certain 8? And they have verified 7. Can of worms. Get a NGO committee to raise funds... this shouldn't be something our government should be funding.
First you have to grow up before you can handle money. Then: You have to have some track record of success before you get handed more that $50,000 of start up capital. You have to have people working for you that can handle the responsibility of 8A Contracts who are capable of getting the job done and done well whatever that is. Who is that who is speaking in the Commerce/G&L Committee meeting? He sounds like another garden variety idiot that they always have as a touted "expert" to come in and speak who is anything but! If they are going to default then they have been allowed and supported to get to that point by the Board and we need to separate ourselves from these people who are controlling these business enterprises and terminate them and the dead beat businesses that keep bleeding us of our money. We have people who need food, clothes and shoes and here you are throwing away money on these losers that will never ever be successful? Get these people out of office who would even think about giving that Osage, LLC or Tallgrass another dime of our money and that includes that ONES, LLC. What you need are people who are capable of actually doing work effectively and well not a Board that has no idea how to hire people to do the work or even know how to determine if they can do the work. Perfect example of this is Will Kimble. The man speaking has not made payroll, has been sued and threatened by the U.S. government? There to educate? This man is the expert? What the living hell? Take some really good advice and get rid of these LLCs. $400,000? NO NO NO NO NO Stop asking questions that you know the answer to and have known all along. Draw the line and get on with it. If it's your baby and it's a matter of ego and you've been wrong, for the sake of the Osage Nation and the Osage people, get past it and move the hell on!
The career disappation light was flashing on this holding company concept long ago and has gone out completely.
Payday status. Now this is what it's all about with these people.
Sweat labor? Come on Eddy Red Eagle. Since when has this ever happened with you or any board member? You have been up on the table for six years and haven't made a dime for the Nation. And you want more than a million dollars? Say NO and send this guy home. How much do we have endure here with you people and you take issue when we identify your behavior as stupid? Nothing held back, Eddy? Who cares? You haven't made money in SIX YEARS. That's enough time to identify you as a total loser. We're not interested in your vapid vision. Get a grip and snap out of it! I'm beginning to think that the worst thing that has ever happened to this government is Eddy Red Eagle and all of the others in the bread and soup line just like him. Disgusting! Horrifying! The real disrespect is that these people have the audacity to keep coming back for the Osage people's money and you keep giving it to them! Your name is on a legislative bill or a vote up that passes to give these dead beat-dead end outfits money, it will appear everywhere on social media to expose your blatant irresponsibility and to see to it that you aren't re-elected to office! Read this last sentence again 10 times and think very carefully about what you have read word by word because this isn't a threat. It's a promise.
We must begin to see these people who come asking for outrageous sums of money for what they are. The elephant is in the living room here and everyone is afraid to tell the truth and that is this...they are nothing less than predators who come to raid the public funds of the Osage people. We must rid ourselves of these people as soon as possible. All people on these boards must be made to sign an agreement that they will become personally financially responsible and liable to the full extent of their private wealth for any financial losses that are incurred while they are sitting on these managing boards that control our enterprises and receive money from the Osage Nation. That ought to begin to turn things around.
And double liability including debtors prison in Turkey for that gaming board and their big idea to start buying synthetic derivatives from that guy at Derivative Logic, Jim Griffin, who has bounced around a whole lot and is in the Indian Tribal Finance Loop: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmygriffin http://tribalbusinessjournal.com/news/industry-leaders-finance/ The guy is also recently on the Advisory Board of Zed Network, that aims to create a blockchain-powered internetwork of global money transfer operators. Just EXACTLY what we need... a smooth operator that can move our appropriations around the globe with with a lightning fast internetwork of money transfers that will be lost and gone forever... You read it here first folks!
Information on ZED Network https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/04/03/1458992/0/en/ZED-Network-Announces-Advisory-Board.html https://zed.network/
You have got to hear this to really believe it! Listen to this expert when Kugee tries to pin him down on 8A contracts. Then listen to Eddy Red Eagle try to schmooze the members of the Congressional Committee and then saying that they are making the ONES, LLC wait for the appropriation because it's been scheduled in Committee this late in the Session?!?!?!?!!!!!!! A few Eddy highlights: "...Business is complex, it's made that way." Such wisdom Eddy, it nearly breaks the bank. "...because we believe in our management team, experience and techniques...to the extent of asking you for a million dollars." "To put our management team under another Board...would be very disrespectful." "...the situation with Tallgrass...needs to be learned from (with empahsis)." Learned from? They never learn Eddy and apparently, neither do you. The Boards for both Tallgrass and Osage, LLC are blowing up as we read and write with Janice Dearmon, the CEO of both LLCs about to bail, Kay Bills walked last week, Kay Martin is rumored to be about to roll off the ship together with Megan Cruz. Under the circumstances, the Congress will be grossly negligent to give either one of these two LLCs another dime of the Osage people's money.
Listen to all these mugwumps discuss the situation http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/5c_ce_2018-04-09_pt1/
This reminds one of Sarah Palen, you don't have to make up jokes just repeat what Eddy said. The sad thing he said was that the Congress was being disrespectful to ONES because they have to wait for a million dollars of the people's money. Can someone find a violin and play a sad tune for Eddy. And keep it handy to play a sad tune for the Osage people if they do give ONES a million.
And an even more sad tune for any incumbent member of Congress who votes to give any money to any LLC before this election or after it. Haven't you put us through enough? We need the money you're throwing away on these useless business entities. Don't you even bother to care about the well being of the very Osage people you have pledged to serve?
Keep the violin handy to play a sad song for Otto who sponsored the 1.1 million dollar bill. No matter what OTTO THE UNCONSCIOUS will be OTTO THE UNEMPLOYED soon.
Just getting caught up here. All I have to say is don’t play with our money and think it’s funny and now with the resignations of the board members of the Llc concerning fraud.
Angela Pratt announces her candidacy for the Osage Nation Congress http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/09/angela-pratt-announces-her-candidacy-osage-nation-congress/
This Osage News notice has recently turned up: "BREAKING: Tallgrass Economic Development LLC and Osage LLC board members Kay Bills, Megan Cruz and Kay Martin have resigned after allegations of potential fraud have been discussed." See more information at https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1762946897099463/?type=3&theater
Due to Kay Bills' narrative of the harum-scarum manner in which we apparently are doing business associated with our government contracts awarded to Tallgrass at https://www.facebook.com/groups/yanman/, I am calling for a long overdue Congresssional Hearing on all of our LLCs.
We have seen millions and millions and millions go down the drain with no clear establishment of the fact that these business enterprise boards are even capable of establishing a proper and legitimate diversification of Osage Nation business development. It's been called for, for a very long time, that our representatives in Congress who are as responsible for our money as anyone else, call for an official Congressional Hearing with proper subpoenas and a particular scheduled date with regard to all of these LLCs that have received money in appropriations of the Osage people's money since the Constitutional government took over in 2006.
We can no longer stand for these LLC's running through though vast sums of our money with no accountability from the Osage Nation government especially from the Congress that appropriated the money and is wholly responsible for what happens to it.
When Kay Bills first joined the board I considered calling her to discuss not potential but actual fraud committed by the LLCs in order to gain federal contracts. However, I perceived my comments would not be well received so I held my tongue.
It was my reasoning that anyone who had a knowledge of federal contracting and the 8(a) SDB program requirements would discover the fraud on their own upon review of the filings with the SBA, the proposals submitted to win the contracts, and the records of contract performance.
I've been waiting for the LLCs to become fiscally solvent so that I could file a Qui Tam action under the False Claims Act and pocket between 15% and 30% (as an award fee) of the damages. Under the False Claims Act the total damages can be three times the total value of the contracts. Given the structure of the businesses and claims made in the Osage County District Court that to argue that these entities are not separate and apart from the Osage Nation but are instrumentalities thereof, it could even be possible to attach any judgment by the federal government to the casino revenue.
The Commerce Committee really should learn more about the 8(a) Small Business Development program and review the filings made with the SBA, proposals in response to RFPs, and contract performance documents in great detail. They've been funding businesses which were committing fraud from the onset and are now performing on contracts that are based on the fraud.
BTW, the grants for building out Internet infrastructure require 15% of the award amounts to be matched with private funds. A total of $850,000 has been awarded and that leaves Tallgrass / Osage to come up with $127,500 in matching funds. This wasn't disclosed by the LLC management to the Commerce Committee in the recent meetings. I wonder if the board members were made aware of this requirement.
If you read Kay's posts there are a few things that need to be clarified.
Tallgrass Technology Services is just an alias for Osage Innovative Solutions.
Tallgrass Construction Services is just an alias for Osage Pinnacle Design Group.
You can look up these company registrations at https://sam.gov
POCA stands for Performance Oriented Construction Activities.
The POCA was procured based on fraud. As Kay noted, OPDG did not even own a hammer - and what was not mentioned is that Pinnacle Design Group (without the Osage) provided the architectural engineering and construction expertise and past performance necessary to win this and other contracts as OPDG had no background at all and no capability to perform on its own.
SATOC stands for Single Award Task Order Contract. The award of this contract is wholly reliant upon the fraudulent past performance of OPDG on the POCA and other contracts where PDG was the entity that actually performed all of the contract requirements. OPDG was nothing but a front that marked up the bids of PDG and provided no value whatsoever until the relationship with PDG was brought to an end.
Jim Parris is fully aware of the fraud committed by the LLCs. He has also been implicated in financial improprieties such as self dealing, but the matter was not pursued because those in charge didn't want to harm his reputation and career.
Putting Jim back on a board is like voting for a fox with a dead chicken in his mouth and feathers scattered all around him to guard the hen house.
This is so convoluted. Money laundering anyone. This happens when you open one Llc after another and throw money after money away with no diligence and worse I am beginning to think everyone is in cahoots with each other all the way to the commerce committee, including our Congress. Do you know how many turkey vouchers thru the years we could have given to our constituents who at times probably struggle financially? Who would appreciate the thought. We need to reign in this Government spending period. And Maria Whitehorn is running for Chief and the one we got is bad enough and she is a part off the problem as well, and to think we are not having the debates live what a crock of poo.
What I don't understand is why Parris has been there from early on if not from the very beginning. Why would they keep the guy on through the loss of $19 million -- probably now $20,000,000? What did they think he would do that he didn't do in the first several years? If he's reconfirmed tomorrow, we need to take a very hard look at who votes for him who is also seeking re-election.
Congresswoman Goodfox, Plan "F" includes 100 days of skilled nursing for the elderly who are on this Medicare Program that is being offered to the elders by the Osage Nation that pays for it. This comment is in response to your remarks today in the Government Operations Congressional Committee Meeting. See http://www.tmkcdn.com/General/GRP3209_OsageNation/GRP3209_2018/GRP3209_171027.html
Did anyone listen to the emergency Tallgrass,LLC board meeting this morning? Just wanted to see what the latest "emergencies" are. I was not able to get on the call at 9.
No its not. Just read the article in the Osage news. Red flags all over the place yet there is a reason for this. Millions are gone. Lost on no where projects with such high hopes.Yeah right. If you tell a lie enough people will begin to believe it. Congrees took the bait as usual. On face value. We know this person for such along time he must not be lying. Cronyism working hard for us right. For truth is the mortal enemy. The Nations lie,they own this and everyone involved. Not one person knows what they are doing. Nor did anyone do the diligence either. Our Congress is the last stop and do you think anyone did the diligence nope!!
Bring on the election, though I am steaming mad we do not have live debates. How are we to know who to choose from? Is this rigged. Tina we need you to put a end and do damage control if at all possible when you head into Congress. We need answers not excuses. You are the person that can do this. My hopes are back because of you. Sorry I hope I am not putting to much pressure on you. Lol Are we going to have booths for a meet and greet?
Yes! I headed to Pawhuska this last weekend and was able to secure a great campaign campsite on Campus (#8) with a concrete picnic table under the trees just down to the West from main Arbor that was chosen by Cynthia Boone.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - 4:30pm to 6:00pm Emergency Commerce, Gaming and Land Committee Meeting Osage Nation Capitol Building 100 W. Main, Pawhuska
Revised Agenda
Call to Order Roll Call Prayer Approval of Minutes Discussion of Proposal of Economic Dev. Commissioner Executive Session to Discuss Proprietary Information Regarding LLC’s Consideration of ONCA 18-22, An Act to provide an appropriation to the Osage, LLC Board in the amount of one hundred two thousand three hundred sixty three dollars ($102,363) and an appropriation to Tallgrass Economic Development, LLC Board in the amount of one hundred two thousand three hundred sixty three dollars ($102,363) ; and to establish an alternate effective date. (Edwards) Adjournment
Why are the majority of both appropriations going to "other". What expense is "other"? When will these discussions be held in open session and not closed executive sessions? Congress is doing the same thing that the LLC boards are doing. Hiding behind executive sessions to keep from having to record or release the minutes of their meetings.
The Commerce Committee should be starting by now. It appears at this point that the emergency meeting isn't going to be recorded live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media I don't know how this will go but it's supposed to be discussed today. After the Committee Meeting, the ON Congress should be reconvening to finish the Agenda for today. This will be after 6 p.m., CDT.
Unless we know what the gloss on the wall is? I don't care about which line item it is on, really. We need to know the connection to the profit. What is the substance. The eco impact in terms of value down the road?
Appropriation on this bill has been reduced to roughly half. $50,663 to Osage LLC., and $59,763 to Tallgrass for the purpose of stipends to pay to the Board members.
ONCA 18-05, about ONES, LLC., and the funding it got of $400,000 which is still a lot more than they should have gotten. Yesterday, a member of Congress stated that ONES, LLC has overhead higher than Osage, LLC., ever had and that even the Chief was shocked when he found out about it. The idea I believe is that this overhead has to be cut way back in the next 12 calendar months and no more appropriations period for this business LLC until it can prove it can make money rather than just spend it. If ONES, LLC., doesn't do this then in the words of this same member of the ON Congress, "It's headed for the dumpster!"
If Eddy, et al., run through that money in expenses, salaries and overhead and come back next year for a big chunk of funding without making substantial headway in the establishment of business/es, the Osage people need to be made substantially aware and the Congress needs to stop funding it. I found out yesterday that they have brought back David Conrad to act as the President of ONES, LLC. See https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-conrad-36023122 I’m sure that’s costing us a pretty penny and probably way more than it should. I knew he was a member of the Board though he's never been listed at http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/energy-services-llc-board
I still strongly believe that we need an official formal Congressional Hearing this Summer on all of the LLCs with subpoenas and the whole nine yards like we had for Johnny Red Eagle. If I am elected, I will push with everything I can to make this happen. The Osage people deserve their day in Congress with regard to all these LLCs and the money wasted on them. We’re also headed for big trouble, I think, if Trump keeps up with his agenda. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to get Presidents to resign or come before the Congress for an impeachment hearing. I have warned the Osages for years about the Republican attitude (tribes with successful gaming operations still getting Federal funding) and the Feds pulling out of the Indian Business with funding and BIA involvement but as usual, no one has or is listening. See https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/04/19/tribes-kept-in-the-dark-as-trump-adminis.asp Elect me to the Osage Nation Congress, and I guarantee that I will do everything to see to it that they will start paying a lot more attention to what is coming down the pike.
What do you think the Chief and the Congress are up to with this one? Better not go there. Like Tina says, the Osage people first. The government second. We are already in emergency need of government cutbacks and reduction of a government workforce who in some cases do nothing substantial but collect paychecks plus raises and bonuses yearly by law for doing little if anything as it is already. A good percentage of them are still stealing time from the government and the Osage people. Do we see this item on the roster of items for state of emergency? Funny isn't it? All members of Congress now looking to be re-elected voted for this one. Goodfox, the sponsor of the bill, has always been way too tied into those who live back home anyway. We need members of Congress with a more universal representation for all the people she is mandated to represent as a current member of the Congress.
ONCA 17-92 An Act to amend the definition of national emergency in the special session law, 15 ONC § 1-104; and to establish an alternate effective date. (Goodfox) is a bill to amend the definition of a national emergency for the Nation...(to)...declare a national emergency... “a state of emergency causing a disruption in services from the Burial Assistance Fund, the Osage Nation Higher Education Scholarship Fund, or the Health Benefit Plan Fund.” http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/19/congress-passes-several-bills-during-hun-kah-session/
Why wasn't VAWA implemented when that Osage man beat his girlfriend to death a couple of years back and pretty much got clean away with it? http://www.news9.com/story/31753461/pawhuska-man-in-osage-nation-custody-after-girlfriends-death
Thank you for that correction. I thought ONCA 18-05 passed but there was quite a bit of Parliamentary activity associated with it during the vote yesterday. It didn't reach the 7 votes required. It had 6 votes and failed. So, ONES didn't get the funding and that's good!
Have you noticed how some of those employed by the Osage government are a lot like the Nazis after WWII and the subsequent generations born in Germany since, who never want to be held accountable for their actions or to examine the actions of earlier generations to seek to identify what went wrong, why and who was responsible for that wrong? When a government no longer wants to shine a light on sponsored activities or businesses when things go wrong then a great evil is beginning to form within the organization because evil people without the ability to accept responsibility and without principle are running it. If one or more persons stand up to tell the rest what is wrong and what needs to be corrected and they are ignored for whatever the reason, this is a strong indicator that evil has permeated the entire government operation. I believe we are there now with the Osage Nation and if measures aren't taken internally to correct what is wrong, then we must look to the outside to correct the problems that exist and it will become very painful and extremely difficult for those who are involved in the continued wrongdoing. At some point, someone has got to blow the whistle before it gets any worse and from what I've seen, I don't know how it can get much worse. Why would anyone in our government even think of resisting a Congressional Oversight Hearing unless they are involved or they are trying to protect their friends and relatives who are involved? If no one is there in our government who can act as an impartial representative of the people when things go this badly wrong then this Osage Nation government is a failure and is failing all of us who are members of it. On certain facebook pages, comments indicate that certain members want to go blithely forward in a superficial way without an exhaustive examination of what has gone wrong, not once but twice. If you don't take a long look at what happened and why it happened and then take action to remove all of the people who have caused it to happen, moving forward without that examination to inform your future plans will likely involve making the same mistakes and lead to the same unacceptable result three times in a row. Working together in an effort to move in the wrong direction is the problem. What we need are independent people in government who are willing to make a correction to the deplorable mistakes made twice in the past, no matter how difficult, and chart a new course with the possibility for success in the future.
The problem with what they've been doing is fairly simple. They hand off money to one of these Harvard Project School of government (not the Harvard Business School) based LLCs that then goes about setting up what looks like a successful business organization at the top with all the people hired at the highest tier getting the big salaries and the perks and the nice offices and by the time they finish spending money on the put-up-job they've created, all the money is gone. Then they come asking for more of the Osage people's money and continue to create the same illusion for the outside world but any real income generating business activity with created legitimate business entities is at a minimum until it's too late and no more can be done because the Osage people have caught onto to the game and are willing to throw out of office, everyone who is in any way responsible for what has taken place twice and now repeating a third time with this ONES, LLC that should also be thrown out on its keester right along with the elected officials who continue to want to fund it. Get your feet on the ground and start a business that can be seen to be in business before you pay to lay the groundwork for a multinational corporation with that sort of hierarchical structure first before you even have a single business started, never mind on its feet generating income.
"Toxic people take no blame, and love playing the victim. So whatever they do, be ready for it to be your fault!" And then they try to bully you out of the way when you try to stop them by identifying their toxic behavior and suggesting that it needs to come to a halt. Haven't we had enough of this? What I'd like to determine is if there is a Harvard connection to the businesses that were purchased by the Osage, LLC. Where did the startup funds or seed money capital come from in the first place for these businesses since none of those that OLLC bought had a loan payoff attached to them that we know of so far.
There is no indication that the businesses OLLC invested in had any association with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. These businesses were pre-existing organizations that had been privately funded by the owners.
The only direct link to the Harvard Project was Jonathan Taylor, one of the OLLC board members.
BTW, when a business is purchased the funds to go the original owners to buy out their interest. There is no loan payoff in such cases, nor would there be a loan to be repaid other than existing lines of credit customary to the operation of the businesses OLLC invested in.
Companies take out business loans all the time that don't involve lines of credit. I'm still more concerned about where the initial seed money came for these companies the Carol Leese purchased (one purchased for millions of dollars where he admitted that he didn't do his due diligence because the company was found out to worth almost nothing) that seem to have been little more than an office with a shingle. Did the Harvard Endowment, as part of its investment strategy, invest in companies that were then made available for later purchase by the Tribes where the Indian clients of the Harvard Project for Native American Economic Development are concerned? One or more of these companies were initially purchased by the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation where Carol Leese worked before coming to the Osage, LLC. I am reprinting below several of my comments from 2015:
osagebloggerMay 7, 2015 at 11:06 AM GOOD for YOU Shannon Shaw Duty or whoever wrote the article. Now that's investigative reporting. If these government people and those on the Boards and Commissions have to face scrutiny, things will begin to turn around. I know for sure that Carol Leese came under the microscope at the time he was hired because I personally called two male members of the Osage Congress and informed them of material on the internet that I had found about this character and his previous relationship to The Potawatomi Business Development Corporation (PBDC) at http://www.potawatomibdc.com/ I asked them to do their due diligence and call the principals at the PBDC to find out what happened there and why Leese left their employment. Tribes can't be sued so this was no excuse and therefore no barrier to making a phone call or sending out an e-mail to find out more about how Leese had structured the PBDC. Two Harvard guys were also involved over the years including Lance Morgan who was initially on the Board at PBDC who left at roughly the same time that Leese did and another one named Jonathan Taylor who writes for The Harvard Project at http://hpaied.org/publications-and-research Note his name under the title Honoring Nations on this web page. In addition, note Wilson Pipestem's name under the Spotlight as a new member of the Honoring Nations Board of Governors. Harvard was involved with the new Osage Constitution and all over our new government like white on rice from the outset. Taylor was on the Osage, LLC Board and when asked why he wanted to be on the OLLC Board, he said verbatim, "I want to give back to Harvard." The Osage Congress, during the confirmation hearing never asked him for a clarification as to what he meant nor did they ask him to enlarge upon the topic. Look where we are with this today! The followup on the warnings given about Leese, Morgan and Taylor went, I believe, largely ignored. One of the members of Congress voted to give them the first capital infusion and he is still a member of the Osage Nation Congress and the other is a former member and when I shared this information about Leese at the time he was hired, he said verbatim, "We have to give him a chance!" He now sits as a member of the Osage Nation Energy Services, LLC Board. I the effort to be heard on this issue, I posted information on Rauk Friend's Blog that was active at the time and also on Kent Ratcliff's OSA Blog so that these guys could be investigated. It was Raymond Redcorn and Anthony Shakelford who claimed responsibility for bringing the whole concept of the Osage, LLC to fruition as members of the Commerce and Economic Committee of the Osage Nation Congress and it was reported to me that the governing documents were based on the Ho-Chunk, Inc. governing documents and that we paid a princely sum for working with Lance Morgan to get this abomination set up. Ultimately, it's the Osage Congress who were responsible for confirming the Osage, LLC Board, for approving the Osage, LLC governing documents and appropriating the capital infusions and land transfers to the tune of nearly $20,000,000. They were warned and should be held just as responsible as Leese for what they have done over the years to initially provide and continue to provide over the years, the working capital for the Osage, LLC to survive which has lead to $19 MILLION DOLLARS of the Osage people's money lost to this ridiculous folly. Don't let them off the hook or pass the buck. Every single one of them who are responsible by their votes should be investigated right along with Leese for gross mismanagement of the Osage Nation treasury funds and real property that has been given to the Osage LLC and whoever is left in the Congress who has voted for any amount to be given should either resign or be shown the door! These are our representatives, they control the purse strings and they bear the largest responsibility of all.
Legislation identifying those who voted to give money, land or other support to the OLLC:
ONCR 14-06 Enacted FY14 A Resolution to express confidence in the ability of the Osage LLC Board to restructure and build our non-gaming business interest. ONCR 10-33 ENACTED FY10 A resolution to authorize the formation of Osage, LLC as a limited liability company organized under the law of the Osage Nation and wholly owned by the Osage Nation; and to make this authorization re... ONCR 09-03 ENACTED FY09 A resolution to consent to the transfer and conveyance of certain real property and business assets to Osage, LLC, a limited liability company wholly owned by the Osage Nation (Red Corn) ONCR 08-10 ENACTED FY08 A Resolution to adopt the articles of organization for the limited liability company, Osage LLC, to be formed under the Osage Nation Limited Liability Companies Act (Shackleford) ONCR 08-09 ENACTED FY08 A Resolution to adopt the articles of operation for the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, to be formed under the Osage Nation Limited Liabillity Companies Act (Shackleford) ONCA 12-112 ENACTED FY12 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution; and to provide an alternate effective date. (Edwards) ONCA 11-63 ENACTED FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution, for purchase of real property and investment in "The American" statue project; and ONCA 11-63 Enacted FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution, for purchase of real property and investment in "The American" statue project; and ONCA 11-61 ENACTED FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution; and to provide an alternate effective date. (Red Eagle) ONCA 11-61 Enacted FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution; and to provide an alternate effective date. ONCA 09-77 ENACTED FY09 An act to provide to the limited liability company, Osage LLC, for a capital contribution. (Red Corn) ONCA 09-35 ENACTED FY09 An act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution (Atterberry) ONCA 08-30 ENACTED FY08 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, for an initial capital contribution; to declare an emergency; and establish an effective date (Red Corn)
Find these irresponsible spending bills and more: http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/legislation-search
Oh and one more thing. I was online listening to a presentation of the Osage, LLC Board when Jonathan Taylor, after all that had been lost up until that time, had the ghastly audacity to ask the members of the Osage Nation Congress in attendence for TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS as a further and future capital contribution/infusion beyond the $19,000,000 in cash and land that they had already been given by the Osage Nation. This was truly a jaw dropping moment and one that I will never forget. All the while they were glowering over at the only member of Congress who stood at that time for holding them accountable for past losses, Kugee Supernaw. Imagine the further consequences if the Osage, LLC Board had been able to talk the Osage Congress into giving them that huge block of money. Redcorn, Shackelford and Red Eagle all worked it out through legislation associated with the governing documents so that the Osage Nation as the Member could only be hands-off and could only review the OLLC plan of operation voting it either up or down yearly; another Harvard Project concept that if the Tribes got involved, the businesses would fail so they have to be totally hands-off including, if I understand it correctly, any ability to get direct and straight answers as to the goings on of how Tribal money contributed is spent or, God forbid be able to swoop in and take a look at the books to scrutinize the balance sheets other than what is put out there directly by the Osage, LLC. I kept on and on about the need for trust with independent Tribal verification but that advice went unheeded as well. If a group of people know for sure that they don't have to come under scrutiny by order of the governing documents of a business entity, it makes the conditions ripe for bad fiscal things to happen and indeed, in this case, it certainly appears that it made conditions rife for exactly that!
I find it ironic that Jonathan Taylor has co-written this one: "WHY BEGGAR THY INDIAN NEIGHBOR?" That former Board member certainly beggared us enough when he was working for the Osage, LLC.
Since these are "Managing Boards" and the Osage, LLC had one of them what I want to know is why this very influential board member was never taken to task for the investment strategy he advocated when he was active. If I'm elected, that's one of the first things I intend to find out and do something about when I get into office.
Someone ate their wheaties. Lol. But all seriousness you did bring this up on the OSA. I had no idea Tina you took this a step futher. Good for you. I said the same thing, all those in Congress who voted on this matter to appropriate funding without doing the diligence are all responsible for the loss in the first place. And right and we must hold them accountable. Vote them out. Its always easier to spend money you dont see but whats worse nobody seems to care. Everyone went on face value, full spedd ahead with blinders on. What do you think is to happen absolute powwr corrupts. We need comprehensive legislation that forebids this type of behavior happens in the future.
Thank you. I've been quite concerned about this situation since the very beginning especially since no one would listen to me as a constituent when I offered information about it. That's yet another reason I'm running for office to be in a position to represent those of us on the outside who may have a more cautious approach towads those who come blazing in wanting millions of our dollars to spend.
The types of businesses that OLLC invested in lacked the capital equipment and other physical assets to secure a standard loan. OLLC mainly invested in services businesses and such businesses are only able to obtain lines of credit to support pre-payment of operating expenses necessary to the performance of contracts. In some cases they had to resort to factoring and this consumed most of the profit (and exceeded total profit in some cases).
The specific business you are referring to OLLC management having failed to perform proper due diligence is Echota Technologies. This company was founded in 1995 and had operated successfully for more than two decades. At its peak it employed more than 500 people. Its financial woes began with mismanagement coincident with a $122 million contract. Its decline in revenue resulting in major operating losses began when it graduated from the SBA's 8(a) SDB program and its government customers could no longer award it sole-source contracts or have the company participate in restricted procurements where it had better contract management and past performance than other 8(a) firms.
After the acquisition of Echota its management was directed to cease attempting to get work for Echota Technologies and to focus efforts on developing business for Osage Innovative Solutions and Osage Pinnacle Design Group. That is a recipe for disaster. Even if proper diligence had been performed then Echota Technologies would have failed when adhering to this guidance.
Hmm factoring do you not think the risk factors played a roll or the risk factors were not even considered, I understand fully how these licenses work. So if it was set up to fail from the get go then what do you think is going to happen, exactly. Set up the Nation so their pockets can get away without being held accountable in other words because on the face of it protocols were met just the standard changes sounds like an excuse just to get a paycheck. This is so convoluted. All the same does not take away the fraud that is going as we speak right?
There is little risk involved in factoring of invoices from a government agency. The company would have to completely fail to perform on the contract (as OPDG was on the verge of doing) in order to not be paid for work completed (of course, OPDG had not even started on the work for which the government issued cure notices).
It is evident that when a company is set up to fail from the onset that it will inevitably fail.
The group which is the true management of OLLC / Tallgrass is the Enterprise Board according to the Operating Agreement of each company. The Enterprise Board members were directly responsible for the failure and yet are not being held accountable. Neither Carol Leese, Bob Petre, nor any other member of management had any lawful authority to act without approval by a majority of the Enterprise Board voting in the affirmative.
You are correct that fraud is being committed, both against the Osage Nation and the federal government. The Enterprise Board members have represented to the Commerce Committee on multiple occasions a false financial picture of these companies which presented forecasts of profits but without accounting for the salaries of management personnel.
What should be done is to hold the Enterprise Board members accountable, but this will never happen because Osages would have to be sued and prosecuted.
A wonderful moment was when the list of those who have graduated with an Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate Degree with Osage Nation Scholarship funding was read out. The list just went on and on and on and I was so proud of these graduates and the Nation for helping them attain their educational goals. Watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1osm6Dbf6EM&feature=youtu.be
Remember that families all over the USA are having to look seriously at not sending their young people to college and university because the cost is so prohibitive. It's to the absolute credit of the Osage Nation that we are spending the People's money to send our young to get a higher education. THIS is really something to be proud of today and in the future.
If you are a member of the Northern California Osages, the Spring Meeting is now available at https://www.facebook.com/100011592279767/videos/511884635874608/
Here is the Chief promoting these damn LLCs again! https://www.instagram.com/p/BhvMH21gl6O/?igref=ogexp&utm_source=fb_www_attr
Get rid of this model. This is nothing other than setting up a pyramid scheme of companies to receive the Osage people's money that never start businesses on the ground or go to work doing much anything productive toward making a profit. This model may work with other Tribes but we don't know how to master it and we have the proof; the last 10 years of no return on our investment, no dividend and $22,000,000 gone forever! When is this Chief going to stop getting on the Merry-Go-Round on this concept? Kill it.
Start small and begin investing in individual businesses that will put Osage people to work on the ground. Enough of your fiscally destructive nonsense Geoffrey. And enough of that ONES, LLC with your pal Eddy as the Chairman who never saw a dollar come his way that he couldn't find a fast way to spend.
If we're being told the truth, the only one that's operating with at least a the possibility of a break-even is the Bluestem Ranch so they need to get it out from under Tallgrass to operate as a singular and independent LLC. Why they want to give more funding to it at this time, I'm still unclear. BTW, I've heard there isn't a loan on the property. It's being carried by the Casinos and if my information is correct, the loan is secured with income generated from the Casinos! Imagine taking on risk like that where you have income that's carried off to the bank and not there to run the Casino and pay the employees. Under the NIGC, is this even legal? That Casino income is supposed to be spent on that which benefits the Osage Nation membership, not used to act as collateral for loans and debt service. Chief is responsible for this and I don't give a damn if Galen Clavier hosts a re-election gathering to share constituent views with the Chief out in California. Either Galen Clavier has been totally hoodwinked or he has come off of his principals and that's a real shame because he has always been one of the most principled men I have ever known, bar none.
Using the casino money versus paying interest to a bank isn't a bad way to do business. It would be easier for the Nation to just open its own bank and then run its business loans through the bank. But its the same old story. Take an otherwise intelligent, college educated Osage, turn them into a politician and suddenly its: "Wut? We no understandum this "money" thing that you speak of" with 14 million dollars being "accidentally" lost. Just be glad the casinos make such a ridiculous amount of money that they can't steal all of it.
There's still a loan with a bank and we're still paying interest to the bank. It's if the loan fails, the only real income we have coming in is from gaming and if the bank took that, we'd have no government paid for and no casinos because they'd be sitting empty with no money to pay the employees to work in them. Open a bank? This sounds like another hair-brained ambition of the Chief.
The Bluestem Ranch only has a potential of "making a profit" when the fair cost of the use of the land is not accounted for. Businesses are typically charged an amount more than the cost of purchasing the land and its improvements, yet the Bluestem Ranch board is not even being burdened with a lease payment that even remotely covers costs. To claim this operation is profitable is ludicrous. That is the same type of fraudulent accounting that lets Tallgrass LLC (and Osage LLC before it) claim very low or non-existent General and Administrative overhead costs against its contracts. People who do not understand cost accounting are always doomed to financial ruin when operating businesses.
Just more creative accounting on the part of our crooked appointed officials that our crooked elected officials let pass or even promote who actually know better.
Yes, opening a for-profit bank to hold our own money and make interest off of loans is definitely a horrible idea. I keep forgetting our Osage traditions.
Agenda and conference call information for Tallgrass board meeting on Thursday. https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/sites/default/files/event-brochures/2018-0426_Tallgrass-Agenda.pdf
The guy that posted the Tallgrass agenda on Facebook is named Mark Abshire. He is anti-Tallgrass, but he has never disclosed that his wife worked for Tallgrass and was let go. Her name is Stephanie. She went to work for Compass consulting who is owned by Sharon Betram, who is the former Chief Financial Officer of Tallgrass, and may or may not have committed fraud. Our own Jill Jones also worked for Tallgrass, and she left under difficult circumstances that included ethics violations. I believe she still has something to do with the ONES group. http://useyourcompass.com/about/
Not one of these three women mention they were ever a part of the Tallgrass LLC on their webpage bios.
Ms. Bertram was brought to Tallgrass by Dave Stewart a former Tallgrass board member, who is good friends with our current Chief.
Mr. Abshire should probably quit running his mouth, because there are people who know what went on at that dumpster fire called Tallgrass LLC. What did your wife know Mr. Abshire? Did she go along with the fraud and outright thieving?
Now that’s a mouthful. Cronyism at it’s best. I just want to know who is obstructing the truth about the fraud that exists at present. Do we need to get a FOiA warrent? I don’t say or take this with a grain of salt here. Who is obstructing the truth?If someone has information in regards to do not protect the very people who are abusing the system, you become complicit.
To the previous poster: This is Mark Abshire. Your post has is inaccurate. My wife is not Stephanie Wycoff, who was fired from Tallgrass for embezzlement and then rehired by Kay Bills for $94K per year then promptly let go again. My wife resigned her position after becoming increasingly concerned about the unethical, nonprofessional and possibly illegal actions the board at that time were taking. The environment was toxic and employees were berated on a daily basis for asking any questions. She expressed her concerns to HR and the AG of the Osage Nation. No actions were taking until recently. The fraud going on was unable to be hidden any longer. As for Ms Jones and Ms Bertram, you have their contact information give them a call. Please post your contact information so I can contact you to discuss the accusations you have made. If not, maybe you should keep you mouth shut and remain a rat that scurries away when the lights a turned on. It's easy to make accusations when you are an anonymous, much tougher when you have to do it in person. As for Tallgrass, I am definitely a supporter. It's a shame that many people who believed in making it a success for the Osage Nation have been forced out. I hope now that inept and incompetent board leadership is leaving, it actually can be turned around.
And why would you take offense and make false accusations at someone for posting a public meeting agenda for a company owned by every Osage citizen? Make me wondered what you and your friends have to hide?
Sorry...Too Late the Phalarope... We're done handing out money that you and those like you make go away like a magic trick. Get your money from a bank if your ideas are so good. GOOOD LLLUUUK with that!
Mr Abshire you can understand why we have no confidence? And, until recent you just confirmed the fraud exists on this site which gives us further skepticism right? If there is nothing to hide expound on the fraud if you can please? In support of your cause explain why we should vest in ONE’S You give no sound bite. And at this point as I said in a comment below if you would read about what I said about my son who is Osage who opened his business from the ground up and has foreign buyers and it is how many years and dollars lost since the Osage Llc opened up and we are at ground zero still begging for money? Think about it. Fool me once shame on me. Fool me twice shame on me What did we not learn from the first time.
All I did was post a public notice for a public meeting by an Osage LLC that is wholly owned by the Osage Nation and ultimately the Osage people. Just thought that maybe someone, anyone would like to hear for themselves what is going on. I can post accusations here or give someone the ability to hear for themselves firsthand and make their own decisions. I have no financial stake in either Tallgrass or ONES. None of my family's income comes from either enterprise. As a member of the Osage Nation, who wouldn't I want their businesses to succeed? I don't believe in throwing good money after bad either. That's why I am encouraging everyone to get involved, do actual research and gather facts. Transcripts of all previous board meetings are available on request. Get them and make your own decisions. Listen to the congressional hearings and compare the two.
I'm quite certain that you would be highly concerned by the differences if you were to compare the recorded audio of the Enterprise Board meetings with the transcripts.
The meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over again coming out with the same results. When will the Board of adjustment understand this, not on our land no think you. What a conflict of interest. Here we are in the oil business and the very people who are the “ Green Energy Movement “ want to put turbines on our land, the very same people who would like to see the oil industry disappear. No thank you! Only in the end to create 7 jobs. We have set the precedent and won the judgement in a Court of Law. Why would they waste their time and the BIA’s time etc.. Let me answer because they can. Follow the money, but this is so much more then the green back. We are Sovereign and a Nation. Not just another race. Now the board of adjustments is borderline harassing the M.E
A group called Osage Impaction is having a candidates forum on Sunday May 6th at the Osage County Fairgrounds Ag Building from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The main person plugging this is Cris White who doesn't seem to like Osages all that much.
White's a non-Osage who acts like the troll under the bridge at Yancy Redcorn's facebook site. Has innumerable complaints for hate speech and harassment with the Facebook team that monitors internet trolls like him and and his daughter who has become more active of late. Luckily, Facebook is fully aware and watching his every move. I personally think he does the end runs on Facebook for the Chief and Eddy Red Eagle who used to be his father-in-law if I have that right. All the money in home pockets, all talk and no businesses to speak of until of late w/Tallgrass other than the Ranch but that's another can of worms that's also growing in immensity by the day. ONES, LLCs' Chairman, Eddy Red Eagle, had the audacity to insult the Osage people by asking the Congress for $1.1 million in the last regular session when they've been around for six years with nothing but seminars and missions and visions and not one business started in all that time! I'm beginning to think that it's all thugs and crooks and bullies running the show now just like it was with Jim Gray. A disaster of unbelievable magnitude. We need new people in office people who can get this thing turned around and soon.
Shut it down the ONE’S now! In less time my sons business is taking off with foreign buyers waiting in the back ground of his security business and he did not need one cent from the Osage and hands down ONES, these people do not know what they are doing. I have ran multi-million dollar businesses and I would have been fired already.
I can't believe Geoff let it come to this but I had my suspicions all along. He always was too full of himself. Heard he made a grade A ass of himself at his special meeting set up by Galen Clavier out in California last Firday by going on about himself and his accomplishments for a good 20 minutes before he ever got down to talking sense. At the break, a number of them who were bored to sobs ducked out and escaped any further meandering pontification. Too hard to bear up under, I guess.
reference - "We need new people in office people who can get this thing turned around and soon."
It's a "crime" that so many knew the LLC was failing (a crime to the Nation, the neighbor, the younger generation, a total moral crime) and so much revenue going down the drain and no one spoke up until years and years later.
I listened to Margo Gray on U Tube, why in the world she is running for the mc I cannot understand. She herself said she knows nothing about the oil industry. She stated several times that she is an entrepreneur and lots of business experience. I wish she was on a "Board" to guide the un-guided members. The present entrepreneurs were personally selected, not elected.
I think all the Nation's business venture departments should be dismantled and start completely over with a new organization. Maybe even send them to a SBA seminar. I've been to one many, many years ago, you can succeed with "common sense," do not have to have a business degree to make right decisions.
There should be no "independent" business venture departments that rely on the Nation's income for their success and pick them back up for their failures (over and over). I think Maria Whitehorn in a debate? said she would work closer with the LLCs? I'll see if I can locate that comment.
I like what you say but how many times at the expense to the constituents should we start up and start up again. How many times do we create a Government shut it down and create a new one? So we can get it right again? Our laws are weak, our Constitution is weak by no accident. Fundamentally we are flawed. Designed accordingly. This is why I will not be voting for the Grays. Their egos are so exposed for who they are and they still think some of us are stupid and truly that is not the case. They think they are better but they are not. I see them as wolfs in sheep clothing. Listen the MC said as much their hands are tied because of the way our trust is, what is it they all do on a daily basis? What are they getting paid for? To hold once a year oil expose? Announce once in a while a contribution is being made? Let put it this way, in short how is that we cannot take said control, yet the BIA obviously has no control and is all over the place? So how do you fix broken from the inside when in reality you cannot so what is it that the M.C does for the estate other than watch it crumble. You see I have a mind that we can take control without destroying the trust responsibility or obligation because we are federally recognized tribe we are sovereign and the BIA is doing a bang up job and we can do better babysitting the ME than the BIA can. What’s the difference, we have loyalty on this MC who are dedicated to the M.E. who can do the Job and get paid by the Federal Government and not by us. We need independent business but I get what you are saying. We do not know the logistics of what is going on with are assets where if any capital is coming in and where that capital is going? And by the way it looks it’s going no where. So in simple terms the meat of the pie is missing. Which gives the illusion of corruption going on. It’s our money not the Governments. The Government is working for us so when we try to hold them accountable there is none. Oppression by our own people will not be allowed or acceptable. Running a business isn’t that hard or a Government if it’s done right, but there are just to many wrongs.
Absolutely. The head of the household doesn't comply with the budget to keep things running smoothly. We, as members of the Nation, need to be able to participate more in highly controversial decision making like the purchase of the Ranch (in the form of special elections). Will the land ever make a profit to cover its cost? How much could the total dollar amount benefited Pawhuska and members of the Nation on all levels? We, members of the Nation, can make change through special elections, voicing our opinions through public media such as this blog by bringing awareness, and as members we have "individual rights."
I love the idea of the Osage people being able to vote in special elections on big ticket items like the purchase of the Bluestem Ranch. I will push for all of us to have a say in the ballot box on spending of this kind.
“It's a "crime" that so many knew the LLC was failing (a crime to the Nation, the neighbor, the younger generation, a total moral crime) and so much revenue going down the drain and no one spoke up until years and years later.”
I agree and there is one thing that must be made known here and now. I SPOKE UP AND NO ONE LISTENED BECAUSE I LIVE OUTSIDE OF OSAGE COUNTY AND NO ONE WAS WILLING TO HEAR WHAT I HAD TO SAY. It is a moral imperative that we get this spending under control and that those who are our elected representatives start listening to all of us no matter where we live and respond to do what we ask them to do in matters of this importance. IF THEY HAD LISTENED TO ME ALL THOSE YEARS AGO ABOUT THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE LLCs COMING FROM THE HARVARD PROJECT, THE HIRING OF CAROL LEESE AND THE APPOINTMENT OF JONATHAN TAYLOR TO THE OSAGE, LLC BOARD WHO IS THAT MAN FROM HARVARD WHO WRITES FOR THE HARVARD PROJECT, THE WARNING TO STOP CONTINUING TO GIVE THE OSAGE, LLC MILLIONS OF OUR DOLLARS OF CASH INFUSIONS OVER THE YEARS, THERE IS A LEVEL POSSIBILITY THAT NONE OF THIS WOULD EVER HAVE HAPPENED. Again. I spoke up and no one listened. This has to stop with this very election of officials and I am asking that you place me in the Congress so that you will have someone who will listen to what you have to say and to what you want done on matters of this importance to the future of the Osage Nation.
And we also need to do something about not re-electing those Justices on the Court from top to bottom, especially those who sit on the Supreme Court. The idea that we have a fixed amount that we can appropriate per year to comply with the Constitution and the salaries and pay raises are guaranteed by law which amount now to around $350,000 a year or more, yet the Supreme Court Justices say the Congress can't make decisions about how much the employees are paid or how many are employed? I'm telling you now, it won't be long before the only money appropriated is for those who actually work for the Osage Nation government itself and, by the way, all that money coming in for Federal programs, most of the employees already make too much money to qualify to receive any of it! The Federal funding is on the basis of the total number of registered Osage Nation members — 21,000 — who will receive absolutely nothing in benefits because it will all be going to pay for the government itself. Is this the government you were promised twelve years ago? It certainly wasn't what I was promised back then. Vote to get rid of these Justices when you mark you ballot or register your vote in the machines in Pawhuska. The very health and education and welfare of our Osage people is on the line here!
Sorry to sound off the way I did above but something has to be done and we have to make the difference because it's not going to happen any other way. We have 12 long hard years of proof of failure to accomplish so many important goals for all of the Osage people.
Last on the list are the three Justices who should be put out of office for how they have hog-tied our Congressional representatives in making wise decisions about how our money is spent including being forced to approve appropriations always increasing the gargantuan growth of this Osage Nation government just to be able put big money in home pockets. On behalf of the future of the Osage people, with each Supreme Court Justice listed, completely fill in the box in front of the word NO when you vote your ballot.
The sample ballot is shown right here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/osagenation-nsn.gov/files/departments/Elections/2018-0416_Election-Office_Official-Ballot-Sample.pdf
New Osage Museum Exhibit in the Year of the Women! Don't miss the Opening Reception. See the flyer at: https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1775411239186362/?type=3&theater
Tallgrass Board Meeting was held this morning. I'm hearing that changes are being made to cut down expenses and overhead. If anyone has a report in detail, please post the information. Thank you.
Native Tribes Could Lose Federal Recognition of Tribal Sovereignty Under Trump. See https://www.teenvogue.com/story/native-tribes-could-lose-federal-recognition-of-tribal-sovereignty-under-trump
And here we are with a large portion of $175,000,000 in debt. We lose Federal Recognition, we lose Trust status. If we lose Trust status we lose our lands in trust. If we lose our lands in trust we lose our Casino gaming. And then what?
We better hope and pray that the U.S. Congressional Osage Allotment Act of 1906 and all its amendments hold because it will be the only thing that saves us and our Mineral Estate Trust status. So all of you "Nation" folks who want to dump the 1906 Allotment Act as amended may want to rethink your position in the matter because it may be the only thing that stands in the breach and keeps us up on the map and financially viable as a Tribe, as a Native American Indian people. Lest we forget...a special thank you to Cynthia Boone, Paul Revard as an oil and gas producer, and all the others on the Minerals Council at the time who sent the proposed CFRs packing because it was believed that they would weaken the Trust relationship between the Osages and the Federal government.
Today, I had a really good conversation with Maria Whitehorn. In her remarks last weekend to the Northern California Osages, she spoke of the fact that she will do the unglamorous things. I like it, Maria. We need someone as the Chief of the Osage Nation who will get in the trenches, roll up their sleeves and work with the Congress on budgets and funding, not run in the other direction. Pitiful that you have to find out what the Executive Branch is up to in meetings 1250 miles away from Pawhuska. Shameful! Do we really need this kind of thing coming from the Executive Branch toward the representatives of the Osage people? See: http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/10/20/executive-branch-delivers-near-empty-boxes-congress-response-subpoena-requests/
She also spoke of the "Apache Model". This has to do with a Tribe of the Apache who have spent all the money they have available on their government employees' salaries and benefits to the point that they don't even have the money to buy pencils and paper to do the work the same employees are being paid to do! This is why we need to make some changes to our laws which now guarantee bonuses and salary increases to the government employees of the Osage Nation. This is entirely unnecessary and uncalled for when we have a fixed amount of money that is appropriated yearly with a cap known as the projected revenue figure. At this point, the Osage Nation elected officials are throwing everything but the kitchen sink into that figure including even the permanent fund to get the number up and this is a scandal as well. They always seem to want to fudge so many things and move the line around at will to get money into the pockets of those who live back home in what appears to me to be a built in vote-getting strategy with the various families come election time. This is not what the money in the Osage Nation Treasury is to be spent for or on.
Also this weekend, Scott Bighorse spoke of bringing a dance out to California for the Osages who live there. This is a great idea to help export the Culture and a worthy expenditure from the "Osage Gathering Fund".
I really do believe that Maria Whitehorn is worth a very serious look and constitutent consideration. See https://www.facebook.com/Whitehorn.for.Chief/
Q: And who more than anyone has secured the Apache Model as up ahead in the future of the Osage Nation?
A: Chief Justice Meredith (Quinata) Drent Associate Justice Elizabeth Lohah Homer Associate Justice Drew Pierce
Remember to vote against these three for the sake of the well being of the fiscal future of the Osage Nation. Just being able to have the budget justifications and program plans isn't enough. The power of the purse belongs to the Osage people through their elected representatives in the Osage Nation Congress. Take back this power on June 4, 2018 with your vote to do just that in the upcoming election.
On April 30th, 2,390 absentee ballots will be going in the mail...See https://www.facebook.com/OsageElections/photos/a.325577477492562.93036.250250828358561/1844013505648944/?type=3&theater
These macho power struggles initiated and carried forward by the two macho Chief's now in power in the Executive Branch are over the top. We don't need macho and braggadocio. We're in trouble with these preening egos and all this aggression from within and directed out. We need people who will acknowledge what is wrong and work together to fix it with workable solutions, most especially at the level of funding distribution for all of the Osage people. Think Maria Whitehorn and Otto Hamilton.
I'm gonna vote for Whitehorn. Not because she's woman but because she has a solid platform. We've had enough Grays, Redeagles, Redcorns, and one Standingbear too many. The nepotism, cronyism, and favoritism has only produced fraud, waste, and abuse. The government belongs to the people - not just certain families.
Love to read the words above. Time we started getting serious about what happens to our government and not let these families have free reign when they've proven that it's not in our best interest.
I'm reiterating the above comments cause I see things the same way.
I will be voting for M. Whitehorn and O. Hamilton. But it's not because I have a strong feeling they are the ones who will overturn the "wrongs" taking place before our very eyes and ears. The Nation is crumbling and so is the ME, it's a "desperation" vote.
Like families that barely make it to paycheck to paycheck to pay bills, rent, put food in children's stomachs, clothe them, keep gas in the car, the Nation already owes the next Casino paycheck and waiting for the next Federal funding paycheck too.
How is purchasing more land helping 21,000 members? How is the Ranch helping any member of the Nation? Can you move there and put a trailer there, no, the Chief says its for the buffalo. How do you measure 'value' (revenue) in the word "Pride?" The wind farms and the buffalo are using the land, not us, but we have Pride, and we can think about our Pride with each payment paid.
This problem with this second wind turbine farm making plans with the county representative and not us. It's like we're not even here? The county representative said he thought there would be a legal problem? WHERE IS THE COMMUNICATION? Does this have to do with the owning only the subsurface minerals? If any part of land not in "trust" open to companies coming in and doing what they 'will' to do? The superintendent said she was going to check into this new wind farm situation starting, looking forward to hearing her report in the next MC meeting. Isn't that first company's appeal to fight that they weren't mining still pending?
I recently seen on Indianz.com a similar problem between a tribe and their county. A county representative stated the Indians were not government and they did not have to deal with them.
Salaries and raises. The Federal government and on the state/city level too, have a "pay scale." It's based on skill level, job duties, and there's always the entry level pay.
If M. Whitehorn is elected, she has a lot on her plate. A lot will be expected of her.
Pray this next government does not continue to hurt its family by not being accountable to incoming revenue and continued massive loss of revenue and bailing out the LLCs. Any loss goes down on paper, no employee, including the Chief, goes home in the evening with any change our of their pockets, just another day of poor planning and decision making.
Sorry guys, I had to spend the day battling down the "harassment and bully relay team" of some of those who are members of the Facebook site, Osage Community for Responsible Citizenry through the day yesterday. I so love it when an Osage from a different Tribal community who collects a per-cap from that Tribe, isn't a member of the Osage Nation, but still wants to meddle in our Constitutional affairs, presumably, to grow the size of his own Osage headright check. Then, by simply asking determinative questions, you're accused of attacking the Osage registered with another Tribe and then you get swarmed for even asking pertinent questions about the person asking the lead question to begin with to get to the bottom of his motive for wanting to make the change to the Constitution he suggested in the first place. I guess somebody finally had to have the courage to step into the breach and make the Facebook team aware of what's going on over there. They're so phony on that site anyway because they go on and on about harassment and bullying as wrong and then pile on in the most feral way possible when they don't like what's being said. The sooner Facebook finally takes down that site or removes from having a Facebook page certain trolls, bullies and all that harassment going on over there the better. They just don't want people around who advocate for evenly distributing the money in the Osage Nation Treasury to all of the members. Anyone care to hazard a guess why?
Geoff has been spouting off about this for at least a couple years now. If he (or the Osage Nation) can get an OMC to pass a resolution that will convey Minerals unequivocally and without legal question to the Nation, then the Nation can enact a TERA, it's all theirs and they can form a fancy oil company with fancy salaries and fancy titles and be big deals. Minerals has always been the prize this Nation wants and nothing has changed that.
Now they are just trying to sell this as a cost savings measure. That would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. These people who purport to care about saving money are the same people who wanted to keep flushing money down ONES. They're fine blowing money on everything else. But Minerals, they suddenly get frugal and are worried about $32,000 a year? Lets not forget it was their commission in 2006 that raised the pay. Now it's all wrong....
They want it at 5 thinking they can more easily get the votes they want to pass the resolutions the Nation needs to finally get a firm grip on the Minerals. What happens if they only get two seats. In 4 more years are we gonna hear how we've got to have 8 or 9 chairs.
It's really to bad that in our tribe relationships trump everything, fore-thought, fiscal responsibility, business acumen, the law, facts, or just plain common sense. And MERIT our long-time-ago traditional path to leadership, that's completely forgotten about and gone, has been for a long time now. I live on the rez and I see it every frickin day. It is disgusting and disheartening.
To many of the on-rez Osages work for the Nation and there aren't enough off-rez Osages who have a clue about how bad it is to effect change. It's not a pretty picture for our future.
Chenge comes hard for the Osage but here we are because we have been on this roller coaster for years. When asking a Government about a Per-Cap they give you the merry go round. Excuses are like everyone has one right. Our Government started out by a lie had good intent but greed went to the way side . My opinion you know who was harmed was the Headright owners. No proper vetting or a vote to become a Government, tells me we have a de facto Government. The meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over again and guess what this proven so far as the facts before us verify. We can do what is right and right side this Government or we can re write the Constitution or we can shut it down. I would like us to play fairly. I for one do not want to see failure but we are already there. I am still upset about the purchase of the Ranch. I have little faith but Maria Whitehorn I hope she advocates for accountability and take a look at what is going on from with in and get that Per-cap out, at least to the Headright owners .
The following Candidates have filed to run for Minerals Council in the upcoming election:
ReplyDelete1) Paul Revard
2) Joe Cheshewalla
3) Cynthia Boone
4) Kathryn Redcorn
5) Margo Gray
6) Stephanie Erwin
7.) Marsha Harlan
8.) Susan Forman
9) Myron Red Eagle
10) Andrew Yates
11) Linda Heskett
12) Robert E. Yarbrough
13) Talee Redcorn
14) Everett Waller
Brandy Lemon announces her candidacy for Osage Nation Congress
http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/03/29/brandy-lemon-announces-her-candidacy-osage-nation-congress/
MC Candidate Final:
Deletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/minerals-council-election-board-information
This one is a DOOZY! 1% of the Annual budget for merit pay recognition -->> now set by law at $600,000 plus a year? And $350,000 set aside for this year? Is this insane or what?
ReplyDeleteThis bill is trying to change the above requirement in the current law:
Consideration of ONCA 17-121, An Act to amend 19 ONC § 3-106 of the Osage Nation Workforce Pay for Performance Act, to clarify Merit Performance Recognition and Merit Compensation structure and funding and to establish an alternate effective date. (Edwards)
Since when does a government legislate how much in monetary pay raises the employees get, year in and year out, when you are working with a fixed budget amount like ours that cannot go above the projected revenue. How totally corrupt is this? Pretty soon the only thing being paid for will be the government that serves only itself with no benefits for the Osage people and all of it political just to keep votes "in pocket" for future elections. WOW all over again.
The CEO of the Tallgrass/Osage LLC resigned today. They can't pay their bills ad are close to defaulting on government contracts they are administrating. This is the same bunch that gave away $18 million. If they default on the contracts the Nation will be black balled from receiving any future contracts. Does Congress prop them up to avoid the black eye? If they do then that LLC needs to be disolved. They can't manage anything.Remember your Chief put his buddies in charge of this enterprise.
ReplyDeleteThe new ONES LLC is lobbying Congress for over a million dollars to start their new plan. The new plan is to get government contracts. Good luck if Tallgrass/Osage PLC goes down in flames.
I am so damn sick of hearing about these crap-crazy useless worthless LLCs that only came into being with the Harvard Way imported to us from that Lance Morgan and Jonathan Taylor; that Osage, LLC. Board member who writes all those papers for the Harvard Project who helped, probably in large part, $18,000,000 of our money invested in OLLC go poof! And who together with that Carol Leese had the audacity to ask outright for another cash infusion of $20,000,000 in one lump sum that the Osage Nation elected officials had, by that time, gotten smart enough not to give them. This model or metric or whatever buzz word you want to apply, DOES NOT WORK FOR US so have the guts and the smarts to give these LLC's the boot and start over. Get rid of these "managing" Boards, they do nothing but eat our Osage Nation Treasury alive and lose million and millions of our Casino and other revenue. Do the right thing, for once, and make all of these LLCs go away!
DeleteThe new Ones llc is starting like the old Osage llc. No experence and political appointees. A proven formula for failure.
ReplyDeleteI am so damn sick of hearing about these crap-crazy useless worthless LLCs that only came into being with the Harvard Way imported to us from that Lance Morgan and Jonathan Taylor; that Osage, LLC. Board member who writes all those papers for the Harvard Project who helped, probably in large part, $18,000,000 of our money invested in OLLC go poof! And who together with that Carol Leese had the audacity to ask outright for another cash infusion of $20,000,000 in one lump sum that the Osage Nation elected officials had, by that time, gotten smart enough not to give them. This model or metric or whatever buzz word you want to apply, DOES NOT WORK FOR US so have the guts and the smarts to give these LLC's the boot and start over. Get rid of these "managing" Boards, they do nothing but eat our Osage Nation Treasury alive and lose million and millions of our Casino and other revenue. Do the right thing, for once, and make all of these LLCs go away!
Delete6 years these bstrds have been plowing through our money. Get rid of ONES, LLC and throw that rubbish out just like Osage LLC and Tallgrass too. When is enough enough? None of these contacts are being managed properly anyway without costing us more money than they're worth in the long run so bite the bullet, pull the plug and finally, once and for all, get it done.
DeleteThe casino revenue does not belong to the Osage people. The revenue belongs to the Osage Nation. The Osage Nation is a government entity that owns the casinos. The Osage people and the Osage Nation are two separate entities. The people who run the Osage Nation control the purse strings and they will spend the casino revenue on themselves.
DeleteYes, it is a corrupt system and it was designed this way from the very beginning. The Osage people and shareholders were duped by a few larceny ridden people who seek to ruin the shareholders and use the Osage people for federal dollars.
The Osage people have no say on how the casino revenue is spent. Only those on the hill get to truly benefit from the casinos.
Even the SCOTON got that much right. The Osage people own the gaming enterprise and the revenue it generates:
Delete“Ultimately we are the owners of the Gaming Enterprise – the Chief’s office, the Osage Congress,” said Gill, which prompted an interjection from Drent.
“There are actually three branches of government and all three branches are stewards of the Nation and stewards of the Nation’s resources,” Drent said. “I want to make it very clear when we talk about ownership … it is the Osage people that own that enterprise.”
See http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/03/04/supreme-court-hears-oral-arguments-standing-bear-v-whitehorn-case/
As such, we, the People of the Osage Nation, have every right to a fair share of that income!
I am for standing up for the Osage people, putting them first and the government second. I'm for listening to what the Osage people want by way of government spending, not what the government wants to spend on the government. We have suffered for years under the rule of politicians who will tell you what they think you want to hear and then do exactly what they want to do. Politicians, by the way, who, I am told, are using the Osage Nation Treasury as a way paying off those who work for the Osage Nation government in a ploy to get the employees to continue to vote for them with the veiled threat that they will lose their big job with their huge salary if another politician is elected in their place. Those Osage Nation members who don't work for the government deserve better from the Osage Nation government and the elected officials than this and I intend to see that they get what they deserve if I'm elected. This is not what we were promised this government was going to be for all Osages twelve years ago.
DeleteWho in the hell told the above pister the income derived from the Casino's is not ours lol. B.S.
DeleteAnother thing,I can bri g this Gov't to a halt too.
Don't think I cannot.The Natiom is not Sovereign the people are. Ignorance must be bliss. This Government tge Nation owns nothing we do. Tina is right
She has my Vote!!!
DeleteAnd Tina I hope you get to the bottom of ONES Llc. Bluestem Ranch and go thru with fine pick and nail our,Constitution, if need be take it to a constitutionalist Lawyer.
DeleteThere is do much that needs to be rolled back,ammended. Get the cronyism out and nepotism. Those that hold more than one position out. Smh. This list can go on for miles it seems. Ckean the sawmp and a per-cap. Still waiting for a turkey voucher
I will be grateful for your vote. I tell you now; the very first bill I will sponsor on the floor of the Congress will include a Turkey Voucher. YOU have waited long enough! ONES, LLC., OLLC and Tallgrass will be my top priority, I guarantee you that.
DeleteThanks. It's something and just the thought makes a world of difference . Looking forward to meeting you one day.
DeleteYou. too. Be sure to mention that Turkey Voucher.
DeleteTo poster at March 31, 2018 at 1:29 PM.
DeleteMy comment was made with Indignant sarcasm. The Casino revenue is supposed to help the Osage people but those thieves on the hill garner everything for themselves. They play with the casino revenue as if it were their own funds. Outrageous salaries, unwarranted merit pay, bi-annual raises for relatives of congress, and more perks than ever.
Casino employees are not paid very well and the turnover rate is getting worse. They are treated like slaves and hardly ever get a pay raise. In fact, the casinos actually LOWERED the pay scale at the casinos. Employee morale and dedication is non-existent.
The employees work hard with little reward, little pay, and little chance of advancement. The Osage casinos are the Walmart of the Indian gaming industry.
In Health Committee today, a reference to the Health Hearing on Thursday was made by Congresswoman Edwards. Though the Agenda does not state that a Hearing will take place, I have printed the Agenda for the Health Committee below:
ReplyDeleteThursday, April 5, 2018 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Health and Social Services Committee Meeting
Osage Nation Capitol Building
100 W. Main, Pawhuska
April 5, 2018
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Agenda
Call to Order
Roll Call
Prayer
Approval of Minutes
Review and Possible Action on Assigned Legislation
Meeting with Executive Branch / Health / Clinic Officials RE: Official Business
OFPR Reports on Health Entities
Review Financials
Old Business
New Business
Adjournment
Listen in live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
DeleteTime is CDT.
DeleteOK...here we go.
ReplyDeleteThe Osage News Editorial Board met with the AG today, April 4 at 1:30 p.m., in a Special Meeting (public meeting) to discuss the matter (that the Osage News may have to cancel the remaining Osage News Candidate Debates for the Congressional candidates and the Minerals Council candidates) in executive session. We should know something about this meeting and what was decided soon, so stay tuned...
Here's the final word from Shannon Shaw Duty:
DeleteCandidates,
The Osage News Editorial Board has canceled the Congressional and Minerals Council candidate debates on April 14 and April 28. However, I have been in touch with a new local grassroots political organization called Osage Impact, organized by Celena White and Jennifer Tiger. Hopefully, they will be able to provide debates for candidates in the near future.
To read the Osage News story about the cancellation, click on this link: http://osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/04/osage-news-editorial-board-cancels-future-candidate-debates/
Again that credit swap is coming back on the scene and will be discussed today. See the Agenda:
ReplyDeleteCommerce, Gaming and Land Meeting
Osage Nation Capitol Building
100 W. Main, Pawhuska
April 5, 2018
2:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. CDT
Revised Agenda
Call to Order
Roll Call
Prayer
Approval of Minutes
Presentation by the firm Derivative Logic on behalf of the Osage Gaming Enterprise Board (Credit Swap Presentation)
Discussion with the Gaming Enterprise Board on revenue projection for Fiscal year 2018 and 2019
Executive Session to discuss confidential proprietary matters
Consideration of Legislation
Adjournment
Listen in live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
Gamble? A lot of fun. OK. Here we go...
DeleteIf we can't find the money to pay the stipends of the Board/s, where are we going to get the million/s for a credit (default?) swap?
Now this is a perfect moment for a Town Hall meeting with the constituents where they can participate in the discussion and ask questions.
DeleteMeeting is now live and the representative from Derivative Logic.
DeleteMake whole payments? Based on the market. Lock and float for 90 days? Buy up all of these? So we have to buy more than one of these swaps over time 25 to 50 of them? Wait a minute... $24,000,000 for the casino has been taken out so far (of the total amount of the loan planned for the casino) and the ranch loan is $50,000,00. Timing and term of the swap agreement? One or more? June of 2021 is the maturity of the loan? A synthetic fixed rate lone. Loan is prepaid and then can break the the swap agreement. Will we have to buy out of the swap agreement then? Tear it up? What? Where is the damn presentation with an explanation as to what this even is? Spouting language we have no idea of what it even means?
DeleteCrystal ball? How the hell does this product benefit us?
DeleteWalk away from this. I have no idea what is on the graph. Pay off the loan as fast as possible and get out. Why pay a million or more when at maturity we will have paid $800,000 in interest. What is the cap on the loan we have right now?
DeleteWe've lost a half a million in three months? How is that? By paying interest? I don't believe one word of this. They need a waiver of sovereignty to do this? Do not give it to them. This sounds like smoke and mirrors. Keep losing money? NO! NO! NO!
DeleteWalk away? I don't like the CFO's tone of voice. You do need permission or you wouldn't be there in the meeting with the Congress. Do not do this!!!!!!!!
DeleteWALK AWAY!
DeleteNO! NO! NO! Refuse this deal NOW!
DeleteNow tied to all the three tranches? NO! I heard only one trance would be involved. The story changes every time I hear about this situation.
DeleteTell these people to get lost!
DeleteIf we pay this off fast then we will be tied into something with a prepayment penalty. On the loan or the credit default swap or both.
Delete???
DeleteSo the casinos are pledged as collateral and not the ranch? Wait a minute...
DeleteThis man is a professional and his explanation made no sense at all to me. This man is not a professional from my point of view. Again here comes Mark Simms...
DeleteDo not give them the waiver.
DeleteI want to see the bill for loan where we owe half million more on the loan in the last three months. How much are these fees? If you don't know how much the fees are then you are abdicating your job as a member of Congress.
DeleteDo not give this a positive recommendation in Committee on this legislation. I know no more from this presentation than I did before the meeting started.
DeleteNothing has been cleared up with me. WTH? This has been no "presentation" at all from my point of view.
DeleteChief... I hope you're listening to this so called presentation and then the guy from Derivative Logic makes the statement that he has to leave to get back to Tulsa? For what? So he can be home by 5:00 p.m.? This was no logic I've ever heard of in my life. Thanks for nothing!
DeleteWOAH! If this stands as a shining example of due diligence on the part of our Congress, it is in total absentia! WOW!
Delete
DeleteThis isn't good with me. I heard a bunch of gobbledegook financial terms bandied about on the air that were not properly explained. If this serves as an explanation, I don't guess the Congress really feels it needs one but this isn't any kind of due diligence I've ever heard of...this man was called in to give a presentation not make comments on the presentation given by Mr. Stienke, the CFO of gaming! This is why we need new people in Congress who will ask more questions and demand at least a price on the cost of these financial instrument/s going forward. Derivatives, my eye!
This is the usual and same snow job that we got from that Carol Leese and that former Osage, LLC. Board member who writes for the Harvard Project.
DeleteBogus as hell!
DeleteI bet it's bogus. When its to good to be true then it probably is.
DeleteHow can we forget Carol Leese and how he got away with the Millions, because there was no stewardship.
Poorly written contract if any.
And no diligence,only opens doors to corruption. And by no accident.
Its a win fall to the tunes on millions costing the constituency and end must come to a end. Lock that money ip today and lets start filing FOIA. Get a private company to investigate everyones accounts.
Our Government, Congress newds to clean the swamp alright or all be subpoenaed for not honoring the oath of office of a took. Smh.
Lol, sorry for typos.
DeleteHave a Ipad but it will not allow me to comment using phone. Fingers to big
Rex (Evans) is the name of the man giving the "professional presentation" at http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/5c_ce_2018-4-5_pt-1/
DeleteSee https://derivativelogic.com/company
Another alien getting ready to invade?
DeleteIf we pre-pay the loan we may have to buy out of the swap depending on market conditions? So we save money, if we don't have a prepayment penalty, on prepaying the loan but may get stuck paying it back to the swap company to get out of the swap contract? That's a negative, niner.
Deletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/business/credit-default-swaps-are-insurance-products-its-time-we-regulated-them-as-such/2012/03/05/gIQAAUo83R_story.html?utm_term=.b377220fbd30
DeleteBoth Joe Tillman and Shannon Edwards voted no and the rest yes (!?!) This is another one that will come home to roost.
DeleteTallgrass / Osage has reported "success" in that the operating subsidiaries have a number of contracts they've "turned around" but the combined companies have $700,000 in debt and cannot pay their bills as they come due. Any true measure of success would include not only operating at breakeven but also turning a profit. The Osage Nation has $1.5 million allocated for business development this year and you can bet that Tallgrass / Osage will be asking for a large part of it, if not all.
ReplyDeleteLets see they turned the contracts around. Hmm
DeleteLets see them, Lets look at the real numbers. and yet they need another infusion of cash. How much have we lost to turn these contracts around?
This is a dead issue that the elected officials refuse to say die. They are way out beyond their duty of prudence as stewards of the public funds of the Osage Nation. The Board has blown up again with another resignation last week of Kay Bills as well as the CEO of the Osage, LLC quitting a few days before that. Jim Parris now appears to be the real problem now that the dust is beginning to settle and wants control over the women within his sphere as he doesn't play well with them. He's been there since the very beginning and I heard at one point that there was some sort of ethics problem with him somewhere along the line. This is irresponsible to give this loser any more money at any time ever. 8-A Contracts or not. They would only mismanage them anyway from what is being heard whispered behind closed doors. At some point it becomes unethical to continue to feed money to an organization with people who have no idea what they are doing in a managing role. It IS the Osage alien on board our Ship of State and so is that ONES, LLC by any other name that should be added to the banned list for any future Congressional appropriations.
DeleteThere is more than one who has ethical problems that was associated with the Osage/Tall grass board. Ms. Jones who works for the ONES board now, resigned from Tall grass for ethical problems and potential destruction of records. She resigned rather than be fired. She's running the ONES group? Don't fool yourselves, these jerks move from one entity to the next looking for an Osage paycheck
DeleteOf course. That's why we need ethical people in office to stop these bad actors from gaining access to an Osage Nation paycheck.
DeleteParris was not re-confirmed by the Osage Nation Congress yesterday. Many thanks to the members of the Osage Nation Congress who voted against him. We ARE making progress.
DeleteThe Constitutional amendment taking away the right of the Osage people to vote on Justices and Judges died a quick death in Session today when it was resoundingly voted down by the members of the Osage Nation Congress.
ReplyDeleteNo bloods honoring the Full Bloods. Trippindicular. How much is this going to cost? Eddy Red Eagle again. Of course. He's supposed to be related to some member of the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark Expedition) so he for sure can't be a real Full Blood. For certain 8? And they have verified 7. Can of worms. Get a NGO committee to raise funds... this shouldn't be something our government should be funding.
ReplyDeleteFirst you have to grow up before you can handle money.
ReplyDeleteThen:
You have to have some track record of success before you get handed more that $50,000 of start up capital.
You have to have people working for you that can handle the responsibility of 8A Contracts who are capable of getting the job done and done well whatever that is.
Who is that who is speaking in the Commerce/G&L Committee meeting? He sounds like another garden variety idiot that they always have as a touted "expert" to come in and speak who is anything but!
If they are going to default then they have been allowed and supported to get to that point by the Board and we need to separate ourselves from these people who are controlling these business enterprises and terminate them and the dead beat businesses that keep bleeding us of our money. We have people who need food, clothes and shoes and here you are throwing away money on these losers that will never ever be successful? Get these people out of office who would even think about giving that Osage, LLC or Tallgrass another dime of our money and that includes that ONES, LLC. What you need are people who are capable of actually doing work effectively and well not a Board that has no idea how to hire people to do the work or even know how to determine if they can do the work. Perfect example of this is Will Kimble. The man speaking has not made payroll, has been sued and threatened by the U.S. government? There to educate? This man is the expert? What the living hell? Take some really good advice and get rid of these LLCs. $400,000? NO NO NO NO NO Stop asking questions that you know the answer to and have known all along. Draw the line and get on with it. If it's your baby and it's a matter of ego and you've been wrong, for the sake of the Osage Nation and the Osage people, get past it and move the hell on!
The career disappation light was flashing on this holding company concept long ago and has gone out completely.
DeletePayday status. Now this is what it's all about with these people.
Sweat labor? Come on Eddy Red Eagle. Since when has this ever happened with you or any board member? You have been up on the table for six years and haven't made a dime for the Nation. And you want more than a million dollars? Say NO and send this guy home. How much do we have endure here with you people and you take issue when we identify your behavior as stupid? Nothing held back, Eddy? Who cares? You haven't made money in SIX YEARS. That's enough time to identify you as a total loser. We're not interested in your vapid vision. Get a grip and snap out of it! I'm beginning to think that the worst thing that has ever happened to this government is Eddy Red Eagle and all of the others in the bread and soup line just like him. Disgusting! Horrifying! The real disrespect is that these people have the audacity to keep coming back for the Osage people's money and you keep giving it to them! Your name is on a legislative bill or a vote up that passes to give these dead beat-dead end outfits money, it will appear everywhere on social media to expose your blatant irresponsibility and to see to it that you aren't re-elected to office! Read this last sentence again 10 times and think very carefully about what you have read word by word because this isn't a threat. It's a promise.
We must begin to see these people who come asking for outrageous sums of money for what they are. The elephant is in the living room here and everyone is afraid to tell the truth and that is this...they are nothing less than predators who come to raid the public funds of the Osage people. We must rid ourselves of these people as soon as possible. All people on these boards must be made to sign an agreement that they will become personally financially responsible and liable to the full extent of their private wealth for any financial losses that are incurred while they are sitting on these managing boards that control our enterprises and receive money from the Osage Nation. That ought to begin to turn things around.
DeleteAnd double liability including debtors prison in Turkey for that gaming board and their big idea to start buying synthetic derivatives from that guy at Derivative Logic, Jim Griffin, who has bounced around a whole lot and is in the Indian Tribal Finance Loop:
Deletehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmygriffin
http://tribalbusinessjournal.com/news/industry-leaders-finance/
The guy is also recently on the Advisory Board of Zed Network, that aims to create a blockchain-powered internetwork of global money transfer operators.
Just EXACTLY what we need... a smooth operator that can move our appropriations around the globe with with a lightning fast internetwork of money transfers that will be lost and gone forever...
You read it here first folks!
Information on ZED Network
Deletehttps://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/04/03/1458992/0/en/ZED-Network-Announces-Advisory-Board.html
https://zed.network/
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteYou have got to hear this to really believe it! Listen to this expert when Kugee tries to pin him down on 8A contracts. Then listen to Eddy Red Eagle try to schmooze the members of the Congressional Committee and then saying that they are making the ONES, LLC wait for the appropriation because it's been scheduled in Committee this late in the Session?!?!?!?!!!!!!! A few Eddy highlights:
Delete"...Business is complex, it's made that way." Such wisdom Eddy, it nearly breaks the bank.
"...because we believe in our management team, experience and techniques...to the extent of asking you for a million dollars."
"To put our management team under another Board...would be very disrespectful."
"...the situation with Tallgrass...needs to be learned from (with empahsis)." Learned from? They never learn Eddy and apparently, neither do you.
The Boards for both Tallgrass and Osage, LLC are blowing up as we read and write with Janice Dearmon, the CEO of both LLCs about to bail, Kay Bills walked last week, Kay Martin is rumored to be about to roll off the ship together with Megan Cruz. Under the circumstances, the Congress will be grossly negligent to give either one of these two LLCs another dime of the Osage people's money.
Listen to all these mugwumps discuss the situation
http://mixlr.com/osage-nation/showreel/5c_ce_2018-04-09_pt1/
This reminds one of Sarah Palen, you don't have to make up jokes just repeat what Eddy said. The sad thing he said was that the Congress was being disrespectful to ONES because they have to wait for a million dollars of the people's money. Can someone find a violin and play a sad tune for Eddy. And keep it handy to play a sad tune for the Osage people if they do give ONES a million.
DeleteAnd an even more sad tune for any incumbent member of Congress who votes to give any money to any LLC before this election or after it. Haven't you put us through enough? We need the money you're throwing away on these useless business entities. Don't you even bother to care about the well being of the very Osage people you have pledged to serve?
DeleteKeep the violin handy to play a sad song for Otto who sponsored the 1.1 million dollar bill. No matter what OTTO THE UNCONSCIOUS will be OTTO THE UNEMPLOYED soon.
DeleteAs far as these worthless business entities go, the only song I want to stop hearing is this one:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJOjTNuuEVw
Just getting caught up here. All I have to say is don’t play with our money and think it’s funny and now with the resignations of the board members of the Llc concerning fraud.
DeleteTo poster on April 9, 2018 at 8:56 PM
Delete"Don't you even bother to care about the well being of the very Osage people you have pledged to serve"?
NOPE.
The Osage government only benefits those on the hill and their families.
Angela Pratt announces her candidacy for the Osage Nation Congress
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/09/angela-pratt-announces-her-candidacy-osage-nation-congress/
This Osage News notice has recently turned up:
ReplyDelete"BREAKING: Tallgrass Economic Development LLC and Osage LLC board members Kay Bills, Megan Cruz and Kay Martin have resigned after allegations of potential fraud have been discussed." See more information at https://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1762946897099463/?type=3&theater
No surprise. We have to close the loopholes or shut this de facto government down.
DeleteDue to Kay Bills' narrative of the harum-scarum manner in which we apparently are doing business associated with our government contracts awarded to Tallgrass at https://www.facebook.com/groups/yanman/, I am calling for a long overdue Congresssional Hearing on all of our LLCs.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen millions and millions and millions go down the drain with no clear establishment of the fact that these business enterprise boards are even capable of establishing a proper and legitimate diversification of Osage Nation business development. It's been called for, for a very long time, that our representatives in Congress who are as responsible for our money as anyone else, call for an official Congressional Hearing with proper subpoenas and a particular scheduled date with regard to all of these LLCs that have received money in appropriations of the Osage people's money since the Constitutional government took over in 2006.
DeleteWe can no longer stand for these LLC's running through though vast sums of our money with no accountability from the Osage Nation government especially from the Congress that appropriated the money and is wholly responsible for what happens to it.
DeleteThe buck stops with our Congressional members should they be held accountable you bet.
DeleteI am already on the band wagon. I want a investigation on how much is lost. And shut them down ASAP.
DeleteTIME TO CALL THE AG?
When Kay Bills first joined the board I considered calling her to discuss not potential but actual fraud committed by the LLCs in order to gain federal contracts. However, I perceived my comments would not be well received so I held my tongue.
DeleteIt was my reasoning that anyone who had a knowledge of federal contracting and the 8(a) SDB program requirements would discover the fraud on their own upon review of the filings with the SBA, the proposals submitted to win the contracts, and the records of contract performance.
I've been waiting for the LLCs to become fiscally solvent so that I could file a Qui Tam action under the False Claims Act and pocket between 15% and 30% (as an award fee) of the damages. Under the False Claims Act the total damages can be three times the total value of the contracts. Given the structure of the businesses and claims made in the Osage County District Court that to argue that these entities are not separate and apart from the Osage Nation but are instrumentalities thereof, it could even be possible to attach any judgment by the federal government to the casino revenue.
The Commerce Committee really should learn more about the 8(a) Small Business Development program and review the filings made with the SBA, proposals in response to RFPs, and contract performance documents in great detail. They've been funding businesses which were committing fraud from the onset and are now performing on contracts that are based on the fraud.
BTW, the grants for building out Internet infrastructure require 15% of the award amounts to be matched with private funds. A total of $850,000 has been awarded and that leaves Tallgrass / Osage to come up with $127,500 in matching funds. This wasn't disclosed by the LLC management to the Commerce Committee in the recent meetings. I wonder if the board members were made aware of this requirement.
If you read Kay's posts there are a few things that need to be clarified.
DeleteTallgrass Technology Services is just an alias for Osage Innovative Solutions.
Tallgrass Construction Services is just an alias for Osage Pinnacle Design Group.
You can look up these company registrations at https://sam.gov
POCA stands for Performance Oriented Construction Activities.
The POCA was procured based on fraud. As Kay noted, OPDG did not even own a hammer - and what was not mentioned is that Pinnacle Design Group (without the Osage) provided the architectural engineering and construction expertise and past performance necessary to win this and other contracts as OPDG had no background at all and no capability to perform on its own.
SATOC stands for Single Award Task Order Contract. The award of this contract is wholly reliant upon the fraudulent past performance of OPDG on the POCA and other contracts where PDG was the entity that actually performed all of the contract requirements. OPDG was nothing but a front that marked up the bids of PDG and provided no value whatsoever until the relationship with PDG was brought to an end.
Jim Parris is fully aware of the fraud committed by the LLCs. He has also been implicated in financial improprieties such as self dealing, but the matter was not pursued because those in charge didn't want to harm his reputation and career.
DeletePutting Jim back on a board is like voting for a fox with a dead chicken in his mouth and feathers scattered all around him to guard the hen house.
This is so convoluted.
DeleteMoney laundering anyone.
This happens when you open one Llc after another and throw money after money away with no diligence and worse I am beginning to think everyone is in cahoots with each other all the way to the commerce committee, including our Congress.
Do you know how many turkey vouchers thru the years we could have given to our constituents who at times probably struggle financially? Who would appreciate the thought.
We need to reign in this Government spending period.
And Maria Whitehorn is running for Chief and the one we got is bad enough and she is a part off the problem as well, and to think we are not having the debates live what a crock of poo.
Self dealing what? Money to himself? Jim Perris? No accountable action taken because everyone is self dealing?
DeleteAbsolute power corrupts. We need to cut the purse strings for the next decade thanks to the morons. I have lost confidence in this Government.
DeleteWhat I don't understand is why Parris has been there from early on if not from the very beginning. Why would they keep the guy on through the loss of $19 million -- probably now $20,000,000? What did they think he would do that he didn't do in the first several years? If he's reconfirmed tomorrow, we need to take a very hard look at who votes for him who is also seeking re-election.
DeleteCongresswoman Goodfox, Plan "F" includes 100 days of skilled nursing for the elderly who are on this Medicare Program that is being offered to the elders by the Osage Nation that pays for it. This comment is in response to your remarks today in the Government Operations Congressional Committee Meeting. See http://www.tmkcdn.com/General/GRP3209_OsageNation/GRP3209_2018/GRP3209_171027.html
ReplyDeleteSee the Chief Candidate Speakers at the Texas Osage Association Meeting last weekend that have been uploaded to YouTube far:
ReplyDeleteMaria Whitehorn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qj4iPnt_jo
Chief StandingBear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoJ4UPcf5Po&feature=youtu.be
Raymond Redcorn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVVLuC1kmoo&feature=youtu.be
See the Minerals Council Candidate Speakers at the Texas Osage Association Meeting last weekend that have been uploaded to YouTube:
ReplyDeletePaul Ryan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybfL4jsBZRk&feature=youtu.be
Susan Forman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOr69c-6Qvw
Andrew Yates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjym9bdjZLg
Everette Waller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YznVmIx5un4
Did anyone listen to the emergency Tallgrass,LLC board meeting this morning? Just wanted to see what the latest "emergencies" are. I was not able to get on the call at 9.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's looking good.
DeleteToday's meeting Agenda is located at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/events/tallgrass-economic-development-llc-board-meeting-6
DeleteNo its not. Just read the article in the Osage news.
DeleteRed flags all over the place yet there is a reason for this. Millions are gone. Lost on no where projects with such high hopes.Yeah right.
If you tell a lie enough people will begin to believe it. Congrees took the bait as usual. On face value. We know this person for such along time he must not be lying. Cronyism working hard for us right.
For truth is the mortal enemy.
The Nations lie,they own this and everyone involved.
Not one person knows what they are doing. Nor did anyone do the diligence either. Our Congress is the last stop and do you think anyone did the diligence nope!!
http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/15/chief-and-congress-attempt-find-fix-struggling-business-arm-nation/
DeleteBring on the election, though I am steaming mad we do not have live debates. How are we to know who to choose from? Is this rigged.
ReplyDeleteTina we need you to put a end and do damage control if at all possible when you head into Congress. We need answers not excuses. You are the person that can do this. My hopes are back because of you.
Sorry I hope I am not putting to much pressure on you. Lol
Are we going to have booths for a meet and greet?
Yes! I headed to Pawhuska this last weekend and was able to secure a great campaign campsite on Campus (#8) with a concrete picnic table under the trees just down to the West from main Arbor that was chosen by Cynthia Boone.
DeleteWhen is this event to take place?
DeleteElection Day is Monday, June 4, 2018!
DeleteCampsite Results:
Deletehttps://s3.amazonaws.com/osagenation-nsn.gov/files/departments/Elections/2018-0416_Election-Office_Campsite-Results.pdf
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 - 4:30pm to 6:00pm
ReplyDeleteEmergency Commerce, Gaming and Land Committee Meeting
Osage Nation Capitol Building
100 W. Main, Pawhuska
Revised Agenda
Call to Order
Roll Call
Prayer
Approval of Minutes
Discussion of Proposal of Economic Dev. Commissioner
Executive Session to Discuss Proprietary Information Regarding LLC’s
Consideration of ONCA 18-22, An Act to provide an appropriation to the Osage, LLC Board in the amount of one hundred two thousand three hundred sixty three dollars ($102,363) and an appropriation to Tallgrass Economic Development, LLC Board in the amount of one hundred two thousand three hundred sixty three dollars ($102,363) ; and to establish an alternate effective date. (Edwards)
Adjournment
ONCA 18-22
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dropbox.com/s/78a4rnwltbp1ouc/ONCA%2018-22%20ORIGINAL.pdf?dl=1
Why are the majority of both appropriations going to "other". What expense is "other"? When will these discussions be held in open session and not closed executive sessions? Congress is doing the same thing that the LLC boards are doing. Hiding behind executive sessions to keep from having to record or release the minutes of their meetings.
Access the bill at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/legislation
DeleteThe Commerce Committee should be starting by now. It appears at this point that the emergency meeting isn't going to be recorded live at https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/multimedia/live-media
DeleteI don't know how this will go but it's supposed to be discussed today. After the Committee Meeting, the ON Congress should be reconvening to finish the Agenda for today. This will be after 6 p.m., CDT.
Yes. I'm also weary of everything the pubic won't like being held in Executive Sessions.
DeleteUnless we know what the gloss on the wall is? I don't care about which line item it is on, really.
DeleteWe need to know the connection to the profit. What is the substance. The eco impact in terms of value down the road?
Appropriation on this bill has been reduced to roughly half. $50,663 to Osage LLC., and $59,763 to Tallgrass for the purpose of stipends to pay to the Board members.
DeleteBallot Placement Information:
ReplyDeletehttps://s3.amazonaws.com/osagenation-nsn.gov/files/departments/Elections/2018-0416_Election-Office_Ballot-Placement-Drawing-Results.pdf
ReplyDeleteONCA 18-05, about ONES, LLC., and the funding it got of $400,000 which is still a lot more than they should have gotten. Yesterday, a member of Congress stated that ONES, LLC has overhead higher than Osage, LLC., ever had and that even the Chief was shocked when he found out about it. The idea I believe is that this overhead has to be cut way back in the next 12 calendar months and no more appropriations period for this business LLC until it can prove it can make money rather than just spend it. If ONES, LLC., doesn't do this then in the words of this same member of the ON Congress, "It's headed for the dumpster!"
If Eddy, et al., run through that money in expenses, salaries and overhead and come back next year for a big chunk of funding without making substantial headway in the establishment of business/es, the Osage people need to be made substantially aware and the Congress needs to stop funding it. I found out yesterday that they have brought back David Conrad to act as the President of ONES, LLC. See https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-conrad-36023122 I’m sure that’s costing us a pretty penny and probably way more than it should. I knew he was a member of the Board though he's never been listed at http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/energy-services-llc-board
I still strongly believe that we need an official formal Congressional Hearing this Summer on all of the LLCs with subpoenas and the whole nine yards like we had for Johnny Red Eagle. If I am elected, I will push with everything I can to make this happen. The Osage people deserve their day in Congress with regard to all these LLCs and the money wasted on them. We’re also headed for big trouble, I think, if Trump keeps up with his agenda. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to get Presidents to resign or come before the Congress for an impeachment hearing. I have warned the Osages for years about the Republican attitude (tribes with successful gaming operations still getting Federal funding) and the Feds pulling out of the Indian Business with funding and BIA involvement but as usual, no one has or is listening. See https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/04/19/tribes-kept-in-the-dark-as-trump-adminis.asp Elect me to the Osage Nation Congress, and I guarantee that I will do everything to see to it that they will start paying a lot more attention to what is coming down the pike.
What do you think the Chief and the Congress are up to with this one? Better not go there. Like Tina says, the Osage people first. The government second. We are already in emergency need of government cutbacks and reduction of a government workforce who in some cases do nothing substantial but collect paychecks plus raises and bonuses yearly by law for doing little if anything as it is already. A good percentage of them are still stealing time from the government and the Osage people. Do we see this item on the roster of items for state of emergency? Funny isn't it? All members of Congress now looking to be re-elected voted for this one. Goodfox, the sponsor of the bill, has always been way too tied into those who live back home anyway. We need members of Congress with a more universal representation for all the people she is mandated to represent as a current member of the Congress.
DeleteONCA 17-92 An Act to amend the definition of national emergency in the special session law, 15 ONC § 1-104; and to establish an alternate effective date. (Goodfox) is a bill to amend the definition of a national emergency for the Nation...(to)...declare a national emergency... “a state of emergency causing a disruption in services from the Burial Assistance Fund, the Osage Nation Higher Education Scholarship Fund, or the Health Benefit Plan Fund.”
http://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/19/congress-passes-several-bills-during-hun-kah-session/
Why wasn't VAWA implemented when that Osage man beat his girlfriend to death a couple of years back and pretty much got clean away with it?
http://www.news9.com/story/31753461/pawhuska-man-in-osage-nation-custody-after-girlfriends-death
Correction to the poster above. ONES, LLC did not receive any additional funding during the session ended yesterday.
DeleteThank you for that correction. I thought ONCA 18-05 passed but there was quite a bit of Parliamentary activity associated with it during the vote yesterday. It didn't reach the 7 votes required. It had 6 votes and failed. So, ONES didn't get the funding and that's good!
DeleteHave you noticed how some of those employed by the Osage government are a lot like the Nazis after WWII and the subsequent generations born in Germany since, who never want to be held accountable for their actions or to examine the actions of earlier generations to seek to identify what went wrong, why and who was responsible for that wrong? When a government no longer wants to shine a light on sponsored activities or businesses when things go wrong then a great evil is beginning to form within the organization because evil people without the ability to accept responsibility and without principle are running it. If one or more persons stand up to tell the rest what is wrong and what needs to be corrected and they are ignored for whatever the reason, this is a strong indicator that evil has permeated the entire government operation. I believe we are there now with the Osage Nation and if measures aren't taken internally to correct what is wrong, then we must look to the outside to correct the problems that exist and it will become very painful and extremely difficult for those who are involved in the continued wrongdoing. At some point, someone has got to blow the whistle before it gets any worse and from what I've seen, I don't know how it can get much worse. Why would anyone in our government even think of resisting a Congressional Oversight Hearing unless they are involved or they are trying to protect their friends and relatives who are involved? If no one is there in our government who can act as an impartial representative of the people when things go this badly wrong then this Osage Nation government is a failure and is failing all of us who are members of it. On certain facebook pages, comments indicate that certain members want to go blithely forward in a superficial way without an exhaustive examination of what has gone wrong, not once but twice. If you don't take a long look at what happened and why it happened and then take action to remove all of the people who have caused it to happen, moving forward without that examination to inform your future plans will likely involve making the same mistakes and lead to the same unacceptable result three times in a row. Working together in an effort to move in the wrong direction is the problem. What we need are independent people in government who are willing to make a correction to the deplorable mistakes made twice in the past, no matter how difficult, and chart a new course with the possibility for success in the future.
DeleteThe problem with what they've been doing is fairly simple. They hand off money to one of these Harvard Project School of government (not the Harvard Business School) based LLCs that then goes about setting up what looks like a successful business organization at the top with all the people hired at the highest tier getting the big salaries and the perks and the nice offices and by the time they finish spending money on the put-up-job they've created, all the money is gone. Then they come asking for more of the Osage people's money and continue to create the same illusion for the outside world but any real income generating business activity with created legitimate business entities is at a minimum until it's too late and no more can be done because the Osage people have caught onto to the game and are willing to throw out of office, everyone who is in any way responsible for what has taken place twice and now repeating a third time with this ONES, LLC that should also be thrown out on its keester right along with the elected officials who continue to want to fund it. Get your feet on the ground and start a business that can be seen to be in business before you pay to lay the groundwork for a multinational corporation with that sort of hierarchical structure first before you even have a single business started, never mind on its feet generating income.
Delete"Toxic people take no blame, and love playing the victim. So whatever they do, be ready for it to be your fault!" And then they try to bully you out of the way when you try to stop them by identifying their toxic behavior and suggesting that it needs to come to a halt. Haven't we had enough of this? What I'd like to determine is if there is a Harvard connection to the businesses that were purchased by the Osage, LLC. Where did the startup funds or seed money capital come from in the first place for these businesses since none of those that OLLC bought had a loan payoff attached to them that we know of so far.
DeleteThere is no indication that the businesses OLLC invested in had any association with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. These businesses were pre-existing organizations that had been privately funded by the owners.
DeleteThe only direct link to the Harvard Project was Jonathan Taylor, one of the OLLC board members.
BTW, when a business is purchased the funds to go the original owners to buy out their interest. There is no loan payoff in such cases, nor would there be a loan to be repaid other than existing lines of credit customary to the operation of the businesses OLLC invested in.
DeleteCompanies take out business loans all the time that don't involve lines of credit. I'm still more concerned about where the initial seed money came for these companies the Carol Leese purchased (one purchased for millions of dollars where he admitted that he didn't do his due diligence because the company was found out to worth almost nothing) that seem to have been little more than an office with a shingle. Did the Harvard Endowment, as part of its investment strategy, invest in companies that were then made available for later purchase by the Tribes where the Indian clients of the Harvard Project for Native American Economic Development are concerned? One or more of these companies were initially purchased by the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation where Carol Leese worked before coming to the Osage, LLC. I am reprinting below several of my comments from 2015:
DeleteosagebloggerMay 7, 2015 at 11:06 AM
DeleteGOOD for YOU Shannon Shaw Duty or whoever wrote the article. Now that's investigative reporting. If these government people and those on the Boards and Commissions have to face scrutiny, things will begin to turn around. I know for sure that Carol Leese came under the microscope at the time he was hired because I personally called two male members of the Osage Congress and informed them of material on the internet that I had found about this character and his previous relationship to The Potawatomi Business Development Corporation (PBDC) at http://www.potawatomibdc.com/ I asked them to do their due diligence and call the principals at the PBDC to find out what happened there and why Leese left their employment. Tribes can't be sued so this was no excuse and therefore no barrier to making a phone call or sending out an e-mail to find out more about how Leese had structured the PBDC. Two Harvard guys were also involved over the years including Lance Morgan who was initially on the Board at PBDC who left at roughly the same time that Leese did and another one named Jonathan Taylor who writes for The Harvard Project at http://hpaied.org/publications-and-research Note his name under the title Honoring Nations on this web page. In addition, note Wilson Pipestem's name under the Spotlight as a new member of the Honoring Nations Board of Governors. Harvard was involved with the new Osage Constitution and all over our new government like white on rice from the outset. Taylor was on the Osage, LLC Board and when asked why he wanted to be on the OLLC Board, he said verbatim, "I want to give back to Harvard." The Osage Congress, during the confirmation hearing never asked him for a clarification as to what he meant nor did they ask him to enlarge upon the topic. Look where we are with this today! The followup on the warnings given about Leese, Morgan and Taylor went, I believe, largely ignored. One of the members of Congress voted to give them the first capital infusion and he is still a member of the Osage Nation Congress and the other is a former member and when I shared this information about Leese at the time he was hired, he said verbatim, "We have to give him a chance!" He now sits as a member of the Osage Nation Energy Services, LLC Board. I the effort to be heard on this issue, I posted information on Rauk Friend's Blog that was active at the time and also on Kent Ratcliff's OSA Blog so that these guys could be investigated. It was Raymond Redcorn and Anthony Shakelford who claimed responsibility for bringing the whole concept of the Osage, LLC to fruition as members of the Commerce and Economic Committee of the Osage Nation Congress and it was reported to me that the governing documents were based on the Ho-Chunk, Inc. governing documents and that we paid a princely sum for working with Lance Morgan to get this abomination set up. Ultimately, it's the Osage Congress who were responsible for confirming the Osage, LLC Board, for approving the Osage, LLC governing documents and appropriating the capital infusions and land transfers to the tune of nearly $20,000,000. They were warned and should be held just as responsible as Leese for what they have done over the years to initially provide and continue to provide over the years, the working capital for the Osage, LLC to survive which has lead to $19 MILLION DOLLARS of the Osage people's money lost to this ridiculous folly. Don't let them off the hook or pass the buck. Every single one of them who are responsible by their votes should be investigated right along with Leese for gross mismanagement of the Osage Nation treasury funds and real property that has been given to the Osage LLC and whoever is left in the Congress who has voted for any amount to be given should either resign or be shown the door! These are our representatives, they control the purse strings and they bear the largest responsibility of all.
Legislation identifying those who voted to give money, land or other support to the OLLC:
DeleteONCR 14-06 Enacted FY14 A Resolution to express confidence in the ability of the Osage LLC Board to restructure and build our non-gaming business interest.
ONCR 10-33 ENACTED FY10 A resolution to authorize the formation of Osage, LLC as a limited liability company organized under the law of the Osage Nation and wholly owned by the Osage Nation; and to make this authorization re...
ONCR 09-03 ENACTED FY09 A resolution to consent to the transfer and conveyance of certain real property and business assets to Osage, LLC, a limited liability company wholly owned by the Osage Nation (Red Corn)
ONCR 08-10 ENACTED FY08 A Resolution to adopt the articles of organization for the limited liability company, Osage LLC, to be formed under the Osage Nation Limited Liability Companies Act (Shackleford)
ONCR 08-09 ENACTED FY08 A Resolution to adopt the articles of operation for the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, to be formed under the Osage Nation Limited Liabillity Companies Act (Shackleford)
ONCA 12-112 ENACTED FY12 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution; and to provide an alternate effective date. (Edwards)
ONCA 11-63 ENACTED FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution, for purchase of real property and investment in "The American" statue project; and
ONCA 11-63 Enacted FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution, for purchase of real property and investment in "The American" statue project; and
ONCA 11-61 ENACTED FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution; and to provide an alternate effective date. (Red Eagle)
ONCA 11-61 Enacted FY11 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution; and to provide an alternate effective date.
ONCA 09-77 ENACTED FY09 An act to provide to the limited liability company, Osage LLC, for a capital contribution. (Red Corn)
ONCA 09-35 ENACTED FY09 An act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, as a capital contribution (Atterberry)
ONCA 08-30 ENACTED FY08 An Act to provide an appropriation to the limited liability company, Osage, LLC, for an initial capital contribution; to declare an emergency; and establish an effective date (Red Corn)
Find these irresponsible spending bills and more: http://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/legislation-search
Oh and one more thing. I was online listening to a presentation of the Osage, LLC Board when Jonathan Taylor, after all that had been lost up until that time, had the ghastly audacity to ask the members of the Osage Nation Congress in attendence for TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS as a further and future capital contribution/infusion beyond the $19,000,000 in cash and land that they had already been given by the Osage Nation. This was truly a jaw dropping moment and one that I will never forget. All the while they were glowering over at the only member of Congress who stood at that time for holding them accountable for past losses, Kugee Supernaw. Imagine the further consequences if the Osage, LLC Board had been able to talk the Osage Congress into giving them that huge block of money. Redcorn, Shackelford and Red Eagle all worked it out through legislation associated with the governing documents so that the Osage Nation as the Member could only be hands-off and could only review the OLLC plan of operation voting it either up or down yearly; another Harvard Project concept that if the Tribes got involved, the businesses would fail so they have to be totally hands-off including, if I understand it correctly, any ability to get direct and straight answers as to the goings on of how Tribal money contributed is spent or, God forbid be able to swoop in and take a look at the books to scrutinize the balance sheets other than what is put out there directly by the Osage, LLC. I kept on and on about the need for trust with independent Tribal verification but that advice went unheeded as well. If a group of people know for sure that they don't have to come under scrutiny by order of the governing documents of a business entity, it makes the conditions ripe for bad fiscal things to happen and indeed, in this case, it certainly appears that it made conditions rife for exactly that!
DeleteI find it ironic that Jonathan Taylor has co-written this one: "WHY BEGGAR THY INDIAN NEIGHBOR?" That former Board member certainly beggared us enough when he was working for the Osage, LLC.
"...for gross misappropriation of the Osage Nation treasury funds and real property..."
DeleteSince these are "Managing Boards" and the Osage, LLC had one of them what I want to know is why this very influential board member was never taken to task for the investment strategy he advocated when he was active. If I'm elected, that's one of the first things I intend to find out and do something about when I get into office.
DeleteSomeone ate their wheaties. Lol.
DeleteBut all seriousness you did bring this up on the OSA. I had no idea Tina you took this a step futher.
Good for you.
I said the same thing, all those in Congress who voted on this matter to appropriate funding without doing the diligence are all responsible for the loss in the first place. And right and we must hold them accountable. Vote them out.
Its always easier to spend money you dont see but whats worse nobody seems to care.
Everyone went on face value, full spedd ahead with blinders on.
What do you think is to happen absolute powwr corrupts.
We need comprehensive legislation that forebids this type of behavior happens in the future.
DeleteThank you. I've been quite concerned about this situation since the very beginning especially since no one would listen to me as a constituent when I offered information about it. That's yet another reason I'm running for office to be in a position to represent those of us on the outside who may have a more cautious approach towads those who come blazing in wanting millions of our dollars to spend.
The types of businesses that OLLC invested in lacked the capital equipment and other physical assets to secure a standard loan. OLLC mainly invested in services businesses and such businesses are only able to obtain lines of credit to support pre-payment of operating expenses necessary to the performance of contracts. In some cases they had to resort to factoring and this consumed most of the profit (and exceeded total profit in some cases).
DeleteThe specific business you are referring to OLLC management having failed to perform proper due diligence is Echota Technologies. This company was founded in 1995 and had operated successfully for more than two decades. At its peak it employed more than 500 people. Its financial woes began with mismanagement coincident with a $122 million contract. Its decline in revenue resulting in major operating losses began when it graduated from the SBA's 8(a) SDB program and its government customers could no longer award it sole-source contracts or have the company participate in restricted procurements where it had better contract management and past performance than other 8(a) firms.
After the acquisition of Echota its management was directed to cease attempting to get work for Echota Technologies and to focus efforts on developing business for Osage Innovative Solutions and Osage Pinnacle Design Group. That is a recipe for disaster. Even if proper diligence had been performed then Echota Technologies would have failed when adhering to this guidance.
Hmm factoring do you not think the risk factors played a roll or the risk factors were not even considered, I understand fully how these licenses work. So if it was set up to fail from the get go then what do you think is going to happen, exactly.
DeleteSet up the Nation so their pockets can get away without being held accountable in other words because on the face of it protocols were met just the standard changes sounds like an excuse just to get a paycheck. This is so convoluted. All the same does not take away the fraud that is going as we speak right?
There is little risk involved in factoring of invoices from a government agency. The company would have to completely fail to perform on the contract (as OPDG was on the verge of doing) in order to not be paid for work completed (of course, OPDG had not even started on the work for which the government issued cure notices).
DeleteIt is evident that when a company is set up to fail from the onset that it will inevitably fail.
The group which is the true management of OLLC / Tallgrass is the Enterprise Board according to the Operating Agreement of each company. The Enterprise Board members were directly responsible for the failure and yet are not being held accountable. Neither Carol Leese, Bob Petre, nor any other member of management had any lawful authority to act without approval by a majority of the Enterprise Board voting in the affirmative.
You are correct that fraud is being committed, both against the Osage Nation and the federal government. The Enterprise Board members have represented to the Commerce Committee on multiple occasions a false financial picture of these companies which presented forecasts of profits but without accounting for the salaries of management personnel.
What should be done is to hold the Enterprise Board members accountable, but this will never happen because Osages would have to be sued and prosecuted.
A wonderful moment was when the list of those who have graduated with an Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate Degree with Osage Nation Scholarship funding was read out. The list just went on and on and on and I was so proud of these graduates and the Nation for helping them attain their educational goals. Watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1osm6Dbf6EM&feature=youtu.be
ReplyDeleteRemember that families all over the USA are having to look seriously at not sending their young people to college and university because the cost is so prohibitive. It's to the absolute credit of the Osage Nation that we are spending the People's money to send our young to get a higher education. THIS is really something to be proud of today and in the future.
DeleteIf you are a member of the Northern California Osages, the Spring Meeting is now available at https://www.facebook.com/100011592279767/videos/511884635874608/
ReplyDeleteHere is the Chief promoting these damn LLCs again! https://www.instagram.com/p/BhvMH21gl6O/?igref=ogexp&utm_source=fb_www_attr
ReplyDeleteGet rid of this model. This is nothing other than setting up a pyramid scheme of companies to receive the Osage people's money that never start businesses on the ground or go to work doing much anything productive toward making a profit. This model may work with other Tribes but we don't know how to master it and we have the proof; the last 10 years of no return on our investment, no dividend and $22,000,000 gone forever! When is this Chief going to stop getting on the Merry-Go-Round on this concept? Kill it.
Start small and begin investing in individual businesses that will put Osage people to work on the ground. Enough of your fiscally destructive nonsense Geoffrey. And enough of that ONES, LLC with your pal Eddy as the Chairman who never saw a dollar come his way that he couldn't find a fast way to spend.
If we're being told the truth, the only one that's operating with at least a the possibility of a break-even is the Bluestem Ranch so they need to get it out from under Tallgrass to operate as a singular and independent LLC. Why they want to give more funding to it at this time, I'm still unclear. BTW, I've heard there isn't a loan on the property. It's being carried by the Casinos and if my information is correct, the loan is secured with income generated from the Casinos! Imagine taking on risk like that where you have income that's carried off to the bank and not there to run the Casino and pay the employees. Under the NIGC, is this even legal? That Casino income is supposed to be spent on that which benefits the Osage Nation membership, not used to act as collateral for loans and debt service. Chief is responsible for this and I don't give a damn if Galen Clavier hosts a re-election gathering to share constituent views with the Chief out in California. Either Galen Clavier has been totally hoodwinked or he has come off of his principals and that's a real shame because he has always been one of the most principled men I have ever known, bar none.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/1380538545537605/photos/pcb.3304583896466384/3304583843133056/?type=3&theater
...you have the possibility of income that's carried off to the bank and not there to run the Casino and pay the employees....
DeleteUsing the casino money versus paying interest to a bank isn't a bad way to do business. It would be easier for the Nation to just open its own bank and then run its business loans through the bank.
DeleteBut its the same old story. Take an otherwise intelligent, college educated Osage, turn them into a politician and suddenly its: "Wut? We no understandum this "money" thing that you speak of" with 14 million dollars being "accidentally" lost.
Just be glad the casinos make such a ridiculous amount of money that they can't steal all of it.
There's still a loan with a bank and we're still paying interest to the bank. It's if the loan fails, the only real income we have coming in is from gaming and if the bank took that, we'd have no government paid for and no casinos because they'd be sitting empty with no money to pay the employees to work in them. Open a bank? This sounds like another hair-brained ambition of the Chief.
DeleteOsage Nation bank???
DeleteNow that's a money laundering scheme!
The greed and larceny of the Osage bureaucrat will be the demise of all things Osage.
At least their pockets will be full of cash and that's all that really matters.
To hell with everyone else.
I happen to agree opening a Bank would be and should be not even a thought period!
DeleteWe already have a laundering scheme with the LLc’s.
And a big one.
DeleteThe Bluestem Ranch only has a potential of "making a profit" when the fair cost of the use of the land is not accounted for. Businesses are typically charged an amount more than the cost of purchasing the land and its improvements, yet the Bluestem Ranch board is not even being burdened with a lease payment that even remotely covers costs. To claim this operation is profitable is ludicrous. That is the same type of fraudulent accounting that lets Tallgrass LLC (and Osage LLC before it) claim very low or non-existent General and Administrative overhead costs against its contracts. People who do not understand cost accounting are always doomed to financial ruin when operating businesses.
DeleteJust more creative accounting on the part of our crooked appointed officials that our crooked elected officials let pass or even promote who actually know better.
DeleteThe overhead is way up there in cost for the Bluestem Ranch we won’t make a profit for a 100 yrs.
DeleteYes, opening a for-profit bank to hold our own money and make interest off of loans is definitely a horrible idea.
DeleteI keep forgetting our Osage traditions.
Agenda and conference call information for Tallgrass board meeting on Thursday.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/sites/default/files/event-brochures/2018-0426_Tallgrass-Agenda.pdf
The guy that posted the Tallgrass agenda on Facebook is named Mark Abshire. He is anti-Tallgrass, but he has never disclosed that his wife worked for Tallgrass and was let go. Her name is Stephanie. She went to work for Compass consulting who is owned by Sharon Betram, who is the former Chief Financial Officer of Tallgrass, and may or may not have committed fraud. Our own Jill Jones also worked for Tallgrass, and she left under difficult circumstances that included ethics violations. I believe she still has something to do with the ONES group.
Deletehttp://useyourcompass.com/about/
Not one of these three women mention they were ever a part of the Tallgrass LLC on their webpage bios.
Ms. Bertram was brought to Tallgrass by Dave Stewart a former Tallgrass board member, who is good friends with our current Chief.
Mr. Abshire should probably quit running his mouth, because there are people who know what went on at that dumpster fire called Tallgrass LLC. What did your wife know Mr. Abshire? Did she go along with the fraud and outright thieving?
Now that’s a mouthful.
DeleteCronyism at it’s best.
I just want to know who is obstructing the truth about the fraud that exists at present.
Do we need to get a FOiA warrent?
I don’t say or take this with a grain of salt here.
Who is obstructing the truth?If someone has information in regards to do not protect the very people who are abusing the system, you become complicit.
To the previous poster:
DeleteThis is Mark Abshire. Your post has is inaccurate. My wife is not Stephanie Wycoff, who was fired from Tallgrass for embezzlement and then rehired by Kay Bills for $94K per year then promptly let go again.
My wife resigned her position after becoming increasingly concerned about the unethical, nonprofessional and possibly illegal actions the board at that time were taking. The environment was toxic and employees were berated on a daily basis for asking any questions. She expressed her concerns to HR and the AG of the Osage Nation. No actions were taking until recently. The fraud going on was unable to be hidden any longer.
As for Ms Jones and Ms Bertram, you have their contact information give them a call.
Please post your contact information so I can contact you to discuss the accusations you have made. If not, maybe you should keep you mouth shut and remain a rat that scurries away when the lights a turned on. It's easy to make accusations when you are an anonymous, much tougher when you have to do it in person.
As for Tallgrass, I am definitely a supporter. It's a shame that many people who believed in making it a success for the Osage Nation have been forced out. I hope now that inept and incompetent board leadership is leaving, it actually can be turned around.
And why would you take offense and make false accusations at someone for posting a public meeting agenda for a company owned by every Osage citizen? Make me wondered what you and your friends have to hide?
DeleteSorry...Too Late the Phalarope... We're done handing out money that you and those like you make go away like a magic trick. Get your money from a bank if your ideas are so good. GOOOD LLLUUUK with that!
DeleteMr Abshire you can understand why we have no confidence?
DeleteAnd, until recent you just confirmed the fraud exists on this site which gives us further skepticism right?
If there is nothing to hide expound on the fraud if you can please?
In support of your cause explain why we should vest in ONE’S
You give no sound bite. And at this point as I said in a comment below if you would read about what I said about my son who is Osage who opened his business from the ground up and has foreign buyers and it is how many years and dollars lost since the Osage Llc opened up and we are at ground zero still begging for money? Think about it.
Fool me once shame on me. Fool me twice shame on me What did we not learn from the first time.
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.
DeleteYeah I caught it after I posted. Thanks.
DeleteOK. YW.
DeleteAll I did was post a public notice for a public meeting by an Osage LLC that is wholly owned by the Osage Nation and ultimately the Osage people. Just thought that maybe someone, anyone would like to hear for themselves what is going on. I can post accusations here or give someone the ability to hear for themselves firsthand and make their own decisions.
DeleteI have no financial stake in either Tallgrass or ONES. None of my family's income comes from either enterprise. As a member of the Osage Nation, who wouldn't I want their businesses to succeed? I don't believe in throwing good money after bad either. That's why I am encouraging everyone to get involved, do actual research and gather facts. Transcripts of all previous board meetings are available on request. Get them and make your own decisions. Listen to the congressional hearings and compare the two.
You are very welcome here Mark and the more information we have on this unfolding situation, the better.
DeleteI'm quite certain that you would be highly concerned by the differences if you were to compare the recorded audio of the Enterprise Board meetings with the transcripts.
DeleteWind Farm response:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/23/minerals-council-set-fight-latest-wind-farm-project-slated-osage-county/
The meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over again coming out with the same results.
DeleteWhen will the Board of adjustment understand this, not on our land no think you.
What a conflict of interest.
Here we are in the oil business and the very people who are the “ Green Energy Movement “ want to put turbines on our land, the very same people who would like to see the oil industry disappear. No thank you!
Only in the end to create 7 jobs.
We have set the precedent and won the judgement in a Court of Law. Why would they waste their time and the BIA’s time etc..
Let me answer because they can. Follow the money, but this is so much more then the green back.
We are Sovereign and a Nation. Not just another race.
Now the board of adjustments is borderline harassing the M.E
A group called Osage Impaction is having a candidates forum on Sunday May 6th at the Osage County Fairgrounds Ag Building from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The main person plugging this is Cris White who doesn't seem to like Osages all that much.
ReplyDeleteWhite's a non-Osage who acts like the troll under the bridge at Yancy Redcorn's facebook site. Has innumerable complaints for hate speech and harassment with the Facebook team that monitors internet trolls like him and and his daughter who has become more active of late. Luckily, Facebook is fully aware and watching his every move. I personally think he does the end runs on Facebook for the Chief and Eddy Red Eagle who used to be his father-in-law if I have that right. All the money in home pockets, all talk and no businesses to speak of until of late w/Tallgrass other than the Ranch but that's another can of worms that's also growing in immensity by the day. ONES, LLCs' Chairman, Eddy Red Eagle, had the audacity to insult the Osage people by asking the Congress for $1.1 million in the last regular session when they've been around for six years with nothing but seminars and missions and visions and not one business started in all that time! I'm beginning to think that it's all thugs and crooks and bullies running the show now just like it was with Jim Gray. A disaster of unbelievable magnitude. We need new people in office people who can get this thing turned around and soon.
DeleteShut it down the ONE’S now!
DeleteIn less time my sons business is taking off with foreign buyers waiting in the back ground of his security business and he did not need one cent from the Osage and hands down ONES, these people do not know what they are doing. I have ran multi-million dollar businesses and I would have been fired already.
I can't believe Geoff let it come to this but I had my suspicions all along. He always was too full of himself. Heard he made a grade A ass of himself at his special meeting set up by Galen Clavier out in California last Firday by going on about himself and his accomplishments for a good 20 minutes before he ever got down to talking sense. At the break, a number of them who were bored to sobs ducked out and escaped any further meandering pontification. Too hard to bear up under, I guess.
DeleteYep! A total Osage dystopia if there ever was one.
DeleteRight. Everyone of my questions were deflected at the last meeting.
Deletereference - "We need new people in office people who can get this thing turned around and soon."
DeleteIt's a "crime" that so many knew the LLC was failing (a crime to the Nation, the neighbor, the younger generation, a total moral crime) and so much revenue going down the drain and no one spoke up until years and years later.
I listened to Margo Gray on U Tube, why in the world she is running for the mc I cannot understand. She herself said she knows nothing about the oil industry. She stated several times that she is an entrepreneur and lots of business experience. I wish she was on a "Board" to guide the un-guided members. The present entrepreneurs were personally selected, not elected.
I think all the Nation's business venture departments should be dismantled and start completely over with a new organization. Maybe even send them to a SBA seminar. I've been to one many, many years ago, you can succeed with "common sense," do not have to have a business degree to make right decisions.
There should be no "independent" business venture departments that rely on the Nation's income for their success and pick them back up for their failures (over and over). I think Maria Whitehorn in a debate? said she would work closer with the LLCs? I'll see if I can locate that comment.
I like what you say but how many times at the expense to the constituents should we start up and start up again.
DeleteHow many times do we create a Government shut it down and create a new one? So we can get it right again?
Our laws are weak, our Constitution is weak by no accident.
Fundamentally we are flawed. Designed accordingly.
This is why I will not be voting for the Grays. Their egos are so exposed for who they are and they still think some of us are stupid and truly that is not the case. They think they are better but they are not. I see them as wolfs in sheep clothing.
Listen the MC said as much their hands are tied because of the way our trust is, what is it they all do on a daily basis?
What are they getting paid for? To hold once a year oil expose? Announce once in a while a contribution is being made?
Let put it this way, in short how is that we cannot take said control, yet the BIA obviously has no control and is all over the place?
So how do you fix broken from the inside when in reality you cannot so what is it that the M.C does for the estate other than watch it crumble.
You see I have a mind that we can take control without destroying the trust responsibility or obligation because we are federally recognized tribe we are sovereign and the BIA is doing a bang up job and we can do better babysitting the ME than the BIA can.
What’s the difference, we have loyalty on this MC who are dedicated to the M.E. who can do the Job and get paid by the Federal Government and not by us.
We need independent business but I get what you are saying. We do not know the logistics of what is going on with are assets where if any capital is coming in and where that capital is going? And by the way it looks it’s going no where.
So in simple terms the meat of the pie is missing. Which gives the illusion of corruption going on.
It’s our money not the Governments. The Government is working for us so when we try to hold them accountable there is none.
Oppression by our own people will not be allowed or acceptable.
Running a business isn’t that hard or a Government if it’s done right, but there are just to many wrongs.
"It's our money not the Governments."
DeleteAbsolutely. The head of the household doesn't comply with the budget to keep things running smoothly. We, as members of the Nation, need to be able to participate more in highly controversial decision making like the purchase of the Ranch (in the form of special elections). Will the land ever make a profit to cover its cost? How much could the total dollar amount benefited Pawhuska and members of the Nation on all levels? We, members of the Nation, can make change through special elections, voicing our opinions through public media such as this blog by bringing awareness, and as members we have "individual rights."
I love the idea of the Osage people being able to vote in special elections on big ticket items like the purchase of the Bluestem Ranch. I will push for all of us to have a say in the ballot box on spending of this kind.
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Delete“It's a "crime" that so many knew the LLC was failing (a crime to the Nation, the neighbor, the younger generation, a total moral crime) and so much revenue going down the drain and no one spoke up until years and years later.”
I agree and there is one thing that must be made known here and now. I SPOKE UP AND NO ONE LISTENED BECAUSE I LIVE OUTSIDE OF OSAGE COUNTY AND NO ONE WAS WILLING TO HEAR WHAT I HAD TO SAY. It is a moral imperative that we get this spending under control and that those who are our elected representatives start listening to all of us no matter where we live and respond to do what we ask them to do in matters of this importance. IF THEY HAD LISTENED TO ME ALL THOSE YEARS AGO ABOUT THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE LLCs COMING FROM THE HARVARD PROJECT, THE HIRING OF CAROL LEESE AND THE APPOINTMENT OF JONATHAN TAYLOR TO THE OSAGE, LLC BOARD WHO IS THAT MAN FROM HARVARD WHO WRITES FOR THE HARVARD PROJECT, THE WARNING TO STOP CONTINUING TO GIVE THE OSAGE, LLC MILLIONS OF OUR DOLLARS OF CASH INFUSIONS OVER THE YEARS, THERE IS A LEVEL POSSIBILITY THAT NONE OF THIS WOULD EVER HAVE HAPPENED. Again. I spoke up and no one listened. This has to stop with this very election of officials and I am asking that you place me in the Congress so that you will have someone who will listen to what you have to say and to what you want done on matters of this importance to the future of the Osage Nation.
Your MC comment has been transferred to http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2018/02/osage-shareholder-matters-february-2018.html
DeleteAnd we also need to do something about not re-electing those Justices on the Court from top to bottom, especially those who sit on the Supreme Court. The idea that we have a fixed amount that we can appropriate per year to comply with the Constitution and the salaries and pay raises are guaranteed by law which amount now to around $350,000 a year or more, yet the Supreme Court Justices say the Congress can't make decisions about how much the employees are paid or how many are employed? I'm telling you now, it won't be long before the only money appropriated is for those who actually work for the Osage Nation government itself and, by the way, all that money coming in for Federal programs, most of the employees already make too much money to qualify to receive any of it! The Federal funding is on the basis of the total number of registered Osage Nation members — 21,000 — who will receive absolutely nothing in benefits because it will all be going to pay for the government itself. Is this the government you were promised twelve years ago? It certainly wasn't what I was promised back then. Vote to get rid of these Justices when you mark you ballot or register your vote in the machines in Pawhuska. The very health and education and welfare of our Osage people is on the line here!
DeleteSorry to sound off the way I did above but something has to be done and we have to make the difference because it's not going to happen any other way. We have 12 long hard years of proof of failure to accomplish so many important goals for all of the Osage people.
DeleteImportant information:
Deletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2018/04/26/election-office-holds-drawing-candidate-name-placements-ballot/
Last on the list are the three Justices who should be put out of office for how they have hog-tied our Congressional representatives in making wise decisions about how our money is spent including being forced to approve appropriations always increasing the gargantuan growth of this Osage Nation government just to be able put big money in home pockets. On behalf of the future of the Osage people, with each Supreme Court Justice listed, completely fill in the box in front of the word NO when you vote your ballot.
The sample ballot is shown right here:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/osagenation-nsn.gov/files/departments/Elections/2018-0416_Election-Office_Official-Ballot-Sample.pdf
New Osage Museum Exhibit in the Year of the Women! Don't miss the Opening Reception. See the flyer at:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/OsageNews/photos/a.153834188010750.33094.134873493240153/1775411239186362/?type=3&theater
Tallgrass Board Meeting was held this morning. I'm hearing that changes are being made to cut down expenses and overhead. If anyone has a report in detail, please post the information. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNative Tribes Could Lose Federal Recognition of Tribal Sovereignty Under Trump. See https://www.teenvogue.com/story/native-tribes-could-lose-federal-recognition-of-tribal-sovereignty-under-trump
ReplyDeleteAnd here we are with a large portion of $175,000,000 in debt. We lose Federal Recognition, we lose Trust status. If we lose Trust status we lose our lands in trust. If we lose our lands in trust we lose our Casino gaming. And then what?
DeleteWe better hope and pray that the U.S. Congressional Osage Allotment Act of 1906 and all its amendments hold because it will be the only thing that saves us and our Mineral Estate Trust status. So all of you "Nation" folks who want to dump the 1906 Allotment Act as amended may want to rethink your position in the matter because it may be the only thing that stands in the breach and keeps us up on the map and financially viable as a Tribe, as a Native American Indian people. Lest we forget...a special thank you to Cynthia Boone, Paul Revard as an oil and gas producer, and all the others on the Minerals Council at the time who sent the proposed CFRs packing because it was believed that they would weaken the Trust relationship between the Osages and the Federal government.
DeleteFederal Register Watch:
ReplyDeleteBookmark this page for reports on what the U.S. government is up to as it concerns the Tribes:
http://www.indianz.com/FR/
Today, I had a really good conversation with Maria Whitehorn. In her remarks last weekend to the Northern California Osages, she spoke of the fact that she will do the unglamorous things. I like it, Maria. We need someone as the Chief of the Osage Nation who will get in the trenches, roll up their sleeves and work with the Congress on budgets and funding, not run in the other direction. Pitiful that you have to find out what the Executive Branch is up to in meetings 1250 miles away from Pawhuska. Shameful! Do we really need this kind of thing coming from the Executive Branch toward the representatives of the Osage people? See:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.osagenews.org/en/article/2016/10/20/executive-branch-delivers-near-empty-boxes-congress-response-subpoena-requests/
She also spoke of the "Apache Model". This has to do with a Tribe of the Apache who have spent all the money they have available on their government employees' salaries and benefits to the point that they don't even have the money to buy pencils and paper to do the work the same employees are being paid to do! This is why we need to make some changes to our laws which now guarantee bonuses and salary increases to the government employees of the Osage Nation. This is entirely unnecessary and uncalled for when we have a fixed amount of money that is appropriated yearly with a cap known as the projected revenue figure. At this point, the Osage Nation elected officials are throwing everything but the kitchen sink into that figure including even the permanent fund to get the number up and this is a scandal as well. They always seem to want to fudge so many things and move the line around at will to get money into the pockets of those who live back home in what appears to me to be a built in vote-getting strategy with the various families come election time. This is not what the money in the Osage Nation Treasury is to be spent for or on.
Also this weekend, Scott Bighorse spoke of bringing a dance out to California for the Osages who live there. This is a great idea to help export the Culture and a worthy expenditure from the "Osage Gathering Fund".
DeleteI really do believe that Maria Whitehorn is worth a very serious look and constitutent consideration. See https://www.facebook.com/Whitehorn.for.Chief/
DeleteQ: And who more than anyone has secured the Apache Model as up ahead in the future of the Osage Nation?
DeleteA: Chief Justice Meredith (Quinata) Drent
Associate Justice Elizabeth Lohah Homer
Associate Justice Drew Pierce
Remember to vote against these three for the sake of the well being of the fiscal future of the Osage Nation. Just being able to have the budget justifications and program plans isn't enough. The power of the purse belongs to the Osage people through their elected representatives in the Osage Nation Congress. Take back this power on June 4, 2018 with your vote to do just that in the upcoming election.
Be bold! Be historic! Be heroic!
On April 30th, 2,390 absentee ballots will be going in the mail...See https://www.facebook.com/OsageElections/photos/a.325577477492562.93036.250250828358561/1844013505648944/?type=3&theater
ReplyDeleteI got Standingbear's political flyer in the mail today. I threw it in the garbage.
ReplyDeleteLol lol lol
DeleteThese macho power struggles initiated and carried forward by the two macho Chief's now in power in the Executive Branch are over the top. We don't need macho and braggadocio. We're in trouble with these preening egos and all this aggression from within and directed out. We need people who will acknowledge what is wrong and work together to fix it with workable solutions, most especially at the level of funding distribution for all of the Osage people. Think Maria Whitehorn and Otto Hamilton.
DeleteI'm gonna vote for Whitehorn. Not because she's woman but because she has a solid platform. We've had enough Grays, Redeagles, Redcorns, and one Standingbear too many. The nepotism, cronyism, and favoritism has only produced fraud, waste, and abuse. The government belongs to the people - not just certain families.
DeleteLove to read the words above. Time we started getting serious about what happens to our government and not let these families have free reign when they've proven that it's not in our best interest.
DeleteI'm reiterating the above comments cause I see things the same way.
DeleteI will be voting for M. Whitehorn and O. Hamilton. But it's not because I have a strong feeling they are the ones who will overturn the "wrongs" taking place before our very eyes and ears. The Nation is crumbling and so is the ME, it's a "desperation" vote.
Like families that barely make it to paycheck to paycheck to pay bills, rent, put food in children's stomachs, clothe them, keep gas in the car, the Nation already owes the next Casino paycheck and waiting for the next Federal funding paycheck too.
How is purchasing more land helping 21,000 members? How is the Ranch helping any member of the Nation? Can you move there and put a trailer there, no, the Chief says its for the buffalo. How do you measure 'value' (revenue) in the word "Pride?" The wind farms and the buffalo are using the land, not us, but we have Pride, and we can think about our Pride with each payment paid.
This problem with this second wind turbine farm making plans with the county representative and not us. It's like we're not even here? The county representative said he thought there would be a legal problem? WHERE IS THE COMMUNICATION? Does this have to do with the owning only the subsurface minerals? If any part of land not in "trust" open to companies coming in and doing what they 'will' to do? The superintendent said she was going to check into this new wind farm situation starting, looking forward to hearing her report in the next MC meeting. Isn't that first company's appeal to fight that they weren't mining still pending?
I recently seen on Indianz.com a similar problem between a tribe and their county. A county representative stated the Indians were not government and they did not have to deal with them.
Salaries and raises. The Federal government and on the state/city level too, have a "pay scale." It's based on skill level, job duties, and there's always the entry level pay.
If M. Whitehorn is elected, she has a lot on her plate. A lot will be expected of her.
Pray this next government does not continue to hurt its family by not being accountable to incoming revenue and continued massive loss of revenue and bailing out the LLCs. Any loss goes down on paper, no employee, including the Chief, goes home in the evening with any change our of their pockets, just another day of poor planning and decision making.
Well written and the truth. Thank you for posting your comment.
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ReplyDeleteSorry guys, I had to spend the day battling down the "harassment and bully relay team" of some of those who are members of the Facebook site, Osage Community for Responsible Citizenry through the day yesterday. I so love it when an Osage from a different Tribal community who collects a per-cap from that Tribe, isn't a member of the Osage Nation, but still wants to meddle in our Constitutional affairs, presumably, to grow the size of his own Osage headright check. Then, by simply asking determinative questions, you're accused of attacking the Osage registered with another Tribe and then you get swarmed for even asking pertinent questions about the person asking the lead question to begin with to get to the bottom of his motive for wanting to make the change to the Constitution he suggested in the first place. I guess somebody finally had to have the courage to step into the breach and make the Facebook team aware of what's going on over there. They're so phony on that site anyway because they go on and on about harassment and bullying as wrong and then pile on in the most feral way possible when they don't like what's being said. The sooner Facebook finally takes down that site or removes from having a Facebook page certain trolls, bullies and all that harassment going on over there the better. They just don't want people around who advocate for evenly distributing the money in the Osage Nation Treasury to all of the members. Anyone care to hazard a guess why?
Geoff has been spouting off about this for at least a couple years now. If he (or the Osage Nation) can get an OMC to pass a resolution that will convey Minerals unequivocally and without legal question to the Nation, then the Nation can enact a TERA, it's all theirs and they can form a fancy oil company with fancy salaries and fancy titles and be big deals. Minerals has always been the prize this Nation wants and nothing has changed that.
DeleteNow they are just trying to sell this as a cost savings measure. That would be laughable if it wasn't so tragic. These people who purport to care about saving money are the same people who wanted to keep flushing money down ONES. They're fine blowing money on everything else. But Minerals, they suddenly get frugal and are worried about $32,000 a year? Lets not forget it was their commission in 2006 that raised the pay. Now it's all wrong....
They want it at 5 thinking they can more easily get the votes they want to pass the resolutions the Nation needs to finally get a firm grip on the Minerals. What happens if they only get two seats. In 4 more years are we gonna hear how we've got to have 8 or 9 chairs.
It's really to bad that in our tribe relationships trump everything, fore-thought, fiscal responsibility, business acumen, the law, facts, or just plain common sense. And MERIT our long-time-ago traditional path to leadership, that's completely forgotten about and gone, has been for a long time now. I live on the rez and I see it every frickin day. It is disgusting and disheartening.
To many of the on-rez Osages work for the Nation and there aren't enough off-rez Osages who have a clue about how bad it is to effect change. It's not a pretty picture for our future.
Chenge comes hard for the Osage but here we are because we have been on this roller coaster for years.
DeleteWhen asking a Government about a Per-Cap they give you the merry go round.
Excuses are like everyone has one right.
Our Government started out by a lie had good intent but greed went to the way side .
My opinion you know who was harmed was the Headright owners.
No proper vetting or a vote to become a Government, tells me we have a de facto Government.
The meaning of insanity is doing the same thing over again and guess what this proven so far as the facts before us verify.
We can do what is right and right side this Government or we can re write the Constitution or we can shut it down.
I would like us to play fairly. I for one do not want to see failure but we are already there.
I am still upset about the purchase of the Ranch.
I have little faith but Maria Whitehorn I hope she advocates for accountability and take a look at what is going on from with in and get that Per-cap out, at least to the Headright owners .
Osage Blog Conversation continues at http://osageblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/conversation-may-2018.html
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