The Sneak
An Animal Of Opportunity
Aaron Payments only motive for his recent actions is his self promotion. Below under Payments statements, the facts will outline the truth about Aaron Payment.
FY 2008 Year End Reconciliation - This modification has the Board budgeting for the over expenditures made in 2008 without prior Board approval. The amount? $3,166,464.93! Pretty far off the mark. Not since Bernard Bouschor was Chairperson has the budget estimation been this far off. During the Payment Administration, the budget was balanced every year. Remember, when the administration overspends, they are spending into the next fiscal cycle as the funds have to be appropriated to reconcile the budget. So, where is this $3 million going to be cut? The Elder Fund is already gone (spent on Greektown).
Were the payouts of Marta Diaz, Steve Morello, Ernie Walker, and Mike Lumsden submitted for the budget? Was this a projected (premeditated by Payment) cost or was this just surplus? funds? How about the Employee bonuses?
FY 2008 Year End Reconciliation - This modification has the Board budgeting for the over expenditures made in 2008 without prior Board approval. The amount? $3,166,464.93! Pretty far off the mark. Not since Bernard Bouschor was Chairperson has the budget estimation been this far off. During the Payment Administration, the budget was balanced every year. Remember, when the administration overspends, they are spending into the next fiscal cycle as the funds have to be appropriated to reconcile the budget. So, where is this $3 million going to be cut? The Elder Fund is already gone (spent on Greektown).
Were the payouts of Marta Diaz, Steve Morello, Ernie Walker, and Mike Lumsden submitted for the budget? Was this a projected (premeditated by Payment) cost or was this just surplus? funds? How about the Employee bonuses?
Mutual of Omaha Benefits – This resolution deals with extending a contract for life and disability insurance for a two year period for Tribal and Casino Team members but it only refers to an attachment for the rates and grants discretionary authority to the Chairperson to modify the plan. The entire plan should be posted for employees to review to see what the rate changes are and to see what changes may occur to the benefits team members receive. The McCoy Administration snuck the changes to the employee 401K (eliminated employer contribution) without consulting with team members. What surprises are in store for the life and disability insurance?
Under Payments leadership, his Cousins husband was injured on the job while working for the Tribe. Payment was told they would be suing the Tribe. His comment was "good". This could have been avoided had the Tribes workers comp. representative negotiated with the injured Employee and Payment had issued the directive. This was prior to Payment being stripped of some of his authority.
FY 2009 Minimum Wage – This is great for our lowers wage earners. This will bring them to match the MI minimum wage at $7.40 per hour. However, with several key administrators making at or over $100,000……why is the McCoy Administration ignoring those who are just above minimum wage - otherwise classified as the working poor? Anyone who makes more than say $75,000 in the Eastern UP is in the top 5% of income earners and consider wealthy. Why not re-factor these folks and others to share the wealth with those at the lower end? Refactoring the top individual to $75,000 and every other individual listed above by the same percentage decrease would save a total of over $600,000 which could then be used to increase the wages of the working poor.
The other problem with this resolution is that it purports to have the minimum wage increase come from existing budgets. If we are to believe that the budgets were set at actual expenses, the only place these increases could come from is from vacant position created by laying off more team members.
Upon Payment entering Office he could have brought forth legislation to terminate or reduce the top earners salary. He didn't. He gave them all raises just like McCoy is doing. At one time Payment was friends of all those he complains about. In his eyes they could do no wrong.
Approving Service Agreement: Ogitchiida Qwe, Inc. – In 2008, this contract, for one person, was budgeted to receive over $120,000. The person does an excellent job, but $120,000 when we are already paying Mike McCoy $120,000?! The work performed by Ogitchiida Qwe is far superior to than Mike McCoy’s work product with is absolutely nothing. Why not lay off McCoy, and retain Ogitchiida Qwe at the savings? Oh, that’s right, his name is McCoy.
Again Payment did nothing with Mike McCoy when he took Office.
FY 2009 Recreation - Youth Program Budget Mod – This is a move in the right direction, but under the Payment Administration, all tribal youth who were willing to work and applied for a summer job, got one. This program does not cost a great deal. Certainly, keeping our kids working and out of trouble to earn money for school clothes should be a higher priority.
When Payment was on his way out he did nothing to promote Youth employment. The program was cut and reinstated after most of the Youth obtained employment elsewhere. Payment did nothing about it. He was to busy pouting after he lost the election.
FY 2009 HR – Admin/Employment Budget Mod- This resolution is stated in such a convoluted way, it’s difficult to tell who is getting a raise, and who is being brought back from layoff. Insiders report that Lauri (McCoy) Henry is getting a raise and promotion as the Assistant HR Director. In 2005, when she initially did not qualify for the position, DJ Hoffman and Cathy Abramson (Henry’s son and sister) got Fred Paquin and Lana Causley to lower the qualifications for the HR Labor position so Lauri would qualify. Was this the reason Cheryl Bernier was moved out?
Payment speculates on this. Cheryl Bernier was terminated because she is incompetent. Payment put her in the position she was in and she did what Payment told her to do.
FY 2009/FY 2010 Legal Assistance Budget Mod – This resolution refers to an increase in a position but does not designate which position and what the justification is for increasing that position? This process should be open and transparent. In fact, all wages should be published like all other public entities. How else would you know whether or not the Chairperson and/or Tribal Board is not lining the pockets of key officials to buy their loyalty or increasing their family member’s salaries?
Why was Morello's process not open and transparent? Payment had the opportunity to have the wages published and failed to do so. He even shunned Todd Gravelle for bringing forth a resolution to do so.
FY 2009 Lakefront Inn Budget/ FY 2009 Lakefront Inn Cap Ex – For years, the Lake Front Inn has not even kept pace with its debt package. Why then did we hold on to such a loser? The property is managed by none other than Fred Paquin’s ex-wife Wanda Paquin. The Board has seen the budget projections that show that the Lake Front will never post a profit. Bob LaPoint was proactive in 2005 in reporting several hotels in St. Ignace were closing down due to the economic downturn. If the market is constricting further, and the projections do not show a profit, it’s it time to sell the property? At least closing the doors, will eliminate labor costs. Fred’s gone so why cater to his ex-wife?
Prior to the Tribes purchase of the property this business flourished. Payment knew in 2004 that Wanda Paquin was incompetent. The only reason he did nothing about it, was he had Fred Paquins vote. Even after Payments and Paquins cat fight, Wanda was still employed. She was even promoted to Hotel Manager of the mistake by the lake. Good old Bob LaPoint had his relatives working on the Construction, and he had to set aside his differences with Paquin to keep the money pouring in.
The Sneak
Payment sneaks around like nothing negative ever happened under his leadership. Just like the current and past Chairman, many negative things have occurred. Aaron Payment is no different than Bouschor or McCoy. He is dangerous to the Tribe like they are. He's another con-artist like Bouschor, who is trying to sneak back in like Bouschor did. Lest the Members forget!!!
