For The Cabbage Only
The Liars Express
Aaron Payment is putting in effect phase 3 of his attempt back to the Tribal Trough. After Payments less than impressive performance as the Sault Tribe Chairman, he was ousted in the Election of 2008.
Phase 1 of his plan, was to get re-elected by making promises he could not keep while he was the Chairman. The people spoke and Payment was replaced.
After the Election, Payment had nowhere to go. His golden tongue then landed him a job at MSU. This was very short-lived and Payment was said to have been terminated for reasons he has yet to reveal. It didn't take Payment long to realize that no one wanted him in or outside of the Tribe.
Phase 2 is deployed. Cry Wolf, look for sympathy and attack the New Administration. Payment puts blurbs on his blog that "The Elder Fund Is Depleted...Elder Checks Come To An End" No proof other than his less than honest word. Payment then tries to bail-out his Cousin Donna Marble from some employment problems. They both made-up big stories that got them nowhere. In June of 09 Payment posts what he coins an essay by his longtime supporter Charles Forgrave. This essay tells everyone what they have known for years. Payment complains about everything the New Administration does, and seems to forget he had an opportunity to change all this and never did. What hypocrisy!!!
Now comes Phase 3. OMG!!! With the large volume of this letter. STF will comment (In This Color) below CANDIDATE PAYMENTS statements.
CANDIDATE PAYMENT STATES.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
TRIBAL UPDATE & REQUEST FOR SUPPORT FOR 2009 TRIBAL VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
Let me begin by thanking you for your support during the 2008 Tribal elections and our personal support over the years. Along with the use of my own funds of over $35,000, we ran a good clean campaign of ideas and not attacks. It was one of the nastiest campaigns in Tribal history. Aaron Payment instigated a nasty campaign.
Members continued to be surprised by the outcome due to the fact that during the primary we had:
• Amassed a phenomenal 1,000 nominating petition signatures (only 100 are required). That is not relevant Aaron.
• Received over 322 individual contributions amounting to $11,294. How many contributions were not reported?
• Won a primary vote of 49.8% with my nearest competitor trailing by over 1,028 votes! If we are to believe the outcome, in just three weeks between the primary and general elections, a swing of 1,706 votes supposedly occurred; that’s 23%! Hundreds of Tribal voters from outside of the UP complained that they received primary but not general election ballots. Countless Tribal members across the country now question the integrity of the manner in which Sault Tribe elections are held. Did you contest the vote and demand a re-count Aaron? The bottom line is, the people saw you for what you really are.
Nonetheless, I am humbled by the experience but it is a time to look forward with optimism. One continuing situation is the disparity in voter registration between those who live inside versus outside of the service area. Though the Sault Tribe Constitutional requirement for voter registration is virtually the same for all Members, virtually 100% of those who live inside the service area are registered while over 12,000 who live outside of the UP are still not registered. Those who live in the service area have never had to register but you had to! This is an unfair and discriminatory ‘equal protections’ violation of your U.S. Constitutional rights. To correct this disparity, I need your help and financial assistance. A lot has happened in just over a year. You had a chance to change the registration process and didn't.
• Reports reveal that Chairman McCoy was criminally convicted on July 16, 2008 of ‘malicious destruction of property’ putting our MI gaming license in jeopardy and providing clear cause for his removal from office. Why is it that you are not sharing the original reports?
• During the McCoy administration, Greektown casino has lost $140 million in revenue and our Tribe’s stake in Greektown is coming to a sad end with the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in equity. Recall the $268 million debt Bouschor singularly negotiated to benefit the Greeks. Probably true, but what were your big accomplishments in Greektown? You were a Board Member when the $268 Million was thrown away. ONE QUARTER ON ONE BILLION DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY !
• The elder dividend was cut by nearly $1,000 and the principal of the fund almost completely depleted suggesting no dividend in January! We give credit where credits due. You did protect the Elder Dividend. How you did it is a different story and you have to live with it.
• Previously, 800 college students received financial support from our Tribe to attend college. This year, over 600 students were denied – a 75% cut. No comparison Aaron. You say that 800 college students received support. Then you go on to say 600 were denied. We will have to assume that you are comparing your Administration and the current Administration. The current being the latter. How many were denied under your Administration and how many were approved under McCoy's? And you want to try to lead this Tribe again?
• Tribal children’s Christmas parties were eliminated. While Chairperson, I privately raised nearly $25,000 yearly toward the total cost of about $40,000.
• Where I raised $150,000 annually from businesses for tribal scholarships, this year, it has dropped to less than ½ of what it once was at $69,000 – a 54% drop. The Christmas party's should have never been dropped. Even Bouschor had them. Good leaders share their knowledge. If you personally raised nearly $25,000 why didn't you show McCoy how to do it? You did not raise $150,000 for scholarships. the tribe did.
• Members now have to pay for everything, membership cards, application fees, hunting licenses, etc. I believe the AIP was passed during your Administration and you were all for it.
• The Board of Directors has not shared in the drastic cuts; their $67,000 salary remains untouched; • With Bouschor’s ‘Back to ‘Business’ slogan, he got the Board to fund an alcoholic bar in our youth sports and recreation center located in the middle of our Sault reservation site. Geez oh pete's Aaron ! Who set that $68,000 salary? Who received retro-pay? An Alcoholic Bar. Is everyone that goes there an Alcoholic? Are all bars Alcoholic establishments? One of Native peoples biggest problems and you are ignorant to it.
• Our Youth program was evicted and relocated to a rundown old building. To get to the building, Tribal kids have to cross a busy street leading to our casino. This is an accident waiting to happen. Which program, there are quite a few?
• The case against Bernard Bouschor to recover nearly $3 million he stole on election night in 2004 is moving forward. We are awaiting a decision from the MI Supreme court any day now. It's doubtful anything changed since beginning.
• None of the above is reported in our Tribal newspaper by staff or Members of the Tribal Board of Directors as Chairperson McCoy has ordered that this information be censored. Aaron Payments history on censorship is well noted.
MEMBERS LIVING OUTSIDE OF SERVICE AREA ABANDONED!
Probably the worse outcome is the elimination of any discernible plan or leadership on our Board for the 64% of you who live outside of the Upper Peninsula to ever receive any quantifiable benefit from your Membership. I understand our financial circumstances, but to:
• Cut you off from all communication.
• Completely abandon two years and $350,000 of Constitution work and any hope of ‘at large’ representation.
• Eliminate Tribal member meetings in areas throughout Lower Michigan.
• Keep the status of Greektown a secret is unacceptable. McCoy promised to meet with Members to restructure the Tribe?
Have you been invited to attend any meetings near where you live in the last 14 months?
Are you better off now that you were 14 months ago?
Aaron Payments only purpose for out of Unit Members is their vote. He knows the Tribe will never be able to fully support them. More proof his lies took him a long way. Beware of the Wolf in Sheep's clothing.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED NOW, WITH VOTER REGISTRATION If we are ever to make a change that meets your needs, we need to ensure that those who are most ill-affected by these changes, are empowered to participate in our Tribal election process.
There continues to be NEARLY 12,000 Members living outside of the service area who are not registered to vote. I realize, given the appearance of corruption in Tribal elections, it will be difficult to get them to register. My hope is that we will overwhelm the ballot box with votes cast by new voters and overcome any ballot stuffing that may occur. I need your help in three ways:
• A contribution to help with the costs of the mailings to get Tribal members to register to vote.
• With encouraging others (especially family members/ relatives) who support our cause to contribute as well.
• I need your help to encourage fellow Tribal members to register. Targeting 5,000 Members not currently registered to vote, the total cost for this effort is between $5,612 and $9,012.
The variance in the total estimated cost is based on including return postage to make it more likely that folks register. The totals include mail-out and return envelopes and postage, a cover letter to urge voter registration, labels, and a return post card so I can track our success and share this information with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in those situations where Members attempt to register but do not receive a ballot.
The unfortunate reality is this happens far too often with no real due process. For accountability purposes, I will post all receipts on my blog. Aaron Payment cannot be trusted. You may have to take him to court to get your money back.
Please keep faith that ‘WE WILL’ make a difference. The path is more indirect, but if we work together, we will eventually become a tribal government of integrity, accountability, and one for which we can all say we are proud to be voting Tribal citizens!
Respectfully Submitted, Aaron A. Payment
THIS IS ALL A FEEBLE ATTEMPT BY AARON PAYMENT TO FINANCE A CAMPAIGN
DO NOT BE FOOLED !!
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