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Subject: Ethical ??


Author:
John Cornsilk
[ Edit | View ]
Date Posted: 10:08:39 04/30/03 Wed
This past Sunday the Tahlequah Press came out with a special edition with an insert of a voters guide, with answers to a questionaire..

Privevoulsy we were approached by phone and e-mail seeking to sell us at least a quarter page ad, to participate, Robin declined telling them they were biased..

Just before deadline I was emailed, and told, if I would buy at least a card size ad I could participate, also reminded by the managing editor Robin had said they were a biased paper, and she said you may think so too..

I ask if Robin could participate also, I was told yes, so I bought two card size ads we got our bio and the card ad ran in the paper, I did not pay any attention to it, only to look to se if we were in it..My son stoped by today and was looking it over and ask why we had no answers to the questions printed..I told him what I just wrote here, he said that aint right, and proceded to write the following..

John Cornsilk

I recently had the opportunity to read what was touted by the Tahlequah Daily Press as a “voter’s guide,” published April 27th. Much to my dismay and I must say, anger, I found what was nothing more than a biased political rag which misleads and misinforms the Cherokee people.

When candidates were invited to purchase an advertisement in the Progress edition of the Press, they were informed that purchasing an ad would also provide the candidate with the option of answering questions relevant to Cherokee governance. If they did not purchase an ad of at least one quarter page, the candidate was not permitted to respond to the questions. This, in itself is unethical and unfair to both the candidates and the voters.

First, it is a well known fact that viable candidates with a great deal to offer the Cherokee people often have little money to spend on a campaign. This is no indication of the support they have from the Cherokee people, nor are huge sums of campaign dollars any indication of support from the average Cherokee voter. It is well known that some candidates, particularly incumbents, have huge sums of money for their campaigns with large contributions coming from outside the Cherokee people’s pockets.

The “voter’s guide” (their label, not mine), shows itself to be the product of deception in the third opening paragraph on page two. That paragraph follows:

All 22 candidates who filed for these offices are listed on the front page of this section. Ten candidates opted to answer a series of 14 questions. Three more bought smaller ads, and gave us biographical data to include in the section. The remaining candidates either chose not to participate or had not responded by press time.

The critical questions for the intelligent Cherokee voter include:

1. Has the Tahlequah Daily Press acted in such a manner as to deceive the voter and cast certain candidates in an unfair light?

2. Can the so-called ‘voter’s guide’ and the Tahlequah Daily Press be trusted to be honest, unbiased and truly hold the best interests of the Cherokee people at heart?

3. Has the Press made it clear to the voters that their ‘guide’ is nothing more than an attempt to sell advertising and promote certain well-heeled candidates at the expense of truly informing the voting public on the issues and the stand of each candidate?

4. Is the Press’ publication truly a voter’s guide?

In my opinion, the ‘guide’ misguides the Cherokee voters by making them believe that the candidates chose whether or not to answer the questions. It infers that answering the questions was independent of purchasing an ad, yet that is patently untrue. It further misguides the voters by purporting to be a voter’s guide while leaving out critical candidate information, including answers to the 14 questions.

The Cherokee press is under the total control of the Cherokee Nation administration. In spite of claims to the contrary by the current administration and the editor of the Cherokee Advocate, the voter’s guide published by the Advocate omitted certain candidate information using flimsy excuses. Freedom of the press does not exist in the Cherokee Nation; at least not when money is at stake. The umbilical cord of financing holds the Cherokee Advocate hostage and, it is painfully clear also controls the ethics of at least one Northeastern Oklahoma newspaper, the Tahlequah Daily Press.

David Cornsilk
Subject: NOT, justice for ALL, only select few!!


Author:
John Cornsilk
[ Edit | View ]
Date Posted: 10:16:30 05/04/03 Sun
They stretched the imagination to the limit in their quest to legitimize what they had to say..

While I agree due to the lack of the legislature upholding their oath of office and legislating in the interest of the people, the court system of a new Government such as CNOT (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) may have to seek precedent (case law) law from other jurisdictions to rule on an issue, and has been done quite frequently, in many cases quite detrimentally to the Cherokee people, i.e. the pay raise come to mind off hand..

Now this case on the residency of the Candidacy of Chad Smith for Chief of CNOT, is a blatant disregard of the jurist to their Cherokee oath of office and to Cherokee law, while quite true there is no codification to the constitutional article on the matter, there was a blatant disregard to this order pictured below, from the commission in a previous case identical only difference being the party was not a Chief, which matters not the law does not specify Chief's are exempt..

And in any court of law, an election commission ruling carries the precedent setting weight of a court order proviso being there has been no Court case challenging the order with a ruling, which in this case there was not..

Chad Smith is NOT a resident of the Cherokee Nation as prescribed by Cherokee law!! Purty dang plain and simple folks!!

John Cornsilk

The order:



Replies:
Subject: Misappropriation By Tax Commission


Author:
Screaming Eagle
[ Edit | View ]
Date Posted: 12:13:09 05/13/03 Tue
I watched in awe last night as the Cherokee Council was asked to vote on a package which contained within it misappropriation of funds by the Cherokee Tax Administrator Paula Holder. Last term as a seated Council member she raised holy hell claiming misappropriation within the Byrd Administration. She was the spotlight in hours of meticulous Council meetings in which she took the crowd line by boring line and figure by boring figure trying to make her point in the bookkeeping process of the Administration.

One of her most memorable moments was when she claimed she had found an over billing within the Law firm of Swidler and Berlin of $10,000. When notified the law firm immediately agreed to correct rather than debate the figure but that was not good enough for Holder. She took it into Federal Court with Chad Smith as the attorney and Chuck Shiply as his Co-council. Together they ran up a bill of over $300,000 in attorney fees ultimately paid by the Cherokee Nation, after Smith took over, all over a $10,000 discrepancy that was easily corrected.

Earlier in an interview in a National Law Journal, Chuck Shiply had boasted of his three pronged attack to use the courts and legal system as a means to bring down the Byrd Administration. It was obvious then that Paula Holder, Chad Smith and Chuck Shiply had organized deception of the greatest magnitude in an effort to corrupt the Federal Court System through a frivolous lawsuit that was easily settled out of court.

When Federal Judge Burge found out about the article in the law journal he was fit to be tied. There was no doubt in his mind that the entire case had been manufactured to create enormous attorney fees for Smith and Shiply. He openly chastised both Smith and Shiply in Court and told them that if he found they had lied about being part of this orchestration of deception he would pursue the most stringent remedies. He held his ruling for a later date and was expected to disbar them both. The only thing that save this bunch of scoundrels from serious fines and possible imprisonment was Burge’s retirement from the seat before he ruled on that case. Because the next Judge was not the one who had been bastardized, the case ultimately died.

In this month’s meetings the a bill containing a modification in funding was discussed and defeated in committee and would not go to full Council without revision and closer examination because many Council members had several problems with the way it had occurred. Before the Executive Finance Committee it was clearly explained by Council’s attorney and CPA that the procedure Paula Holder had failed to follow created a blatant case of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds.

Barbara Starr Scott, Councilman from District 5 Delaware County, was present during the initial vote in which the bill was tabled for more examination but after Johnny Keener and Don Crittenden left the meeting early to attend a prior scheduled engagement, Scott brought it back onto the floor. Scott saw that the attendance had changed and she had the votes to get it through to full Council in the May meeting in the original corrupt state. This is what needs to be recognized. Scott knew of the impropriety and illegal nature of the actions but took the appropriation forward.

There is no doubt that Starr Scott is a Chad Smith supporter but to knowingly move misappropriation onto the floor of full Council is unconscionable. Scott is a part of the corruption within the Cherokee government and our only salvation is that she is not running again for the Council seat in District 5. She chose to instead run one of her relatives who will undoubtedly have her voice if elected. There is no doubt if Smith is reelected Starr Scott will be appointed somewhere to make big bucks out of the Cherokee coffer just like the rest of the “controversial patriots” he has hired. Scott is one of the last who was at the nucleus of the controversy that hasn’t been hired for a phenomenal salary into the upper hierarchy of the Cherokee Nation under Smith.

Back to the focus of what has happened in this incident last night. Paula Holder the Tax Administrator made a decision that she needed additional labor force within the tag department. Without the proper authority and without Council appropriating funds she hired 10 additional people to work within the department. She stated that she had notified Human Resources of the need and thought that funds had been appropriated but as a Director and with her experience on Council there is no excuse for her to not have personally checked to see that everything had been properly completed.

Holder took it upon herself to hire additional staff without going through the proper advertising and appropriations for their salaries. After this action knowingly well it would exceed her budget before the year’s end, half way through the fiscal year she goes to Council asking that funding be appropriated to cover her mismanagement of funds. This violates every policy in hiring and budgeting within the process as a Department Director.

But the story gets even more twisted. Last night Councilman Nick Lay asked Holder about a letter that was received this week by Cherokee citizens dated March 12, 2003 on Cherokee Nation stationary and paid by a tribal mail permit. The letter contained political statements praising Chad Smith and was unmistakably notifying voters of his candidacy for Chief in the upcoming election. It claimed the success of tags as one of his accomplishments when tags were first legislated by Councilmen Don Crittenden and Harley Terrell under the Byrd Administration in 1998. Holder openly admitted last night before Council that the Tax Department had paid all costs for this letter....

There are several immediate questions that come to mind. Will this show up as a contribution from the Tax Commission on Smith’s election contributions? Do other candidates have access to the same list to market their candidacy? Will Tax Administrator Paula Holder also pay for political mailers from the Byrd, Fields and Mayes Campaigns? What does Stanley Grayson Jr., Smith’s choice of a Deputy Chief, that is one of the three current Tax Commissioners watching and seemingly approving of this misappropriation have to say about all of this?

Scott was undoubtedly the tool that put this illegal process into full focus. But Holder is the one person who must be held accountable for mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. But the big question is how did this get passed and funded last night through the full Council?

Timing is everything and to understand how the mind of a sociopath works is key to following the management process within the current Administration of the Cherokee Nation. Holder, Scott and Smith, all display the traits as explained (see at http://cherokeetruth.ezhoster.com ) in “The Profile of a Sociopath.” They are without conscious and are totally self-serving. In the last term both of these women as Council members were a key part of what was termed a “Constitutional Crisis” and boycotted repeatedly to actually prevent tags from reaching Cherokee people under Byrd’s term. Getting Cherokee tags would have been a home run that could have gotten him reelected and they did everything to circumvent it.

Starr Scott was who actually began the entire fiasco demanding documents she knew the failing accounting system left by Mankiller would not produce. Scott was undoubtedly working hand in hand with Mankiller behind the scenes in the first months just after the election and was captured in a picture having lunch with her while both were taking notes and planning their strategy.

Last night Councilmen were faced with a trap that Holder created within her explanation of the funds she was requesting. She stated that part of her reorganization included creating tag agents in satellite agencies throughout the Cherokee Districts. To vote against the bill which included funding to her department became a double-edged sword. If Council voted against the bill it was obvious that the immediate response of the Smith slate was to go into the districts with negative campaigning claiming that incumbents had voted against having tag offices in their our districts that would better serve their constituents. We saw an opportunity and defining moment of Politician vs. Statesmen as Council was faced with a dichotomy.

It was a carefully contrived plan that we have seen many times to milk half of all the revenue produced by Cherokee tags into the overhead and administration of that agency. Money that would be used for services to the people has now become a part of the job base and political structure for the Chief. This has been the over all design concept throughout the Smith Administration. They have built a monster, which is eating up 85% of the funding of the entire government by the administration and overhead or the programs. Presently only 15% of the total money actually get out to the Cherokee people who need the programs.

This is a very clear picture of how organized crime has taken the reigns of the Cherokee government and with the recent ridiculous ruling by the JAT on Smith’s residency and the lack of blood quantum required to be a member, we are in trouble. When you read that ruling there is no doubt that Smith owns the Judicial Branch of our government. Anyone who is one-one millionth Cherokee and rents an apartment within the jurisdictional boundaries can run for Chief. And anyone who has enough money can be Chief. With just a little more investment into political campaigns, they can own enough of the Council to do anything without any possible intervention from anywhere. At that point the Cherokee people have no voice in the government. The Smith slate has it all laid out for this to happen.

Should we have another election we will undoubtedly see Las Vegas money come in and completely take over our government. Smith already has in place strong ties to Vegas through his campaign manager Linda Turnbull Lewis. Organized crime has exceptional intelligence, hence the word “organized”. For the investment of pennies on a dollar, they indeed have not overlooked the ability to own the gaming and the flow of $311,000,000 annually of all our revenue simply by the success of a simple political campaign to 13,000 Cherokee voters. Smith lied his way in and they will tell as many lies as it takes to win again!!!

It is time for the Cherokee people to rise and respect their ancestors. We stand at the turning point. The stage is set and the election is at hand. This will be the last possibility the Cherokee people will ever have to change the fate and destiny of the Cherokee Nation before it falls totally into the hands of organized crime untouchable by the people it is supposed to serve. Your vote will make that difference. Do not fail your descendants and our posterity.
Subject: VOTE NO! on Constitutional Amendment


Author:
Jobie
[ Edit | View ]
Date Posted: 16:19:04 04/15/03 Tue
There is a Constitutional Amendment to be on the ballot. The current administration has taken it upon themselves and spent Cherokee Nation Funds to draft a completely changed Constitution. Granted, there are improvements that are needed in our Constitution, but they should be addressed individually. This is an all or nothing vote. I for one am afraid to vote for this package of changes, especially when wording is so critical when our courts interpret the law.
VOTE NO! VOTE NO! VOTE NO!
Then let's do it right later!
Subject: JAT


Author:
admin
[ Edit | View ]
Date Posted: 15:43:44 04/15/03 Tue
JUSTICE FOR ALL??????????????????????????????

Have you read the JAT's ruling on the Smith Residency hearing? They said it was proved that Smith had 2 residences and yet they said he could run for office?
I researched the Cherokee Law. The statutes state a candidate must have a 'bona fide permanent residence' within the historic boundries of the Cherokee Nation. The statutes also state 'residence is synonomous with domicile' which means residence is defined the same as domicile. You can only have one domicile and cannot establish a new one unless you abandon the first domicile.

Since Smith has domicile in Sapulpa long before he rented his apartment in Tahlequah and he still, by his own testimony, goes back to the Sapulpa residence regularly to be with his wife and children I don't see how the JAT could rule the way they did.

This is a good example of why our Justices should be elected and not appointed by the Chief!

What did you think you were voting for when the question came up on the ballot to require the Chief and Deputy Chief live in the Juristictional Boundries?
Replies:
  • Re: JAT -- Davy Crocket, 21:35:41 05/02/03 Fri
Subject: letter to editor


Author:
John Cornsilk
[ Edit | View ]
Date Posted: 07:42:57 04/29/03 Tue
This letter may be better understood if a person would go to this link http://www.cornsilks.com/realconedu.html either before or after
you read:

Blast from the past!!

The year was 1987, an election year for the new Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, only the 4th ever.

The Blast includes an act by one of our recently departed
Cherokee Warriors and Elder, Mr. Ben Shoemake..

The election reeked of fraud as had the three previous and all since, and this one in 2003 already smells to hi-heaven!!

In 1987, Wilma Mankiller was challenged by Perry Wheeler each with a slate of council candidates to do their biding. This was before districts; the councilors ran at large the top 15 vote getters were the anointed.

David Cornsilk came in 16th 9 votes short, there was a 17th, an 18th and a 19th with a hundred or so votes, and these facts are a significant part of the blast.

Though Mankiller won, her slate of yes people did not, so she set out to change that..David Cornsilk was approached an ask to call for a recount at no cost, he refused, number 17 was approached, he refused, same with number 18, number 19 was approached and agreed..

The election commission set it up, all set ready to count, in through the escape hatch in the back of the council chambers where the count was being held stormed Charlie Soap mankillers husband and some law official, yelling hold it up, hold it up, we found another box. It was inspected and without explanation declared same as the others.

The Cherokee Constitution says the JAT (Cherokee Supreme Court) may oversee a recount. NOTHING about conducting it!!

Next in storms Phillip Viles the Chief Justice, and associate Justice Jack Rider, They kick out the Election commission seated Joe Grayson Sr. a candidate in the election and his son, none other than the smith's running mate in this 2003 election, Joe Grayson Jr. to assist in the re-count.

The Recount begins with the newly found box, and quite oddly folks the machines that had just counted all the ballots during the voting day for some (un-explainable??) reason would not accept the ballots, they had to be hand counted, what you suspect that means? The count went into the wee hours of the morning.

When the process began David Cornsilk walked up to Jack Rider, and ask "is it proper to have a Candidate in the election involved with the recount", Rider in his noted for gruff voice said " did you pay for this recount" David said "NO", Rider said "then sit down and shut-up"..

At the end of the recount guess what??, Yes, Mankillers slate came out on top, and to make it look good mankiller gained ONE vote..And the number 19 guy was anointed shot all the way up to 2nd er third place..Strangely David and the other three candidates, 16, 17, and 18, count remained unchanged..

Well Some stuff hit the fan the next morning when the Election Commission was called on to certify the election Four refused to certify it, this is where the just departed Warrior (Ben Shoemake) was, yes he was an election Commissioner and one of the four that refused to certify the debacle, another was Florian Griggs, the very same Council candidate in a following election that was ruled ineligible because she lived outside the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma boundarys, and rented an apartment inside, just like the Candidate Smith has, in this CNO election of 2003..

Wilma showed up at the commission office raising Cain yelling they were tearing down the Cherokee Nation, she was shown the door by the commission.

Anyway Viles and his cohort of the JAT was called on to certify their own count, they did, and the Mankiller disease of The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma continues!!

Don't recall who the other two good guys were, but the fifth who thought all was fine with the fraudualistic debacle, guess who?? None other than Edith Locust Dalton, the Candidate on Smith's ticket as one of the slate of 11, who have sworn to serve the Chief rather than the people in their respective districts in this CNO election of 2003..

So what does that tell you district three voters?

Recall the mentioned of storming in of Viles and cohort, only two jurist. Well guess what, the third had just got kicked off the bench, seems a question had arose as to whether Swimmer had appointed a white man to the bench and his bunch of yes people on the council approved him with out checking him out. He was a white man.

Of course this is another story, one of the many in the short life of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma in its quest to hang on to power over the Cherokee peoples assets, not to govern!!


John Cornsilk
14013 N 524 Rd.
Tahlequah, Ok. 74464
(918)456-7753

PS: there is no way to tell this story a fewer number of words, if you can not use it thats fine!

Subject: Chief Smith's Ignorance!


Author:
John Cornsilk
[ Edit | View ]
Date Posted: 13:01:12 05/05/03 Mon
At the forum in Claremore this past week end, Chad demonstrated his lack of knowledge in the area of one of the greatest concerns of the Cherokee People.

It is appalling to say the least, particularly with the treatment Indians have had with the promised health service..

Robin was addressing the health care issue, stating it was a treaty right an leaders should be in DC demanding our right to the superior care promised..

Chad challenged Robins statement with a clue-less nit-picking statement he said, "this was not a treaty right, that he had read ever treaty there is, and it is promised no where".. IHS is funded because we are poor people "he said'..

The mere fact of the IHS tells you it is a service owed lest we be in the State welfare lines more than we are caused from lack of action by our supposed leaders..

Chad dared anyone to present fact to discredit what he said..

Some of Joe Byrds people were there they promised to oblige him!!

In a piece Robin Found on the origin of IHS, if you will note, it lists treaties as one of the means by which we are entitled..

Robins find:

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM A HISTORY OF THE I.H.S.

The governmental duty to provide health services to Indian tribes derives from many sources. These sources include negotiated treaties to ceded Native American lands, settlements, agreements, and legislation. Significantly, there are specific treaties signed by the federal government and Indian tribes, exchanging Native American land and resources for federal promises of health care and other services. The generally accepted premise of government responsibility to Native Americans is based upon the destruction of Native American civilization and the poverty and disease, which followed in its wake.

I was out looking also, I found these words by Senator Inouye..

Sen. Inouye who said, "Over 100 years ago, the Indian people of this nation purchased the first pre-paid health care plan, a plan that was paid for by the cession of millions of acres of land to the United States.

John Cornsilk
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