Well the Union Tribune has finally covered the activities at the PALA RESERVATION.
An apparent power struggle has erupted at the Pala Indian Reservation after a group of tribal members claimed to have ousted the tribal council and installed a new executive panel.
Tribe spokesman Doug Elmets said Tuesday morning that the claims are untrue and that a meeting held by the group Saturday was illegal and lacked a quorum, so any action taken was invalid. He said only about 23 tribal members attended the meeting; other reports put the number at roughly 70.
“The effort by this small, disgruntled group has had zero impact on tribal operations and its business enterprises,” Elmets said.
But the reservation has been buzzing for days with talk about the dissent. On Monday, more than a dozen sheriff’s patrol cars were parked on tribal land; sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said they were there because of the dispute between the two councils.
Members of the group challenging the Pala tribe’s leadership said Tuesday they are fed up with Tribal Chairman Robert Smith and other members of the tribal council, who they say have refused to answer questions about the tribe’s finances and business dealings.
Smith did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday.
“There are a lot of allegations of misconduct,” said Greg Mojado, a spokesman for the group. “But the reason this transpired was because people had a lot of questions and they had no recourse. Every time they would go to the tribal office to try to get on the agenda or get an audience with the executive committee … they were shot down.”
The Pala tribe owns and operates the Pala Casino Spa & Resort, one of the largest casinos in the county, east of Interstate 15 on state Route 76. It has over 900 tribal members. The tribe has also been embroiled in disenrollment disputes in recent years. About 150 people were removed from the tribe two years ago, including various members of former Chairman King Freeman’s family.
The latest dispute surfaced early last week when challengers posted notices around the reservation, saying they were calling an “emergency meeting” of tribal members for Saturday, May 17, to talk about the leadership problems.
Mojado said the emergency meeting was legal under the tribe’s protocol, which requires a public notification three days in advance and at least 25 tribal members present at the meeting for a quorum.
But almost as soon as the notices went up, Smith’s office posted its own letter, warning that the meeting would be illegal and any action taken there would be invalid.
Smith’s letter said a petition signed by 10 percent of the tribe’s voting members, 643, was needed to properly call for the meeting. He also wrote that the five members of the executive committee would have to be present before any votes could take place.
More than 70 tribal members showed up to the meeting anyway — roughly three times the 25 required for a quorum, Mojado said.
During the meeting held Saturday afternoon, those present voted to suspend the executive committee, also known as the tribal council, which includes the chairman, and various other government and gambling oversight bodies, Mojado said
7 comments:
Robert Smith is the biggest liar, we did everything according to the constitution, we would be fools to approach it any other way, this is the only legal non-violent way to rid Pala of this Hitler, he and the executive committee have hurt our people enough. It is so sad to see how scared the people are of him, In America, people so scared of their leader that they did not want to go to a General Council meeting, because they were threatened by Robert and Company. Now Howard Maxcy is acting for Robert, what a fool, he had a decent name as a firefighter, a good man, now he is Robert's Puppet and turning on his people who once respected him. Doug Elmets should be totally ashamed of himself, every word that comes out of his mouth is a lie. He thinks he is helping these corrupt people with his words, but really he is just making his place in hell. He knows the truth, he is Dickstein's partner and will no longer be working for the tribe, Robert can pay him with his money, the money he stole from his people.
Is Robert the ONLY liar, or is ELMETS on board?
His services should be ENDED as of Sunday.
Don't forget to ask for a REFUND to the tribe for any work billed after that.
His twitter address is @ElmetsPR send him links to these articles.
There are many liars, but the truth is being told and shared with all. The Interim Executive Committee will make a decision on Doug Elmets and whether or not to retain him. It doesn't look good for that relationship at this point. There are many people revealing their true nature at this time. It will make some tasks easier for the Interim EC.
I say fire that Dickstien/Smith mouth piece, Elmets.
new pala meeting is tonight at 6:00pm old pala meeting is tomorrow all is invited tonight. tomorrow only tribal members see you all there tonight.
@ O Pechanga
The facts are right here, and says,Indeed Doug Elmets never speaks the truth, because all he does is quote Robert Smith. So ya,he is a liar and he knows it.
I just read the Press News paper a touching story about a man who lies in his room suffering from cancer it says he lives in Pala God bless his daughter for taking care of him and i thought how many of our elders are lying at home and have no voice please visit them and because when they are gone our history is gone don't know if he is a member of Pala or not but if he is did you count his vote or that don't matter God Bless you Mr Mojado wish i could of brought a voters ballot but heard they are counted by a machine that don't work. We are still here for our Elders your voice.Thank you for your story.And we are still praying for a peaceful out come in all this in the name of our Father and son and Holy spirit Amen.<3##
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