Our friends from Palawatch.com have some interesting questions for the Pala Band of Mission Indians Executive Council. On the VETERAN'S Day meeting agenda...a contract for Sara Dutschke, niece of BIA Director Amy Dutschke. Remember when Sara sent a letter purporting to act for the Pala Band? Well, NOW, they are looking at hiring her.
From Pala Watch:
Here are some questions and issues that should be raised:
First off the meeting is being held on Veteran's Day. Robert has always disrepected Veterans as well as elders. This meeting should be canceled.
Where is Howard Dickstein's Contract? Why is he not on the list? Kilma said Howard was getting 5% of the casino revenue each month. Who approved that?
How many contacts did Sara Dutschke Setshwaelo really have? First she was hired as an individual, then through Karshmer and Associates, and now through Dentons US LLP.
We all know Sara Dutschke Setshwaelo was hired to help disenroll the Brittains. Why should the tribe pay for an attorney who hurts its own membership.
Who gets to approve Sara's contract? Her Aunt who happens to be BIA Pacific Regional Director Amy Dutschke?
Where is Karshmer's Contract? She was working for the tribe for how long? Since Karshmer is the one that reviewed the Constitution she should know attorney's contracts need General Council Approval and Secretary of the Interior Approval.
Anyone remember when Karshmer got term limits reversed?
Newsflash Kimberly Kluff no longer works for Foreman and Associates. She currently works for Morongo.
Robert is trying to even get retroactive approval for contracts that are no longer in operation.
What are these attorneys doing for the tribe? Obviously these attorneys are not representing the tribe, they are representing Robert. Why does Robert need so many attorneys?
How much are these attorneys getting paid?
Since these contracts pre-dated the Brittains being disenrolled shouldn't they be allowed to vote on them as well since they are affected parties?
Robert Smith's illegal Constitution cannot be amended at a General Council meeting. It's too late to go on the ballot for the General Election. It would have to be a General Election called specifically to amend the illegal Constitution.
Don't give the Executive Committee power to remove members and non-members without General Council approval. To do that would require a Constitutional amendment anyway to transfer that power. The Executive Committee should make their case for removal of each individual they are targeting to the General Council. Too often the Executive Committee has used their power to punish and hurt others they view as political opponents.
PBMI members should ask for a bonus for $30K especially since this will be the last year the Brittains are not on the rolls. If Robert asks where is the money going come from, tell him from the Tribal Gaming Authority which is authorized to expend from the gross revenues for per capita.
If he says there is no money tell him to get it from Pala Interactive, the avocado grove, lease monies, property investments, and other ventures unknown to the GeneralCouncil. Robert can also sell 50 of the tribes vehicles and sell the Jets. Who needs golf anyway. There's always Sage Capital. Dividends are high this year, sell some stock. Maybe the bonus should be $40K.
By the way, where did the minor trust funds go? Perhaps $50K is more appropriate.
Here is a comment someone posted on Palawatch.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous Anonymous said...
I HAVE DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THESE ATTORNEY'S,HER IS WHAT I FOUND OUT, AND THE REST IS UP TO YOU.
#1-Gregory C Alcorn Law is a real estate lawyer.
#2- Bell, Mcandrews, Hilacht, llp. Is a law firm that specializes in
political $ campaign, and elections law.
#3-Kimberly Cuff is a Child Custody Lawyer from San Rafael, Ca.
#4-Theodore Griswold,Procopio, Cory are native American lawyers practicing mostly in the EPA field.
#5-Slater & Truaxw mostly do Bankruptcy ans litigation law.
#6-Jane Zerbi law is a gaming Attorney in Sacramento and used to be connected to Howard Dickstien.
#7 Sara D. everyone already knows that she uses Tribal funds to attact Tribal Elders. She works for Dentons Law Firm."
Thanks for the post! People of Pala this bold move from the EC is designed to take you down once and for all! Please vote your heart and know that your voice counts tomorrow! Hopefully the vote will be done publicly during the meeting. Please do not allow the EC to use the electronic vote! Those results have been manipulated in the past, please ask for a vote of hands or to table the conversation ( ensuring that the topic of lawyers not to be brought up for at least one calendar year). We the people of Aguascalientes will help to bring the tribe back together and make sure the truth is revealed! We are all one voice please let yours make the right choice tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is Veteran's Day. The banks are closed, schools are closed, federal and state offices are closed but Robert Smith's crime family is open for business. They can not waste any time in covering their criminal tracks as they openly request the Tribal Council to approve their dirty deeds. It will just make them richer and you poorer. It is bonus time. Fire the attorneys and have a merry Christmas this year. Lots of bonus money there. Sell the jets, sell the cars and SUVs, stop the comps, charge Robert for staying at the casino any time he wants. Lets see, that is $200 per night times 365 = $730,000 that Robert comps himself every year. I will bet that he doesn't even pay for his bar tab. That is another $1.2 million dollars a year. That bonus would be fantastic if we just cut out the corruption and the corrupt leaders. This should be the year. Yes a $50,000 bonus is due everyone. Just vote it in. Don't worry, they will find the money. It is there in their hidden off shore accounts, Ireland, Switzerland and Wells Fargo. It is your money. It is our money not theirs. Time to get it back.
ReplyDeleteIf Pala is a sovereign Nation, why does it need a campaign and election lawyer? Pala should not be involved in Politics, it obviously causes corruption like bribery. And why in the world do they need a Child custody lawyer? Whose custody are they working on, shouldn't that be on the person who is trying to get custody and not the tribe, after all the tribe does not take custody of a child, an individual person does? Why do you need an EPA lawyer? If the entity run by Shasta is supposed to be on the up and up then there would be no reason for a lawyer because everything would be done according to the laws. Bankruptcy and litigation lawyers are for those going through bankruptcy or about to go through bankruptcy, is Pala going bankrupt or is Robert trying to cover his ass for some deals he made using tribal funds that went bankrupt or that he wanted to have go bankrupt so he could make money off of them, and then have the tribe pay it? Afterall the bankruptcy won't hurt his personal name. Seems like there are a lot of useless lawyers here, you should fire all of them and hire a firm of your choosing that can handle everything. Robert sure seems to be greasing a lot of palms here. See what he does if you decide to hire your own lawyers, watch him go ballistic, because it is not the fact that he wants any lawyer approval, it is the fact that he desperately needs these lawyers approved, or he could be in big trouble.
ReplyDeleteIf Pala wants real Justice they need to start by firing all of these Attorneys and start with a fresh Law Firm that can do what the Tribe needs. There are plenty of Firms out there that would like to put in a bid for Pala's Legal Issues.
ReplyDeleteThat way the people could choose a firm of there liking and not be forced to deal with a firm that is connected to anyone through the BIA or anyone else that may cause a conflict of interest for the Tribe. For sure don't get involved with any firm that would hire Sara Shitswallower.
@November 10, 2015 at 5:55 PM You assume PBMI is a tribe. They are not. They are an association of multiple tribes.
ReplyDelete@ 6:28 pm, Ok sorry I am just trying to get a point across so the people of the Pala Band don't make any big mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it's against the law for a Tribe to donate to any Campaign because it's illegal for the Other Countries to donate to Campaign funding. So being a Sovereign nation is the same as a foreign country isn't it.
ReplyDeleteTribes are domestic dependent sovereigns. They are not foreign nations. Also Indians are citizens and under the jurisdiction of federal law. In California tribes are also under jurisdiction of state criminal law. In the case of gaming it is regulated by the state through the tribal state gaming compact and by the feds through the NIGC.
ReplyDeleteSo tribes can lobby and contribute to promote legislation in their interests or that affects them. Campaign contributions are limited in size and scope so tribes normally don't spend their influence dollars on campaigns.
if P.B.M.I. is not legal,why don't the legal tribe get them out?.
ReplyDeleteRobert Smith and Theresa Nieto can kiss my ROYAL CUPENO INDIAN ASS.
ReplyDeletePBMI is a legal Indian entity, but it is not a tribe and does not appear on the list of federally recognized tribes. PBMI uses the tribal status of the Pala Luisenos to operate as a federally recognized tribe. This is one of the allegations of the lawsuit. The BIA has made a mistake and has pretended that PBMI and the Pala Luisenos are the same to cover up the mistake.
ReplyDeleteThe idea is to make things right, not to get them out of there. PBMI should be able to operate as a tribe instead of a personal treasure chest for Robert Smith. The Agua Caliente Tribe wants the reservation to be for all the Pala Indians.